Today we got up early. We have two days to visit Indonesia. From east Timor taking a boat to Kalimantan.  Its a joke – so we will visit only a part of the huge country and see a lot of water. We have a local guide that enthusiastically (in difficult English) gives us some basic information (while i am hoping not to get seesick on the first part of our journey.  In 1945 Indonesia became independent

The official name is :”Republic of Indonesia”. The capital of Indonesia is Jakarta. Whit 235 million people Indonesia is very populated country. In Indonesia they speak “Basha Indonesia” but also Englisch, Dutch and local dialects (the most widely spoken is Javenese)

Indonesia is a vast archipelago with about 13,700 islands. It is also the fifth most populated country on earth and the third largest democracy in the world. I think our guide was a teacher in a former life…

Once arrived on a tropic Kalimantan we wait at the small airport to take an even smaller plane from Kota Blaipan to Kuchin. While waiting we see a lot of men and no women. The guide explains that about 90% are Muslim. Indonesia had been noted for its relatively high level of religious tolerance, until recent years when many conflicts between Muslims and Christians have occurred. He  thinks that in the future this religious problems will compromise the economic and democratic possibilities.

I tell him that it seems to me that there is  also a lot of work to do concerning “women’s rights” and for a western tourist Islam religion has to much impact on society and on the way an individual should live.

The guide quickly changes subject and says with some pride that Indonesia is what they call and emerging economic country. Indonesia has a market-based economy in which the government plays a significant role.

Meanwhile we fly over an beautiful country and don’t see a lot of it …. I have to come back here – minimum a month – to discover the culture people and nice country sites…

03-03-2011 om 00:00 geschreven door Pieter-Jan Van Haeverbeke