Friday -- Samarinda

As I write this, I am sitting in the back seat of an SUV driving from Samarinda to Balikpapan on the island of Borneo. The rain is coming down in sheets, but that is to be expected in the rainforest. Yes, the scenery is thick trees and brush. I haven’t seen any animals, but I am sure that they are currently seeking shelter from this tremendous rain. The road is winding and dangerous but I have faith in our driver.

Let me provide some details on the day. Our first stop was the State Polytechnic of Samarinda. This is a college that offers degrees in various types of engineering plus other related careers. I spoke to about 30 faculty. The presentation was very much like the others I have been delivering.

It is an interesting custom that the host institutions almost always provide us with a bottle of water or a cup of tea plus a light snack. This college provided a cup of hot tea plus a hamburger. It was wrapped in paper and resembled something fand rom McDonald’s. Actually it was quite good—a thin meat patty with slices of cucumber plus a different type of sauce.

We had some time between “gigs” so my hosts took me to a souvenir type of area in Samarinda. There were about 10 stalls of vendors selling items such as costume jewelry, t-shirts, sarongs, plus other items. I was able to purchase a few bracelets for souvenirs and a couple of t-shirts.

We stopped for lunch in a restaurant that had 3 walls and no air-conditioning. I wasn’t hungry after my hamburger, but I had a refreshing glass of guava juice. I have acquired quite a taste for the Indonesian guava juice and try to have some whenever I can.

The last speaking engagement today was at the Mulawarman University. This was a very large university in the typical condition that I have found most of these universities. Old and needing attention. We were taken to a very large room and I delivered a formal presentation to about 50 people. It went over well and there were three reporters present.

So much for now, I need to stop as I am feeling a little queasy on this road. The good news is that the rain has slowed down quite a bit.