Banjarmasin is an outpost city on the Indonesian side of Borneo. Many people use Banjarmasin as a gateway to head deeper into Borneo. While there are few things to offer the tourist, and in fact the tourist office was closed when I was there and the one backpacker guesthouse was so dilapidated even I would not stay there, the canal tour was a highlight. I had only a few days break from study in Yogyakarta and wanted to see more of Indonesia and life away from Java. Many of the people of Banjarmasin live along the canals where they bathe, swim, wash dishes, motocycles, clothes, and just about anything requiring water. The ramifications of such a life gives the tourist much to think about and for that reason alone such a tour is worthwile. Yet I found my three trips on the river to be much, much more. The first along the small canals in late afternoon brought me into direct contact with the people who live along the banks. Literally! Local children swam right up to the boat and hauled themselves aboard. A few tried to ask for money, but mostly in jest as they rode only awhile and then dove off and swam away. Other kids leaned off the low bridges to give me five. Families along the canal waved hello. Another trip I took was to the floating market - far less touristy than any in Thailand - where people from further upriver motor down for hours to participate. And then my guide took me to a small temple along the banks where there were some very aggressive monkeys. I was not the only tourist in the area, but most of the few tourists hailed from Jakarta or other parts of Asia. Finally I took a several hour boat trip down toward the river's mouth where proboscis monkeys hang out. Unfortunately the boat driver seemed even more excited to see the monkeys than I and screeched with delight every time he saw one, causing the monkeys to flee deeper into the forest - but that in itself was quite interesting. :)