No matter how hard the wind blows, it keeps standing on its shelf. Often ripple shakes, it feels like a beautiful dance of an earthquake. Such a long unbroken swell from a speedboat rushing past through the river, it stands still, tough and rough along-side the river.
It looks like a house, because, yes, it is. It’s a floating house, an unique abode which also can be found on several canals in Amsterdam, Netherlands that’s called woonboot; but for people of Kapuas Hulu, it’s called “Rumah Lanting”.
Lanting refers to some large logs bounded together on the water that is used by local people as a quay for their dinghies to be moored. Besides, lanting is also utilized as a “floating bathroom” in where they take a shower, wash clothing and other household stuffs with the water from river. People live next to the river side still use “lanting”.
But rumah lanting, is a dwelling. It also has several bedrooms, dining room, kitchen, a small toilet, and of course, a rather wide of porch in front and terrace. Rumah lanting is allowed to take electricity current from house on the upland, and the owner is also obliged for electric bill. From four directions: two in front side and remains in rear of the building, there are ropes tightly holding the house from breaker therefore it won’t be drifted.
On Kapuas rive, in towns of Putussibau, Kalis, Embaloh Hulu, Bunut Hulu, Jongkong, Suhaid and Semitau we find some “Rumah Lanting” are still use as residence by natives (mostly for them who are acquainted as Non-Dayak).
Instead of permanent house on the land, some people live in Rumah Lanting with the reason of efficiency that they don’t have spend more money and energy for cutting grass on the yard. You don’t have to buy a land to build that house, and you also do not have to pay any kind of tax due to the presence of rumah lanting near
by the river. But when the dry season comes and river goes subside, the owner should slack the rope so the house could reach sufficient level of water to keep it floating.
by the river. But when the dry season comes and river goes subside, the owner should slack the rope so the house could reach sufficient level of water to keep it floating.Surprisingly, floating house is not only in Kapuas Hulu, but also can be found in Netherlands. I looked at some canals in Amsterdam.
There’re some woody floating houses with some greeny plants decorate as if they’re not ordinary houses. But those were built on deck of the metal ships, while rumah lanting is purely from wood.**
