Sumatra Part 2

The last leg of our Indonesian adventure was incredible. After a long day of travel and hassles from Danu Toba to Medan, we arrived in Bukit Lawang. We decided to follow a delightful man named Amri into town by becak (a motor cycle with a tiny side car meant for two Indonesians or 1 and 1/2 Westerners). We checked into the fist place we saw (always a mistake...this one lacked a toilet seat and housed giant cockroaches), eager to eat and enjoy a cold Bintang. We spent the evening talking to Amri and opted to do a 2 day and 1 night trek into the jungle with him.

Some advice for choosing a jungle guide: Never choose anyone who pressures you, and make sure they have a sense of humor. If they invite you to their home to meet their wife and kids, you can probably trust them. Choose older individuals who appear to be in great shape (this usually means they've been trekking for a long time and still trek fairly often...they will most likely put you to shame as they race up the mountains at 41 years old and you huff and puff at 25). Choose someone born in the area you will be trekking; the longer they've lived in the area the more informed they are and chance are they care deeply for the place they live.

We spent the next day exploring the village. A rather small village, Bukit Lawang is surrounded by the Taman Nasional Gunung Leuser (national park), and rubber tree plantations. The village is cut in half by a river and connected by 2 swinging cable bridges ( ones seems much much sturdier than the other). We walked though the jungle trying to locate a place to use the internet. Not 6 meters into the trees, we were approached by a group of Macaques who stared for a second and got back to wrestling and grooming each other. The internet place was located in a childrens home, a place built to help support children who were effected by the massive flood that destroyed Bukit Lawang in 2003 killing more than 200 people. The internet wasn't working (due to lack of electricity, not at all uncommon) so we trekked onto the bat caves. We had to wake up the little 90 year- old- looking man to pay him and entrance fee and descended into a musty dark cave using old ladders and without a flash light. Exciting, but we couldn't see much due to our being unprepared without a torch.

That afternoon we headed to the orangutang feeding center. To cross the river, you squat in a tiny canoe and the locals just push you to the other side. While waiting for the park ranger, two orangs showed up by the river side to drink! They seemed unafraid of the people who were really close. I was standing on the opposite bank grumbling to myself that I couldn't be as close as those other people when a little organg came plodding out of the forest and walked right by me. I could have reached down my hand and pet his head. He sat about 1 meter away posing for pictures as he ate a whole rack of bananas. For the formal feeding, you hike up a steep hill to a platform. We hiked up with 2 other couples and while we were there, two orangs showed up to drink the milk and eat the bananas provided by the rangers. The orangs that come to the feedings are being rehabilitated back into the wild. Many come to the park as orphans who's mother was killed or as animals rescued from trade. Seeing them up close was amazing and got us very excited for the trek the next day. We reunited that night with our fantastic dutch friends Rose and Peter, enjoyed some cold beers, and called it a night to prepare for the morning.

Our trek into the jungle was amazing. Amri our guide was funny, knowledgeable, and respectful. We spent the day exploring the jungle. Unlike climbing up a volcano, in the jungle you go up very steep hills follow the ridges descend back to the river only to head right back up again. We saw another band of Macaques, and possibly the back side of a Thomas Leaf Monkey. Amri showed us how rubber was harvested, found clove trees for us to smell, fed us delicious rambutons, mangosteens, passion fruit, and tricked us into eating "jungle ice cream" which is really a bark that tastes like quinine (a natural remedy against malaria). All in all, we spotted 7 orangs. They are amazing to watch move through the trees. In fact, they get really close to you though they never touch the ground. We even got to see a mother with her little tiny baby. Seeing the little baby reminds you of how closely apes are related to human.

We ended our sweaty 7 hour trek on the bank of a refreshing river. The guides carried all our stuff across as we all jumped in and played in the water like little kids for the next hour. The dinner we had that night was incredible. Curried veggies, sweet chicken, potato cakes, and tea. The five star jungle hotel wasn't too shabby. A lean-to made of a stick frame and black tarps with one side completely open so you could see the fire flies at night. For fun, Amri challenged us with some riddles and introduced some new games that we can't wait to play late night in Bellingham. Sneak Preview: "This is a cup" "A what?"" A cup" "A what?" "A cup" "Oh, a cup" :)

We slept like orang babies that night (well, leon and I did) and woke to egg sandwichs and tea. The morning trek was a bit more difficult. It involved leeches, bush whacking, and a steep slippery slope. Our reward: floating back along the river in giant inner tubes. You sit in giant tubes with netted centers all tied together with your guides at the front and back navigating with long sticks so you don't crash into the rocky banks. It was the perfect way to end a sweaty jungle adventure. We arrived into Bukit Lawang, cleaned ourselves up, and watched a monsoon roll into town. Electricity went in and out that night so we said our goodbyes to our friends and went to bed early.

Caught the bus the Medan the next morning, but as exhausted as we were, we spent the day hiding from the noisy city in our expensive air conditioned hotel room. The next day we caught a ferry to Penang. It was perhaps the most frightening ferry ride I've ever had in my life. Thankfully there were not many people on board so we could lay down as the boat bounced along the choppy waters. My stomach felt like we were on a never ending roller coaster ride. If Penang wasn't so beautiful and delicious, that ferry ride would have left us miserable. So, here we sit in hot Malaysia trying to decide when to hit the beaches in southern Thailand....soon, I hope!