Bukit Lawang

7/7/11

Feeling much better in the morning so have decided to head for Medan. It is school holidays here and it seems everyone wants to travel by bus, it took 6hrs to catch a bus 2 an hour where full. Eventually got on one and lucky I called ahead to reserve a room as I didn't get to Medan hostel till after 2100. The trip itself was suppose to be 4 hours but took 6, it seem all bus trips are half again whatever you are quoted.

8/7/11

Place I stayed in Medan wasn't too flash, very expensive for food, but they did have some scooters and one motorbike for rent. So I told the lady I wanted to rent the bike last night for about 4 days. But the bike hasn't been here all day today and she doesn't seem to care about finding the workers who have it, I think they expect all people who come here to buy tours and pay them for transport to Bukit Lawang.

and you must keep your eyes down at all times on the foot paths here.

9/7/11

Off to Bukit Lawang, took a while to get to the bus, took a local bus to the middle of town. Then walked to the main road out of town, lucky have GPS again, and then share taxi thing to some Plaza, he heard me wrong. Walked back to main road then another share taxi thing to a petrol station, this one had where I was going on the windscreen, but still got dropped off at the wrong place. Walked back toward the main road and saw some tourists getting out of a taxi, asked and they where heading to Lawang too so just followed them.

In Bukit Lawang book a two day one night trek in the jungle to see the Orangutans, with the same guide as the Quebec couple I had follow here. We ended up with 5 in our group, but also 5 in another group doing the same.

10/7/11

Started early ish, the trek actually started from where I'm staying just walked out the back and up into a rubber plantation, also straight into the first group of monkeys. Once everyone had taken plenty of photos and video and gone ooohhhh, aaahhhhh a bit we carried on to the jungle itself, which wasn't really that far. Very soon after entering the Jungle proper we got to see our first two Orangutans which was cool, they where high up and doing some warm rain, you have to be very carefully of the warm rain they like to get over you and pee, they where a pair male and female both wild too I think. That encounter obviously had a lot more ohhhh's and aaaarrrhhh's and photos and videos.

  Internet wa too slow so have added this video. As you can see ladies it is in our nature to scratch our ass, we cannot help it.
We headed on after a while, the guides don't rush you really unless there are a few groups starting to pile up together. Not far from the first two where a mother and baby, unfortunately we had spent too long ooohhhhing at the last, as they had just been on the ground and up to the group ahead of us just before we got there, the mum had stolen a scarf off one lady and was draping it over here head, like a good Muslim Orangutan. We had to go up and down a bit, not high just steep, and walking along the very ridge of the hills looking down fairly steep slops on both side, it was awesome.

A while later we come across a huge male who was wild, not a rehab one, who was close for a while. I'm not sure if it was the case but I believe the 2 people taking photos with flash where making them go up the trees a bit sooner. I still got some good video and photos of the big fella. After that I pick up my bag then went to get something out of it and a big red legged centipede came out the top, it hadn't been on the ground very long, but of course it is only partly seal able at the top by Velcro so have to be weary of that.

Walked for a while after that stopping for lunch along the way, heaps of fruit and some nasi goreng. When we where getting closer to the end of the days walk we came across Mina who is famous for being aggressive, she has bitten a few tourist and guide including our guide, so we where hurried past and down to a stream, apparently Orangutan's don't like water because they cannot swim, she start following us down the hill though so had to head up the other side and away.

Finally arrived at a camp area next to the river, which was lovely and cool, and enjoyed a swim. Dinner was great and slept on very thin foam mates which I didn't find too bad after living in a tent for 6 months around Aussie.

11/7/11

Nice relaxing day as we had seen 9 Orangutans, 4 types of monkey, a peacock, and monitor lizard the day before everyone was happy to chill by the river and stand under a waterfall on a tributary. An English guy and myself floated back to camp for lunch which hurt a bit as it was through some rapids but still enjoyable.

12/7/11

Looked into getting a ticket to Bali or at least south Java but the prices went up soon after I looked so I didn't book any in the end, will look at heading to Archa instead in north Sumatra. Went to the bat cave but my light, on my lighter wasn't good enough lol. Will buy a torch tomorrow.