Wednesday 26th August 2009 Penang-Bukit Lawang, Indonesia

Today was serious travel day!!! We were lucky enough that the boat to Medan, Sumatra didn't leave till 9am so we had time for breakfast before getting a taxi too the port at 07:45am. We were super early but we'd rather be early than late and also we hadn't taken into consideration that Asian time was in full swing again!!! Asian time being super relaxed and nothing ever leaves on time!!! It can be quite frustrating at times!!

Anyway the boat eventually left at about 9:30am and it was then a 6 hour or so boat ride across the ocean to Sumatra province, Indonesia.

On arrival and after getting our 7 day visa's for $10 we exited the port expecting a bus to Medan, as the tickets were meant to include transport to Medan!! But what a surprise we were conned as were a lot of the tourists!! There was no bus, but conveniently there were hundreds of mini bus taxi's ready to charge us stupid prices but happy to take us anywhere!! We knew we were being ripped off but we didn't have a lot of choice unless we wanted to spend the night at the port!! So in we jumped and off we headed to Bukit Lawang.

Bukit Lawang is about 4 hours away from Medan by bus although we did it in about 3 and a half hours. The main reason for going to Bukit Lawang is to see our orange haired cousins, Orangutans!!! We had to wait to see them as it was 7:30pm by the time we arrived so apart from jungle noises there were no signs of the famous Orangutans that night.

On arrival we were greeted by a guy who turned out to be a guide, although we didn't know this at the time, to us he was just a guy who happened to be in the car park at the time we arrived and who showed us to the nearest accommodation, Eco Lodge. It was nice enough although maybe a little expensive but by this point we'd been traveling for about 10 hours and we were done in. So we accepted the room and got some food (our first meal of the day since breakfast!!). We both had Indonesian dishes of rice with chicken, this was also accompanied by a free welcome drink of passion fruit juice freshly squeezed-really nice.

Whilst we were having dinner the guy from earlier came to speak to use and it turned out he was a jungle guide. So after speaking to him we decided to book a 2 day, 1 night jungle trek leaving the next morning. After dinner we sorted out a bag for trekking and then had a earlish night.

Thursday 27th August 2009-Bukit Lawang

We were due to be met at 9am for the start of our trek so we packed up and headed for breakfast at about 8:30am. We had arranged to leave our big bags in a locker at Eco Lodge so we just took a over night backpack with us and a sleeping bag. We didn't need or want too much with us, mainly because we would be carrying it all day!!!

Our guide, Hassaini and the rest of the group eventually appeared at about 9:30am and off we set. The group consisted of us, a Belgian couple-Lattie and Jess, and 2 English guys-John and Tom. There was also 1 other guide with us, a very shy 19 year old who walked at the back of the group and who spoke very little English. We can't remember his name but he was very cute and smiley and his face lit up as he bounded around jumping off rocks and spending all his time in and out of the water when ever he could. I also became very familiar with him as I always walk last and so therefore at some points it was just me and him. I would ask "this way or that way" whilst pointing and he would respond with a smile and point in the appropriate direction.

So from 9:30am until about 5:30pm we trekked through the jungle. We were trekking in Taman Nasional Gunuang Leuser. It was dam hard work but great fun!! After our first half an hour we saw Thomas Leaf Monkeys. There were about 5 or 6 of them and we watched them for a bit as they swung through the trees and watched us. We were pretty close to them but thankfully they didn't try to get any closer. Monkey attacks are rare but do happen!!And then after about 2 hours of walking whilst we were having a fruit break Hassaini found us our first group of Wild Orangutans. Amazing and very graceful!! We stopped and watched them for about half an hour as they swung through the trees playing and snapping branches off. There originally was a mother with baby and we think a male as well. Then a bit later on another 2 appeared in the same place. They were great to watch and definitely made our day.

As I said before we walked for about 8 hours but we did have regular stops for food and water!! Lunch (fried rice with egg wrapped in banana leaf) was taken down by a stream and to get there it was about an half an hour climb down hill to get to the stream which of course then meant up hill after lunch. As we were in the jungle there were no real paths and a lot of it was off the beaten track. It was up, it was down and it was at times very slippy and muddy!!! I know as I was covered, I was glad of the stream at lunch if only for a wash!!!

In the afternoon we saw another group of Orangutans and at one point there was a large male about. Caroline decided with the lads to go further into the jungle with Hassani to try and see it more closely. I decided along with Lattie that if we went down to look we would have to walk up again- not something we wanted to do. Every time the question was asked about what the next section would be like, the answer would generally be "a bit flat with a bit of up!". FLAT in the jungle does not exist!!!!

So apart from the Orangutans and the Thomas Leaf Monkeys we didn't see any other mammals but we saw loads of insects including ants the size of houses!! We saw some birds and we had the fantastic background noise all day of jungle sounds, brilliant!!

The end of the trek was along the river until we reached camp. At the camp our communal tent was ready and there we another 2 guys there, one was called Iguani and the other were not sure. Any way whilst we had been trekking they'd bought everything from the village, set up camp and cooked a large amount of food for dinner. We may have been in the jungle but food at all points was GOOD!!!

Before dinner we all had a swim in the river-it was freezing but nice never the less and then we all sat down to drink some tea!!! Over the next 18 hours we drank lots of hot tea-it was really nice hot black but sweet tea.

All the girls (so me, Caroline and Lattie) decided that instead of sitting in wet clothes that pajamas around the camp fire would be best. We weren't going anywhere so why not and who was going to see us?

The night was spent eating (dinner was various Indonesian foods with rice), drinking (pre-ordered beers) and playing very silly but amusing games that Iguani knew. They all involved cards and/or matchsticks and were the simplest games but great fun and at times very mind boggling.

We all headed to bed at about 11pm on to a very hard surface of rocks!! I thankfully can sleep pretty much anywhere but Caroline and some of the others struggled!! With the sounds of the jungle mixed with the sound of the rain, I found it very soothing!!!

Friday 28th August 2009, Bukit Lawang

We had all decided last night that another full day of trekking was not what we wanted, instead we wanted fun in the water. So firstly we all had a lay in until about 9am and then we had our first breakfast. This was tea and a slice of bread. From here we all then headed to the waterfall behind camp for a wash and swim. It was once again freezing but refreshing!! The lads all decided along with Hassani to climb up the waterfall but the 3 of us girls all decided that we would not be climbing unaided up a waterfall!! So Iguani walked us up the hill and into the top section of the waterfall a different way. But it was fairly hard and rocky which ever way you went. I think we all decided that really we should have just stayed in the original waterfall and swimming hole. After the waterfall we all had our second breakfast. This time it was more tea along with a really tasty egg and cheese sandwich.

By now it was about 11:30am so off we went for a walk up the river with tubes so then we could tube back down to camp. The walk was only about half an hour but it was over rocks and through the water as we had to keep crossing over the river. I also got leeched!! It wasn't painful, as I had expected, by my god did it bleed after we had pulled it off! One of the guides put tobacco on my foot afterwards as he said it helped stopped the bleeding. I was a little skeptical but it worked!! After we had done some rock jumping we all then tubed back down to camp for lunch. There were 2 per tube and at times it was a bit shallow so we kept hitting our bums on the rocks, but even with the bruises it was good fun!!!

Lunch was noodle soup and then it was time to pack up camp. Whilst we were doing this some of the guides were tying all the tubes together to make a raft. So five tubes tied together like a snake then held 10 people and all the bags (covered in plastic) as we then rafted all the way back to the village. It was awesome!! We got very wet but it really topped off our 2 day adventure!!!

Once back in the village of Bukit Lawang we arranged with the others to meet up later and then headed back to Eco Lodge to secure a room for that night. This time we got a cheaper room but actually we felt it was a bit better as the room was loads bigger but the toilet was not a flushable one!! Unfortunately Eco lodge like many places didn't have hot water so it was a cold shower tonight even though we really could have done with a hot one!!

After changing we went back over the bridge into town, used the internet and then met, Hassani, Lattie, Jess, Iguani and his family all at their family restaurant. Iguani has 2 sons who are very cute and a lovely welcoming wife. We all sat around drinking beers (westerners only) and eating chicken and rice. We were then treated to a private concert of guitar playing and singing. We all had a really good night!!

Saturday 29th August 2009, Bukit Lawang-Berastagi

We were up and having breakfast by about 7am today as we wanted to go to the Orangutan feeding station before leaving the village. We thought and had read that feeding time was at 8am, again this proved wrong and the actual feeding time was 9am but hey we were first ones there!! In Taman Nasional Gunung Leuser there are wild and semi-wild orangutans. The semi-wild orangutans have been rescued from private collections and the re-released into the wild. For some time afterwards they come back to the feeding platforms to get some food. They are only given bananas and milk as the idea is that they will learn to hunt for themselves. At the moment there are 18 semi-wild Orangutans in the jungle but they have had many success stories before hand. They deliver food to the feeding platforms twice a day and depending on the year depends on how many orangutans come. This time of year there is more fruit available in the jungle than other times of year. We just had the one visitor today but he was amazing and so funny to watch. We had to wait about half an hour before he appeared but when he did it was well worth the park fees we had to pay. He came up so close and because he knew the park rangers he wasn't scared at all. He drank milk out of a cup, took his vitamins and then once he got into the rangers backpack he was off with the bananas. But only up into the trees so we all could still see him. Towards the end we could hear him making a nest/bed in the trees but as soon as we all started to leave he was straight back down again!!! It really was a wonderful experience and although we both went a little OTT on the photos, we just couldn't help ourselves!!

Lattie and Jess were with us as well so after we had done we all headed back over the river by pulley boat and then we all got a drink before heading back into town. We were also joined by 2 girls from Amsterdam. They wanted to do a trek so after having a drink we took them to meet Hassani. Whilst we were having a drink we also spotted some more Orangutans across the river in the jungle near the park entrance. It was a mother and baby and we could quite clearly see them swinging through the trees.

From here we then went back to Eco Lodge to check out, on our way we called in at Iguani's to say goodbye and also his wife's sister had a place in Berastagi so she rang forward for us as well to secure us a room, which was nice of her. After checking out we got a motorbike taxi to the bus station and along with Lattie, Jess and Hassani we all caught the same bus to Medan. We all said goodbye at Medan and then we were on our way to Berastagi.