November 3, 2006
Bukit Lawang: feeding the orangutans
We set out at 6:40 toward the restaurant near the river crossing and have coffee and banana pancakes for breakfast, done by 7:30...then we wait.... again the times vary. The sign says feeding time between 8:30 and 9:00. By 8:30 a group of men carrying old bananas in plastic bags arrive. We follow to the river by the canoe, and everyone sets down on the rocks...waiting ...for? ...the ranger? Finally one goes across to get the canoe and we are ferried across two at a time.
On the porch where we had lunch yesterday, the ranger sits behind the table, Patrick shows him our registration and fee--20,000Rp per person per day plus 500Rp insurance per person. We go to a fenced area with cages and some of the men start cleaning the area. Then we see one with a bucket of bananas head down the path we know to be to the feeding platform, and we follow up the steep, slippery path. An orangutan is ahead of Patrick on the path to the platform. The feeders hit the bamboo sticks and 3 orangutans, one with a baby arrive. Rachel shoots some videos as Patrick takes plenty of pictures. Rachel noticed one of the guides was also eating a banana, slightly hidden behind a tree.
The orangutans are so graceful in the trees, swinging from branches, grabbing a vine to bring them closer to another tree, hanging upside down on one foot spread eagle between two trees, stripping the bananas from the peelings. The jungle is very quiet as we watch them and they watch us.
After a half hour, we head back down the steep jungle trail to the river and do the river crossing back to the ecolodge to rest and wait for the afternoon feeding. At 2, we head out again and repeat the process. Only this afternoon there is a mother and daughter from America also waiting for the river crossing. No one has told them they are going to get their feet wet, their choice in shoes as evidence. This afternoon's viewing is much better, the guides don't go all the way to the platform, and feed the orangutans among the trees, some very close to us.
Patrick has arranged for a Roasted Chicken and potatoes dinner at the ecolodge restaurant. We are shown to a table marked "reserved" with a beautiful place setting...looked like we were going to have an 8 course meal with all the silverware. The napkin was folded into a square with a purple flower in the middle. The meal was delicious.
Tomorrow, we head back to Medan via bus.
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