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hello,
well where to start, done so much already!
We arrived safely on wednesday in jakarta after a long but good flight with emirates, was a massive plane with free drinks, food and lots of space plus big personal screens with games, on demand films tv etc!!
Ended up having to stay the night in the airport as there was only one hotel which wanted $115 and we couldnt get a bus out of jakarta early enough to get our 7am flight....so we suffered 19 hours there!! got about 4 hours sleep at most on crappy wooden benches and got our flight to medan.
Its fair to say medan was a hole, got in and got straight out in a realllly small old mini bus with out rucksacks tied with a rope to the roof of it...very safe!! took about 2-3 hours to get to bukit lawang but we finally made it and walked to our guesthouse.
Despite it being a very long and tiring journey there, it was so worth it.
It was one of the most amazing places i have ever been to, the jungle was on our left with the river then guesthouse on the right side of the river. the first day we got there we just rested and walked around a little and had an early night! Our room was pretty basic with a huge open window with blinds that overlooked the jungle! One big problem was the humidity...i have never been so hot in my life just walking for 10 mins and i was dripping and thats even when its cloudy!!
Day 2.. we booked onto a trek with one of the guides pee i, from out hotel and after bananna pancakes and fresh pineapple juice we set off to see the orangutans. We had to cross the river in a tiny boat whihc was pulled by 2 men on ropes to the jungle side. We then walked up what felt like a million steep steps to get to the platform (we were both struggling to breath by the time we got to the top) but again sooo wortgh it. As soon as we got up there the oranguatans started moving through the trees to the platform. The seating area was no more than 10 metres from them! there was 2 mothers with babies and 3 other young oranguatans. One of the mothers walked right infront of us like literally on my feet and stopped then carrid on the platform...definatley one of the best things i have ever done.
one of the younger cheeky ones ran and stole the feeders bag and ran off with all the bannanas! We were so lucky to see so many and for so long! After an hour here we started our trek into the jungle. It was hardwork as we were literally walking off the beaten track up and down steep hills that were muddy and covered in leaves...its a surprise i didnt fall over. After about 30 mins walking we came across some thomas leaf monkeys, which are only in north sumatra, they were so tame and just didnt move, one of them had a baby which was so cute! there were also long tailed macaques and an orangutan up in the trees! we carried on walking but didnt see anymore mammals, saw a few insects (2 of which started mating on my back) and heard gibbons but couldnt see them. After 3 hours we were so sweaty, i didnt realise you could sweat that much! we went back showered and feel asleep.
In the evening we just sat around at our place in seats at the front watching the huge thunderstorms that happened every night and caused complete power cuts for hours!
The second day there we went up to the orangutans again but only saw 2 this time and they didnt stick around long, also a pigtailled macaque turned up and they are very nasty so we left! Also the cheeky one tried to wee on me and ben, we mnaged to move just in time but h had a pretty perfect aim! We went swimming in the river a couple of times and on the day we left we took a walk through the village, past rubber plantations and really lovely orphanage to a bat cave. Which was really beautiful covered in moss and windy roots...but we forgot a torch sooo didnt venture far!
Also on our last day there we got woken up by thomas leaf monkeys on our roof throwing fruit around and gibbons in the jungle...pretty cool!!
We travelled back to medan and flew to jakarta, stayed overnight and got the first train out on monday (yesterday) at 6.45 am which took 8 and half hours in a non air conditioned train with really annoying kids and people trying to sell you everything from home made food to crappy kids toys and glasses repeatedly....not so nice!
But we are in Yogyakarta now, been round the kraton and up the shopping street took a rickshaw ride and a horse and carriage ride and stayed by the pool (staying in delta homestay). We are here for another 2 nights, heading to borobodur and prambanan tomorrow and then hopefully on to bromo...still havent sorted that.
We shoudl then be traveling to bali on the 3rd and be there for a while.
Will try and get photos up if i can later and call when i get to bali, think it will be easier then.
miss and love you all
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