A morning of frolicking on the river was like a much-needed and much-deserved vacation. We are on vacation, aren't we? Sometimes I wonder. With the help of our trusted guide and his friend, Fred, a local guide, we headed out as promised to play in the river. With temperatures in the mid-30s and the humidity as close to 100% as you can get without the rains coming down, just the thought of floating down the river is seductive. There are some serious currents in the river, so the first task, after getting into the right footwear (leech socks and Tevas for me; water shoes for Margaret) we stepped into the current. Fred held Margaret and Deslim took my arm on the other side and together they edged us into the current, and with strength and perseverance, through it to calmer water further into the river. From that rather dramatic beginning we swam across to a hot spring on the other side. The river is swift, so you have to aim high above your destination to end up in the right place but we did it. After a relaxing few minutes in the bathtub-warm spring water, it was back into the current to swim downstream in search of the next point of interest. We did this in-and-out-of the river thing a few times, until we reached the point where we would 'board' our inner tubes. Minutes later, the four of us, our destinies on those tubes tied together with rope cord, launched into the river to the cheers and -- did I hear applause? -- of the locals gathered on the shoreline. I can only imagine the site of it-- well, actually, there are photos -- our pale skin and white hair against those two dark-skinned black-haired Indonesian men. And what a refreshing way to spend the morning. As we headed for Bukit Lewang, it became quickly apparent that the respite was to be short lived.
Oh my, what a ride. Our 4x4 had no seat belts in back, and no door handles. It's nice to have your driver jump out and open the door, and we did appreciate the cross-breeze between our two windows, permanently at half mast.
It's a bit of a climb up to where there are semi-wild orangutans but our local guide, a wisp of a man named Aya reminded us that we are on vacation, and there is no rush. There is no competition in the jungle, he tells us. At least none that we are part of! So the climb is slow and steady with frequent stops to provide information, while we catch our breath. There is a community of sorts up in the hill, and it's here that we meet her and her young one. She is perched in a tree about 8 feet off the ground, and we nearly walk past her before realizing she is there. Well, from then on, for at least 45 minutes, she posed for us, sometimes walking past so close I could have touched her her, other times swinging from tree to tree, following the encouragement of our guide. I'm pretty sure this is not their first rodeo, so to speak, and he communicates with her with clicking sounds, and of course, bananas. I have to keep reminding myself that this is not an encounter with a wild orangutan. She is a semi-wild, having been rescued and trained to live in the jungle. But she will never likely leave this area. Her offspring will, but a female cannot re-integrate to a family of wild orangutans. The males come to her. Not such a bad deal, given that at one time she was at-risk.
Tomorrow we head out early for a full day trek, in search of wild animals. We are told there is a small chance we may see a gibbon, which would be amazing, and also possibly a horn bill, the spectacular bird we call a macaw, but the most populous species here is the big orange orangutan. But first, we have to survive New Year's Eve! It's fairly quiet at the moment. I hear singing, and some thumpings of musical instruments but every few minutes a barrage of fireworks lights up the sky and shakes us in our beds. I need sleep. Now.
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