Links to places we were

As I go through the hundreds of photos we took, it's fun to be looking up websites of the places we visited, where possible.  I found it pretty amazing that in Indonesia, a "third world" country, the internet is very accessible for the most part...more so than in my home town in the US!  So I thought it would be worthwhile to make a record of some of these links...in case I want to go back.  :)




Gili Air

Map of Gili Air

Salabose Restaurant was very good, we ate there a few times.  Also at Gita Gili and Casa Mio.  We went snorkeling from Gita Gili.

Lucy's Garden Hotel
I do believe we were their first guests.


Ubud, Bali

Monkey Forest

Ubud Inn
We were actually right next door, we ate at their restaurant and used their free internet service.

Bicyling Tour
I would love to go back and take some of their other tours.  We learned alot with Joe as our guide.

BAS Nature
Coffee Plantation


Sumatra


Freddie's Santai Sumur Tiga
In Sabang, on Wey Island


The Jungle Inn
In Bukit Lawang, right near the Bohorok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre.

Bohorok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre

Last Day in Indonesia

Our last full day was Monday.  After our trek, we went *home* and cleaned up, then went to dinner at another nearby restaurant called Jungle Trails.  A monkey wanted to join us, but our waiter Jaka kept the monkey away.  Then Jaka offered a guitar to David, David played it a little bit and then Jaka played a song for us.

Tuesday morning, we took some more pictures of this pretty little village.

Our last meal in Sumatra was simple fare:  some french fries and some fruit.  As we were waiting, we watched a girl who worked in the restaurant cutting flowers from the yard.  Lots of flowers...we did not realize they were going into our fruit bowl!  What a gorgeous display!

Raman, David, Sarah, Kim

Some final pictures of Sumatra as we make our way back to Medan, to the airport.

Another airport

Another plane

Forest People

"Orang" = "person"
"Utan" = "forest"

Monday morning we visited the Bohorok Orangutan Center's feeding station.  They feed the orangutans at 8:30 am and 3:00 pm each day.  We met Raman headed to the Center, but first we had to get across the river.

The ferry doesn't hold very many people at once.   Sarah and I went first and then snapped some pictures of David coming over.

It's a very quick trip.  We got our permits, took a hike uphill to the feeding station and settled in to see who would come.

Feeding time is only for 1/2 hour.  Then we all go our separate ways.  We were going on a 3- hour trek through the jungle, with Raman as our guide.  The rain forest is an amazing place.  And we were lucky to see two more orangutans in the wild.

Banana Break

At the end of our trek, we walked through a grove of rubber trees.  This is how the rubber is collected from the tree.  A strip of bark is cut diagonally, and a bowl is attached to the tree.  The rubber slowly drips into the bowl.

We came out of the jungle overlooking the town of Bukit Lawang.

Bukit Lawang and The Jungle Inn

On Sunday, we left Banda Aceh by plane for Medan.  The flight is about 45 minutes.  We were on our way to Bohorok Orangutan Center.

http://www.orangutans-sos.org/visit_sumatra/bohorok_orangutan_centre/

Once again, Sarah had done the research and found a place for us to stay, including arrangements to get there.  We were met at the airport by Raman, whisked off to a car driven by another man whose name I didn't get - he never spoke the whole 2 hour drive, Raman is the guide and he did all the talking.  One thing I have no desire to ever do is to be the driver in Sumatra.  Again, the two-lane roads are filled with motorbikes and small cars, passing and honking, driving 3 abreast, passing on hills and curves.  This road had the added pleasure of very large trucks and many potholes.  We went from busy city of Medan to more city of Binjai to rural villages, through miles and miles and miles of Palm Oil Plantation to the town of Bukit Lawang.  We were let off at the top of a hill, told its a 10-minute walk to the Jungle Inn.  The sidewalk goes down the hill and then along the river.  Our lodging is the very last one on the road, nearest to the Orangutan Center.  Raman took our luggage and piled it onto his motorbike along with a friend to help him hold the luggage, and we started walking.  It was getting dark.  We were amazed when we arrived at the Jungle Inn, our room is at the very top.

The Jungle Inn serves meals, it was time to eat.

Chicken Pineapple Curry

Chicken Jungle Inn Style

Vegetable Curry

Here's the view out our window the next morning.

 And breakfast, of course...

Yoghurt with mixed fruit and honey

Yoghurt with mixed fruit, muesli, and honey

Banana Pancake

Raman is taking us to orangutan feeding center at 8:00, and then for a 3-hour hike through the jungle.