Thursday, August 18, 2011

The jungle day 3.

Min and I had some time to ourselves this morning, we left Otto and Henry at home with some babysitters and headed for a hike through the jungle.  Min and Andrew had created this path for a family hike held regularly and at the same time planted some more trees to help the jungle recover.

We were joined by some other women from the area and set out, pants tucked into shoes, and mozzie reppellant at the ready.  It is the middle of the dry season and rain has been really scarce, so the lush jungle I was imagining was very different from the dry and dusty one we encountered.

Checking on the planted trees was a bit sad, a lot of work is put into regenerating the jungle, picking the right plants, ensuring they are grown under similar circumstances, that when we found 80% had perished it was a blow.  We did however try again, and planted some more to see if that will work.


It was so peaceful, well as peaceful as it can get walking through the jungle with a bunch of women and a machette!  I had a great time breathing deeply and enjoying the sounds and sights, such a stark contrast to Jakarta.



You would think that maybe that was enough fun for the day, but this day got seriously better in a big hairy way.

I got the privilege of seeing this lovely female Orangutan up close and watching her eat and swing for a good 15 minutes before she gave me the signal that my time was up.  I am unable to explain the beauty and awe that I felt watching these animals, it reminded me of our time watching the mountain gorillas in Rwanda.



I was amazed by their hands and just kept finding my attention drawn to them, next to the bulk of the Orangutan themselves they seemed to fine and delicate. 


The best part of this is the little surprise she had for me, can you see a few extra limbs there?




And then I got a peek at her little baby, oh the sweet fuzziness and inquisitiveness.


 I know I said it every day I was there, but honestly does it get any more amazing than that.

1 comment:

  1. Oh Wow! What an incredible experience! Your life is so interesting and I am in awe of the experiences you have had, and are yet to have. Please keep sharing :)

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