Posted: Dec 19 2006
Hi, Back in Australia now & feeling homesick for Indonesia, Bukit Lawang in particular- such a special place in North Sumatra.
In September and October this year, I spent almost 5 weeks there and after this, my second visit, the place feels like my second home.
I had just the best time catching up with lots of people I met on my previous trip in Jan/Feb 2005, and meeting lots of new people.
This time I did not go on a trek as I had previously been on one, see photos elsewhere on this forum.
And I am very pleased to announce that Bukit Lawang is once again busy with travellers, of course no where near as busy as pre Flood, but so much busier than my last visit.
And there were people everywhere at Idul Fitri- everyone commented that it was the largest gathering of people since the flood which is so gratifying for the locals.
That pathway up to Jungle Inn was unbelievably crowded- I was amazed!!
So I guess you are wondering what did I do during this amount of time.
Well, I helped Samuel ( one of the many friends I had made on my previous trip) and his friend Mbra rebuild the house that belonged to Samuel's grandmother.
The house is situated on the way up the river towards Jungle Inn.
It is amazing to see the number of new dwellings that are popping up along the way there.
With Samuel's house they had knocked out all the walls and were replacing them with cut recycled tree branches from the river making for a very interesting house. Will post photos soon.
When I left there was still a lot more to do before the house was completed.
Samuel now has a small gallery next door where he is displaying all his coconut jewellery he makes and also renting out books to read. ( has a good selection).
Across the path from the gallery is a restaurant called Canoopy owned by Tiar and his wife, both from Aceh where I had some good meals.
They also have two rooms upstairs for rent at 25,000/night.
Along the path from here one will find the Garden Inn with lots of accomodation and great views to the river and further along is the famous Jungle Inn with its very special Presidential Room for 150,000/night- definitely worth the money.
Jungle Inn now also have a little house built close to the river at 70,000/night- did not stay there, but it looks really romantic for a couple to stay there.
And Jungle Inn has the best food- had many lunches at Jungle Inn whilst gazing out at the wonderful scenery and watching the orangutans on the other side of the river.
Actually one afternoon at Jungle Inn it was fun and games as Za Za the orangutan came to visit and caused absolute chaos.
She had pulled herself across the river in the boat and had come for a visit.
To the two Canadians who had just arrived in Bukit Lawang they thought all their Christmases had come at once- a real live orangutan wreaking havoc.
After lots of pandemonium, Za Za was enticed by one of the rangers to accompany him back across the river and it was so funny to see this Orangutan walking hand in hand with the ranger and looking like a naughty 5 yr old.
We could not stop laughing- but that was not the last I saw of Za Za- a few days later she walked down to the new uncompleted bridge and climbed the pylon and swung herself across to where they had started to lay the wooden boards and dropped down to walk the remaining section.
Thank God someone had called one of the rangers and they met her on the other side.
Where did I stay?
I stayed at Nora's Homestay in the village of Gotong Royong.
This is the homestay I suggest to many women who wish to visit Bukit Lawang and take a trek into the Jungle.
At Nora's you can enjoy a hassle free stay and meet one of the guides I have up on my website who will take you for a very enjoyable hassle free trek into the Jungle.
Nora's now has two double rooms with their own mandi which makes for a very comfortable stay.
I just love staying there because I love being in the middle of the village and watching the day to day life of the people around me.
Nora, herself is just as lovable and crazy as ever.
She is such a funny woman and has all her guests laughing all the time.
She has been given one of the very small free houses in the new housing area for the refugees of the Flood of November 2003, so she lives there when there are no guests at the Homestay.
For the first few days of my visit to Bukit Lawang I visited Ima the blind girl ( she is in last yr's photos) I helped last year and organised a few things for her.
Then it was time to catch up with everyone from last year and meet lots of new people.
Visited Danielle's free English School in the village where Nora's sister Nani teaches English to the children survivors of the flood and took a few classes- had lots of fun with the children.
Danielle was out visiting from Ireland and we all had many enjoyable times together with the children.
For former locals of Bukit Lawang, latest news- Nani, Nora's sister married Indra in June this year and next year they will have their first child. So everyone is very excited about the forth coming birth.
I was invited to the wedding, but could not go as I had committments in West Java.
I was invited out for dinner so many nights.
Is, who used to be the cook at Nora's and now runs the free Medical Clinic for Becky from England cooked me the best dinner.
He really is the best cook, the food was superb.
I had another couple of great dinner at Nani's and many dinners at Ramis's house ( went to her wedding last year when she married Daniel).
And lots of dinners at Nora's and met up with Papa Denmark again.
He is currently putting the finishing touches to his house- you can hear him sawing the timber as you walk up to Jungle Inn- his green house is across the river.
After about a week of excitement of meeting up with people in Bukit Lawang I felt like a change of scene- a little relaxation, so I headed off to Tangkahan by ojek for a day or two, which became 5 in total.
Although the trip was a rough one- such an unbelievably bumpy road- I actually loved it because it felt like a real adventure.
I told my ojek guy to pick me up the next day- how stupid of me!
One afternoon spent walking around, with my guide Darwin, then riding an elephant for over one hour whilst he had afternoon tea tearing all the foliage far and near ( boy can those big guys eat!) and I had not even been across the river to my accomodation and I wanted to leave the next morning.
So it was a strenous climb up the hill ( no signal in Tangkahan) to sms Nora to tell the ojek guy not to come back the next day.
Five days later I returned to BL with Darwis- another great motor biker rider.
Accomodation wise, I had intended staying at Bamboo River, but as I was just me alone, and the rooms there seemed so big, I decided walk a bit further along to check out Jungle Lodge.
Sylvia the owner showed me the very first dwelling ever built on the property, a small room with double bed and mandi right on the river bank 20' above.
She quickly put up a hammock and that was my home for 5 blissful/peaceful days.
Every afternoon the Thomas Leaf Monkeys would go crashing through the Jungle nearby with their babies clinging to their bodies.
Such an incredible sight, but one that was impossible to photograph.
Sylvia is married to Alex Sitepu a former guide in Bukit Lawang and they have a beautiful 14 month old baby daughter and are currently living in Tangkahan as Sylvia is on leave from her job in Germany. So it was a special priviledge to stay there at a time when the owners are also living there and not in Germany.
Time at Jungle Lodge was spent trekking in the river with Sylvia, which included swimming, and even swimming over a couple of the very small rapids, lying in the hot sulphur springs just across from her property, being massaged by a small waterfall around the corner in a little area that looked like paradise, as well as eating the delicious family food.
One day I spent the day tubing down the river with Darwin, the guide and two of his friends- so relaxing. Lunch that day was on the river bank with noodles and fried rice laid out o
Back at Bukit Lawang, many nights were spent at Rock Inn chatting with fellow travellers- as there are so many these days and Bukit Lawang locals such as Genta who runs Rock Inn, Smiley, Inong, Boncel and many others too numerous to mention.
Other nights were spent at Bukit Lawang Indah or Bukit Lawang Cottages, drinking beer, and having loads of fun singing songs and just generally enjoying oneself.
Any travellers intending on coming to Bukit Lawang, if you feel like walking up around the new housing at night- do so- it is very safe and you will find all these amazing little warungs have sprung up to feed the locals and you can eat the most delicious food imaginable.
One of the guides Salim cooks the best fish and his warung is situated in the corner of the bus depot high up above the houses.
I have been known to eat fish there at 1 am with some of my friends- simply delicious.
And high up above the new housing complex is going to be an amazing building with bar etc, and maybe accomodation later on, probably will take awhile to finish- has the most amazing views over the area-I spent quite a few afternoons up there eating, drinking, singing, playing billiards and chatting with Korinna, Reskana, Romi, Uddin, Smiley, Lili and many others whose names escape me.
Another very exciting development for Bukit Lawang is that soon, maybe in February there will be Internet connection in Bukit Lawang- once again- up in the new housing area. As soon as it is up and running I will post here on this forum as I am in sms contact with the person organising it.
Other activities I was involved in, in Bukit Lawang, included helping a dying child in a medical emergency- taking him to Elisabeth Hospital in Medan in a hired mini van. Sadly he died 2 days later.
Going to Medan another time, to fly to Penang to organise a new 60 day visa- very easy for anyone considering it - flew over to Penang on the Tuesday night, applied for visa the Wednesday morning at 10 am, picked up the visa the next afternoon Thurs) at 3pm and headed out to the airport and was back in Medan by 6pm. Stayed at Spoutnik in Medan-20,000/night. Caught mini van next morning from near Pinang Baris
Also supported a new friend who had been picked up by the police for drug dealing and visited him in Stabat jail- not a very nice experience. Expecting him to be released in the next few days.
So my last visit to Bukit Lawang was as amazing as my first visit, probably even more so.
Probably my next visit which may not be for another 2 yrs will begin in Ketembe Aceh where I will do a 7 day overland trek to Tangkahan, spend a week there and then do the ojek trip to Bukit Lawang and spend a few weeks catching with my many friends there.
Pamela
Posted: Wed Dec 20, 2006 1:59 am
Here is a quick album with a small selection of photographs from my trip. I will put up more as time permits.
http://groups.msn.com/BukitLawang/bukitlawang.msnw
Pamela.