Pondok Tanguey

Jackamy
Paul & Derry Harper
Sun 14 Nov 2010 02:00
 
Sunday 14th November
 
As we chugged our way down the river to reach the 2nd station, Pondok Tanguey, eating our breakfast, we had the privilege of being joined by more proboscis monkeys just metres away in the trees. Great company for our first meal of the day! Before long we were at the end of the tributary we'd turned up with the inky black water and we were back at the murky polluted Sekonyer river. The joining of the two waters was impressive but reminded you as to why it was so.
 
  
 
Proboscis monkeys
 
  
 
Two rivers meeting
 
 
Another police station!
 
Pondok Tanguey means 'Small house, Big hat'. The reason for the name is because the area used to be used for farming, all 60 hectares of it. The locals would live in their small houses but in the dry season temperatures could soar to 42 degrees so they large rimmed hats would be essential. And so the camp was named 'Pondok Tanguey'.
 
It was nice to attend a new camp after spending a couple of days at Camp Leakey. We had new friends to make! The orangutans here are much wilder and rarely have any human contact apart from the feeding times and even then they have much less food than at the previous camp. They were very wary and spent hardly any time down on the ground. They'd take as much as they could fit into their mouths and scarper up into the trees to watch us from a safe distance.
 
It was here that we had the pleasure of meeting Mr Doyok, a 200kg, 27 year old male. He was massive! It was the first time that we were really cautious and made sure not to do anything that may upset this impressive animal. As he finished the food on the feeding table and made his way through the observation area to a second batch of bananas set up for the other orangutans we were treated to a glimpse of his whole body out-stretched as he scratched his back up a tree. Wow wee!
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
How small are the bananas in his hands!
 
A few other cheeky visitors attended the feeding, including a squirrel but some didn't even dare to scramble down to the table. No doubt for fear as to whether Mr Doyok would allow it or not.
 
  
 
 
  
 
Look at the size of the water bucket next to the little one and when Mr Doyok plunged head first into it. The little orangutan is the size of Mr Doyok's head!
 
 
We signed the guestbook as we left "Loved watching you, watching me. I just wish we knew what you were thinking"
 
 
Back at the boat there were hundreds of dragon flies and butterflies in the air