(Continued from previous post)
A fisherman passing us.
The Orangutans were simply magical. They are clearly social creatures with a specific pecking order. Some females and their babies would sit in the trees or feed together, whilst others would grab as many bananas as they could carry and scarper as soon as they saw another Orangutan coming. The huge mature male, with his cheek pads and massive throat sack, was simply awe inspiring - none of the others come on the platform while he came to feed! Being so close to Orangutans made me realise how like us they are - we’re clearly cousins. They gestate for about 8 months, they become sexually mature around 12 years old but don’t usually have their first baby until they are 15 or 16. Not so different from ourselves.
Feeling shy.
But what really made the link for me was the eye contact. Now and again they’d look at us, they knew we were watching them, not like birds when you’re in a hide. The little ones would hold onto Mum, unsure about these strangely furred watching apes, but soon gained in confidence when she showed no fear. It wasn’t like looking into the eyes of a cat or a dog, they weren’t tame in any way, they were wild people of the forest (Urang-utan, forest-people) who were choosing to be in the same space as us.
A un-flanged (no cheek pads) male and a young mum with her baby. She had deliberately decorated herself with the leaf.
Once we’d realised that our little outboard motor zooming by didn’t faze the wildlife at all we came to terms with our unusual-for-us transport and rather enjoyed side slipping around the bends. One concern was the number of floating islands, water plants and debris that collect together. They can catch on the bank and stop more floating islands until they end up blocking the river. This is exactly what happened the day we went up. It was only about 15 feet, a boat length across, and no more than a foot or two high so Alam simply backed up to give himself a run up and went at it full speed! The engine cut as the propeller hit and we skidded over the blockage landing with a plop on the other side - in true James Bond style! On the way back the blockage was a great deal larger. Two of the tour boats were stuck, unable to pass, and the accumulated islands were now about 25 feet across. The guys from the tour boats were busily chopping off bits and letting them float down stream to form a passage in order to get the boats through. The passage was far from complete but they all worked together to pull our little boat over the top of the floating island, with Phil and I remaining seated in the back feeling like royalty!

On our way back down the river, as evening approached, we were able to stop and watch big troops of Proboscis Monkeys feeding. The Indonesians call them Dutch Monkeys, saying they looked like the Dutch colonials with big noses and fat bellies. They eat mainly leaves and fruit and have a series of ‘stomachs’ where bacteria neutralises the toxins from some of the leaves, giving them rather pot bellies. They have short fur on their wonderfully expressive faces and their big furry hands make them look as if they are wearing gloves. Such a privilege to have got to watch these monkeys, endemic to Borneo.
Mr and Mrs, showing off their different nose styles.
We got back on board Lochmarin just as the sun was setting. It had been a long and tiring day but lying in our bunk that night it took me a while to drop off - I had so many magnificent images to replay though my mind's eye and my ears were still filled with the eerie whoop of the gibbons calling from tree to tree. What a wonderful day it had been.
Sure, I'm hanging by one hand 30 feet up in the air whilst I peel a banana with my feet, is that a problem?
|
|
Diary Entries
- 2017
- Oct 2017
- Mar 2017
- Thu 30 Mar
- Wed 29 Mar
- Tue 28 Mar
- Mon 27 Mar
- Feb 2017
- Wed 15 Feb
- Tue 07 Feb
- Sun 05 Feb
- Fri 03 Feb
- Wed 01 Feb
- Jan 2017
- Mon 30 Jan
- Sun 29 Jan
- Fri 27 Jan
- Tue 24 Jan
- Mon 23 Jan
- Fri 20 Jan
- Wed 18 Jan
- Tue 17 Jan
- Mon 16 Jan
- Sun 15 Jan
- Mon 09 Jan
- Sun 01 Jan
- 2016
- Dec 2016
- Nov 2016
- Thu 24 Nov
- Wed 23 Nov
- Mon 21 Nov
- Sun 20 Nov
- Fri 18 Nov
- Tue 15 Nov
- Mon 14 Nov
- Sun 13 Nov
- Fri 11 Nov
- Wed 09 Nov
- Tue 08 Nov
- Fri 04 Nov
- Tue 01 Nov
- Oct 2016
- Sat 29 Oct
- Thu 27 Oct
- Tue 25 Oct
- Sun 23 Oct
- Fri 21 Oct
- Wed 19 Oct
- Mon 17 Oct
- Wed 12 Oct
- Tue 11 Oct
- Mon 10 Oct
- Fri 07 Oct
- Sun 02 Oct
- Sep 2016
- Mon 26 Sep
- Sun 25 Sep
- Sat 24 Sep
- Thu 22 Sep
- Wed 21 Sep
- Tue 20 Sep
- Sun 18 Sep
- Wed 14 Sep
- Tue 13 Sep
- Sat 03 Sep
- Thu 01 Sep
- Aug 2016
- Wed 31 Aug
- Sat 27 Aug
- Sat 20 Aug
- Thu 18 Aug
- Sun 14 Aug
- Sat 13 Aug
- Thu 11 Aug
- Tue 09 Aug
- Sat 06 Aug
- May 2016
- Sat 28 May
- Fri 20 May
- Wed 11 May
- Thu 05 May
- Tue 03 May
- Apr 2016
- Fri 29 Apr
- Thu 21 Apr
- Mon 18 Apr
- Fri 08 Apr
- Sat 02 Apr
- Mar 2016
- Wed 30 Mar
- Tue 29 Mar
- Thu 24 Mar
- Sun 20 Mar
- Fri 18 Mar
- Feb 2016
- Jan 2016
- 2015
- Dec 2015
- Thu 31 Dec
- Thu 24 Dec
- Mon 21 Dec
- Sat 19 Dec
- Fri 11 Dec
- Thu 10 Dec
- Wed 09 Dec
- Fri 04 Dec
- Thu 03 Dec
- Tue 01 Dec
- Nov 2015
- Mon 30 Nov
- Sun 29 Nov
- Thu 26 Nov
- Tue 24 Nov
- Mon 23 Nov
- Sun 22 Nov
- Thu 12 Nov
- Mon 09 Nov
- Thu 05 Nov
- Oct 2015
- Fri 23 Oct
- Tue 20 Oct
- Mon 19 Oct
- Fri 16 Oct
- Wed 14 Oct
- Tue 13 Oct
- Mon 12 Oct
- Tue 06 Oct
- Sun 04 Oct
- Sat 03 Oct
- Sep 2015
- Mon 28 Sep
- Sun 20 Sep
- Sat 19 Sep
- Thu 17 Sep
- Tue 15 Sep
- Thu 10 Sep
- Wed 09 Sep
- Mon 07 Sep
- Sun 06 Sep
- Tue 01 Sep
- Aug 2015
- Sun 30 Aug
- Fri 28 Aug
- Tue 25 Aug
- Mon 24 Aug
- Sun 23 Aug
- Sat 22 Aug
- Thu 20 Aug
- Tue 18 Aug
- Sun 16 Aug
- Jul 2015
- Fri 31 Jul
- Tue 28 Jul
- Sun 26 Jul
- Fri 24 Jul
- Mon 20 Jul
- Sun 19 Jul
- Jun 2015
- Jan 2015
- 2014
- Dec 2014
- Nov 2014
- Fri 28 Nov
- Sun 23 Nov
- Tue 04 Nov
- Sun 02 Nov
- Oct 2014
- Fri 31 Oct
- Thu 30 Oct
- Wed 29 Oct
- Tue 28 Oct
- Sun 26 Oct
- Sat 25 Oct
- Fri 24 Oct
- Sun 19 Oct
- Sat 18 Oct
- Fri 17 Oct
- Thu 16 Oct
- Fri 03 Oct
- Sep 2014
- Tue 30 Sep
- Sun 28 Sep
- Wed 24 Sep
- Mon 22 Sep
- Sun 21 Sep
- Tue 16 Sep
- Sun 14 Sep
- Fri 12 Sep
- Wed 10 Sep
- Wed 03 Sep
- Aug 2014
- Wed 27 Aug
- Mon 25 Aug
- Thu 21 Aug
- Wed 20 Aug
- Sat 16 Aug
- Wed 13 Aug
- Fri 08 Aug
- Thu 07 Aug
- Tue 05 Aug
- Jul 2014
- Thu 31 Jul
- Mon 28 Jul
- Thu 24 Jul
- Jun 2014
- Sun 22 Jun
- Thu 12 Jun
- Tue 10 Jun
- Mon 09 Jun
- Sun 08 Jun
- Fri 06 Jun
- Mon 02 Jun
- May 2014
- Fri 30 May
- Tue 27 May
- Sun 25 May
- Wed 21 May
- Tue 20 May
- Fri 16 May
- Wed 14 May
- Tue 13 May
- Sat 10 May
- Tue 06 May
- Mon 05 May
- Fri 02 May
- Thu 01 May
- Apr 2014
- Wed 30 Apr
- Tue 29 Apr
- Mon 28 Apr
- Fri 25 Apr
- Wed 23 Apr
- Mon 21 Apr
- Sat 19 Apr
- Wed 16 Apr
- Mon 14 Apr
- Sat 12 Apr
- Thu 10 Apr
- Tue 08 Apr
- Sun 06 Apr
- Fri 04 Apr
- Thu 03 Apr
- Tue 01 Apr
- Mar 2014
- Thu 20 Mar
- Mon 17 Mar
- Sun 16 Mar
- Thu 13 Mar
- Tue 11 Mar
- Sun 09 Mar
- Fri 07 Mar
- Thu 06 Mar
- Tue 04 Mar
- Sun 02 Mar
- Feb 2014
- Wed 26 Feb
- Tue 25 Feb
- Mon 17 Feb
- Sat 15 Feb
- Fri 14 Feb
- Mon 10 Feb
- Sun 09 Feb
- Sat 08 Feb
- Thu 06 Feb
- Tue 04 Feb
- Sun 02 Feb
- Jan 2014
- Wed 29 Jan
- Wed 22 Jan
- Tue 21 Jan
- Fri 17 Jan
- Thu 16 Jan
- Wed 15 Jan
- Mon 13 Jan
- Sat 11 Jan
- Fri 10 Jan
- Fri 03 Jan
- Thu 02 Jan
- 2013
- Dec 2013
- Sat 28 Dec
- Wed 25 Dec
- Mon 23 Dec
- Sun 22 Dec
- Fri 20 Dec
- Sat 07 Dec
- Wed 04 Dec
- Tue 03 Dec
- Sun 01 Dec
- Nov 2013
- Thu 28 Nov
- Tue 26 Nov
- Mon 25 Nov
- Oct 2013
- Sep 2013
- Aug 2013
- Jul 2013
- Jun 2013
- May 2013
- Sun 26 May
- Tue 14 May
- Wed 08 May
- Mon 06 May
- Sat 04 May
- Apr 2013
- Sun 28 Apr
- Fri 26 Apr
- Thu 18 Apr
- Tue 16 Apr
- Mon 15 Apr
- Sat 13 Apr
- Fri 12 Apr
- Thu 11 Apr
- Wed 10 Apr
- Mon 08 Apr
- Fri 05 Apr
- Mon 01 Apr
- Mar 2013
- Tue 26 Mar
- Thu 21 Mar
- Mon 18 Mar
- Wed 13 Mar
- Mon 11 Mar
- Thu 07 Mar
- Tue 05 Mar
- Feb 2013
- Tue 26 Feb
- Mon 25 Feb
- Sat 23 Feb
- Fri 22 Feb
- Thu 21 Feb
- Thu 14 Feb
- Tue 12 Feb
- Mon 11 Feb
- Sun 10 Feb
- Sat 09 Feb
- Fri 08 Feb
- Thu 07 Feb
- Wed 06 Feb
- Tue 05 Feb
- Sun 03 Feb
- Sat 02 Feb
- Fri 01 Feb
- Jan 2013
- Thu 31 Jan
- Wed 30 Jan
- Tue 29 Jan
- Sun 27 Jan
- Fri 25 Jan
- Tue 22 Jan
- Sun 20 Jan
- Sat 19 Jan
- Fri 18 Jan
- Thu 17 Jan
- Wed 16 Jan
- Tue 15 Jan
- Sun 13 Jan
- 2012
- Dec 2012
- Sat 29 Dec
- Fri 28 Dec
- Wed 26 Dec
- Tue 25 Dec
- Wed 19 Dec
- Thu 13 Dec
- Tue 11 Dec
- Sun 09 Dec
- Thu 06 Dec
- Tue 04 Dec
- Nov 2012
- Mon 26 Nov
- Sat 10 Nov
- Tue 06 Nov
- Oct 2012
- Mon 29 Oct
- Thu 25 Oct
- Mon 22 Oct
- Sun 14 Oct
- Sun 07 Oct
- Thu 04 Oct
- Wed 03 Oct
- Mon 01 Oct
- Sep 2012
- Sun 30 Sep
- Sat 29 Sep
- Fri 28 Sep
- Thu 27 Sep
- Mon 24 Sep
- Tue 18 Sep
- Mon 17 Sep
- Fri 14 Sep
- Tue 11 Sep
- Mon 10 Sep
- Tue 04 Sep
- Aug 2012
- Thu 30 Aug
- Mon 27 Aug
- Thu 23 Aug
- Tue 21 Aug
- Sun 19 Aug
- Thu 16 Aug
- Sun 12 Aug
- Sat 11 Aug
- Wed 08 Aug
- Mon 06 Aug
- Jul 2012
- Fri 27 Jul
- Thu 26 Jul
- Fri 20 Jul
- Mon 16 Jul
- Thu 12 Jul
- Tue 10 Jul
- Sun 08 Jul
- Sat 07 Jul
- Fri 06 Jul
- Wed 04 Jul
- Mon 02 Jul
- Sun 01 Jul
- Jun 2012
- Sat 30 Jun
- Tue 26 Jun
- Sun 24 Jun
- Thu 21 Jun
- Wed 20 Jun
- Tue 19 Jun
- Tue 12 Jun
- Sun 10 Jun
- Wed 06 Jun
- Sat 02 Jun
- May 2012
- Thu 31 May
- Sat 26 May
- Sat 19 May
|