Pondok Tanguey
Jackamy
Paul & Derry Harper
Sun 14 Nov 2010 02:00
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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
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