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Published: June 20th 2012
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Tangkahan.
So if Bukit Lawang was near the end of the world, then this must be the end. Out of Bukit Lawang you go left on a dirt road, only possible with motorbike or 4wheel drive.
Road starts rough, only to get rougher, wich meant that after 20 min. we had our first pitstop, airco belt in and disk is loose and it is necessary to cut it over to ensure no further damage to the rest of engine – always travel with a knife!
We are passing small poor villages with people who is probably workers in the massive palm plantages we are driving in all the way- a bit a scary and sad sight, but we all have to survive;- hello boulé (hello tourist) is the yells from kids in all of these villages we come through.
After 3 bumpy hours and a few more pitstops - our driver says welcome to Tangkahan.
Here is not a lot, a road passing by a shop/bar and the entrance to the Taman Negara (national park) where we have to inscribe.
We meet Herman, to become best mate with Ask, and is also a guide in
the park. We walk downwards to the river and here a raft takes us over the river for IDR 10.000 (0.80€) per person valid 3 days. After a short walk very uphill and fullly packed we arrive at Jungle lodge, we get a nice fresh and very welcome aperitvo of fresh passion fruit. It is very beautifull here, thick jungle, rushing rivers and lots of sounds all around.
We arrange the day of trekking/washing elephants. There goes our budget, a slight price increase since Lonely planet 2009 edition of round 275%
After a good sleep its early rice and shine and of we go to the elephant camp. Especially Liv is very exited. First we had to cross the river again, walk up the hill. Kids get picked up on the way by an forest warden for a scooter ride to the elephants. Moeke and Papa walk the rest of the 3 km road with Herman. There is 8 grown elephants and one baby. After a few nervous steps from the boys, Liv shows no fear, the elephants get their morning scrub. Ask ends up on the neck of one only to get sprayed by the Ollie. That
was taht for the washing... for the actual trekking elephants are fully booked in the morning so we'll be picked up in front of the lodge where we stay. We all get a scooter ride back from a friend of Herman.
We have a little rest at the lodge and meet the elephants down by the river and our track up river can begin. Super and how those animals obey their masters. Liv and papa rides Adana, a 40 year old lady. Her master loves her and is very sad to tell us she is not capable of getting babies. Ask does not want to leave his elephant and gets an extra round on the back. Adana kisses us all goodbye. Amazing gentle creatures.
Info that moeke got at the park rangers office: 70% that you pay goes to the elephants, 10% to the national park and 20% to the guides, and the elephants are still used to patrol in the jungle with rangers to protect the nationalpark. It all started in the 90s where locals and a few eco people took arms in hand and stood up against loggers and poachers.
Thor is with us again,
its thunder here every evening.
Lots of rain last night, the river has swollen up and is all murky. Moeke does laundry, we eat sugarcane with Ibob (manager) Skye and Papa cross the river to a small waterfall, Skye is the local girls blond hero, lots of photos is being taken. Back by the Lodge we build a dam in the river, and suddenly there is monkeys en mass.
Tomorrow we are leaving and goodbye dinner is a special indo menu with tapioca leaves, flower from ginger plant and small dried fish, in spicy red curry. Delicious. Nearly all ingredients here are homegrown, mangos, papayas, ginger, tapioca, lime, lemongrass etc. Herman comes along with us and the driver to Medan, where we can hand him over the cash we didn't have anymore because of the elephants... We left with mixed jungle feelings, what ever that means, you can always ask us...!
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