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Published: June 10th 2008
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The limo on the motorway
Bounce, bounce, bounce, bang stop fix gearbox bounce bounce etc.etc. Iwan the our guide from the Jungle Inn had been suggesting we take a trip to Tangakahan
About 2.5 hours from Bukit Lawang (it took about 3.5 in the end) we can go for a day trip allegedly. Well that’s possible but who would want to. Not wanting to spend so long travelling in one day we decide on an overnight.
This is where we screw up having got friendly with Iwan and liking his good knowledge and attitude to the wildlife. So we don’t check it out anywhere else. This would have been easy to do. Iwan said we had to come back to Bukit Lawang to get back to Medan we already had a flight to Banda Ache booked. Left one of our Bags at Iwans house and meet up with the chain smoking 4 wheel drive guy, the transport.
Well the vehicle was pretty crap a moving bench seat sliding about in the back and kept dropping out of gear every five minutes the driver diving between the seats at the gearbox and lashing the linkage up with wire, only the third world can keep these vehicles running. A hell of a rough journey
the car was bearable, but the road was rough all the way too much for us old farts. Iwan knew we were old and couldn’t take loads of bumps but obviously needed to maximise the earnings of himself and his crowd at the Jungle Inn. He told us we would only pay the 400,000rp once for the trip there and back then it was twice once we got there, also found we could hire a vehicle to Medan for 600000RP and the road while rough was much better than the road from Bukit lawang. With a bag still over there we had to go back and take the transport from Lawang to Medan. All of the transport from the Jungle Inn OK a lot of cash for the guys they would have only got the fare to Tangakahan if we had gone directly back from there to Medan.
Well whinge over it was our fault for not checking it out, can’t blame the guys for advising us to do what would result in maximum earnings for them. I got pissed off with Iwan and he got upset, so we made up and accepted that things are as they are.
Rubber taper
Local industry Tangakahan was great stayed in the Jungle lodge run by Indonesian Alex and his German wife Sylvia. You can spend the day sat in the restaurant looking up the river watching the wildlife.
Went to see the Elephants in the mourning getting a pedicure and a good scrub. They say elephant training is carried out in a hard way and some mahouts get killed by the elephants they train as it sure seems that elephants don’t forget. No sign of bad treatment that I can see there seemed to be genuine care for the beasts that in return seemed to co-operate well. Had a go at scrubbing them down excellent, Playful beasts. The Elephants are there to keep the wild ones out of the village as the wild ones won’t come into other elephant’s area. They also do anti-logging patrols. You can do Elephant treks as well you get to sit on their necks no seating arrangements here.
We loved Tangakahan and wished we could stay longer. There is a boat ferry across the river to the guest houses. The rivers are slower here inner- tubing down the river appealed but not enough time with the flight
Ferry
Getting to the gest houses booked we did swim and across the river from the Jungle lodge there is a hot sulphur spring you can choose how hot you want it by moving closer to the source.
Hornbills and lizards plus many monkeys didn’t see any orang-utans.
Next time for Sumatra it will be Tangakahan for about a week do some mini treks float down the river play with the elephants swim and take it easy looking forward to it already.
It’s much less crowded and the jungle in the area is not so worn nor are there guides all over you.
We travel back Tangakahan, Bukit lawang (get the bag) Medan by this time the bumpy road to Medan is pure luxury.
Got to Medan Knackered spent the night in the Emerald Garden again and flew to Banda Aceh the next day on the now defunct Adam Air 500,000rp each. Top price for late booking. Surprisingly we did not crash.
I like flights with an element of uncertainty more excitement for your money. To be honest they are much better than Nigerian Airways with them you often didn’t know where you would go and have to unpack the
Palm oil
Using all the land and all the water nothing much exists with these things hold yourself so Adam air was luxury.
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jodie
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yes its okay
poo? poo? POO?! yes its okay poo, getting exposed all ovee the internet.