sumatra — The Great Sojourn — theNOSTOMANIAC.com

64 - Lounging Lawang (Bukit Lawang, Sumatra, Indonesia)

The area’s biggest draw is orangutans, and for good reason. They’re spell-binding little bastards. (Actually, some are quite large.) The term “orangutan” was coined in the seventeenth century and is derived from the Malay and Indo words orang, meaning “person” and hutan, meaning “forest”. And when you meet them you understand the appellation “person of the forest.” All in the eyes, my friend. All in the eyes.

Not far from a cove of guesthouses (including mine) lies a rehabilitation center. The surrounding area contains a mix of wild and semi-wild (rehabilitated) orangutans. Every day at 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. rangers feed “attendees” and offer a public viewing. The most popular activity is a two-day, one-night shallow trek into the park to spot “wild” orangutans.

Batch 11, Indonesia 2by Mr. Nos T. O'maniacMarch 1, 2020Indonesia, sumatra, Bukit Lawang, orangutan

65 - Kindertehuis (Bukit Lawang, Sumatra, Indonesia)

Buuuuuuut… it’s far better to regret the things you did do, as opposed to the things you didn’t, eh? When was I ever going to be on the edge of the Sumatran jungle again? It’s unanimous, I was indeed a schmuck for this indiscretion.

I did, however, embark on a quest for the lost Café of Internet. Like my quest to execute a jungle quest, it ended in frustration. For internetting, I had two options—a shop in town or a place on the outskirts past an upscale hotel. Due to the unstable nature of the electrical grid, I was directed toward the latter. Why, exactly, I can’t recall. Perhaps, my informant intuited generator power at the out-of-town establishment. The “lost” cafe was allegedly a twenty-minute walk from my guesthouse.

Batch 12, Indonesia 3by Mr. Nos T. O'maniacMarch 1, 2020Indonesia, sumatra, Bukit Lawang