Tanjung Puting National Park, Kalimantan, Borneo

I now know where 40 year old Boeing jets go to die--they fly the local cattle-car routes from places like Semarang, Java to Pankalunbun, Borneo, until they fall out of the sky. Thankfully, that didn’t happen on our visit, but judging by the condition of the planes we flew I’m afraid it’s just a matter of time.

This part of the trip was Courtney’s inspiration--something about seeing a Julia Roberts PBS special on the endangered orangutans back in 1997. She found a guide online on Tripadvisor and made the arrangements. “When are we ever going to be this close to Borneo again? We can’t miss this opportunity to see some of these creatures before they’re gone”.

To my skeptical brain, saying that we’re in Java so we simply must pop over to Borneo was akin to saying, “we were in the U.S. visiting Chicago, so we simply must swing by LA”. But I relented and I’m glad I did.

Isy, our arranger/guide met us at Pankalunbun (PKN) airport on our arrival and we drove to our klotok (wooden river boat) in the town of Kumai. On first sight, the boat appeared hammered--a paintless, ancient vessel barely staying afloat. But after meeting the friendly cook and capitain we quickly settled-in and learned to appreciate the unique qualities of our floating home--including an enclosed but open topped bathroom where you flush the toilet by ladelling river water as dark as tea from a bucket.

We were promptly served a delicious lunch of chicken, rice and other goodies prepared by our onboard cook, then set off down the Kumai River toward Tanjung Putting National Park--one of the last natural ranges for the wild Borneo orangutan and the best place left on earth to see them in their natural habitat.

Cruising up the ever-narrowing river on a clunking diesel-driven river boat felt just like a scene from “African Queen”. The breeze kept the mosquitoes at bay while we just took it all in -- including one, then two, then a dozen sitings of wild orang hutans (Malay translation: “persons of the forest”). These orange cousins of ours share 97% of our DNA are incredibly agile and solitary, making a new nest each night high in the trees away from predators. The sweetest sight is to see the babies clinging to their mothers, which they pretty much do the first five years of their lives. Though they live about 30-40 years in the wild, the average birth cycle is 6-8 years making them more vulnerable to extinction.

Through our research and travel we’ve learned a few things about orangutans, namely that their future is uncertain. Now found only in Sumatra and Borneo, researchers like Dr. Birute Galdikas are working to preserve what little habitat remains due to logging and agriculture -- namely the growing palm oil industry. There is a research center closed to the public that we may try to get into our last day here. One of the main goals there is to try to rehabilitate orphaned or former captive orangutans to live in the wild. Some of these former babies are now grown with their own families and these are the ones we got to see more or less at the feeding stations in the park.

Getting there was a challenge as there have been unexpected constant rains making the river levels the highest in 16 years. So with crocodiles and leeches on our minds, we waded in knee-deep water on the flooded walkway to waiting canoe that took groups of eco-tourists in groups of four to the feeding station at “Camp 2.” Rangers make vats of bananas on jungle platforms. On our first day we had a personal close up with a mom and baby who obviously who had become too “humanized” and were taking bananas from tourists hands. We participated at first then decided this was not a good thing.

After a lovely candlelit dinner, we retired exhausted under not one but two mosquito nets each on the deck o the boat. It was only about 7:30 p.m.

Day 2 -- Siswi and Camp Leakey
We awoke to the sound of a rainforest -- birds, monkeys, insects that sounded like power drills. It did rain while we were here and the crew, including our guide, the cook and a charming older gentleman named Udin, would quickly roll down the tarps to keep us dry -- even in the middle of the night.

We had an early breakfast then were on our way to Camp Leakey. Except for one problem -- a rather large older female orangutan named Siswi. Somewhat of a legend and mascot at the docks of Camp Leakey, she is incredibly entertaining -- and temperamental. If she’s in a good mood, you can pass by easily. If not, she may chase you and your guide with teeth bared and snatch your bag or anything else you are carrying. The best side of Siswi was when she spit river water in and out of a beer mug then held the glass aloft in her mouth. To follow up this act, she snatched a rain coat from one of the crew and then proceeded to try to put it on and pretended to wash it like she had seen humans do at the dock with their clothes. We were all quite enamored with her, and sad when the guides teased her after repossessing the coat. She actually went down the dock and sulked. The next feeding station kind of paled in comparison to Siswi, though it was still very cool to see them swoop down from the trees -- usually quite cautiously. Sometimes the mothers would send their young ones down to get the food which they would shove in their mouths and scamper back up the trees.

While the rest of the other 10 or boats left, we spent the night across from the Camp Leakey dock with few mosquitoes and more evenings entertainment from a wild orang who desperately wanted to get on our boat and snatch something from the kitchen. It was a little like bears at Yellowstone…used to getting handouts and getting very agitated when people didn’t deliver. -- which we did not. Having never been that close to a wild animal before it was both thrilling and a bit intimidating.

The evening was once again spent on deck, finishing off some fresh fish, pineapple, tea and -- lucky for Anna -- fried potatoes! We chatted with Isy learning more about life on the river and his relationship with the boat owner, a journalist from Jakarta. Then we crawled into bed ready for day three in Borneo.