Sumatra butterflies, orangutans and diving. Part 1

foreword

“Dangerous this business, Frodo, - exceed the threshold:

necessary step on the road and, if you give the legs will,

unknown, where you shall stretch”.

J.. R.R. Tolkien Lord of the Rings. The Fellowship of the Ring.

It's only been three months since I have again settled on his favorite Koh Tao, it would seem time to work and build a life, but then my visa came to an end, and somewhere in the known body part, which usually craves adventure, засвербило. Поехать на три дня в Малайзию на Penang island in the familiar George Town for a new visa seemed terrible waste of time and money, the court of the low season, I wanted new experiences and travel.

Hands stretched themselves to the Skyscanner app, to drive, "How: Penang. Where: Everywhere". И дьявольская машина не преминула подсказать, that just my date got tickets to the city with the mysterious name [tp_link origin=MOW destination=MES text_link=”Medan” origin_date=1 destination_date=12 one_way=false type=1 subid=”indo”] всего за 15$!

Then I come to the aid of the Internet, и оказалось, that of the coin - the capital of Sumatra, the second largest island in Indonesia and the sixth in the world, and of course, we all know from childhood, that is where the killer from the movie "Deja Vu" supposedly going to "catch babochek". And besides, after studying the map, I was interested in Pulau Be in the far north of Sumatra at the confluence of the Andaman Sea and the Indian Ocean, all told, that in such a place would have to be good diving.

Further short chat with prompted by Google, that tourists travel to Sumatra, there are so many attractions, that the eyes diverge, diving there!

In this lyrical part ends, and begins the practical part. In addition to impressions and photos, I want to dwell on the prices and give a few practical tips, because I realized at the time of planning, that the information in Russian and very little price, even two years ago, rather strongly changed. Prices for your convenience, I shall indicate in rupees, 1 the dollar is about 13 thousand. Rs.

So, I arrived early in the morning in Medan, чтобы успеть спокойно добраться до деревни Букит Лаванг, where I wanted to see the real jungle and orangutans. Четкого плана у меня не было, like in the jungle, volcano, to dive, и был билет на самолет из города Банда Ачех на самом севере Суматры в Kuala Lumpur.

Аэропорт

Medan Airport and the new big, tourists get here is mainly through Kuala Lumpur or Dzhakartu. When I arrived, banks at the airport was still closed, We worked only two exchanger, where two girls vying shill, предлагая не только обмен, but also free water. The course was the most unfavorable from the, what I saw, in George Town on Penang and Bukit Lawang was the same, and a little better (to 50 thousand. рупий за 100$, i.e. 4$).

Also at the airport should buy a sim card, I bought SimPati Telekomsel package in the office right next to the exchangers, Internet 2 Gb за 120 thousands, Simca was working almost everywhere, even in the jungle sometimes got caught Edge.

The road to Bukit Lawang

To get to Bukit Lawang, We need to sit down at the airport in Binjai city bus, technically a separate city, but it is actually part of a huge Medan. The bus is very easy to find, to go on the signs to the bus stop, the destination and the price will be written on the windshield. Also in Indonesia, white-skinned tourists will not let go and turn yourself, You always meet a bunch of help, taxi drivers and other.

Bus comfortable with air conditioning, ticket price 40 тысяч рупий, before going Binzhaya 2 hours. One of the downsides of traveling through Indonesia is, что расстояние по карте никоим образом не коррелируется со временем в пути, especially if you are traveling in a local bus, but more on that below. Poglazov conditioned bus out of the window at the traffic Medansk (or should I say – хаос), I thought about, to restrain the appetites and podsokratit, slightly, the amount of displacement.

In Bianjiang I moved to the local tuk-tuk "bechak" for 15 тысяч и поехала на остановку маршруток в Букит Лаванг. Помогала на станции сразу озвучил мне нереальную цену в 50 thousand rupees against 15, I wrote about my predecessors. A taxi came complete, second I did not put, since pay 50 I refused thousand, and agree with the nonverbal in English drivers to bypass helped simply unrealistic.

As a result, I pretended, that today in general anywhere in no hurry, and, Bianjiang – it is the city of my dreams, tenechek resettled in the neighborhood, next to a group explicitly thumps fellow with a guitar, than, naturally, It caused among them a genuine revival. I immediately offered to be treated with murky liquid from a bag, I refused, politely remarking, it is too early yet for libations. It is the most advanced in English I said sacramental phrase, in Indonesia: «Time is rubber». Time in de Indonesian rubber, How many times afterwards I remembered his words ...

helped, Meanwhile, saw, how well I have it going, compassion and I knocked off the price to 40 thousands, eventually agreed to 30. Later I learned, that the usual price 15 thousands, plus the carrier has the right to take another 15 luggage, so that 30 thousands of good price for a foreigner. With foreign money to take forward, and always pay local outlet, because it is likely, that the bus breaks down on the road, and they will have to change to the next.

Mini Bus in the best traditions of our minibuses stuffed to the eyeballs, благо хоть стоячих мест не предусмотрено. Еле впихнув свои 178 See the back seat with another 4 men, I counted, that is calculated on the bus 20 adults and unlimited children, while all smoke, not paying attention to children. Especially impressed me Dzyadok centenary with a gray beard and a cigarette in his mouth.

Go to Bukit Lawang Binzhaya of more than two hours, and most roads is a continuous bumps and potholes, which jumps so avtobusik, that even the local catch at heart and dropping the cigarette from his mouth. The driver periodically leaves on conditional oncoming maneuvering between the huge truck with a factory for the production of palm oil. In a word, way for strong heart and spine.

It is possible to slightly ease, Order individual or group transfer, but it will cost more. Reverse private transfer from Bukit Lawang in Medan will cost 600 тысяч рупий, group 120 тысяч рупий.

Welcome to the Bukit Lawang

Bukit Lawang - a village in 90 km from Medan, on the edge of the National Park of Gunung Leuser. famous topics, что в 2003 a rehabilitation center for orangutans year was opened here, here "home" orangutans gradually fed, accustomed to independent living in the wild. More recently, a rehabilitation center stopped working, as, kind of, accomplish its task. According to local, orangutans actually became more, and sometimes they come very close to the village, especially, when ripen some fruit.

Earlier, to see orangutans in the tourists were two possibilities: go to feed, which was performed to semi individuals, or go to the track in the jungle. Соответственно, Now there was only one option - a hike in the jungle, But first things first…

At the bus station in Bukit Lawang got out of the minibus, bit ofigevshih tourists immediately surrounds the driver and various bechakov Pomogalov, предлагающие отели и треки в джунгли. With one of them, and I went to see his guest house for free, You can also take over bechak 10-15 thousand rupees or walk, light, this journey takes minutes 15 slow pace.