I’m sitting under a mosquito net
draped like a skirt above my bed. All the corners are neatly tucked
as tight as possible under the mattress, offering some peace of mind
that nothing will crawl on me while I sleep. A handful of moths
circle in a frenzy around the dim light in the otherwise dark room. A
spider sits in its web in the “bathroom” waiting for action.
I’m downright jumpy, peering
anxiously around the room for any sign of movement. I can’t help
but wonder why I’m here, then remind myself that the jungle outside
my room is home to some of the last remaining wild orangutans on
Earth.
After a long drive from the City of
Medan along endless narrow, winding roads that eventually made me
nauseous, I arrived six-and-a-half hours later at the family run Pak
Mus Guesthouse in the peaceful village of Ketambe, located along the
border of Gunung Leuser National Park in North Sumatra, Indonesia.
Part of the guesthouse is located in
the national park – home to Thomas leaf monkeys, macaques, gibbons
and 700 other different species of animals. It’s where I find
myself staying tonight, and I'm the only one here.
With so many foreign insects and such
rustic accommodation, I’m completely out of my comfort zone. I
wonder how long it will take before I get used to this – or if I
ever will. It could be a long five days.
It’s the first time I'm traveling
alone for an extended period of time. The plan was to spend one week
at a yoga retreat in Ubud, Bali, five days in the jungle near
Ketambe, then two-and-a-half days relaxing on the beaches of Nusa
Lembongan. Total travel time: three weeks.
I knew the time spent in Bali would be
easy and Sumatra would be the adventure. Some people thought I was
crazy, admiring my bravery for wandering off the beaten path alone.
Others thought nothing of it, having experienced it themselves.
I came to Ketambe at the advice of a
friend who has travelled more than anyone I know. This is one of his
favourite places. He comes from New Zealand almost every year to
escape the world and stay in his bungalow in the jungle.
The thought of seeing orangutans –
and other monkey species - in the wild without hordes of tourists is
the reason I now find myself out of my comfort zone. Once widespread
throughout the forests of Asia, orangutans are now found on just two
islands – Sumatra and Borneo – with about 6,600 remaining in the
wild. They are the only great ape found outside Africa, and are
classified as critically endangered by the World Conservation Union.
In the village, the people
are curious and friendly, making me feel welcome with the little
English they know. Communicating with home, however, is a challenge
since there's basically no Wifi to be found. Being completely cut off
from those I care about makes me start to miss home.
Traveling alone definitely
has its perks since you're free to do whatever you please, but it can
also get lonely when you venture off the beaten path and wind up in a
place like Ketambe. Having blonde hair and blue eyes in a region that
doesn't see many foreigners is definitely interesting though. The
locals stare at me like I'm from another planet. Sometimes it's
entertaining, other times it's downright annoying or intimidating
when surrounded by large groups of chain-smoking men eyeing me down
like a piece of meat.
At the end of the five
days, I was more than happy to be back in Medan enjoying the comforts
of a nice hotel room. Although I tried my best to avoid vulnerable situations, I still felt uncomfortable travelling alone in Sumatra a lot of the
time. It's something I would probably never do again.