INDONESIA - DAY THREE
PANGKALAN BUN TO TANJUNG PUTING NATIONAL PARK
We flew into Iskandar, which is a military type-C airport in Pangkalan Bun, Central Kalimantan.
Modern Luggage System
MAY 18, 2024
This was our least favorite day for lack of a better word and one that had us both doubting a lot. Some panicked moments ensued. It was hot, humid, started to rain, which made it more humid and there were critters and we knew the mosquitoes were going to be worse here. For the two of us, all we could think about was all the mosquito-borne illnesses we would probably get while here. We were here a day longer than anticipated due to a change in our itinerary and neither of us felt like we could handle it. We didn’t sleep well, food was blah and most everyone smoked everywhere, including the restaurant. To make matters worse, my phone froze. In an area where service was already sketchy, this added to my anxiety. I know what you are thinking - it’s good to unplug, etc and so on. Yes, it is. And that’s a choice. When it just happens and we were already feeling freaked out, the disconnection furthered us from anyone anywhere.
When we met up with our guide in the morning, our driver found us a phone store and it had an Apple logo on it. For $12.53 this kind young gentleman reset my phone. It took two days for everything to come back and about 4-5 for all of it to be restored. Phew!
Map of our journey through Tanjung Puting National Park by houseboat.
Hello Orangutans and mosquitoes
Our guide Tina leading us to the first Orangutan feeding platform
Houseboat to Ecolodge for the night. Another bug filled night.
Houseboats line up side by side and wait for the tourists as we visit the orangutans. Often you would crawl through one or two houseboats to get off on the dock.
And don’t look the Macaques in the eye - they don’t take kindly to that. You could be without your phone or sunglasses, even your purse.
Saunders demonstrates the proper nighttime eating technique to make sure the mosquitoes don’t get in.