Medan -> Bukit Lawang

Woke up after a very nice sleep in my capsule to torrential rain. The type of rain where it still looked dark outside because it was so heavy. I’d arranged a transfer from my guesthouse so the guy picked me up (only half an hour late which is good going in Indonesia) at 10.30.

We drove for about 3 hours so we arrived about 1.30. Still raining a lot, and had to walk the last bit but they came and carried my bag and gave me an umbrella which was very kind! Checked in and had lunch and eventually it stopped raining, so I went for a short stroll down the river and through the village. Bukit Lawang is a really small place on the edge of the Gunung Leuser national park, and so all the guesthouses are on the river and all the tourism is geared towards jungle trekking which I am doing tomorrow! Lots of people were swimming in the river and having fun on a Saturday afternoon. Also after about 10 minutes of me being there someone shouted orangutan and just a couple of houses up the river there was a mum and a baby swinging around a building site!

Went back and FaceTimed Fran and Sam which was lovely and then had dinner and met with the guide for tomorrow for a quick briefing on what to bring. At the guesthouse I am staying at they had live music on, sounds nice but it started at 10pm and honestly had a sound system like Glastonbury. Honestly. Chatted to a Dutch girl for a while but went to bed about 11.30, managed to drift off but woke up at 1 and sounded like I was in the middle of a gig. I think it ended about 2 but I did managed to get back to sleep. Not quite the peaceful night by the river in the jungle I had imagined but an experience nonetheless!Read more