While Tom was in Pennsylvania hunting for his big buck I ventured 1/2 way around the world to meet Rita for our annual adventure. This took us to Indonesia for a kayak/snorkel trip in Raja Ampat and a river trip in Borneo.
Raja Ampat
After 4 flights and a ferry we finally ended up in the West Papua region for the start of our kayak trip around the island of Gam (60+ miles of paddling). Our group consisted of 3 Americans (me, Rita and Leslie), 3 Aussies (Greg, Carolyn and Di), our Canadian guide (Angela) and our local guide (Bennie). I'm not going to lie; day 3 I wasn't sure if I could keep paddling and make it the rest of the way but somehow the muscles kicked in and I did it without a tow and without getting in the double. I'm used to river paddling which entails a lot more floating than paddling. Sea kayaking is completely different but a great learning experience and adventure!
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| Homestay - our first and last nights; we stayed in 2 others which were very similar - all built over the water like this |
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| Breakfast before heading out for the week on the water |
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| packing our boats with all of our supplies for the week |
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| and we're off |
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| beautiful views |
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| first camp night - not too shabby |
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| lots of blue starfish seen when snorkeling |
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| ahhh - nothing like camping next to the beach and hearing the sound of the waves |
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| fresh caught fish for dinner |
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| amazing sunsets |
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| hiked up to the lookout - our homestay below |
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| Angela really made us pancakes for breakfast one morning! |
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| Rita - my adventure buddy and definitely a kayaker that can kick my butt! |
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| beautiful children in the village |
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| last sunrise on the island |
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| The gang - Leslie, Bennie, Greg, Carolyn, Di, Rita, me |
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| our guides - Angela and Bennie |
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| it wasn't always this calm! |
Amazing trip! Back to the ferry, 3 plane rides and onto Borneo to see the Orangutans.
Borneo
This has been a dream of mine since I was a little girl. So when Rita suggested this as a side trip after Raja Ampat I was extremely excited! I won't bore you with a million pictures of these incredible animals but just a few of my favorites. We saw many semi-wild and 3 wild Orangutans as well as Proboscis Monkeys, Macaque Long-Tailed Monkeys, Crocodiles and many birds. Semi-wild Orangutans are free in the jungle but have either been rehabbed and released or are the babies of one released into the wild. They generally return each day to the feeding area to enjoy the fruit as that is 60% of their daily diet (40% being greens and some bugs). We visited 3 feeding stations as we worked our way up the river with nights spent on the boat tied to trees along the edge of the river/jungle. Our crew was amazing and made our adventure special.
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| the river heading up into the jungle |
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| our home for 4 days/3 nights - our mattresses were put out on the deck each night with mosquito nets |
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| They would store as many bananas in their mouth and hands before heading up the trees to enjoy |
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| the babies were just adorable! |
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we planted trees in an area that had burned many years ago
I'd love to visit in another 10 years to see how my Aru tree is doing |
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| Our crew - Adi-our guide, Ayan-boat assistant, Amat-captain, Yami-an amazing cook! |
I hope to go back again one day to visit a Clinic where they take care of the babies and teach them how to return to the jungle.
The jet lag was brutal but it was so well worth it to visit such an amazing place. Thanks again, Rita Morgan! You're a great travel buddy and adventurous friend!
What's happening now...
Black Friday: We will not be shopping but hitting the road to head to warmer climates. We will take 3 leisurely days to get to Florida. Here is our winter schedule - come visit!
Classic CoachWorks/Friend's house (Ormond Beach, FL/Spring Hill, FL) - 11/27-12/8
Peace River (TT) - Wauchula, FL - 12/8-12/21
Harbor Lakes (Encore) - Port Charlotte, FL - 12/21-1/4
Peace River (TT) - Wauchula, FL - 1/4-1/14
Voyager (Encore) - Tucson, AZ - 1/18-2/1
Pilot Knob (ROD) - Winterhaven, CA (Yuma, AZ area) - 2/1-2/8
Verde Valley (TT) - Cottonwood, AZ - 2/8-5/1
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| Tom's huge buck harvested in archery season - he'll have deer meat all winter |
Til next time...Happy Trails!
