Picture follow-up

Singapore:

Indian tailors

House your foreign workers… A glimpse into the issues faced in Singapore

In the Muslim sector of Singapore

In the botanical gardens

Sumatra:

Believe it or not, this is where your tires come from. Strip a bit of bark, collect the latex sap in half a coconut, sell it to Goodyear.

Lots of things that bite, sting, pierce, or prick you in the jungle

Our guide preparing pineapple for lunch. Washed in the creek (haven’t gotten sick yet…) If you haven’t been in the tropics in Asia, you simply have no idea how pineapple is supposed to taste. Sweet like sugar, tender like oranges, melts on your tongue, no fiber, no chewy bits, no sour. Unbelievable.

First glimpse of orangutans in the jungle. Some of these are wild, some have lived in captivity and are readjusting to the wild here. All are accustomed to the presence of humans, so are comfortable near us and sometimes very curious.

Mom…

and baby.

Mmmm twigs. This one is a wild juvenile.

Yummy twigs, thumbs up

Having a bath at the campsite in the forest. Quite luxurious – soap, running water…

…just a few giant lizards hanging around looking for scraps.

Six of us backpackers at the campsite, sharing a family-style meal with seven Indonesian dishes

Then playing Uno by candlelight.

The next day, at the public feeding – much more of a tourist affair than multi-day bone-drenching treks in the jungle. Food is provided for any orangutan who wants it, however the constant diet of bananas and powdered milk is considered very bland – only recent arrivals and some nursing mothers are interested.

Leaving town. Kids here are extremely friendly and playful. The adults some of them will grow up into, however, seem to know no other way than to follow, harass, and prey on tourists. Travel in this part of Sumatra is very frustrating for a foreigner.

There are garbage cans in some places, however no one will come around to take it somewhere so there’s little point. Most trash ends up being burned in big piles, or just left to wash away in the rain.
Plenty more photos in the gallery. Note that many are out of chronological order, as I was shooting with two different cameras and arranging the photos in the gallery seems to take years. Most of the close-ups of animals were taken around 200mm + 1.4x extender on a 1.6x camera, effective focal length 450mm. I was often 30-50 feet away, though at times I was much closer.

Thanks for the emails last time, it’s nice to hear from everyone.  My next stop will probably not have internet access, so it may be a week until you hear from me again.  Nothing to worry about, this part of Indonesia (Sulawesi and Maluku) is very quiet and peaceful.

Best,  Andy