Sumatran Trek--News

　　It was in September when I visited the 900 sq km Mount Leuser National Park-South East Asia’s largest rainforest conservation area. From the Sumatran capital of Medan it is a 95K public bus ride to Bukit Lawang and this is where I hired the mandatory guides for a 3 day 2 night excursion into the forest. After two hours we reached primary forest and as the tracks had ceased and the slopes were quite steep some agility was required. A ridge provided a helpful vista overlooking the canopy below but I was not quick enough to photograph a helmeted hornbill sailing over the branches below (unusually it was not accompanied by a mate). When setting up camp on the first night we encountered a lone male orangutan that angrily hurled foliage at us before decamping-given the constant felling of its rainforest habitat his rage was understandable. The invariable rain lasted between half to a full hour late in the afternoon. Come nightfall we slept on the ground and this was comfortable enough, with clothing serving as a pillow. Breakfast a simple affair prepared on misty riverside by my intrepid cook.