Greetings from Yogyakarta, Central Java, INDONESIA!

Amazing — this trip feels like it’s been 3 distinct trips already and we are only half-way through. Wow.

Orangutans were spectacular. Apparently we lucked out with a spell of dry weather, and, even though it’s the season when the semi-wild orangutans can easily find food in the forest, MANY decided to come into the camps for the “feedings.” (These are distributions of enormous quantities of bananas on feeding platforms.) We could watch them approach high up in the trees, swing closer, shimmy down and then gorge. The first morning at Camp Leakey we saw 21 different orangutans, many of them mother-baby pairs, and our guide recognized each one by name. (The names are given by Birute Galdikas, director of Camp Leakey.) We blissfully lost track of time and spent almost two hours at a stretch watching the antics and getting fantastic photos.

The great Buddhist site of Borobodur and the nearby Hindu temples at Prambhanan in Central Java were also spectacular and we were able to view and photograph them in perfect light. I’ve been over-the-top pleased with the photographic subject matter of this trip — such a totally fantastic opportunity to apply what I learned from Wayde in Alaska!)

Best to all of you,
Joan