Indonesia > Washing elephants

The alarm wakes me before seven. Today I am going to wash elephants. This promises to be a very special experience. Suka greets me enthusiastically again as I walk into the restaurant. In about half an hour, I walk to the elephant sanctuary. The elephants are trained to patrol the forest, and they are washed twice daily, with tourists allowed to help.

Indonesia - The elephants enjoy being pampered in the water

When I arrive at the elephants, they are already ready to head to the water. I walk alongside them down the sloping hill. I find it fascinating to see how they place their feet—almost as if the foot shapes itself to the ground first before they put their weight on it. At the water, the elephants wade in. Because of the high water and the current, they go completely under and resurface a little further along. Then they are given a command to lie down. With a brush in my hand, I start scrubbing Theo, the male elephant. He stays calm as I pet him along his trunk. His skin feels rough. I pour water over him and scrub his skin—a fun activity. With a splash, Theo turns over so I can wash the other side too. After washing, it’s time for a shower. One of the elephants slurps water with its trunk and sprays it over me. Theo also comes with his trunk close to my face and blows warm air from it to dry me. To finish, I feed the elephants. I am given bananas and bamboo for this. The elephant takes a banana from me with its trunk and puts it in its mouth.

Indonesia - Over a bumpy road towards Bukit Lawang

For the second banana, he keeps his mouth wide open, and I place the banana in it. Funny! Meanwhile, the other travelers who did not participate in the washing program have also arrived in five jeeps, their luggage on the roofs. The weather seems to be holding up, so I probably didn’t need to put my clothes in plastic. We drive to Bukit Lawang in the jeeps. It’s a relatively short distance but over a very rough road. I am jostled around quite a bit. By taking turns in the jeep, everyone gets a chance to sit in front. Around noon, we stop for a break at a small terrace. In the backyard, there is a little seating area for drinks. It’s a bit makeshift, as only a limited number of cold drinks are available. This seems likely to remain a problem throughout the holiday. When we try to continue, we come across a broken-down truck. The rear axle has snapped, right on a small bridge. No vehicle can pass. Tourists on the other side tell me they’ve been waiting for three hours. I am lucky—the axle is almost replaced. After a half-hour delay, the truck can move again, and we continue to Bukit Lawang. I arrive just after two o’clock. Porters rush from all directions to carry luggage over the suspension bridge.

Indonesia - A monitor lizard walks through the grass at Eco Lodge Bukit Lawang

In the chaos, I keep a close eye on my own backpack. Crossing the river, I reach the Sumatra Eco Lodge—a spacious area with numerous cabins. It is clearly more touristy than Tangkahan. I order my lunch at the restaurant before going to my cabin so they can start preparing it. The cabin is spacious and neat. All the cabins of my travel group share an inner garden. Despite ordering in advance, it still takes a while for my lunch to be ready. It is now four o’clock. Around the restaurant, I see a monitor lizard walking through the grass and a large troop of monkeys moving from tree to tree. The young monkeys play with each other in the grass. In the evening, another downpour hits. A heavy rainstorm pours over the resort—I’m almost starting to get used to it. I decide not to walk to the village but to eat in the lodge instead. It is still raining when I walk back to my cabin. As the rain pelts the roof, I try to fall asleep, but on the other side of the river, loud music is playing. It’s Saturday night, and there is a celebration in Bukit Lawang.