On the Riverboat

For our last afternoon together we went on a river boat ride that would take us to see the orangutan reserve on Kaja Island.

We boarded with a lot of excitement when we saw what a nice boat it was! It was recently built by a Dayak craftsman and he proudly showed us around to see even a romantic bedroom on board. My H planted himself on a comfy lounge chair and smiled.

The kids immediately found the snack bar and Tehya came to serve us something she thought we should try. Lemper is chicken or beef wrapped in sticky rice and then in banana leaves. You don't eat the leaves - the rice is quite tasty.

After our snack we began to seriously be on the lookout.

I was in the process of trying to get a nice picture of Paet, when suddenly he noticed something - yes he spotted one!

The name orangutan comes from two Indonesian words, orang (person) and hutan (jungle).

Makenna loves wearing her sunglasses just like her mom. When she sees that Mom is wearing them on top of her head, she also does the same.

We saw a mother with a baby on her back! We also learned that orangutans build a new nest every night.

We saw some big ones that thrashed around too much or did not give us a good view to get a nice photo. I liked this cute little one.

And back to this cute little one . . .

. . . a little monkey we kept on our laps as much as possible. (Did you notice the low railings?) We continued on back towards civilization along the river, very much aware of a simpler way of life.

A way of life where people actually live on the water, using the river to wash or bathe in and as a source of food and travel. One can't help but realize that no one has a choice about where one is born. I could have been born in a shack on the river, never knowing the feeling of a tub of warm sudsy water, a bed with pillows or a table set with china.

We began our time in Indonesia seeing the finest and ended it with observing the harsh realities on the rivers where Chris spends a lot of time . . . and the people Julene thinks of before she throws out leftovers. It was good to be reminded of the challenges they face and learn how to better pray for them.

On a Walk

One morning we headed out for a walk. People here don't go for a walk - maybe mostly because of the heat and humidity - so they wonder what we are up to. Those who know a sentence in English, will use it.

This particular early morning it was actually quite nice. During the night we'd had a huge thunderstorm and so the world looked washed and people just generally seemed to be happy to be alive.

One of the first women we met was in the business of delivering fresh vegetables. When asked if she would mind being in a picture, she seemed flustered and thrilled at the same time.

The woman across the road excitedly told her to go for it and they laughed and kept chatting as we went on.

Looks like first thing in the morning the laundry gets done

and hung in creative fashion.

The main mode of transportation is a little moped. I thought this place looked cute with it's fenced in garage, so to speak.

Indonesians are not afraid to use color on their buildings. I was struck by the ones that took pride in making their little spaces look beautiful.

This is the closest to a park bench that we passed.

On one of the main streets, we passed a mosque.

Back on a smaller street, a nursery . . .

and a little grocery store that looked quite organized. A lot of fruit gets sold at fruit stands beside the road. Eggs are also found in the most surprising places - never refrigerated. One store we went into on another day, run by a husband and wife, sold motor oil and teddy bears in the same shop.

We passed an interesting fruit tree. If you like to try new fruits, there is no shortage here.

And speaking of fruit, it's time for breakfast. Thank you for coming along.

Moments

Moments you can't share on the phone . . .

You wish . . .

. . . time could stand still.

Moments . . .

you can't experience in an email . . .

or even . . .

on skype.

These are the times we'll remember. . .

with our Borneo grandkids.

A New Friend

In the end it wasn't too bad! Does anyone know what this creature is called?

A Special Birthday

A Birthday celebration, even in Indonesia, always includes a cake and Tehya was right there to help. It turned out to be some nice time alone, just the two of us, as everyone else was busy with other things and the Birthday girl was napping.

As I was taking the picture, she said, "This is for your blog, right Grammy?" I laughed, and asked her if she wanted me to put it on my blog. She said, "Yes."

Sprinkles for the final touch.

The room is ready.

The goodie bags.

The guests arrive.

We all sang Happy Birthday. It seems to be an international song.

Everyone had a great time! Happy Birthday Makenna! We feel like we are just now getting to know you. We sure do love you and are so happy to be able to share this day with you!

PS Also wishing a very Happy Birthday to Ben, whose Birthday we are missing.

First Glimpses

I tried otherwise, but the collage is the only thing that would upload right now. The top left photo is on the plane headed to the island of Borneo. A warm, clean and friendly place was there to welcome us. The kids wanted us to see their rooms first. The playhouse that Papa built in 2005 is in Paet's room. I love the windows in the house. The girls share a room. The bottom left is a glimpse into the kitchen and the last one is our room that we are enjoying for the third time now.
This home has had some much needed work done to it, such as changing the squat toilets and very low counters in the kitchen. . . but that is not all . . . it is a happy place for the kids, with a yard and playground shared with many.