An Early Morning at Gunung Bromo

Another early morning departure followed, carrying me and another group of Dutch and French tourists from Yogyakarta and Central Java to the East side and the massive volcanic outcrop around Mt. Bromo. Being the most populated island in Indonesia, you can't go far in Java without passing village after village, weaving your way in and out of the crazy traffic, dodging motorcycles, walkers and the occasional cow. Between the villages, we passed through flat rice paddies, flooded plains with rice stems growing up out of the water, with workers in the traditional triangular hats hunched over, planting and cutting the stalks, all done with back-breaking manual labor. The infrequent ox helps to plow the fields in between harvests, but judging by the number of workers in these fields along the side of the road, it looks like much of this pain-staking process is still done by hand here (as in other parts of Southeast Asia). Behind the rice paddies, a row of distant mountains cuts through the hazy horizon. Along the way, we passed through a few strands of forest, some tropical with the broad, green leaves of banana trees lining the road, though other forests seemed to be a little more deciduous, looking more like oak trees spread out across the forest with little undergrowth, leading me to wonder if this is actually a natural forest or something planted here. This area of East Java is also said to be the home of a few reclusive elephants, though I can't imagine seeing the endangered beasts anywhere near the cacophony of the road and villages along the way. After a few bathroom and snack stops, we arrived in a small office in the middle of nowhere around 8 pm, transferring to a smaller bus for those of us moving on to the volcano and another bus for those going straight to Bali. As you might expect, the promises made when booking the trip weren't exactly true, and, at this point, you really don't have an option to choose another tour, so we went along with our new guide, though the tour was actually only $1-2 more than promised, so it wasn't that bad.

Being alone, I was assigned to a small hotel just outside of Cemoro Lawang, the base for expeditions to the volcanoes. When I arrived, there was, predictably, some debate as to whether or not they actually had a room for me, so I was told to go have dinner in the restaurant while things were sorted out. Eventually, they found a spot for me in a tiny, two-story room, the first story just being a small room with six and a half foot ceilings and nothing other than a safe and a ladder leading upstairs to another cramped room with two short beds laid out on the floor. Fortunately, I wouldn't be sleeping long anyway, so this was good enough for the night, along with a warm blanket, as the temperature here in the highlands actually gets pretty cold at night. Up the next morning at 3:30, I had the 'breakfast' of a piece of toast and a tiny banana and was herded into one of the awaiting 4 x 4s, an old Toyota Land Cruiser from the 70s, actually one of my favorite old cars, so I enjoyed the ride in the jumpseats, crammed up with three more people in the back and two passengers and a driver up front in this tiny version of an SUV. We drove uphill through the darkness, creating a line of headlights with the row of vehicles all making their way to the top of the nearby mountain. Upon arriving and parking behind 100 or more similar Toyota Land Cruisers (though painted in different colors to differentiate them), we walked 15 minutes up to the view point and waited. Marvelling at the sunrise over a string of volcanoes and a misty plain below sounded idyllic, though it's not quite the same when you're on a crowded platform with a few hundred other tourists, pushing forward to the front for the perfect picture. I eventually found a spot and managed to block out the surroundings and enjoy the incredible show in front of us.

Below us, Gunung Bromo (Mt. Bromo) sat in the quiet darkness, billowing smoke into the early morning sky, flanked by a perfect volcanic cone (as opposed to Bromo which is basically a volcano missing its top thanks to a few eruptions) and backed by another volcano, all set in a huge flat plain covered in mist, with the peaks poking through, finally surrounded by a massive crater wall from an extinct super-volcano from thousands of years ago. Slowly, the sky turned from black to blue to streaks of orange along the horizon, eventually revealing the sun and the first rays of light upon the volcanoes in front of us. Watching the first light hit the active volcanoes, somewhat shrouded in mist was an incredible sight, in spite of the pushy crowd all around. Within about an hour, all but ten of us had cleared out, so this provided a much more serene environment to enjoy the views. After a few more pictures, I rushed back down the mountain to my Land Cruiser and awaiting group (though I saw two of them near me, so I knew they were just 5 minutes ahead of me), we piled back in the car and headed down the mountain. Passing through the narrow, steep road, we made our way down to the crater floor, a vast plain known now as the Sand Sea, just as the last of the morning haze was beginning to clear. We passed through the bumpy road into a field of brightly colored Land Cruisers and stopped for the second part of the volcano trip. From here, we made the easy walk up to the crater of Bromo and up the 244 steep stairs. From the parking lot to the edge of the crater was about a 20 minute, flat walk followed by a 10-15 climb up some semi-steep slopes, but there were plenty of horses to rent if I felt like being lazy, but I decided to make it feel like I was actually accomplishing something with this short walk. Once on top, you can see all the way down into the massive crater, watching the smoke billow and subside, sending a bright white cloud into the sky with each surge. A very narrow trail with steep dropoffs on both sides (one side falling into the volcano) led all the way around the crater, said to take 1-2 hours to walk around, though I was content standing at the edge of the abyss, watching the incredible natural forces at work and also questioning the wisdom of staring down into an active volcano.

Soon, I headed back down, met up again with my group and headed back to the hotel, deciding to continue on the next part of my tour, meaning another all day bus ride to Bali. Back at my hotel in Cemoro Lawang, I had to wait for a few of the crowded buses/minivans until I found a spot, crammed into the opening between the bench seat and the sliding door, though I did have a tiny stool to sit on, making it slightly more comfortable. After we got down from the mountain, we boarded a bigger bus and kept heading East. Around 5 in the afternoon, we arrived at the Eastern tip of Java and waited for the ferry to take us across the narrow straight. Though we could see Bali the whole time, this local ferry (which carried our bus and other cars) managed to take something like 3 hours with our destination tantalizingly close, though seeming fixed at the same spot on the horizon. Once we finally got to the island of Bali, we again boarded the bus, and we headed towards Denpasar, the central city of Bali, where we'd have to work out our own transportation from there, always a fun prospect, especially late at night in a completely unknown place.

(The first signs of light coming up over the landscaped dotted with volcanic cones.)

(Mt. Bromo is the smoking crater in the middle. As the sun came out, the mist below slowly cleared away.)

(The first rays of morning light hitting the trio of volcanoes. Quite an impressive sight.)

(The tourist groups with whom I shared these magical moments. Just as the sun was coming up on the mountains, I heard and felt a Chinese tourist pushing his way through people with his big camera "Oh, sunrise, perfect time for pictures." Yes, that's why we're all standing here.)

(Slowly becoming brighter, still amazing. You can see part of the massive outer crater of the former super-volcano.)

(Gunung Bromo was constantly smoking....hey, not too different from some of the local Indonesians that I've met. Heh.)

(Most of the tourists cleared out quickly after sunrise, so I managed to find some quiet time to appreciate the volcanoes after that.)

(A few of the hundreds of Land Cruisers that carried us up and down the mountains. I love these things.)

(The smoking crater from the rim, after 244 stairs, according to my guidebook.)

(Standing along the rim, trying not to fall in or down the other side.)

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The Hindu Temples of Prambanan

From Borobudur, our group made a quick stop at another temple, was herded into a silver making factory to watch the skilled workers mold tiny bits of silver into earrings, broaches and other overpriced pieces that we were encouraged to buy (I didn't fall for it), and then we soon saw the iconic spires of Prambanan. As a counterpart to the Buddhist shrine of Borobudur, Prambanan is a relic of the Hindu domination of the land of Central and East Java. These were also built sometime between the 8th and 10th centuries, though they are thought to have been destroyed by a large earthquake during the 1500s. Eventually they were also restored, making their way on to the Unesco World Heritage list (along with Borobudur), providing a day trip full of remarkable temples from Yogyakarta. More recently, the pointy temples of Prambanan were also toppled by a strong earthquake (around 6.0) just a couple of years ago, so as we walked into the sight, large piles of rubble lay in piles next to many of the temples, waiting to eventually be rebuilt to form the surrounding temples. Due to this, I actually thought the scene leading up to the temples, revealing a flat field with five or six spires jutting up into the sky as perhaps more impressive than the experience of walking among the rubble and actual structures, since only one of the temples is currently open to the public.

Walking through the thick tropical heat and humidity, I passed from one site to another, alternating between staring up at the temples and finding shady spots to stand and enjoy a more relaxing view of the spectacle. The main temple rises 47 meters (150 feet) above the ground, followed closely by a few surrounding temples. Apart from the main complex and the surrounding piles of stone, a few more temple sites are scattered throughout the park, so I made my way around, passing children playing in the playground, workers lounging in the shade and locals enjoying picnics on the shaded benches. As expected, I found more temples and shrines to Hindu gods, surrounded by piles of rock ready to be reconstructed in the constant battle against the seismically active landscape. On the way back, I found a wonderful view of the temples from a shaded bench underneath a massive tree, providing some shade and a perfect place to soak in the whole atmosphere. Much like a day spent in Mexico, this was one of my favorite parts of the whole experience, allowing me to sit back and marvel at the monumental buildings and enjoy the warm weather with no one else around. Unfortunately, this serene moment only lasted for about 30 minutes, as I had to hurry back to our bus, making it back through a maze of souvenir stalls to find the exit and my awaiting bus. During the evenings, there are performances of a traditional Hindu ballet/opera/dance, set with the lit backdrop of the temples, and it sounded pretty impressive, but I opted to pass on this performance, as Bali is said to be the place to see cultural events like this.

Back in Yogyakarta, I walked up and down the streets in the area of my cheap hotel, finding some cheap arts and crafts and a few local restaurants lining the street, all mostly selling the same combination of fried rice, fried chicken or fried fish, offering mats on the floor and tiny tables under which you are supposed to sit. Not being very flexible, these aren't the ideal seating arrangements for me (something I fear during the Japan portion of this trip), but I managed to sit there long enough to finish my fried chicken and rice as the local children stared at me, still somewhat impressed by foreigners, despite the large numbers of tourists who do come to visit the two temples in the area. Apart from that, I found a local woman who cooked chicken satay (skewered chicken with peanut sauce) over an open fire in the middle of one of the alleys, so I enjoyed another cheap meal that day while watching the local children run around the tiny square and play badminton, a very popular sport here in Indonesia. Not knowing what to do next, I found a tour to an imposing set of volcanoes in East Java and decided to save myself the time and hassle of trying to arrange a network of local buses, content with paying the $10 extra for the convenience of taking the tourist shuttle to Mt. Bromo.

(The pointy temples of Prambanan, standing tall against the flat plain surrounding it.)

(One of the outer temples, in a bit of disarray, yet still impressive.)

(A few of the taller temples, enjoying the blue sky as the sun burned away the morning haze.)

(As you can see, the main temples were mostly not damaged by the recent earthquake, but there are still piles and piles of stone to be rebuilt around them.)

(One of the few trees in the complex, looking a little out of place, not at all like a tall, light-skinned foreigner in Indonesia.)

(My first view of the temples from the beginning of the complex.)

(A set of young rice fields just outside the silver factory we visited where we were encouraged to buy some local handmade goods, though I resisted the urge to pay 3 times the normal price at a spot like this.)

(A beautiful water lily for your viewing pleasure. This was in a pond around one of the smaller temples in between Borobudur and Prambanan.)

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Down to Indonesia and Borobudur

After spending more time than expected in Malaysia, I was finally ready to move on, so I booked an amazingly cheap flight on Air Asia and headed for Yogyakarta (also pronounced Jogjakarta). I had already decided that I didn't really care to see Jakarta, and the suicide bombing of two luxury hotels aimed at killing Westerners just four days before my arrival in Indonesia made me feel like I had made the right decision. I had a short, cramped flight, passed through a quick customs check with my Indonesian visa, and then I got a taxi to my hotel, wondering what this city and country would be like. I stayed in a popular area for backpackers, basically a main street with a few alleys alongside, filled with cheap hotels, a few restaurants, travel agents and internet cafes, along with the persistent becak (be-chak) drivers, sitting on their bicycle taxis, asking you if you need transport or just calling out 'be-cak.' The other striking feature of the city is the number of guitarists...everywhere you go, you see locals playing guitars, workers playing guitars in the back of pick up trucks on the way to and from work, people of all ages playing guitars (playing is debatable for some of them) at stop lights for tips from passing drivers and other random spots. With its mix of travellers, an arts scene, university students and cultural sights nearby, Yogyakarta served as a good introduction to the Indonesian culture. I also got a $3-4 hotel room for the night, obviously nothing more than a cement block with an attached toilet, but that's all I needed.

The next morning started quite early, as I joined a tour to Borobudur, a massive Buddhist shrine an hour or two outside of town, and we had to get up early in order to get to the site at sunrise. Along with some Dutch and French tourists, we piled into a cramped van, tried to sleep and made our way through the streets filled with cars, scooters and bicycles, each staking its claim to the tiny bit of pavement afforded to it by the crazy flow of traffic. Soon we arrived at the entrance to the temple, made our way through souvenir stalls and the ticket booth and started walking towards the silhouette on the top of the hill. The prodigious shrine was built sometime around 800 AD, though not too much is known about the true history, as it lay in ruins after the fall of the Buddhist empire until being re-discovered in the mid-1800s and restored beginning in the 1900s and finishing with a huge project from 1973 to 1983. Apparently parts of the top were also demolished by a bombing in 1985, but this has been fully restored, and the temple stands in a marvellous state today.

Climbing a long stairway to reach the base was just the beginning, as this only brought me to the base of the temple. From there, stone stairways lead up to each level of the temple. In true Buddhist form, you are instructed to walk clockwise around each level of the temple, following along with the story etched into the walls of walkways, eventually winding your way up a 5 km trail to the top and, conveniently, achieving enlightenment at the end of the quest, signifying the ascent from the ordinary world into heaven. However, in a hurry to reach the summit before sunrise, many of us circled just one or two of the approximately nine levels and then headed for the stairway, saving a lot of walking and significant amounts of time, as you can climb straight up the temple in just a few minutes. Passing under the stone arches at the top of the four stairways, one facing each direction, the temple opened up to its top three levels, filled with bell shaped stupas, large stone carvings that sort of resemble woven baskets turned upside down. The upper three levels blend together in a mass of stupas, finally topped by one central stupa, though nothing more significant than each of the other stupas along the way. One of two of the stupas were also intentionally left open during the restoration, leaving the Buddha statues hidden within exposed for all to see. Despite other tour groups on top, I was able to enjoy a few serene moments near the top of the temple, watching the misty horizon around the structure, giving way to mountains on one side and palm trees on the other. Seeing such an impressive, monumental palace on my first morning in the country was a pretty good beginning to this highly-anticipated trip through the varied islands of Indonesia, though the day was not over. As the second part of the tour, we'd stop in Prambanan, a massive Hindu temple also on the outskirts of the city.

(Just a few of the many stupas on the top levels of Borobudur.)

(One of the exposed Buddha, feeling a bit naked compared to the others enclosed in their shells.)

(That's the Buddha on the left and me on the right.)

(The lower levels of the temple contain extraordinarily intricate details with many Buddha hidden in nooks and crannies.)

(From the ground level, you can see that it's not really that long of a hike if you skip the whole quest for enlightenment and go straight to the top.)

(But you'd miss the stories carved into the walls along the way, stretching for 5 km of circuitous walking.)

(The Buddha gazing at the recently risen sun. Despite other tourists on top, this was a pretty amazing view.)

(More stupas. I told a French guy that he was stupa, but he didn't get it. Pfff. Speaking of that, there are so many French tourists in Indonesia. Also, everyone here (locals and foreigners) thinks that I'm Dutch. Some Dutch people even try to speak to me in Dutch and don't realize until I give them an extended blank stare.)

(Looking down on the misty mountain and forest below.)

(My first Indonesian meal -beef rendang - a sort of dark curry with coconut milk and some spices. Pretty good, though not as good as some of the Malaysian curries. Don't tell the Indonesians that I said that.)

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The Pink Mosque of Putrajaya/Where Did Everyone Go?

My final day trip from KL took me to Putrajaya, just a short train ride away. This new city is being designed as the future home of the government and administrative capital of the country. Sort of like Canberra, Australia or Brasilia, Brazil, it is a completely planned city in the middle of nowhere, designed with the plan to bring people into the area with preplanned buildings, infrastructure, etc. As of now, not many people have moved here yet, so the long, wide avenues and huge city squares were pleasantly free of people, with the exception of a few tour buses here and there. There were also no motorcycles, which was a nice change from the loud mufflers of the big cities.

The center of town sits on a peninsula of land in a man made lake, connected to a few rivers around town. Along this narrow piece of land runs a wide road, leading to a huge circular park, with the mosque on one side and the Prime Minister's office on the other, both looking stately in their conspicuous settings. This would have been a really picturesque area except that the haze was exceptionally strong that day, so the grey sky blocked out the sun for the entire day. My first stop was the mosque, notable for its pink dome and setting on the edge of the lake. I wandered around the mosque, donning an obligatory robe in order to enter the compound. Looking into the elaborate room, the details are amazing. Tiny Arabic script etched in the walls, around the door and all over add to the look, and I was soon greeted by a guide who assured me that his service was free of charge. He politely explained to me the details of the mosque, the religion, some misconceptions and answered any other random questions about the place, the call to prayer, the meaning of a few things, etc. His wonderful explanations gave a great insight into the place, and I was happy to have had him there explaining all of the details that I would have missed.

Wandering more around town, I contemplated a boat cruise around the city, a popular way to see the attractions, though I decided the hazy day wasn't that conducive to sight seeing. The city also has nine noteworthy bridges spanning the waterways, each one constructed in a different, modern style, serving as attractions in their own right. I met up with a few groups of school children eager to interview for some sort of class project where they had to collect information about tourists in the area, all excited to meet an American instead of the typical Malaysian tourists. As I walked around more, I watched the lunch crowd emerge into the streets, leaving their offices, men in full suits and women in head scarves and nice dresses and high heels. The city had a sophisticated, clean, sanitized feel to it, worthy of a capital city, and I actually wished I had more time to explore, but I soon had to return back to Kuala Lumpur, enjoying the laid-back, stately elegance of Putrajaya, and getting a nice respite from the loud, busy capital city nearby.

(The lovely pink domes of the mosque of Putrajaya.)

(Stepping over some 'recommended' guard rails, I found an incredible view of the mosque, perched beautifully on the side of the river.)

(The Prime Minister's office, up a little hill, just to the side of the mosque. The town square/circle is one of the most picturesque blocks that I have ever come across.)

(More Arabic script on the top of a mosque. For some reason, Muslims seem to like that sort of stuff.)

(1. About to check into the local hospital after being sick from local food or 2. About to enter the mosque with the robe to respect local customs. Hint: local food is way too good to ever make you sick.)

(After a very interesting description of the history of the mosque and the religion in general and its significance in Malaysia, I was allowed to see the main room where the men pray. The women pray upstairs, apparently to avoid any sort of distraction while spending time talking to God. As my guide said, you don't want to be looking at a pretty girl and thinking about getting her email address while you're supposed to be praying.)

(Me and the self timer along the banks of the river, checking out another angle of the mosque.)

(This would be an incredible picture if not for the thick haze over the city that day. Apparently the smoke from forest fires in Indonesia makes this a common occurrence in the fall, so if anyone happens to go back in the spring, let me know.)

(Some of the local businessmen and businesswomen going out to lunch. As you can see, the women mostly still wear traditional attire, which is pretty interesting to see walking down the street.)

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The Kuala Gandah Elephant Conservation Centre and Deerland

My most eagerly anticipated daytrip from KL took me to the center of the country to a tiny little village to the site of the Kuala Gandah Elephant Conservation Centre. I had read about this spot online and knew that it was one of the few things that I truly had to do while in Malaysia. The center began as a rehabilitation center for elephants that had lost their habitat due to logging or were causing problems in nearby oil palm plantations and thus had to be relocated. It has eventually morphed into more of a tourist attraction, yet it retains its focus on conservation and learning about the beloved animals, instead of exploiting them as other places in Southeast Asia do. I thought about trying to save a little bit of money and get there on my own, but after reading about the distance and very nondescript directions and lack of public transport there, I decided to just go with the package tour from the city, paying about $50 for the day out, admission into the park and another neighboring one and a small lunch. Our group consisted of the driver/guide who was a strange looking Malaysian guy with a scraggly beard and long, patchy moustache, missing front teeth and large canine teeth, one of which actually stuck out of his mouth even when his lips were closed, a young British pair (one of whom is originally Iraqi), a guy from Hong Kong and a couple from Bahrain (the first people I've ever met from Bahrain).

Two hours outside of the city, we arrived at Deerland, our first stop. I had not heard of this place until I spoke to a French guy here in Malaysia that was actually pretty excited about it, as he had just returned from Deerland and the elephant center. He mentioned lots of different types of animals in a petting-zoo style, giving us good access to the animals. Once in the gates, we were greeted by about 50 medium sized deer, obviously used to human contact. You are then given a bowl of food to give them, being told to hold the basket up high, so that they don't simply knock it out of your hands. Then, you are supposed to hold the food up as high as you can, and the deer actually stand up on their hind legs and gently take the food from you. In reality, they are very gentle and don't bite your hand, but the first few times that their heads come flying towards your hand are a bit scary, leading many people to just drop their food and run off to the side. Next, we got to hold a tiny hedgehog (not as spiky as I expected), though many in the group were also a little reluctant to do this, so I pushed my way to the front to make sure I got to touch all of the animals on display. After that, we moved on to holding a huge python around our necks and then feeding a large ostrich, letting it pluck the leaves from your hand.

After that, we saw the Malaysian sun bear or spectacled bear, the smallest bear in the world, though probably similar in size to a small to medium sized black bear. In a small enclosure, the bear was just sitting around with one of the workers when we were allowed to enter. Hoping that the bear was as calm as it looked, we got closer, and I was even allowed to touch it. Then, I hand feed it a few pieces of food, and the bear was very calm and polite. Growing a little more trusting, they let me stick out my hand and they poured handfuls of honey into my hand, and the bear licked it straight out of my hand. I couldn't believe that I was able to do this, and I was actually pretty content with this experience already, though we still had the elephant highlight to come. To finish off Deerland, the group of tourists lined up front to back and one of the monkeys was placed at the back of the line. When the guide yelled go, the agile monkey hopped quickly from head to head, making it within seconds up to the front.

We stopped for a quick lunch, then we arrived at the elephant center, just a few minutes down the road. We were supposed to watch an educational video about the center and the area, but the power in the area went out about 10 minutes into the video and without air conditioning or fans, we were allowed to leave the hot room and go see the stars, the elephants. In the front of the park are three small elephants; I don't know how old they are, but they are each about five or six feet tall, eating peanuts and sugar cane out of your hands as they posed for pictures alongside the large groups of tourists. We also got to feed watermelon and bananas to the full sized elephants, four of them hanging around the edge of the park. Then, the main event was riding the elephants around in small circles. As I lined up, our guide quickly came over and tried to explain to me to wait and not do this yet. He mentioned that I should wait for the river portion of it, where you get to bathe the elephants, but I didn't understand why I couldn't do both activities. I was in the front of the line, but after a few minutes of back and forth, I decided to trust him, though we didn't exactly understand, so I, along with one of the young English guys, waited while watching the groups go around in quick circles on the back of the massive elephants.

Finally, when every person had their ride, the guide then appeared again, said a few things in Malaysian to the workers, and we were pushed up the stairs to the top, ready for the next event. Apparently since our guide goes to the park every single day, he has made some friends and some connections there, so he was able to get the premier ride for me, the English guy and the Chinese guy in our group. Instead of a quick ride around in a circle, the three of us piled on to the largest elephant, along with the trainer and headed from the platform through the park and down a fairly steep walkway into the river, all holding on tightly to each other as we felt like we were going to tip forward into the water. We were told beforehand to bring extra clothes and that we'd get wet, but we just didn't know how it would transpire. As the entire park watched, after slowly waddling past the visitors, we entered the shallow river, the elephant was given some command and boom...the elephant fell to its side, dumping us all in the muddy river. As we were going down, the Chinese guy behind me was flailing around, none of us knowing how deep the water was, though it turned out to just be three or four feet deep in most spots. Afterwards, we stayed in the river as they brought down the smaller elephants, and we proceeded to splash water around on them and play around for a little while before the other visitors were allowed to join. Eventually, everyone had a turn to just sit on the elephant and get dumped in the water, but we were really lucky to have been able to get the long ride and first dip in the water. I thanked our guide over and over, but he always responded in his heavy accent, "It's my job." All in all, it was another great day of wildlife interaction, being able to hand feed a bear and elephants, as well as getting a ride and a bath with a huge elephant. The center is a bit touristy and overcrowded, but after an experience like that, it really didn't matter. I even bought two cheap t-shirts after the tour, to help support the center and add to my collection of random travel shirts.

(At Deerland, the friendly deer would literally stand up as you fed them, delicately taking the food right out of your hand, if you were brave enough to hold on. Many people just dropped their buckets of food and ran.)

(I was one of the few that wanted to hold the tiny hedgehog. It wasn't as prickly as I thought it might be, though it did try to poop in my hand, so maybe it has developed a new defense system for tourists.)

(Feeding the ostrich, trying to make him work for his food. Like emus, I'm a little scared of these things. Mostly, I'm just not a huge fan of birds in general.)

(The adorable sun bear. He posed for photos while a few of us gathered around and even got to hand feed him. Apparently hand feeding bears is a good idea. See the next photo for proof.)

(As the trainer pours honey into my hand, the bear is licking it out. This was an incredible experience, since feeding a real bear is more exciting than my childhood tea parties with my teddy bears.)

(Afterwards, we lined up front to back and this little monkey jumped from head to head to head, making it down the line in a matter of seconds, usually while clutching a bottle of honey in one hand.)

(At the Kuala Gandah Elephant Conservation Centre, three smaller elephants greeted us just after entering. As for the land of the rising sun shirt, I get confused with all of these Asian countries.)

(It was really crowded with tourists here, but it's hard to match being able to hand feed baby elephants, so I can't complain too much.)

(After some confusing English, our guide convinced us to wait for the last elephant ride of the day, and it certainly paid off. With his connections, he arranged the longest ride for the three of us, going from the center of the small park down to the river bank...)

(And then into the river...)

(And then collapsing into the water. We knew what was happening beforehand, but that didn't stop the little Chinese guy behind me from flailing frantically as we splashed into the water. This really was an incredible experience. Others got to get on the elephant in the water and be dumped, but our guide was able to help us get the best ride of the day. "Thanks." "It's my job." Repeat.)

(After being dumped, the smaller elephants were herded down into the river, and we were also the first to be able to bathe them.)

(One of the bigger ones trying to steal sugar cane from the other, though he had a perfectly good pile in front of him. Why can't we ever be happy with what we have? Huh, elephant, huh?)

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