Update

A lot has happened since we last updated the blog! We enjoyed Our time in Beristagi, being in the mountains means that the temperature is lower and for the first time we used our fleeces although still only in the evenings. We terrified the people running the food stall so much they wouldn’t speak to us. They just ignored us until eventually another diner took pity on us and translated. We got BBQd chicken, soup and rice and it was amazingly tasty.

The next day we met our guide, Barus, early to climb up Sibayak. We drove for a short time to the start of the path. The first 20mins or so of walking were on tarmac. Susie whined incessantly about how tired she was and her legs hurting. We could see Barus calculating how awful his day was going to be! However as soon as we hit boulders and scrambling all the kids were happy and bounded ahead like mountain goats. As we got closer to the top we could see, and hear, the steam escaping from vents around the crater. We felt different temperatures of water in different pools as we went up. We climbed right to the crater but not inside as the sulphur can cause unconsciousness. We then climbed up a very narrow ridge to the highest point. Amazing views all around. We employed the Hunt, hands, feet and bottoms policy climbing back down. Fairly hairy but we were glad we had done it.

There was then a long walk down steep stone steps to hot springs on the other side of the volcano. We all had wobbly legs by the end! The hot springs were very welcome although somewhat smelly. The locals thought we were great entertainment as we moved from the cooler pools up to the very hot ones.

Stiff legged we spent the next day catching up with journals and some maths homework and learning about volcanos online.

We had a private car to take us to Bukit Lawang – another terrifying experience of Sumatran driving, probably not helped because we asked the driver not to smoke in the car.

Bukit Lawang is by far the least developed in terms of amenities of all places we have visited, although visited by far more tourists than any of the others as well! The car has to drop you off at the bus station and it was a 30minute walk with our backpacks along the river to our hostel. There’s no luxuries like flushing toilets or sinks here!

We visited the orangutang feeding station and were lucky enough to see a mother and baby and the big boss! Very impressive. The following day we did a one day trek.

Bike, our guide, collected us with a swagger and set off at a clip through town with the kids trailing behind. Phil and i thought we were in for a poor day. Fortunately we then collected Agus our assistant guide who immediately took to Susie and engaged everyone. Bike turned out to be a good bloke who was talked to death by Emma and Luke with very good humour. We were lucky enough to see a wild orangutang, feed Thomas Leaf monkeys, see Macaque monkeys and white faced gibbons, hear (but not see in time) a hornbill flying over us and lots of interesting insects, plants and reptiles. We stopped for lunch by the river and had a very tasty meal followed by an amazing fruit salad which Argus created in front of us. We then walked back through the river, very wet trainers! Everyone else was much entertained by a leech which bit me. It doesn’t hurt, in fact i didn’t notice it had happened until i found blood everywhere but it dies make me squeamish if i think about it!

All day Susie had been carried by Argus and we thought initially she was taking advantage of his happiness to carry her, but by lunchtime it was clear there was more to it than that as she fell asleep across my knee. By the time we got back she had a raging temperature and was very drowsy.

On friday we stayed around the hotel with Susie quite unwell and both Emma and Luke also under the weather. We made two attempts to get Susie to a doctor but without success although we did get her antibiotics.

On saturday, with no sign of Susie improving we have reluctantly cancelled our rafting and BBQ by the river trip and abandoned our only prebooked hotel room to move to Medan. We have gone upmarket to the Marriott where we have soft beds, air conditioning and a doctor on call. Hopefully he will be here soon (our appointment was 30mins ago now) and Susie will get on the mend. Tomorrow we are scheduled to fly back to Malaysia.