Itchy Feet "I am going because I would have no peace if I stayed" - Donald Crowhurst.

We were shown to our 2 storey bamboo hut in Bukit Lawang, threw our backpacks on the floor & stood on the balcony looking across the river to the jungle.  Within seconds Dave spotted swaying trees & suddenly an orange arm appeared.  An orangutan right across the river from our room!  He started climbing down the tree trunk & i said "I think he's going to the river for a drink", so we locked the door and ran down to the water.  He sat on a rock drinking from the river with about 18 monkeys (long tailed macaques) scampering around him.  The river was only about 10metres wide & there he was.  It was so surreal for us.  We had only JUST arrived!  We just sat there in the middle of our very own nature doco, drinking it up.  When he disappeared back into the forest, we walked back up the world's dodgiest staircase to our room for a mandi.  We opened the door and THERE WERE 6 MONKEYS IN OUR ROOM!!!!!