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September 27, 2012

Our Wild Cousins: Orang-utan Spotting in Borneo

By Jonathan Tanner
ITWPA Member

As we get off the boat, we are greeted by local resident Peta and her young daughter, welcoming us to Camp Leakey in Tanjung Puting National Park in Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo). Peta is short but strong and silent. Her hair gleams red-brown in the dappled sunlight. But we have been warned not to approach her.
 
Peta is an orang-utan, one of a few thousand survivors of her species now confined to the tropical islands of Sumatra and Borneo. The national park she inhabits is only accessible by boat and requires several hours of upstream travel along the Sekanyer River through jungle flanked by banks of brine-loving nypa palms that give way to freshwater pandanus thickets.
 
Orang-utan groups are headed by a dominant male who does his best to ensure his genes are passed on to the next generation. We have already come in contact with “king” Yani in his territory some miles downriver. He is big, red, raucous, and barely tolerant of outsiders, throwing branches at us from his vantage point high in the tree canopy and forcing us to retreat -- definitely not someone to tangle with. Now we disembark upstream and hope to catch a glimpse of the king who rules these more remote parts.
 
As we walk through the jungle, our guide warns us to tread quietly to avoid disturbing the wildlife. Soon we reach a clearing furnished with some rough wooden benches facing a platform where park rangers deposit bunches of bananas and containers of milk daily to attract orang-utans that were previously rehabilitated and returned to the jungle.
 
The platform is a hive of activity. A large male sits quietly eating from a large bunch of bananas he has hoarded in front of him. A female and her baby grab a few bananas and munch on them, baby reluctantly releasing its hold on mother’s fur. A wild pig, tail wagging and grey skin glistening after a recent mud bath, hovers around the base of the platform, unsure whether to risk a walk up the stairs to grab a few bananas from under mama’s nose. Eventually she attempts a tentative ascent. But mama has audacious Miss Piggy in her sights and gives her a firm rap on the head with clenched fist. Miss Piggy retreats, to be joined later at the platform base by her three piglets -- but having learned her lesson, she makes no further attempt at ascending the platform.
 
All around us orang-utans are feeding, nurturing their young, whooping, swinging through the canopy with remarkable athletic grace, and occasionally brawling. Every few minutes, one of these great apes strides uncomfortably close to its human observers, causing us to scatter in alarm. Then a female with baby decides to climb a spindly tree directly in front of our observation benches. As she reaches the top, a stream of urine gushes down, hitting the ground with a splash and sending some droplets onto the feet of observers sitting on the front bench. As they recoil, dollops of solid excrement plop at their feet, one clod grazing the t-shirt of the startled woman in front of me and settling right next to her on the first bench. We all laugh nervously. I’m suddenly thankful I’m sitting in the second row.

 

 

We don’t get to see the king orang-utan this time. We have nevertheless experienced -- and participated in -- the natural show of a lifetime in an extraordinary part of the world, and depart feeling exceptionally privileged.

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Take the High Ground

By Roderick Eime

A blast of fresh, rarefied air and chilled mountain water might be the tonic you’re after.



Two thousand feet above the valley floor and the snow-dusted peaks still tower above us like dizzying frosted spires. The air is crisp and as clear as Swarovski crystal in the rarefied atmosphere of New Zealand’s Southern Alps. The Tasman Sea is easily visible in the distance beyond Milford Sound.



Pilot Scott banks the tiny Heliworks Squirrel around the near-vertical wall of a mighty massif and I find myself gazing one kilometer straight down to the turbid white waters of the Dart River where a fully laden jetboat twitches energetically upstream. Scott’s eyes are fixed on a tiny flat section along the ridge line above Bryant Glacier and the aircraft is cautiously delivered onto a surface as smooth and white as a wedding cake.



Lake Wakatipu, at 50 miles, is New Zealand’s longest lake. The surface is 1,000 feet above sea level, but the depth extends 300 feet below and all around is some of the most dramatic scenery on the planet. We’ve all seen it in blockbusters such as Lord of the Rings, but the movie credits roll on to include Narnia, The Water Horse, 10,000 BC, X-Men (Wolverine), and too many shorts and TVCs to mention. A Korean prison movie set built by Disney in 1988 still presides ominously over Queenstown airport.



Away from the white-knuckle adventure playground of Queenstown, the tiny hamlet of Glenorchy at the northern end of Lake Wakatipu encourages a more thoughtful, relaxed form of adventure. Okay, so the Dart River Safaris jetboat blasts thrillseekers upriver in a 70-minute slingshot -- but then it leaves them to paddle serenely downstream again through chasms and gorges in an inflatable canoe called a Funyak.



The sleepy lanes of Glenorchy are not burdened with squads of raucous merrymakers and lumbering tour buses; instead, austere timber cottages, bungalows, and verandahs line the roads while unflustered locals stroll leisurely down the curbless bitumen, wicker baskets in hand.



The sparsely populated, tranquil South Island of New Zealand certainly performs at either end of the energy spectrum. ZORB balling, bungees, and canyon swinging all have their places, but not in Glenorchy. Instead the more genteel pursuits of fly fishing, tramping, horseback riding, and canoeing find advocates seeking relief from the more boisterous pastimes.



Just a stroll from ‘downtown’ Glenorchy is Blanket Bay, a nook on the shoreline so named because of the rough shelters erected by itinerant shearers working the flocks there over a century ago. Today, Blanket Bay is anything but rough. Instead it is the site of one of the world’s most consistently awarded luxury lodges.



Established in 1999 within the 65,000-acre Wyuna Station, the main lodge is constructed with an alpine flavor, yet utilizes local and imported materials to create a distinct, recognizable persona. The structure of the main hall is comprised of well-weathered timber beams recovered from disused railway bridges. When this supply was exhausted, massive pylons from Brisbane’s demolished wharves were shipped in and the detail work was completed with hand-distressed cedar on the staircases and paneling. The schist stone architecture is exceptional and a massive picture window plays the soft light reflected from the lake and adjacent ranges throughout The Great Room as you flick the pages of your morning paper.



Dining at any of New Zealand’s so-called “super lodges” is a lavish affair, yet Blanket Bay manages to exceed even those lofty standards, with accolades for chefs Mark Sycamore and Joseph Clark at the recent World Association of Chefs’ Societies regional challenge. Gongs at the World Travel Awards, thumbs up from finicky luxury arbiter Andrew Harper, and a Gold Listing by Condé Nast all put their reputation beyond dispute.



Back on the mountain, more than 3,000 feet above the lake, the view is exhilarating and almost an out-of-body experience. The lodge and its private wharf are just discernible on the opposite shore while the village of Glenorchy appears just like it does on Google Earth. There’s a troubling subconscious urge to launch myself into the liberating thin air, but a gentle call from Scott reminds me the best way down is in the Squirrel, and we fall gently onto the lawn in front of the lodge. Manager Philip Jenkins reaches for the door and welcomes me back, reconfirming my connection with terra firma.



Our modern, time-precious lifestyles barely afford a moment’s respite from the confines of the corporate dungeon, yet intensive distraction therapy is at hand. Hurl yourself headfirst into the relaxation or escapism as your taste dictates. The hardest part will be coming back to Earth.



If you go:



Blanket Bay Lodge is a pleasant half-hour drive from Queenstown airport, or just minutes by helicopter. Summer rates begin at US$828 per room per couple inclusive of breakfast, dinner, drinks, and full use of facilities. Book activities separately. www.blanketbay.com



Air New Zealand flies direct from LAX to Auckland, then connects to Queenstown. See www.airnewzealand.com



Heliworks Queenstown joy flights are available from US$166 per person (30 minutes). See www.heliworks.co.nz

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Stairway to Spanish Medieval Heaven

By Des Townshend

Seventeen miles from the bustling coastal city of Benidorm lies the rock-perched village of Guadalest, the most dramatically situated of all the Moorish fortifications that dot the mountains of the Costa Blanca.  

This settlement is made up of two villages referred to as the Old Village and the New Village. You walk through the Puerta de San Jose rock arch into the Old Village, where there are no cars, up the historic cobblestone paths, past the souvenir shops offering local crafts, and head towards the most unusual home you will ever see in what was Moorish Spain.

Literally situated on top of a huge mountain rock, and hardly visible from the road you drove up, the “Grand House” of El Castell de Guadalest -- or Casa Orduna -- was built after the great earthquake of 1644 that devastated the region. Following a rebuilding, it was plundered and burned to the ground during the War of Succession in 1708, only to be reconstructed once again.

You can imagine privileged children in medieval times running from the basement wine cellar through four levels, including the dining room, state rooms, library, and exhibition hall, and into the garden perched on the edge of the cliff with a solid wall to save them from a disastrous 600-foot fall. Anxious parents must have lectured their young ones to be careful, not only for their own safety, but also to protect the valuable artifacts left for us to enjoy, such as the huge urn, furnishings, and personal belongings signifying life in bygone years.

Recognizing the importance religion played in Spanish life, it is no surprise to see the six oil paintings in the entrance hall, each with a strong religious theme and typical of early European Renaissance. A very rare style of painting is hanging in the antechamber. A different image is painted on each side of the same canvas, showing the face and torso of Christ on one side and the bloody scars of thrashing on his back on the other. Both sides are visible simultaneously with the aid of a strategically positioned mirror.

As you move through the well-designed (even by today’s standards) house, you can’t help noticing the picturesque vista through the grilled windows overlooking the New Village and the reservoir with its deep turquoise color. Capture a memorable shot of the iconic white bell tower, called Penon de la Alcala, from the overhanging garden.

The Orduna family was the last to own this wonderful house until the remaining marquis died in 1949 without heirs and the estate went to distant relatives. Then some 45 years later the town council refurbished it, creating the well-maintained museum it is today.

Having enjoyed the stairway to Spanish medieval heaven, you head back down the steep stone steps and past the cemetery beside the family church to relax in the village square and recharge your batteries in one of the several outdoor cafes that serve Spanish coffee, beer, and soft drinks.  

Travel tips for Guadalest, Spain

Location: 17 miles inland from Benidorm on the Spanish Costa Blanca Mediterranean coast with easy access from Valencia, Alicante, and Murcia
 
By car from Benidorm: Take CV-766 northeast to CV-7671 and follow the signs to CV-70 that will take you all the way to Guadalest. If you are not used to European roundabouts, give way to traffic already in the roundabout on your right.

Car rental: Prices for one week are from approximately100 euros ($123) for a compact to 560 euros ($690) for a full size. Prices vary by season.

Parking: Public parking is available in the New Village.

By bus: At the time of this writing there are tour buses from Alicante and Benidorm; however, there is a recession in Spain affecting many industries and availability should be checked.

Walking in the Old Village: The only way to enter the Old Village is by walking, as cars and buses are not allowed. Wear comfortable shoes for the cobbled pavement. Avoid flip-flops. Bottled water is recommended.

Restaurants:
There are cafes in the Plaza San Gregorio in the Old Village but none are remarkable. The best restaurant in the area is Venta la Montana in Benimantell, 1.6 miles. Telephone 965-885-141.

Accommodation: There are two blocks of apartments for rent in Guadalest and one in Benimantell; all are rated with one or no stars. There are many alternatives on the Costa Blanca coast or in Murcia.

Local popular dish: Paella made with either seafood or pork.
 

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Sew Crazy

By Karen Brooks

April is AQS (American Quilter’s Society) Quilt Show time in Paducah, Kentucky. If this sounds like a boring time to you, boy, are you in for a surprise! This show is not just for grandmas. It attracts men, young people, and an international crowd. Contestants, demonstrators, and enthusiasts come from as far away as New Zealand, Australia, the Netherlands, and Japan, where this American art form has a huge following. And these are not your grandmother’s quilts -- these breathtaking creations are pieces of art worthy of being displayed in museums or art galleries.

Entering the Paducah Expo Center and strolling slowly down the aisles of contest entries one hears “Ooooh!” and “Ahhhh!” and gasps of admiration coming from all sides. Eager to round the corner to see what’s causing all the excitement, yet mesmerized by the incredible beauty of the specimen before you, you could spend the entire day just viewing the works of wonder in the main contest hall. Yet there is so much more to see! Are these just quilts or the canvases of the most incredibly gifted artists? Stunned by the design and workmanship of each entry you wander on to the next aisle and the next, to be struck anew by the colors, the patterns, the imagination. No, this is not JUST a quilt show. This is awe-inspiring!

Leaving the main hall at last with your newfound enthusiasm, you find the many vendor booths and product demonstrations just as fascinating. And if you can tear yourself away from the Expo Center you will find that the quilting frenzy fills the entire city. Quilting shops around town are hosting guest speakers, demonstrations, and classes that run into the night all week long. A bus route has been set up to take visitors to the city anywhere they want to go to ensure they don’t miss a thing. But it would take a week to see it all. This is definitely not a one day event. So if you’re into quilting -- or just in the area -- make a beeline for the 29th Annual Paducah Quilt Show April 24 through 27 in 2013! You’ll never forget it.

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An Adrenalin Junkie’s Tour of Southern Oregon Part I: Dune Buggy Rides, Jetboat Trips, and Whitewater Rafting

By Roy Stevenson
ITWPA Member
Photographs by Linda Popovich

Southern Oregon’s natural beauty has given the region its well-deserved high ranking as a world-class tourist destination. But when prospective adventure visitors thumb through their guidebooks and surf the Internet to plan their southern Oregon trip, many close the books and shut down the computers, their heads swimming at the sheer immensity of their task. Southern Oregon teems with action-packed adventure tours and activities. Where to visit? What to do?

Even in southern Oregon’s diverse, ever-changing terrain it’s hard to believe you can taste wines on a peaceful, shady, vine-clad hillside one day, roar up huge sand dunes in a souped-up dune buggy the next, fly along the Rogue River in a jetboat at warp speed, and crash through class 3 whitewater rapids, all within a couple of hours’ drive.

This, the first of my two-part series on an adrenalin junkie’s tour of southern Oregon, offers up three exciting speed-thrill adventures: a dune buggy ride on North Bend’s towering sand dunes, a thrilling jetboat trip down the Rogue River (which definitely lives up to its name), and rafting through some serious whitewater canyons on the Rogue.

Spinreel Dune Buggy and ATV Rental

My adrenalin tour begins on the Oregon coast near North Bend on a Spinreel Dune Buggy Rentals trip on Oregon’s largest dune riding area. Clinging tightly to our four-man dune buggy, we lurch and wheelspin up, over, and around towering white sand dunes and wend our way along sand trails through islands of coastal vegetation and Douglas firs. We cruise past small lakes tucked away among the dunes. Finally, as we crest an enormous dune, we look down on the churning Pacific Ocean over a magnificent panoramic view along miles of flat, hard, sandy beach.

With Spinreel, you can drive your own buggy or take a 30-minute or 1-hour tour with one of Spinreel’s experienced guides. Our knowledgeable guides gave us a crash course about the native foliage, ecology, ocean, and wildlife as we buzzed along. But for adrenalin seekers, the best part is creeping up to what seems like a vertical drop-off and then driving over the edge. We’re expecting to go cartwheeling and tumbling down the steep dune, but our faithful chariot sticks to the side of the dune, defying gravity. OK, so I definitely experienced a few “pucker factor” moments on some of these downhill slopes and when we went careening up and across what appeared to be vertical dune slopes.

I felt somewhat reassured when my Spinreel guide told me that they place great emphasis on safety. All of their vehicle operators watch a safety video, go over the riding area map, and go through a vehicle orientation to make sure that all drivers are comfortable with the vehicle operation. If you’ve never driven a dune buggy or ATV before, I’d suggest you hire one of their guides, so you can just go along for the ride, hanging on to the roll bars with white-knuckle grips. The other advantage of having a guide do the driving is that they are familiar with the terrain and can point out scenic spots as they flash by.

Helmets are provided with every rental and are required to be worn by everyone operating or riding in any vehicle.

If you choose to go it alone, after the vehicle orientation the Spinreel staff leads you on a 60- to 90-second trip out on the dunes to ensure you are comfortable with operating your vehicle.

www.ridetheoregondunes.com

Hellgate Jetboat Excursion, Grant’s Pass

The Hellgate Jetboat Excursion is billed as the Northwest’s #1 river trip, based out of southern Oregon’s ultimate river town, Grant’s Pass. And I’d say the billing is on the mark. This high-powered jetboat tour gave plenty of thrills and spray as we careened down the wild and scenic Rogue River through breathtaking gorges and past remarkable rock formations and northwest forest-covered shoreline.

It’s more than a wild ride, though, and you don’t get bumped and jolted around like you do on the dune buggies. Guides point out native plants and animals, interesting geological formations, and historic points of interest along the river.

Walking Grant’s Pass’s bustling streets is also a pleasant diversion -- the whole town is set up for tourism, so you’ll find plenty of excellent restaurants and other recreational activities like hiking, kayaking, sailboarding, fishing, and whitewater rafting.

www.hellgate.com

Whitewater Rafting, Morrison’s Rogue River Lodge

People don’t go to this secluded lodge, reached by driving along a tortuous winding road, to see tourist sights. They go for the complete relaxation that only a historic old lodge overlooking the salmon-laden Rogue River can provide. Morrison’s Rogue River Lodge is considered southern Oregon’s premier rafting and fishing resort.  But after recharging your batteries for a day or two, that insatiable craving for an adrenalin rush starts to rear its ugly head.

What to do for your fix? Ride some wild class 3 whitewater through the “entertainment” section of the Rogue. Morrison’s Lodge has its own expert whitewater guides and rafts, and can cover up to 20 miles if you’re a glutton for rough riding punishment. If you want to prolong the agony (and, let’s face it, bliss), you can take a three-day rafting and camping trip.

Back at the lodge, you’ll want to take advantage of the plethora of outdoor activities offered by the lodge’s experienced guides, like Steelhead fishing, horseback riding, hiking, and tennis on the lodge’s courts.

The lodge’s tastefully decorated interior retains its original rustic 1940’s character. It has a great history of famous visitors.

At Morrison’s Lodge Restaurant dinners are all inclusive, with a blend of country style and gourmet cuisine, and are served with northwest and California wines.

www.morrisonslodge.com

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About September 2012

This page contains all entries posted to Travel Post Monthly in September 2012. They are listed from oldest to newest.

August 2012 is the previous archive.

October 2012 is the next archive.

Many more can be found on the main index page or by looking through the archives.

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