IT'S NOT WHAT YOU KNOW, IT'S WHO YOU KNOW. Part III: Over the river and through the jungle to Turtle Beach we go!

Talk about saving the best for last.  Our final adventure with Supri was a two-day trip out to Sukamade, the home of a leatherback turtle hatchery.  As Brian will tell you, I miss our dog, Lana, terribly and the baby turtles helped ease the pain a little.  But the trip out there was…a wild one.

Sorry, babe.  Even with your beard Lana is still cuter.

I realized that Sukamade must be pretty remote when Supri told us that we needed to stop by the market first to get provisions.

So much to choose from.

We traveled around the market in style!

After stocking up on bananas, watermelon, water, and bread, Supri, Supri's son Toni, Supri's uncle, and us packed into a 4x4 and were on our way.  For the first two hours, we were passing town after town and I didn't quite understand why we needed a 4x4.  Then the towns became farther and farther apart and the paved road became a dirt road.  We drove through a rubber tree plantation and stopped at a "factory" to witness how sugar is made from coco palms.  The government owns the property and provides housing for the workers - 2 families to a unit.  Although the families are technically government employees, they do not receive the coveted pension that other government employees will get upon retirement.    

Here's a rubber tree.  Workers make cuts in the tree and then attach a cup to collect the drippings.

The boiling process.

The cooling process.

The finished product.

The next stop we made was to point out monkeys in the trees above to Toni.  Unlike in China these monkeys are wild, not semi-wild, and have no interest in leaving the tree tops.  It hit me then that we were going deep into the jungle.  Like George of the Jungle type jungle.  Despite having a 4x4, we took our time on the windy, rocky, narrow, and steep road.  Fortunately we didn't pass any other cars, just motorbikes transporting bamboo or other goods.  If we had encountered another car, one of us would have had to back up to a place wide enough for cars to pass each other.

As the road started to level out a bit, Supri explained that we were getting close to the rivers.  There are two ways to get to Sukamade -- the short cut is to cross 3 rivers, but if the rivers are too high or the currents too fast because of all the rain (it's rainy season in Indonesia right now - go figure!), then you get there by boat.  To say I wasn't anxious would be a lie, but the thrill of adventure was much stronger.  We made it across the first two rivers without a hitch.  The third river was too precarious, however, so we turned around, went back across the second and first river again, and boarded the boat to get to Sukamade.  And by boat, I mean bamboo raft.  

Crossing river #1.

Ensuring that it's safe to cross river #2.

Aaaand river #3 was too deep.

The boat that took us across the river.

Once on the other side, we had about 1.5km trek through the jungle in the rain to the turtle hatchery.  We passed wild pigs (Brian told me to stand behind him if they attacked - what a man!), horn bills, and more gibbons.  Once we arrived, it was all worth it.  About a dozen turtles had just hatched and were flopping around.  It was amazing to see these little creatures and to feel the strength in their flippers.  When we got to release them into the ocean 30 minutes later I was amazed -- they knew just where to go and beelined for their new home in the Indian Ocean.  The stunning sunset definitely added to the magic.

Trekking through the jungle.

We made it!

Can i keep it??

Turtles hanging out in the hatchery.

Off they go!

Brian rescuing Toni.  The riptide was strong.

After a quick dinner of nasi goreng (fried rice), we went back out to the beach where the rangers started looking for a mama leatherback turtle laying her eggs.  It wasn't long before they found one and called us over.  When we got close enough to see her, I couldn't believe how big she was.  I'd estimate that if Brian curled up in a fetal position, she'd trump him.  It was also incredible to see all the work she had done to protect her babies.  Upon coming to shore, she had dug two fake nests to distract predators.  Once she was finished laying her eggs (she laid close to 120), she then started the process of covering up her nest (she pushed the sand back with her front flippers and then used her back flippers to shovel it into the hole) and creating one more fake nest before heaving herself back to the ocean.  Watching her leave, it was painstakingly obvious what an ordeal she had just gone through.  With labored breaths, she would drag herself forward 10-12 strokes and then she'd wait a couple minutes before she'd move again.  When she finally reached the ocean, she just waited for a wave big enough to carry her back out to sea.     

Watching.

 The mama and her eggs.

Counting the eggs.

Making her way back home.

The next morning, after a quick swim on the empty beach, we released another batch of baby turtles.  For every 100 that are released, the park estimates that only 3 make it to adulthood.  This seems like a low number, but the statistic would be even lower if the rangers didn't rescue the eggs from predators (both people and animals) that feed on them.  

So you don't get confused: Brian's tracks are on the right, the turtle tracks are on the left.

This one was clearly anxious to get into the water.

Driving back to Banyuwangi, I was still in awe of what we just participated in.  I didn't grow up on a farm, so the closest thing to a live animal birth I've seen is probably when Jim Carey climbed out of that mechanical rhino in Ace Ventura Pet Detective.  No matter how much I try, there aren't words that can capture the surge of emotions I felt watching the mama leatherback and releasing the babies.  

It's crazy to think that we almost missed out on one of the most incredible experiences of our trip because a book said there was nothing much in a town.  It just goes to show you that it's not what you know, it's who you know.  

Brian and Supri, the man who showed us all that Banyuwangi has to offer.