To
the Tangkoko National Park
(updated on 25-1-2007)
At the first time, in 2001, Peter, a Swiss Traveller and
I accepted the offer of a guide (journey with a hired car including
driver). A two-day tour through the Minahasa
Highland followed on our
jungle walk. It was pleasant: We were picked up from the harbour of Manado
and could get out there again at the end of the tour. Our guide
had the car stopped on the road in many places and pointed
out things to us away from the street which we would have overlooked
otherwise. We
also appreciated the much various background information. It was a
natural fact that we also had to bear the relatively low expenses
for meal and drinks of the two sirs, besides the fixed price agreed on.
As a rule, the accommodation of them was for free. Altogether, we were
very content and the price-performance ratio was o.k. -compared particularly
with European conditions.
I had sufficient information now to lead my family to
the same places a year later myself. To reach the Tangkoko national park,
we went at first with the public bus to Bitung. We changed into a private
pickup there and drove with it the rest of the way to Batuputih. I
already knew accommodations in the village, too. Since with "Mama
Roos" (well-known from the "Lonely planet") all cottages
were already full we moved in with "Tangkoko Ranger Homestay" just
besides that. The owner of the house (quite below last picture) is also
one of the Rangers. These are official guides without whom one is not allowed
to enter the
National Park. He informed us that he would pick us up for the "Tharsius
tour" even before the beginning of the twilight.
You see a couple of snapshots here from the years 2001/2002. They
were completed or replaced by photos of the following years. You
find background information about the flora and fauna under North
Sulawesi - Flora & Fauna and a lot of advice on The
Tangkoko Nature Reserve (very recommendable!).
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The loading space of
the pickups is
provided with wooden benches. The journey can seem to you interminably, sandwiched
between further passengers, rice bags, fish, poultry and vegetables.
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The Cottages are not only accommodation but
also meeting place of experienced Sulawesi travellers and thus a source
of all necessary information. |
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| After half an hour
walk on path through the jungle we sat down on the ground in
front of an old and hollow tree and waited for the nightfall. We had become
a group of 8 visitors in the meantime. Everyone waited curiously for
the moment when the Tarsiers would wake up. These little
animals are regarded as the smallest prosimians of the world. Meanwhile
the guardians of the Nature Reserve lit a cigarette.... |
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The patient waiting was finally
rewarded. It got alive on our tree. A dark little head peeked from the
tree hole and moved a moment later swiftly to the outside. Soon one
member of the family after the other appeared and jumped like a squirrel from
branch to branch for hunting on the neighbouring bushes. While the
Rangers were pointing helpfully their strong torches at the animals,
as big as a rat, I took the chance of some snapshots. It was astonishing
that the night active creatures with their big and ghostly eyes hardly
noticed us intruders.
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| The next morning our ranger
had arranged to meet us already at 4:30am. We hoped to catch sight of
one of the Hornbills with its great yellow beaks and colorful fethering.
Regarding this I wasn't lucky in the year before. In the picture above I
am just popping up a rainforest tree (German: "Brettwurzelbaum")
Who knows its name in English?
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I suddenly heard the loud
sound of something flying. The Ranger said that it comes from a
Hornbill and I actually could watch little later, how a couple of them sat
down in the crown of this Fikus . We had plenty of time for
the observation. But with my digital camera I was not well prepared for
a photo at this distance, though. Instead I could take these
masterpieces of nature photographically (above). Once here stood
a tree, which was wrapped by the strangling
fig in the course
of time until it finally perished and only left a cavity. How
that happens, you can find out here. |
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| The Rangers led our group further
to an area in which a family of the "Black Makakas" climbs
every morning off the trees in search of food. On our way we let be
ourselves impressed by many peculiar vegetable shapes, which the nature
has here created. |
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How much would you have to pay for such
a specimen of a fan palm in a market garden? In the distance
we already heard the screaming of the monkeys and soon we could watch
how the black bodies skilfully approached the floor from branch to branch.
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After all the first animal appeared
in the thicket and watched us just as curiously as we did. One noticed
very soon that these Black Macaques are used to visitors, because
the family was not flappable at all at its dayly routine. So we could
approach them except for few steps .. |
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After they had borne us company
and given us opportunity to watch their lively hustle and bustle during
their morning toilet for approx. 1 hour, they suddenly left us again
and went on their foray into the surrounding area - as if by unhearable
command.
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Back in the Homestay
we were during the breakfast informed how one fights spots and blackheads
in this country in a traditional way.
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We spent the rest of the day
on the beach of Batuputih (= white stone). The black sand was so hot that
one could not go on this without shoes any more than a couple of metres.
To sunbathe, Philip had to lie on palm leaves. |
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What we must see on the return journey through
the national park the next day almost broke our hearts. "Smoking
and Open Fire Forbidden" on the signposts everywhere. But who observes
it? A vegetable field or a coconut plantation will presumably be seen
here next year.
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2005: The longed-for moment has come. The
little creatures slip out from the inside of their tree. |
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I have forgotten the names of
the Rangers but you better decide for the one on the right in
the photo, if you have the choice. He is friendly and not yet tired
of his job. |
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Please!
If you want to pass a small comment
on this web site or if you like to write about own experiences,
then take a little time for my Guest
Book. You may help other travellers by this.
I willingly answer your questions...
(info@bunaken-klaus.com) but please, read carefully my
pages first. And consider that I am not an expert for everything,
also not for medical questions or for cheap plane tickets. |
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