10 Just around the river bend...

Yesterday was one for the books—it was stunning! We joined our friend Conni and her two daughters, Kida and Ella, for a trip on the river. 

The beauty of the trip began before the official excursion as we rode our scooter past rice fields and small local villages.

From Biha, we took a half-hour boat ride up the river. Then, we walked through the jungle, careful not to slip on the muddy pathways, and passed a beautiful waterfall to a spot where we could sit down and have a mini picnic while our tour guide pumped up our tubes.

When the tubes were ready, we jumped onboard and enjoyed a relaxing ride down the river, surrendering to the river's current to take us back to our boat. As we drifted along, I felt like bursting into song, singing "Just Around the River Bend" from Pocahontas.

We spotted a monitor lizard, some inquisitive monkeys, a beautiful Kingfisher with its bright blue wings flying through the trees, and then (my least favorite species) a Wagler pit viper. It goes without saying that the snake was far away from us, basking in the sun. Otherwise, you would have read my obituary instead of this blog: Rachelle died of a heart attack... gone too soon.

It's only in Sumatra that I believe the color green achieves its full splendor and appreciation. From the varying shades of green in the jungle to the local houses, Indonesian people adore painting their homes green.

It feels surreal that we will be departing in a couple of days. It was an incredible experience to appreciate once again the beauty of Sumatra, including its nature and the local people.