#best of 09 best rush of the year

the best rush i had in 2009 was seeing an orangutan

i was in a long boat

not much freeboard

on the Kinabatangan river in Borneo

sitting between my two girls

it was hot

we had been pouring water on our hats

and our necks were sore from looking up all the time...

and then Gofanm, the guide turned the boat,

and i scanned the treetops - another eagle? more proboscis monkeys?

and then i saw the burnt orange moving in the trees

and i grabbed the girls hands

and tears filled my eyes

an orangutan

one of the few left in the wild

eaking out an existence on the sparce trees alongside this once mighty river and rainforest... palm oil trees sometimes only one tree back from the river....

and if he lurked onto the plantation he will likely be shot

but today he is there

in front of us

calmly picking figs off the tree

and looking for all the world like someone i would love to get to know

and all the begging and hassle and saving for this trip are instantly worth it...

that was my rush for 2009!