Verglas Blog: Getting Close

...to NATURE...

Sunday was a No Dive day for us as we were flying off the following morning. Trips like this make you a lazy bum. You dont plan ahead. We could always fall back on the sun, sea and sand to slowly while those hours away.

There is also the default choice of sleeping in, watching the numerous funny hongkong shows on the satellite TV in our room, binge on chips and colas. Yes. We are such lazyasses! :D BUT we are on holiday!!!

We woke up early though, and got to send the other couple off on their 2-hour drive out to a muck dive spot. Since we were up so bright and early, and had a looong day ahead, I decided to google a bit on "What to do in Manado". Lonely Planet did have some good suggestions :)

1) TAMAHON - a market that sells produce which may make you squirm. Bat meat and dog meat. I knew what I was going to see but I insisted on going anyway. Regardless the love I have for dogs and the righteousness I feel against dog-feeding, this was after all just another kind of meat in another country. What I didnt expect to see was a cageful of livestock piled on top of one another at the entrance of the market. AND they were yelping helplessly and staring at you with those emotional eyes. I couldnt bring myself to see more, much less take any photo.

2) TANGKOKO - A nature reserve about 60km from Manado, about a 2-hour car ride from our resort. It is said to be the habitat to one of the unique monkey species - the Tarsius Monkey. We were offered an alternative suggestion to a zoo-like place which is much nearer and has guaranteed sighting. But we chose to do things the harder way.

Foreigners have to pay about S$12 each to enter the nature reserve. It's perhaps a token payment for the maintenance of the only toilets erected at the entrance, the wear and tear of the orange ribbons which serve as path guides within the reserve. I assume the staffs (rangers and guards at entrance) are paid by the government since they must have been employed by the government. Other than that, there is nothing much to maintain in a nature reserve. The walking paths are left au naturale, broken trunks are left to rot by themselves, there are no shelters inside for tired feet or peltering rain, no toilet or water stops, no fanciful bridge across the canopy...So I have no idea why we were made to pay such a big token sum. After all, well maintained nature reserves are FREE FOR ALL in SINGAPORE!!

I italicised foreigners because we saw a bunch of locals making merry by the beach inside, but the registration record (also the payment record book) only showed that there was only 1 more german couple before us that day.

But I really wanted to experience a nature's walk to hunt for the tarsius la.

So off we went! Remember we are on holiday! So no GRUMBLING!

The resident tarsius(s) live in this tree.

Oh ya! S$12 also paid for a bottle of 3 live grasshoppers as baits!

And we saw one of the cutestest monkey!!

There was another species of the black monkey living inside there...

What was most special, was it BUM!! :D

Naked bum!

We sure went back sticky but happy and got ready for dinner night out!

Nasi Kuning - this is a specialty of Manado. We are lucky to have a Manadese friend who brought us to the real deal! Alternatively, the airport will also have (but doesnt taste as nice!)

The last thing we must eat at the airport.

And we confirm it doesnt taste as good. But beggars cannot choose! And if you havent tried those real yummy ones, this would perhaps fare better!

Back in Singapore, we also did a nature's trail last Sunday...man made bridge over canopy, clear road signs, water and toilet stop, and alot of easy sightings of monkeys!

And best of all....

FREE OF CHARGE!!!!

To both locals and foreigners!!!

***Presenting our HSBC Treetop Walk***