Here is a link to the official Wildlands Studies page. Please take a moment to check it out and see all of the amazing programs they have to offer.
On this page I discuss how I chose which Wildlands trip to join, some of my packing recommendations, and what aspects of the experience I found most impactful.
On this page I discuss how I chose which Wildlands trip to join, some of my packing recommendations, and what aspects of the experience I found most impactful.
The Knees Have it...
Sunset from the top of Adang Island.
I was fortunate enough to join the Thailand Winter 2020 program with Wildlands. This program was one out of three that would have worked into my schedule, and it took me a while to decide what program I wanted to apply to.
After I set a plan for financing the trip, I had to consider what type of trip I wanted and what experiences I wanted to gain. Wildlands Studies has a diverse range of programs. Some take students into the Himalayas, others into South Africa and the tropics. All of these environments would have been novel to me, and would have stretched me well beyond my comfort zone. Additionally, most of these programs are as physically rigorous as they are academically rigorous. They take students deep into the ecosystems that they are studying, and that often means intense backpacking over mountains or through jungles. Choosing which trip to apply to requires consideration of both academic and physical factors.
As someone who loves hiking, I am no stranger to tough terrain. Like most Pacific North-westerners, I love charging up a mountain, rain or shine. However, I have the knees of an 85 year old. In considering which program was right for me, I had to be very honest about my physical capabilities. I can handle a few days in a row abusing my joints up a mountain, but a six-week program would be too much. My ability to enjoy myself and immerse myself in the experience would be hindered by my joint issues if I signed on to a program that I was not physically ready for.
And this is something I think students should take a moment to consider. How well suited are you to the trip/program you are considering? I hear a lot about students getting overwhelmed while abroad, be it to culture shock or homesickness, or just due to the inconsistencies between their expectations of the trip and reality. Some of this might be avoided if students spent more time considering what aspects of a program would be too much for them.
I would advise students to look deeply into the programs they are considering and think about what factors might push them too far outside of their comfort zone. Do you want to go on a program where English is still a primary language? How much physical activity are you comfortable with? Are you okay with varying levels of accommodations, sometimes camping, sometimes staying in areas far different from Western standards? How comfortable are you being isolated from other people or from means of contact, no signal or wifi?
These factors may seem trivial to some, but I think they can have a large impact on the level of enjoyment and participation you get from your study abroad experience. The trip becomes less valuable to you if your focus is diverted to how uncomfortable you are.
Personally, I recognized that a six-week backpacking trip was beyond me physically. Thankfully, the Wildlands Thailand program focused much more on swimming/snorkeling as apposed to backpacking. And I would be exposed to some of the highest marine diversity hotspots in the world which would be an enormous gain to my understanding of the world's ecosystems. This combination of intensity level and study focus was the determining factors in my choice of Wildlands program.
Having decided on joining the Thailand program, I had to research what I was getting myself into.
After I set a plan for financing the trip, I had to consider what type of trip I wanted and what experiences I wanted to gain. Wildlands Studies has a diverse range of programs. Some take students into the Himalayas, others into South Africa and the tropics. All of these environments would have been novel to me, and would have stretched me well beyond my comfort zone. Additionally, most of these programs are as physically rigorous as they are academically rigorous. They take students deep into the ecosystems that they are studying, and that often means intense backpacking over mountains or through jungles. Choosing which trip to apply to requires consideration of both academic and physical factors.
As someone who loves hiking, I am no stranger to tough terrain. Like most Pacific North-westerners, I love charging up a mountain, rain or shine. However, I have the knees of an 85 year old. In considering which program was right for me, I had to be very honest about my physical capabilities. I can handle a few days in a row abusing my joints up a mountain, but a six-week program would be too much. My ability to enjoy myself and immerse myself in the experience would be hindered by my joint issues if I signed on to a program that I was not physically ready for.
And this is something I think students should take a moment to consider. How well suited are you to the trip/program you are considering? I hear a lot about students getting overwhelmed while abroad, be it to culture shock or homesickness, or just due to the inconsistencies between their expectations of the trip and reality. Some of this might be avoided if students spent more time considering what aspects of a program would be too much for them.
I would advise students to look deeply into the programs they are considering and think about what factors might push them too far outside of their comfort zone. Do you want to go on a program where English is still a primary language? How much physical activity are you comfortable with? Are you okay with varying levels of accommodations, sometimes camping, sometimes staying in areas far different from Western standards? How comfortable are you being isolated from other people or from means of contact, no signal or wifi?
These factors may seem trivial to some, but I think they can have a large impact on the level of enjoyment and participation you get from your study abroad experience. The trip becomes less valuable to you if your focus is diverted to how uncomfortable you are.
Personally, I recognized that a six-week backpacking trip was beyond me physically. Thankfully, the Wildlands Thailand program focused much more on swimming/snorkeling as apposed to backpacking. And I would be exposed to some of the highest marine diversity hotspots in the world which would be an enormous gain to my understanding of the world's ecosystems. This combination of intensity level and study focus was the determining factors in my choice of Wildlands program.
Having decided on joining the Thailand program, I had to research what I was getting myself into.
Sunscreen and Bug Spray
There is a perfectly camouflaged butterfly in this photo, one of the nicer bugs I met.
Prior to the trip, most of my knowledge on the tropics could be summed as follows: its hot.
Being from Washington, I am used to mild summers and a gentle sun. I knew I was going to be wholly unaccustomed to the type of heat and humidity that Thailand was going to throw at me.
My solution was to buy seven bottles of sunscreen. My pale self was not about to take chances with the equatorial sun.
There are some things that travelers should know about skin products in Thailand and Indonesia: many contain skin whitening products, some safer for the body than others. Thankfully, a co-worker told me this before my trip and I was able to stock up on products before leaving. Some students opted to wait to buy things like sunscreen or bug spray until they were in-country to avoid carrying them through the airport which does save on space while packing. However, options can be limited, especially if you are in a more remote location and likely will contain these skin-whitening agents. Also, if you have any kind of skin sensitivity or allergies to product ingredients, your options might be further limited. For me, it was easier to buy skin products in the states to avoid the hassle of finding what I needed in various 7-Eleven's (7-Elevens in other countries are much nicer than in the states, have the absolute BEST air conditioning, and are as plentiful as Starbucks are in Seattle).
Another thing-if you are planning to go snorkeling around coral reefs, please consider reef-safe sunscreen. Ingredients in typical sunscreens like oxybenzone and octinoxate have been shown to damage the growth of coral and may actually increase the risk of coral bleaching. Here is a site with more in-depth information on the impact of sunscreen on coral reefs and reef-safe alternatives. An important take away from this discussion is that sunscreen in large quantities, whether labeled reef-safe or not, is bad for reefs. Instead, sun protective clothing greatly reduces the amount of sunscreen needed and it is more effective while swimming since you don't have to reapply. Also, its so helpful to have when swimming through sea-wasps. These little creatures are as horrible as they sound. You cannot see them, but they are little stinging organisms that find spend their time floating in the sea, waiting to sting poor, unawares snorkelers. If you are not wearing a rash guard and swim into a swarm of them, it is a miserable experience. One of my group members had a full-length rash guard and leggings she wore every time we went snorkeling. I didn't realize they made swim leggings, so I thought it was a little silly at first. That was until I scorched the back of my legs from hip to heel. Friends, let me tell you, no amount of aloe will make sitting in sand with a burn comfortable. Given the chance to pack for the trip again, I would have gladly bought the leggings and rash guard. In fact, I would have bought two rash guards considering a monkey stole my only one halfway through the trip.
I had never used buy spray until this trip. I don't know if I just smell extremely unappealing to mosquitoes, or if they are tame in Washington, but I usually make it through the mosquito season unfazed. However, the mosquitoes in the tropics are of a different breed. These pests are determined and resourceful. Your low-concentration DEET will mean nothing to them. In fact, I think they like a challenge. I was under prepared for the bugs on this trip, and I would recommend mid to high strength bug spray to preserve your sanity. However, there is nothing you can do about the flies. One night, as my mental state deteriorated with every fly that landed on me, I watched as they crawled over the citronella insect repellent bottle, obviously undeterred. If you have a mosquito net, bring it for your mental health.
Being from Washington, I am used to mild summers and a gentle sun. I knew I was going to be wholly unaccustomed to the type of heat and humidity that Thailand was going to throw at me.
My solution was to buy seven bottles of sunscreen. My pale self was not about to take chances with the equatorial sun.
There are some things that travelers should know about skin products in Thailand and Indonesia: many contain skin whitening products, some safer for the body than others. Thankfully, a co-worker told me this before my trip and I was able to stock up on products before leaving. Some students opted to wait to buy things like sunscreen or bug spray until they were in-country to avoid carrying them through the airport which does save on space while packing. However, options can be limited, especially if you are in a more remote location and likely will contain these skin-whitening agents. Also, if you have any kind of skin sensitivity or allergies to product ingredients, your options might be further limited. For me, it was easier to buy skin products in the states to avoid the hassle of finding what I needed in various 7-Eleven's (7-Elevens in other countries are much nicer than in the states, have the absolute BEST air conditioning, and are as plentiful as Starbucks are in Seattle).
Another thing-if you are planning to go snorkeling around coral reefs, please consider reef-safe sunscreen. Ingredients in typical sunscreens like oxybenzone and octinoxate have been shown to damage the growth of coral and may actually increase the risk of coral bleaching. Here is a site with more in-depth information on the impact of sunscreen on coral reefs and reef-safe alternatives. An important take away from this discussion is that sunscreen in large quantities, whether labeled reef-safe or not, is bad for reefs. Instead, sun protective clothing greatly reduces the amount of sunscreen needed and it is more effective while swimming since you don't have to reapply. Also, its so helpful to have when swimming through sea-wasps. These little creatures are as horrible as they sound. You cannot see them, but they are little stinging organisms that find spend their time floating in the sea, waiting to sting poor, unawares snorkelers. If you are not wearing a rash guard and swim into a swarm of them, it is a miserable experience. One of my group members had a full-length rash guard and leggings she wore every time we went snorkeling. I didn't realize they made swim leggings, so I thought it was a little silly at first. That was until I scorched the back of my legs from hip to heel. Friends, let me tell you, no amount of aloe will make sitting in sand with a burn comfortable. Given the chance to pack for the trip again, I would have gladly bought the leggings and rash guard. In fact, I would have bought two rash guards considering a monkey stole my only one halfway through the trip.
I had never used buy spray until this trip. I don't know if I just smell extremely unappealing to mosquitoes, or if they are tame in Washington, but I usually make it through the mosquito season unfazed. However, the mosquitoes in the tropics are of a different breed. These pests are determined and resourceful. Your low-concentration DEET will mean nothing to them. In fact, I think they like a challenge. I was under prepared for the bugs on this trip, and I would recommend mid to high strength bug spray to preserve your sanity. However, there is nothing you can do about the flies. One night, as my mental state deteriorated with every fly that landed on me, I watched as they crawled over the citronella insect repellent bottle, obviously undeterred. If you have a mosquito net, bring it for your mental health.
Do You Even Lift?
On our way to a plantation in a motor/carriage hybrid. One of the best way to travel in Indonesia!
Armed with enough sunscreen to coat every individual on the program, I turned my attention to packing for the rest of the trip.
Having never been to the tropics, I had no idea what I would need. Thankfully, Wildlands if a very thorough program. About a month and a half before the trip all of the students were sent a packet of information including the trip logistics, the academic syllabus, and a packing list.
The packing list included items deemed necessary by the program leader as well as student recommendations on items that might be helpful but are not required. I would recommend living by this list and avoid bringing anything extra. I understand the urge to over-pack. You want to throw extra cloths in the backpack or bring all of your hiking gear and tech. Do not do this to yourself. As soon as you spend an hour at the airport lugging your belongings around through lines, you start to imagine tossing these things into the nearest trash bin.
I ended up over packing on toiletries which are fairly easy to pick up in country (besides sunscreen) and I chose to use a duffel over a backpack. This was a mistake. I underestimated the amount of time I would spend transporting my belongings and how committed I was going to be at keeping my bag organized. My duffel had less space that a backpack, especially once I riffled through it a few times. It was also much less convenient to carry for long periods of time. Backpacks distribute weight over your back and hips. My duffel, however, dropped all 30 lbs onto one of my shoulders. Between carrying the bag through airports, up bungalow and ferry steps, and to waiting trucks, my right bicep is clearly more defined than my left. Folks, use a backpack!
Having never been to the tropics, I had no idea what I would need. Thankfully, Wildlands if a very thorough program. About a month and a half before the trip all of the students were sent a packet of information including the trip logistics, the academic syllabus, and a packing list.
The packing list included items deemed necessary by the program leader as well as student recommendations on items that might be helpful but are not required. I would recommend living by this list and avoid bringing anything extra. I understand the urge to over-pack. You want to throw extra cloths in the backpack or bring all of your hiking gear and tech. Do not do this to yourself. As soon as you spend an hour at the airport lugging your belongings around through lines, you start to imagine tossing these things into the nearest trash bin.
I ended up over packing on toiletries which are fairly easy to pick up in country (besides sunscreen) and I chose to use a duffel over a backpack. This was a mistake. I underestimated the amount of time I would spend transporting my belongings and how committed I was going to be at keeping my bag organized. My duffel had less space that a backpack, especially once I riffled through it a few times. It was also much less convenient to carry for long periods of time. Backpacks distribute weight over your back and hips. My duffel, however, dropped all 30 lbs onto one of my shoulders. Between carrying the bag through airports, up bungalow and ferry steps, and to waiting trucks, my right bicep is clearly more defined than my left. Folks, use a backpack!
Prepare For Takeoff.
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Packing aside, I was very nervous the week before leaving for the trip. Having never been out of the country or even on an airplane, I was about to jump into a whole world of unknown experiences. I was worried that the trip would not meet my expectations or that it wasn't going to be worth all of the effort I had put in to go. This of course was just anxiety, not my true feelings towards the upcoming experience, but it got a bit overwhelming thinking about all of the firsts I was about to tackle.
For future students who might find their excitement overshadowed by anxiety, I would recommend focusing on the aspects which led you to apply for your abroad program in the first place. What got you excited to go? What are you looking forward to the most? What are you hoping to learn? I had to keep reminding myself of my expectations for the trip-the cultural exposure, the opportunity to learn in a wildly diverse ecosystem, the food! I had a very supportive network of people who also helped to remind me of why I got involved in study abroad. They provided the encouragement I needed to keep on top of packing and prepping. One thing I kept reminding myself whenever I started to doubt the trip was how disappointed in myself I would be if I backed out. If I let my nervousness stop me from going, I knew I would be kicking myself after graduation for years. Saving myself from future regret may not sound like the most positive means of motivation, but you have to use what works for you. Packing finished and mindset focused, I was ready to start my adventure. |
First Impressions
Arriving in Bangkok was surreal. As soon as you step out of the airport the humidity envelops you. Next came the sounds of a busy city. I am used to the bustle of Seattle, but it was nothing compared to Bangkok. Buildings were stacked on buildings. Food carts and street markets popped up randomly. Pink and neon green taxis were everywhere, but were not a numerous as motorcycles. How many people could fit on a single scooter you may be wondering? I counted five. Billboards with the Thai Emperor's image stuck out above the rooftops and over the highways like shrines. On the taxi ride to my hostel, a flash of gold caught my eye. It was a massive lying Buddha the size of a two story building.
My first night was spent in the hostel where the rest of the group would meet the next day. I wish I could say I spent that night wandering the city street and drinking in the sights, but I slept for 14 hours instead. My first flying experience had been about 20 straight hours of travel and I was exhausted. Once the taxi dropped me off in front of the hostel, the only thing I did was check in and crawl into bed. I was woken up at 6 am by a bird with a call I can only describe as like a scream from around a mouthful of marshmallows.
That morning, as I waited for my group members to arrive, I watched as the street outside came alive. People rolled their food carts into their spots and began cooking breakfast. I was surprised at the number of people stopping at these carts for breakfast, but I later learned that it is often cheaper and more convenient to buy meals than it is to make them at home. Students in uniforms were walking and riding past on their way to school. I didn't expect to see young children driving, but that was one of the first cultural differences I noticed. Kids that looked as young as twelve were driving to school on scooters and motorcycles. I would have loved to have been able to do that in elementary school! I passed the time waiting for the group to arrive like this for a few hours, just absorbing the sights and sounds of a typical morning in another culture.
When the rest of the group arrived, we spent the next few hours introducing ourselves and settling into the hostel. Our first meeting as a group was spent going over the expectations for the program and the itinerary for the next few weeks, and I think it was only then that the reality of my situation hit me. The next six weeks were going to expose me to the ecology and culture of two tropical countries, and I was sitting amongst people who would share in this experience with me twenty four hours of the day. It was an exciting and daunting thought.
It would take me too long to detail all of the adventures and experiences I had on this trip. To give a glimpse into what a day with Wildlands is like, I will instead describe one of my favorite days and hope that it is enough to interest you in the program.
My first night was spent in the hostel where the rest of the group would meet the next day. I wish I could say I spent that night wandering the city street and drinking in the sights, but I slept for 14 hours instead. My first flying experience had been about 20 straight hours of travel and I was exhausted. Once the taxi dropped me off in front of the hostel, the only thing I did was check in and crawl into bed. I was woken up at 6 am by a bird with a call I can only describe as like a scream from around a mouthful of marshmallows.
That morning, as I waited for my group members to arrive, I watched as the street outside came alive. People rolled their food carts into their spots and began cooking breakfast. I was surprised at the number of people stopping at these carts for breakfast, but I later learned that it is often cheaper and more convenient to buy meals than it is to make them at home. Students in uniforms were walking and riding past on their way to school. I didn't expect to see young children driving, but that was one of the first cultural differences I noticed. Kids that looked as young as twelve were driving to school on scooters and motorcycles. I would have loved to have been able to do that in elementary school! I passed the time waiting for the group to arrive like this for a few hours, just absorbing the sights and sounds of a typical morning in another culture.
When the rest of the group arrived, we spent the next few hours introducing ourselves and settling into the hostel. Our first meeting as a group was spent going over the expectations for the program and the itinerary for the next few weeks, and I think it was only then that the reality of my situation hit me. The next six weeks were going to expose me to the ecology and culture of two tropical countries, and I was sitting amongst people who would share in this experience with me twenty four hours of the day. It was an exciting and daunting thought.
It would take me too long to detail all of the adventures and experiences I had on this trip. To give a glimpse into what a day with Wildlands is like, I will instead describe one of my favorite days and hope that it is enough to interest you in the program.
Dancing with Macaques: a survival guide.
Sunrise on Adang
Our Tokay bunk mate.
Adang Island was the second island we stayed at during our trip. It is located in Thailand in the South Andaman Sea near some popular tourist attractions such as Koh Lipe. Adang is less of a tourist attraction as it is a national park. Aside from one resort it is maintained and preserved as a natural site where visitors can enjoy the beaches and sights without hotels or spas getting in the way.
One important fact about Adang island is that it is home to Tokay geckos. Tokays, for those not up to date on their gecko knowledge, are the second largest gecko species. They are usually powder blue color with little red spots extending down the body. They can get up to fifteen inches long, or about the length and width of your forearm not including the tail. These guys have some of the strongest stick power science has discovered and can remain stuck to almost any surface, even in a vacuum (we had a whole lecture on the wonders of their sticking powers). Most importantly, Tokays have little teeth, and when they bite something they have a tendency to remain locked onto that object. Oh, and they have a characteristic call which you really need to look up on Youtube. It doesn't translate to written format.
What is the importance of the Tokays, you may be wondering? Well, we had a pair of these large geckos who lived in the bungalows we were staying in on Adang.
In the mornings, we would be awoken by the piercing cry of the Tokays in our room, usually around 6 am. One particular morning the call came from directly next to my head. Our friendly little Tokay had decided to come down next to my pillow to sing me awake, giving me a heart attack in the process.
After the usual wake up call on the fifth day on the island, we headed down to breakfast where we herded around the acidic instant coffee and went over the plan for the day. This particular day we were going to stay on the island and had free time until class. Usually we would take the boats out and snorkel from 9 to 3, but we had the opportunity to explore Adang or catch up on class readings. The island had a short hike to a waterfall so a group of us decided to spend part of the day exploring it.
The trek to the waterfall was uneventful albeit beautiful. It was a short hike through the tropical forest and we were rewarded with cool water once we reached the falls. It had been a drier year than usual, so the waterfall itself was not very large, but there were pools deep enough to wade in and cool down. Our group didn't stay very long as we had to get back in time for class, and we split up with a few going on in front.
As my group got near to the end of the trail, one of the girls from the group ahead came running back. Apparently, there was a group of macaques ahead that would not let her pass through and we would have to find another way off the trail. My group thought if the four of us walked together slowly down the trail, surely the monkeys would leave and we could pass through.
Wrong.
The only wildlife guide I had ever read was for a cougar encounter. The instructions were to make your group appear as large as possible by raising your arms and generally making a lot of noise. The purpose was to make you and your group as threatening as possible.
We applied this approach to the large male Macaque sitting in the middle of the trail. In the trees above the male there were smaller, adolescent macaques. The scene reminded me of the part in Tarzan when Jane snatches the drawing back from the baby monkey and all of the other monkeys come out of nowhere to defend the baby.
Our group started advancing down the trail slowly, clapping to try and shoo the male away. This had zero impact. He regarded the four of us with obvious disdain. As soon as we got withing seven feet, he started to advance toward us. At that point, two of our group members (with higher senses of self preservation) ran back down the trail to take their chances climbing down the gully to the beach. My friend and I, already running late and tired from trekking in the heat, wanted to give it one last go in the hopes that the macaque would just move to a tree and we could pass. We advanced slowly again, clapping as we went. We didn't want to harm the animal in any way or scare it, merely get it to leave the trail so we could pass.
This hope was dashed when the macaque charged us, teeth bared. My friend and I, deciding a scale down a gully was preferable to a tango with an angry monkey, beat a hasty retreat. A sandal was lost in the process, and when we looked back, the macaque was happily munching away on it.
When we finally made it back to our bungalows where we were to have class, Nans, a professor for an upcoming Wildlands trip joining our program for a bit, informed us of the correct protocol for navigating monkeys.
It is the exact opposite of what we did.
You make yourself smaller, avoid eye contact as it is seen as a challenge, and pass by quietly. I am happy to report that my second attempt at passing a macaque on a trail went without incident. In hindsight, I could have researched how to handle monkey interactions before the trip. Or it might have been something my professor mentioned before students wandered off into the forest. Either way, the learning curve was steep.
Safely back at the bungalows, we settled down for class on the porch in a circle. The snacks were passed around before we started like usual. Somewhere in the twenty years of running the program, my instructor had learned that he could hold student's attention longer if we were fed. First we had a student presentation. Each of us at the beginning of the program had selected a date to deliver our talk on our research subject, and listening to what each student selected was one of the best parts of the program. Topics ranged from ranging from ecotourism in the tropics to relationships among the reef. Then came my professor's lecture.
By the time we finished with class, dinner was almost ready. Dinner was both my favorite and least favorite time of the day. I loved the general chaos of the event, 21 people all talking over each other and laughing about the day's events. I didn't, however, love how often I would take a bite of food only to realize I had eaten one of the dried chilies used to season the dish. Several times I was sure I had burned the first layer of skin clean off my mouth with the intensity of the spice.
We were fortunate enough to have Erisy on our program. She was one of the program logistics coordinators and, in addition to working with Wildlands, is a fantastic musician. She brought her guitar along the whole program, and often in the evenings would play for us. There is no better way to end a day than to sit on the beach listening to the waves and gentle strumming of a guitar.
Being awoken by massive geckos and learning how to properly avoid monkeys is not your typical class experience. But on this trip, our days were filled with experiences like this. Some days we spent hours in the water seeking out fish species we had yet to see, hoping to get a rare glimpse of a reef shark. Others were spent interacting with members of indigenous communities to learn about their culture and how it was threatened. The only consistency in our daily routine was that we had the opportunity to interact with the subjects` we were learning about. It was an incredible experience and full of memories like those above. I have already written more than I intended to, so I will end my description of a day in Wildlands here. If you want to know more about what it was like, I would look at the photos from the trip. They will probably give you a better idea of what the trip was like than I can express in words.
One important fact about Adang island is that it is home to Tokay geckos. Tokays, for those not up to date on their gecko knowledge, are the second largest gecko species. They are usually powder blue color with little red spots extending down the body. They can get up to fifteen inches long, or about the length and width of your forearm not including the tail. These guys have some of the strongest stick power science has discovered and can remain stuck to almost any surface, even in a vacuum (we had a whole lecture on the wonders of their sticking powers). Most importantly, Tokays have little teeth, and when they bite something they have a tendency to remain locked onto that object. Oh, and they have a characteristic call which you really need to look up on Youtube. It doesn't translate to written format.
What is the importance of the Tokays, you may be wondering? Well, we had a pair of these large geckos who lived in the bungalows we were staying in on Adang.
In the mornings, we would be awoken by the piercing cry of the Tokays in our room, usually around 6 am. One particular morning the call came from directly next to my head. Our friendly little Tokay had decided to come down next to my pillow to sing me awake, giving me a heart attack in the process.
After the usual wake up call on the fifth day on the island, we headed down to breakfast where we herded around the acidic instant coffee and went over the plan for the day. This particular day we were going to stay on the island and had free time until class. Usually we would take the boats out and snorkel from 9 to 3, but we had the opportunity to explore Adang or catch up on class readings. The island had a short hike to a waterfall so a group of us decided to spend part of the day exploring it.
The trek to the waterfall was uneventful albeit beautiful. It was a short hike through the tropical forest and we were rewarded with cool water once we reached the falls. It had been a drier year than usual, so the waterfall itself was not very large, but there were pools deep enough to wade in and cool down. Our group didn't stay very long as we had to get back in time for class, and we split up with a few going on in front.
As my group got near to the end of the trail, one of the girls from the group ahead came running back. Apparently, there was a group of macaques ahead that would not let her pass through and we would have to find another way off the trail. My group thought if the four of us walked together slowly down the trail, surely the monkeys would leave and we could pass through.
Wrong.
The only wildlife guide I had ever read was for a cougar encounter. The instructions were to make your group appear as large as possible by raising your arms and generally making a lot of noise. The purpose was to make you and your group as threatening as possible.
We applied this approach to the large male Macaque sitting in the middle of the trail. In the trees above the male there were smaller, adolescent macaques. The scene reminded me of the part in Tarzan when Jane snatches the drawing back from the baby monkey and all of the other monkeys come out of nowhere to defend the baby.
Our group started advancing down the trail slowly, clapping to try and shoo the male away. This had zero impact. He regarded the four of us with obvious disdain. As soon as we got withing seven feet, he started to advance toward us. At that point, two of our group members (with higher senses of self preservation) ran back down the trail to take their chances climbing down the gully to the beach. My friend and I, already running late and tired from trekking in the heat, wanted to give it one last go in the hopes that the macaque would just move to a tree and we could pass. We advanced slowly again, clapping as we went. We didn't want to harm the animal in any way or scare it, merely get it to leave the trail so we could pass.
This hope was dashed when the macaque charged us, teeth bared. My friend and I, deciding a scale down a gully was preferable to a tango with an angry monkey, beat a hasty retreat. A sandal was lost in the process, and when we looked back, the macaque was happily munching away on it.
When we finally made it back to our bungalows where we were to have class, Nans, a professor for an upcoming Wildlands trip joining our program for a bit, informed us of the correct protocol for navigating monkeys.
It is the exact opposite of what we did.
You make yourself smaller, avoid eye contact as it is seen as a challenge, and pass by quietly. I am happy to report that my second attempt at passing a macaque on a trail went without incident. In hindsight, I could have researched how to handle monkey interactions before the trip. Or it might have been something my professor mentioned before students wandered off into the forest. Either way, the learning curve was steep.
Safely back at the bungalows, we settled down for class on the porch in a circle. The snacks were passed around before we started like usual. Somewhere in the twenty years of running the program, my instructor had learned that he could hold student's attention longer if we were fed. First we had a student presentation. Each of us at the beginning of the program had selected a date to deliver our talk on our research subject, and listening to what each student selected was one of the best parts of the program. Topics ranged from ranging from ecotourism in the tropics to relationships among the reef. Then came my professor's lecture.
By the time we finished with class, dinner was almost ready. Dinner was both my favorite and least favorite time of the day. I loved the general chaos of the event, 21 people all talking over each other and laughing about the day's events. I didn't, however, love how often I would take a bite of food only to realize I had eaten one of the dried chilies used to season the dish. Several times I was sure I had burned the first layer of skin clean off my mouth with the intensity of the spice.
We were fortunate enough to have Erisy on our program. She was one of the program logistics coordinators and, in addition to working with Wildlands, is a fantastic musician. She brought her guitar along the whole program, and often in the evenings would play for us. There is no better way to end a day than to sit on the beach listening to the waves and gentle strumming of a guitar.
Being awoken by massive geckos and learning how to properly avoid monkeys is not your typical class experience. But on this trip, our days were filled with experiences like this. Some days we spent hours in the water seeking out fish species we had yet to see, hoping to get a rare glimpse of a reef shark. Others were spent interacting with members of indigenous communities to learn about their culture and how it was threatened. The only consistency in our daily routine was that we had the opportunity to interact with the subjects` we were learning about. It was an incredible experience and full of memories like those above. I have already written more than I intended to, so I will end my description of a day in Wildlands here. If you want to know more about what it was like, I would look at the photos from the trip. They will probably give you a better idea of what the trip was like than I can express in words.
Sunset from the top of Adang.
