Dr. Birute Mary Galdikas' Blog

I haven’t blogged for over a month, but goodness knows, I have tried. Being in the field all this time in Kalimantan made it virtually impossible to have internet connections. Putative swine flu felled three of the volunteers on the first OFI team at the end of July and they were quarantined for [...]

Mr. Freddy is a local businessperson from whom OFI recently bought 20 hectares of forest land.  He has nothing to do with my son Fred who is called Freddie by some of his friends.
Upon my return to Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo), the first thing I did was check, once again, the 20 hectares of forest OFI had bought [...]

Shortly after my arrival in Jakarta I was told (in typical local fashion) that we had an appointment to meet with the Governor of our province, Kalimantan Tengah (Central Indonesian Boneo) in two days’ time.  The appointment was at one o’clock in a suite at a hotel in Palangka Raya, the provincial capital, where the Governor [...]

Jakarta, like most cities in developing countries, is very much a city of contrasts with mansions in Pondok Indah rivalling those in Beverly Hills, California, and slums in south Jakarta reminiscent of Calcutta.  It is also noisey, gritty, smoggy, and sweaty.  But it still has some of the nicest people in the world.  You just [...]

It’s great to be back in Jakarta, a city that many foreigners avoid.  It is also called “The Big Durian” and the pollution does sometimes stink.  Jakarta is Indonesia’s capital, largest city, and probably its most dynamic urban area.  It has at least ten million people and is one of the largest cities in the [...]

Mr. Freddy, a local businessperson from the province of Kalimantan Tengah, flew to Jakarta so that he could immediately receive the funds for 20 ha. of forest that he agreed to sell OFI.  Otherwise, the forest would have been cleared for palm oil and lost forever to a relic population of about 50 – 100 wild [...]

I flew back to Indonesia on Singapore Airlines, middle seat, economy.  The journey took over 30 hours as I had to briefly overnight in Singapore (in by 2 am; out by 6 am).  Singapore Airlines must have the most comfortable seats on an international flight since I was able to fall asleep despite being shoehorned by a 6 foot [...]