Sounds of the Jungle

When we first arrived here in Kemantian, one of the most noticeable things was the plethora of new sounds. About halfway along the trail to our village, the sounds of the city are exchanged for the sounds of the jungle. At first, the combination of cicaidas, crickets, and other bugs sounded so loud, but now they are background noise. At night we hear bats flying around our hut and there are owls that sound like someone is prank calling us with heavy breathing. There are tucky lizzards that call out, "tuck-y, tuck-y." There are bugs that sound like wind-up toys and others that sound like they are tap dancing. At daybreak (and usually before) the echoes of rooster crows bounce back and forth across the mountains. If 1 rooster crows, it gets them all going and inevitably one comes under our house and crows under our bed. Later we hear baby chicks, various bird calls, and the local cats looking for a meal. At 6:30 am we can hear the laughter of the school kids washing up. Before it starts raining, you can hear it coming toward you. It's nice to have that warning when we have laundry on the line. All day long is filled with sounds of people talking in the high-pitched, sing-song language, crying babies, and school children. This is just a sample of what it sounds like in Kemantian.