My 3 Best Kept Travel “Adventure” Secrets

My 3 Best Kept Travel Secrets

We were recently nominated to participate in Tripbase’s “3 Best Kept Travel Secrets” game by our great Twitter friend, Isabelle of @IsabellesTravel. You can read Isabelles best kept travel secret here.

“The aim of this game is to unite travel bloggers in a joint endeavor – to create an amazing list of top travel recommendations across the globe to share with the entire online travel community.” – Katie from Tripbase.com.

So here are our Travel Adventure Secrets.

1. Pinnacles of Borneo

The Mysterious Pinnacles of Borneo

Everyone seems to know about climbing Mount Kinabalu in Malaysian Borneo, but one of our favorite adventures of our life was trekking to the Pinnacles of Gunung Mulu in Sarawak.  A stone forest of white and grey limestone, jutting 45 metres out of the earth in razor sharp formations.

It is an adventure just getting there. It takes two days to trek to the pinnacles.  After flying into Gunung Mulu National Park on a twin-engine airplane, you take a 2-hour boat ride to the start of an 8km trail.  After your long trek through the jungle it is a beautiful overnight at Camp 5 where you prepare for your summit push the following morning.  The steep climb is exhilarating and to finally reach the summit and witness this rare and awe-inspiring site is an incredible life experience.

2. The White Desert of Egypt

The Stunning White Desert

Everyone thinks of the great Pyramids, the Sphinx, Abu Simble and the Luxor Temple.  But make your way out to Egypt’s interior and you will witness a true natural wonder.

Book an overnight safari where you will camp Bedouin style among giant monoliths scattered throughout the barren landscape.  Centuries of erosion have shaped these chalk formations into gigantic mushrooms, camels, hawks and mountains.

It is one of the most unique and thrilling opportunities a person can have in their life.

3. Huacachina Peru

The Gigantic Peruvian Sand Dunes

Peru has many famous sites that have intrigued and fascinated the world.  It houses Macchu Pichu, Lake Titicaca, the Andes Mountains and …..  However for us, one of the most exciting and adventurous destinations was in Huacachina.   Located in Ica Province, you will find some of the largest sand dunes in the world as you enjoy yourself at this beautiful Oasis.

Relaxing is nice, but all the fun starts when you take a dune buggy ride out to ride the giant dunes.  It is more exciting than a roller coaster as the skilled drivers climb steep hills only to fly down near vertical drops.

Sandboarding is a must and it can be done out in the middle of the desert on your excursion or grab a board from a guesthouse in Huacachinna and make the hike on your own to the top of one of the surrounding dunes.  There isn’t a more beautiful site than to stand atop a giant peak during sunset while looking out over the endless desert sands.

The object of the game is to tag other Blogs to take part.

Here are our 5 tags for you to check out their sites!

• Ottsworld
• TheTravelExpert(a)
• TheQFamilyAdventures
• ApproachGuides
• TheProfessionalHobo

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Travel Movie Memories

I have read a lot of posts about movies that inspire travel.  I love movies and yes there is an endless list of movies that promote a country, inspire an adventure in us all and offer us a glimpse into life in another country.

While I love movies like that, I often think about movies that I have seen on the road in our travels. Many times in a conversation, someone will mention a movie and it will trigger a memory.  Just the other day we were talking about Rambo at work and I said “hey, I saw that in Botswana” It happens all of the time and I will remember where I saw it and then relive that time in a country in my brain. It brings a smile to my face.

We have seen a lot of movies during our travels.  Most of the time, it is exactly the same as being in Canada, but there are a few memories of movies that stand out and will be remembered for the rest of our lives.

Top 5 Travel Movie Memories

1- Starship Troopers.  We saw this movie on a loop on a bus from Chang Mai to Bangkok.  It played over and over dubbed in Thai.  We were both extremely hung over from running into Canadians that owned a bar the night before.  They kept our glass filled with Thai Wiskey all night long.  We managed to wake up in time for our 7:00 am departure, but it was not a happy ride.  The air-conditioning wasn’t working, the windows wouldn’t go down, I was dizzy and dehydrated and all I had to distract me for the next 12 hours was Denise Richards speaking in Thai.

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2 – Return of the King.  We were in Laos when the third installment of Lord of the Rings came out.  We were really looking forward to seeing it and a restaurant was playing a bootleg copy that evening. Of course we went to check it out.  The sound was terrible and it was cut to shreds.

There are bootleg copies of movies all over South East Asia, so this was nothing new. But the reason I remember this so well is that I tried to adjust the sound because they had the reverb on high and the volume on low. Nobody was around to ask to fix it, so I decided to give it a try.  Boy, was I told off for touching the knob.  I don’t know where she came from, but a lady came running out of the back with rage in her eyes and scolded me to the point where we decided that we had better leave.   I never have seen the entire Return of the King.

3 – Kill Bill. We love seeing movies in Bangkok.  The theatres are modern and state of the art. What we love the most though  is the montage of the King at the beginning of each movie. The King is revered in Thailand and before each movie, everyone stands to pay their respects as a slide show plays depicting his life. This was in 2004 that we were there, but I am sure that their respect and love has not subsided and I am sure that this slide show must still play.

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4 – Mona Lisa Smile - Kutching Sarawak, Borneo.  Borneo is not exactly a place that you would think to go and see a movie. It is a place for adventure, wildlife and trekking.  But we found ourselves relaxing in Kutching for a night and saw that a Julia Roberts movie was playing at the local theatre.

The movie was terrible, but what we remember is a cockroach climbing up Dave’s leg.  We watched the rest of the show cross legged. And we remember the delicious caramel corn.  No buttered popcorn, only caramel on the menu.

5 – Tracks of a Killer – Nobody has heard of this movie and even less have seen it.  But it was one of the first movies that Dave ever worked on.  It starred Lance Henrickson of Aliens Fame and Kelly LeBrock AKA Steven Segal’s ex wife.  It went straight to video, but we just so happened to see it while we were sitting in a small bar downtown Paris.  We thought that was pretty cool, and then a man walked in wearing a Panavision Jacket.

For some reason we were feeling pretty bold so we asked him if he worked in the film business. It turns out he did and then we told him that Dave worked on the movie that was playing on the T.V.  We were all best of friends instantly and we ended up drinking closing the bar.  We actually stayed until way passed closing time and the owner bought all of our rounds of drinks as we drank wine and beer until the wee hours of the morning.

The next day at Les Invalides was not a pleasant experience.

Honorable Mention

The Italian Job. It was 2004, we were traveling around South East Asia for several months and it never failed, every time we stepped onto a bus, The Italian Job was playing. We got to the point where we hated that movie.  We also got to the point where we knew every line and moment.

For some reason now though, I now really like The Italian Job.  I was even laughing the other day when we were talking about the timing of Toronto’s traffic lights and how because our city is amalgamated with other city’s, all of our traffic lights are on separate systems.  Dave said, “hey if they had the guy from the Italian Job that was the Real Napster inventor, he could fix all of our problems.”

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World Wildlife Wednesday: Malaysian Borneo a Nature Lovers Dream

Hands down one of our favorite adventure destinations on the planet is Malasyian Borneo.  Sabah and Sarawak are exciting provinces filled with beautiful scenery and exciting wildlife.

We had never even considered venturing to Borneo during our Asian Adventure, but when a fellow traveler told us of a great deal on flights from Air Asia, well we just had to go.

I remember seeing Julia Roberts on the Rosie O’Donnell show years earlier talking about an Orangutan Sanctuary that she had filmed a documentary about and that had always been something that I had wanted to see.  So our first stop upon Landing in Kota Kinabalu was to take a bus to Sepilok.  One of two Orangutan Rehabilitation Centres that we had the privilege to visit.

$20 per person goes towards the sanctuary and gives you access to the park and of course viewing the Orangutans during their feeding.  These incredible primates don’t have to come to the feeding if they don’t want to.  They have been rehabilitated and released back in to the wild. The feedings are for newly reintroduced Orangutans to come back to a familiar place.  They need to re-learn how to live on their own, and this helps them to make the transition easier.

To See Borneo’s Wildlife in Action, check out our featured video to the right of the page

The Viewing is absolutely breathtaking.  As the crowd sits on the boardwalk and waits, Orangutans slowly come swinging into view. One at a time they make their way to the platform where workers feed them banana’s and fresh fruit and for an expectant mother and her baby, bottles of formula and vitamins. Astounding.

We went to another Centre in Sarawak called Semenggoh.  This one is not as popular on the tourist track, but we found it to be even more rewarding. There were only 5 of us watching the Orangutans eat and luckily 3 showed up that day for some fresh banana’s and milk.  It is far more rustic and the feeding area is much farther away from the viewing platform than Sepilok, but that is what makes this Centre so special. The Orangutans are hardly exposed to humans at all making their transition that much easier for them.

The Orangutan sanctuary’s were some of the most memorable experiences of our life.  To see the work being done there is a testimate to the human spirit. With the clear cutting of jungle happening at astounding rates in Borneo due to Palm Oil Plantations, the habitat of the Orangutan is running out.  There needs to be more reserves like this if they are to survive.

Early Morning

After moving on from Sepilok, we caught a boat to Uncle Tans Jungle Safari. This rustic lodge is smack dab in the middle of the Jungle. Your days are jammed packed with wildlife viewing.  A morning river cruise to see Proboscis Monkeys, Orangutans and Macaques.  Daytime takes you on a trek through the jungle where you hunt for more wildlife. Wild Pigs hang around the camp and you will also learn all about medicinal plants of the rainforest.

Our Guide Shows us a Bat found in a Leave

Nights are exciting as well.  Take an evening boat ride to look for crocodiles and after dinner take a walk with your guide to see scorpions, spiders and other creepy crawly’s that come out in the dark.

scorpion

Sarawak has its fill of Wildlife too.

A trip to Bako National Park is a treat to walk through the trails and see the highest concentration of Proboscis Monkeys on the planet.  Stop and listen and you will be sure to see the leap and play in the trees above.  The park is filled with monkeys and wild pigs and we saw our fair share of snakes as well.

Wild Pig

If you make it to Gunung Mulu a must see is the 2 million bats that come out of deer cave every evening.  You will be in awe as the bats circle above feeding on insects. Their chain growing larger and larger with each pass.

Borneo is truly a wildlife and bird watchers paradise. There are so many places to view wildlife. We didn’t even talk about the underwater paradise of Sipidan and unfortunately we didn’t make it to the turtle sanctuary.  But that just give us many reasons to go back soon!

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10 Least Romantic Situations Traveling Together

When most people think of a vacation together, they envision tropical islands and places for romance relaxing in paradise.  Tahiti, the Bahama’s, Hawaii that is where most sane couples go to rejuvenate and bring that spark back to their relationship.

Well, Dave and I aren’t most people and when we go away, we always seem to wind up doing trips that are the exact opposite of romance.  Sure, we have been to resorts and 5 star hotels, but it is always the suffering that stands out in our minds when we reminisce. When we truly test our relationship and survive the insane and ridiculous, that is when we know that we are meant to be together forever.

Here is a list of some of our least romantic situations we have encountered during our travels of the world so far.

1. Slathering butt butter, Chamois Cream, Bag Balm…whatever you want to call it on our bums every morning for the first 2 months of cycling Africa. In our little 2 man North Face Tent, we would lay in the dark and cool mornings dressing and getting ready for a 100+ km day of riding. It wasn’t a good morning, or a lets snuggle and keep warm kind of morning. It was lets get up, lather up and pack up our tent and see you in a few hours at the next camp. (you don’t get a picture of that sorry, only us sitting at our tent:)

Now that's romantic

2. Relieving ourselves in tandem on both Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Kinabalu. I don’t know what it is, but Dave and I always seem to be in sync with our bowel movements when we are at altitude.  We both walk side by side for hours on end, and then we both have the need to go to the bathroom at the same time.  Thank God we always summit in the dark, I couldn’t imagine trying to squat on a sheer face in broad day light.

You try finding some privacy here!

3. Having roaches crawl all over us during a trek to the pinnacles.  We thought that we were staying in pretty good digs when we saw our vynal matts lined up along a raised wooden platform.  We settled in for the night with 7 other people and thought that we would be well rested for our climb the next day. That is until the creepy crawlies came out.  I didn’t turn on my flashlight to see what it was, I thought it better that I don’t know.  But in the morning everyone was talking about the cockroaches crawling all over.  I thought, well, it could have been worse, it could have been something poisonous.

3b Being eaten alive by bed bugs on more than one occasion.

4. Getting in a motorcycle accident together in Ko Samui and laying side by side in the hospital as they cleaned our wounds.  Dave’s was worse than mine and he had it scraped with a razor blade as he bit on a towel. We then spent the next 4 days in Paradise limping around and getting our dressings changed daily.

First time renting a motorbike, not a good idea

4. Sharing a single bed in a room with another couple that was in the other single bed. In Kuala Lumpur, we were too cheap and tired to find a place in our budget after returning from the Cameron Highlands.  We had to leave early for  Borneo the next morning anyway, so 4 of us crammed into a tiny room with 2 single beds and set our alarms for 5 am. We didn’t get a lot of sleep that night.

5. Anytime we stayed in a dorm room.  As a couple, we don’t often stay in dorms or hostels. But every once in a while be it during a trek, a climb or an excursion, that is the only option that there is.  I snore by the way, luckily Dave sleeps like a log, I feel bad for anyone else that is stuck in a room with me.

There is a pattern here that always has to do with sleeping arrangements.

Sleeping anywhere we can

6. Staying in a bungalow in Kao Sok National Park. It was a pristine setting with and pretty little huts. Unfortunately, every night just as we were about to turn in, the cock fights began and we had to listen to the screaming and wailing chickens all night long. My heart broke.

7. Rubbing the bottom raw during a horse back ride in the Dominican does not make for the most romantic moments. It was 1997 and Dave and I were on our honeymoon.  We decided to ride horses on the beach in sweat pants might I add.  Dave did not have a good time, and for the next 2 days he could not sit down or get in the water to get relief from the warm Caribbean air. We have both since learned how to ride.

Look at that Hair, it was 1997

8. Our time in Mui Ne Vietnam should have been the most romantic part of our trip.  A cabana on the beach, beautiful scenery and perfect weather.  Well, I had terrible ulcers in my mouth and throat from my Doxycylin (malaria medication) and Dave had enjoyed too many Vietnamese Iced Teas in Saigon. On our way out of the city, we saw a man dragging a giant blog of ice on a burlap sack down the road, and right then, we knew that Dave was going to be in trouble.  Sure enough, we was sick for 3 days. Neither of us could eat. Dave couldn’t keep anything down, and I was way too sore to swallow. So we layed in our bed under the ceiling fan and prayed for relief to finally come.

Waiting to go to the airport, not well

10. Our Last 2 Days in Lima before flying out. We splurged on a nice hotel and even ate at Tony Roma’s overlooking the water for lunch. After lunch I didn’t even make it back to the hotel before I started vomiting. Diarreah followed and we missed our last day of sightseeing as I puked and crapped all day and night. I can’t even look at Tony Roma’s ever again.

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Great Things to do in Malaysian Borneo

Mount Kinabalu, Sabah Borneo

The Legendary Rainforests of Borneo bring to mind images of towering trees, abundant wildlife, raging rivers and memories of the days of the Headhunter, when tribes lived off of the land and had an intimate relationship with nature.

The Malaysian Borneo of today is a very different one of 50 years ago.  During the 70’s to 90’s the rainforest was cut down at an alarming rate becoming garden furniture and chopsticks.  Much of its jungle and habitat was wiped out. Sadly today, forests are still being clear cut in Borneo to make room for Oil Palm Plantations and poaching of endangered species such as the Orangutan and the clouded leopard is on the rise; but there is a glimmer of hope.

The Endangered Orangutan

Conservation and reforestation methods are being introduced and 16% of Sabah’s forested area is protected.  And there are heavy penalties for poaching.  So, now is the time to get out to Borneo and see this magical land before it is too late.  Plus if there is one thing that I have learned in my travels, if people can make some money off of tourists coming to see their wildlife and nature, well, they will just work that much harder to protect it.

The Number 1 top destination in Sabah for us was…

View from the Summit of Mount Kinabalu

1. Climbing Mount Kinabalu. South East Asia’s highest peak at 4095 meters in a magnificent climb over 2 days.  A two hour bus ride from Kota Kinabalu will take you to the parks gate where you can book the climb, your guide, accommodations before the climb and on the mountain. It is recommended that you secure your permits in town before you go, but being Dave and Deb, we of course bought them on sight with no planning. Not a problem though, we secured a climb the next day with dorm accommodations at Laban Rata at 3500 meters.

To see our climb click here

At the Summit of Kinabalu

We met our guide at 7:30 am and climbed tough trek for the next 5 hours. It may not be the highest mountain on the planet, but it is steep and tough.  The Summit Day starts at 4:00 am so it is an early night overlooking the clouds. Be prepared it is cold. The weather may be tropical below, but a touque, gloves and jacket are needed at the summit.  Where you will be treated to a magnificent View.  Only to have to turn around and start the hardest part of the day. Going down.  It is a workout for your thighs and calfs and once you are back in town, you will know exactly who climbed Mount Kinabalu Recently, because they will be limping their way along the sidewalks.

By far one of the most heartwarming moments of my life was visiting my number 2 destination in Sabah.

2. The Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre

Sepilok Orangutan Rehab Centre

Staying right beside the park, we stayed at the Sepilok Jungle Resort. Boardwalks twist through the grounds right next to the jungle. The next day it is a short walk to the gate where we were treated to a video explaining the centre and what it has accomplished. Very interesting indeed, but the piéce de resistance is definitely all about the Orangutans.  After walking along the jungle path with monkey playing in the trees, we come out to the feeding platform. Every day, the orangutans can choose to come back for a hearty meal of fruit and vitamin milk. They are orangutans that have either been injured, rescued or orphaned that have been nursed back to health and let back into the jungle.  To make their transition easier, they can come back any time they want for a feast.  Every day is different and we take a chance hoping that at least one will stop by.

It is a good day for us and 4 orangutans come home. A baby, 2 females and a male have graced us with their presense and they swing silently in to view.  They feed liesurely barely noticing us. Well, that is the adults, the baby swings around from side to side showing off its athletic grace and she knows we are all enthralled and loves every minute of it.

Semenggoh Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre, Sarawak

We loved it so much that when we went to Sarawak, we went to the Semenggoh Rehabilitation Centre. A far less visited rehab facility, but just as effective and more fulfilling I must say. It was just Dave, Myself and another couple watching the Orangutans mangé on their banana’s.  A moving experience.

Now it is time to see them in the wild.

Last Day at Uncle Tans, saying good-bye

3. Uncle Tans Jungle Safari was one of the coolest trips I have ever taken. Take a van and then a boat up the The Sungai Kinabatangan right into the heart of the jungle of Borneo, and stay in this rustic camp for a few days.  Your meals and wildlife safaris are included, but if you want some alcohol, bring it with you.  It won’t be needed though because the days are packed.  You can get up at 6:00 am for a morning safari on the boat to check out the life on the river. Morning is a great time to see the Proboscis Monkey.  Another trek will take you into the jungle by foot where you will learn about plant life and smaller amphibians like, the smallest frog in the world.  There is another afternoon safari where you will see a ton of wildlife and then it is off again after dinner for a night safari where you will look for crocodiles.

Check out all of the wildlife here

Smallest Frog in the World

We spotted everything during our time there. Lot’s of Crocodiles bathing on the shore in the day and their red eyes at night, Monitor Lizards, Civit Cats, Snakes, Proboscis Monkeys and macaques. We saw a orangutan in a tree in the wild, amazing!  It was an incredible Experience in a rustic and remote lodge. We also made friends there that will last a lifetime.

Pinnacles of Gunung Mulu

4. The Pinacles of Gunung Mulu National Park – Sarawak.  Ok, there was so much to do at this park that it was just unbelievable. Fly into it on a twin engine plane and you already feel that you are in the middle of nowhere. We immediately booked out trek to the Pinnalces, the star attraction of the park and settled in for the night.  The next day started with a boat ride, stopping at various caves along the way until we reached the entrance to our trail. We were let off on the shore and proceeded to hike 8 km in the jungle, with two river crossing in the process. We eventually found our way to camp 5 in the middle of the jungle once again where we stayed overnight resting for our climb to the pinnacles.

To see our climb click here

Dave at the Pinnacles Lookout

First thing in the morning, our guide took us up a rigorous climb. At first we were climbing in slippery and steep jungle, but 3/4 of the way up, we came to the first of seventeen aluminum ladders. This is where it gets fun.  Climbing on ropes and ladders over crevasse’s and drops. Making sure to keep 3 points of contact so that we don’t stumble down a cliff.  It can be a little hair raising, but the payoff is worth it.  Once we emerge around a rock,we are treated to a view of  dozens of jagged limestone layers reaching forty metres high. Magnificent.  After taking in the view, we had to climb down through the route we just came through. Tricky. Decending on ladders, planks and slippery rocks can be a challenge, but we made it through unscathed.

Bats at Deer Cave

Once we were back at park headquarters the next day, we made our way out to Deer Cave, the largest cave chamber in the world and were treated to a view of 2 million bats flying out at dusk to feed on the insects.  I didn’t think that it was going to be all that interesting and almost stayed sleeping in my bed, fatigued from the days climb before, but it was one of the most extraordinary sights I have ever seen in my life. A giant black cloud snaked through the sky performing and arial ballet in front of our eyes.

And that takes us to the end of our Malaysian Borneo adventure, where we finally got to see the Proboscis Monkey up close and personal at…

Proboscis Money, in Bako NP

5. Bako National Park, Sarawak Borneo. Native only to the Island of Borneo, these peculiar monkeys are an intriguing sight.  A golden brown color with a pot belly and a snout nose, this large primate can be found all over Bako.  Walk quietly through the trails, stop to listen for a while and soon you will find yourself amongst a colony playing and feeding above.  At first we couldn’t find a single one, that is until we realised that they were everywhere above us.  We just weren’t standing still long enough to notice.  High in the treetops they leap through the air, playing and munching on mangrove leaves. We even saw one leap into the water and swim for several meters until it emerged at another tree.

Bako National Park Entrance

Getting to Bako is half of the fun. Permits and accomodation be arranged in Kutching, Sarawaks Capital City and then you hop on a bus to catch a boat to the park.  The boat is small and we enjoy the ride, but it is at the approach that it gets fun. Riding the tide in to the shore, we almost capsize in the waves. I am not so worried about myself, I am just worried about our packs that aren’t secured in the boat and just may sink into the sea. But we make it fine and spend the night chilling out at the headquarters and sleeping in our cool private chalet.  An awesome experience.

Crossing another River in Borneo

There are so many great things to do in Borneo, that you need months to fit it all in.  There is diving in Sipadan, The Turtle Sanctuary at Turtle Island, Hiking the Headhunters trail, visiting a longhouse, and many more national parks. I truly is one of the great adventure destinations on the planet. Let’s just hope that the government starts taking care of it so that it will be there to enjoy for years to come.

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The Pinnacles of Borneo, an Adventure in Sarawak

As I look out the window of the small twin engine airplane that is taking me to my destination,  I am overwhelmed with the vastness of the jungle that lays below.

We are enroute to Gunung Mulu National Park in Sarawak, Borneo.  Malaysian Borneo’s southern province.

Here is where that my husband and I will be climbing to the Pinnacles, a stone forest jutting 45 metres out of the earth, in  razor sharp formations.

Part of the fun and challenge is getting there.  It is a remote National park reached only by plane and a short truck ride will take you to the parks headquarters.

It is here that we book our dorm for the night and then looked for people to trek to the Pinnacles with.  It helps to share the costs of the boat and guide otherwise it can be quite expensive.

We arrive with another couple from Holland who were intending to climb and we booked our group for the following day.

Pulling boat on Pinnacle Trek in Borneo

The Pinnacles is not an easy undertaking.  You must carry your own food to last for 3 days and carry your garbage out with you.  The trek itself involves a 2 hour boat ride to the start of an 8.9 km trail which takes you to camp 5 situated at the base of the Pinnacles and  the entrance to the Headhunters. trail.

We boarded our small motor boat at 7:00 and started our journey up the Melinau river, stopping at  Wind Cave and Clearwater Caves.  The longest cave passage in South-East Asia is an impressive sight with a crystal clear river running through it.

After taking a pleasant stroll through the caves, we were eager to move on to the Pinnacles trail and quickly returned to our boat.  The water was low at this time of year and our driver and navigator had their hands full pulling our boat through the shallow river while avoiding rocks and logs.  We were let off at the entrance to the trail,where arrangements were made to be picked up in two days. We then began our 8.8 km jungle hike.

River Crossing in Gunung Mulu, Sarawak Borneo

Within a km we had our first of 2 river crossings.  It was pretty deep and a rope was attached accross the river as a safety line to keep from falling over as the water rushed passed.  We all made it safely and managed to keep our packs dry, but nobody could escape the leaches.  They smuggled their way into our socks and onto our legs and even though we did a thorough check, I still managed to miss a few and entered camp 5 a bloody mess.

It doesn’t hurt, but leaches cause a lot of bleeding and it lasts for a very long time.

We kept up a steady pace and reached our second river crossing in 2 hours.  This one wasn’t quite as intimidating.  No rope was provided, but it was only about 2 feet deep and the water was moving at a liesurly speed.

We all did our required leach assessment and were on our way.

Camp 5, Torrential Downpour in Borneo

We made it to camp 5 by early afternoon and had time to enjoy the views and went for a walk along the headhunters trail.

It is a beautiful location, surrounded by large clifffs,  a quiet stream and lush jungle. We made our dinner of noodle soup and crackers, played some cards and enjoyed meeting new friends.

Our Guide Michael told us about his tribe, the Penan.  They are a nomadic people who view the entire rain forest as their home.  The live in harmony with the land and their knowledge of plants and herbs of the jungle is unparalleled.

In the early evening the rain came with a vengeance and we were worried that we would not be able to summit the following morning.  The park rangers are very strict about not letting people summit if the trail is too dangerous, and this was our one and only shot. No refund, no Pinnacles.  We blew the wad on this trip.  A flight, 170 ringette for the boat, park fees.  A lot of money, but worth it if we get to see it.

Needless to say, nobody slept well  in our basic accommodation of vinyl mats placed in a raised wooden platform.  The rain was relentless all night, but it managed to stop in the morning and thankfully we were allowed to climb.  Cockroaches crawled upon us all night, many people said.  I felt things crawling on me, but didn’t have the nerve to turn on my flashlight.

After filling our bottles with boiled water and eating a hearty breakfast, we joined our guide Micheal at 6:00 to begin our climb. Our group of 4 was joined by 3 other peole and we were off. For the first hour Micheal kept up a furious pace and it was exhilerating to be climbing with such determination.  After a while, he fell back to stay with the slower climbers and we were on our own until we reached the upper portion of the climb, the 17 aluminum ladders.

4 of us waited at the foot of the first ladder, taking pictures, ringing out our soaked shirts and having a snack until the rest of the hikers arrived.  Then the real challenge began.

The Jungle Climb to the Pinnacles of Borneo

Many people who try to climb the Pinnacles do not summit.  It is not a high climb, but it is a technically challenging climb with no safety ropes.

We crossed crevasses on metal beams, balanced on rocks while holding onto a rope over head and climbed up ladders attached to the side of the cliff using anything to hang onto. We had a blast, but i can see how some people would be very uncomfortable.

An hour later we emerged to the Awesome sight of the Pinnacles.  Giant white stones, jutting out of the jungle like shartks teeth.  They were  magestically poised for our viewing.  Soon,  clouds and mist rolled in  making the pinnacles even more ominous.  They turned to a darker shade of grey and took on an even more dramatic look as they towered over the trees.

A Magnificent payoff to a difficult  and exciting climb.

5 hours later, after a slippery and exhausting climb down, we were back at camp showering and relaxing.  Proud of our accomplishment to be among the rare few that venture to this part of the world and make it to the lookout for this spectacular view.

Dave at The Pinnacles of Gunung Mulu National Park, Borneo

The following day we hiked back the 8 km to meet our ride back to park headquarters.

That same afternoon,tired from the journey, but knowing that we only had a limited time in this remarkable land, we hiked out  3km  to deer cave. the worlds largest cave opening.  Here we would witness the phenomenon of 2 million bats emerging from the depths of darkness to perform a ballet in the twilite sky.

It was all I could do to put one foot in front of the other walking along the path, but once the bats appeared, it was worth the exertion.

A giant line of bats circled above becoming longer with each pass until an enless black spiral was formed overhead. It was a wonder of nature.

To explore everything in Gunung Mulu National park could take months. The Sarawak Chamber, the largest cave chamber in the world, rock climbing,  the head hunters trail, The summit of Gunung Mulu and tthe Bario and Kelabit Highlands.  We only scratched the surface with our 5 days, but I am eagerly looking forward to returning in the near furture to explore its vastness in depth.

2 Million bats fly out of Deer Cave in Borneo

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Suvivorman, Les Stroud Visits YTV

Survivorman came into the studio the other day.  He was promoting his new show “Survive This”.

As I did his make-up, I talked to him about how much I enjoy his show and how I think that it is great what he has accomplished.  He was very nice.

What I really wanted to talk to him about was how I too am an adventurer and working on my own television concept and the reason I am such a fan is because he is doing exactly what I want to do with my life.  I never did get up the nerve.

First of all, that would be very unprofessional as a persons make-up artist.  My job is to make people feel relaxed before their interview, to put them at ease and to talk to them about… well, frankly; them.

Second of all, how could a make-up artist possibly be as  hard-core as he is?  He is Survivorman.  He has been all over the world surviving extreme situations.

Hey wait a minute, Dave and I have been all over the world Surviving extreme situations.

I survived cellulitus, a serious infection in Tanzania.  I had the same knee infection as the guy on “Survivor” the other night. He gave up a million dollars to go home because it was a serious risk to his life.  Now, if I would have known just how dangerous cellulitus can be, I would have gone home myself. Fortunately the fates were on my side and I recovered from my ordeal without harm.

I have been eaten by leaches on the Head Hunters Trail in Borneo, lost in the Desert of Sudan, suffered a pretty nasty burn on my leg from a motorcycle accident in Thailand and have carried home 3 different types of parasites in my stomach at one time.  All while at the side of my husband who has suffered more than I have in many situations.

His burn was far more severe than mine from the motorcycle accident. We won’t even go into detail about how they cleaned his burn with a razor blade while he bit on a wet towel for the pain.  He was swarmed by fire ants in Guatemala,  had a terrible illness on an island in Honduras with the closest hospital being a day away by boat.  While riding his bicycle in Ethiopia, he was chased by baboons for several km and narrowly out ran them.  We were both feasted upon by bed bugs in Malaysia and Thailand, and we  slept with cockroaches crawling all over him while seeing the Pinnacles of Gunung Mulu National Park only to wake up in the morning and our hiking boots and gear covered with swarms of bees.

So, I am worthy of Survivorman. We are definitely not as extreme as he is, but we want to be. Really!  And when you put down it on paper, it looks like we have suffered a bit or two ourselves.

I really should have picked his brain more.  I should have asked some advice. Maybe I could have given him a little advice myself:-)  Ha ha, now I am dreaming.

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