Part 2

The notion that failed to hit me while nursing blood-sucker wounds was the pathway out of the jungle. Biting our tongues, we trudged through the swampy trails and arrived back at the headquarters where we stocked up on the vitals: Toilet Paper, Cockroach Spray and Cigarettes. As we had no time to attempt the hike to the farthest hide we bought ourselves a boat taxi to a landing about 2km from the bunks. It was meant to be a little more than 45 minute hike, but it seemed that we were unaware of the two river crossings that were less than pleasant looking. Knowing that leeches would be found in the most private of places after a fording of the brown murkiness that lay before us, we sent Dylan ahead to scramble for precarious crossings. Success.

Now to avoid myself some anguish in recalling this episode, I think I'll just say that I met the most obnoxious and inconsiderate people ever... they were Dutch if that matters to you, it just surprised me... I used to like Dutch people. Basically, they hiked out to the middle of the Malaysian jungle to talk the entire time and scare away all the animals everyone else went out there for in the first place.

It was no more rude than the Australian woman who woke at the break of dawn to spray herself down with cockroach spray to protect from leeches. It made the whole place stink and gave us all headaches, but I hate to imagine what happened to her after she aimed that can towards her face. Probably dead, probably deserved it.

I unfortunately fell asleep while the Dutch kept yapping, but Dylan was lucky enough to have seen a jungle cat beneath the hide. The hike back the next day was excruciating and difficult. I nearly fainted because I was stupid enough to have forgotten my water bottle at the jungle hide. I've done a lot of hikes and I got thoroughly worked by this 5 hour hike, thoroughly.

Malaysia was followed by the utterly flabbergasting wealth that a dollar will do for you in Bali. Oh. My. God. Relaxation at it's finest.