Head hunting. Because today was mainly a long bus ride.

Muru tribe were the most murderous.

A prospective bridegroom must present a head to the bride’s father. No head, no wedding.

The Muru used blowpipes. It paralyses you, then they chop off your head with a machete. 

Headhunting was stopped in the 1950s. Sarah’s own tribe used to headhunt, because they wanted their loved ones to have company in the afterlife.

She recommended not going into the deep jungle, though…

Japanese occupation was from 1941 – 1945.

September 1944, the allied forces controlled the air

The Japanese wanted to use the jungle trails, so they asked the locals for help. The locals made the trails as difficult as possible, not realising that the Australian and British soldiers would bear the brunt.

Each soldier was expected to carry 20 kgs. 

The locals purposely kept the trail away from their villages, so they asked Japanese wouldn’t enslave their young men and rape their women. Fair enough, too.

The lodge we were staying in had these stuffed tigers in the dining room. I was puzzled by this, as tigers aren’t from Borneo. It turns out that the wait staff use them to frighten off the monkeys. We saw it at breakfast today. Three monkeys tried to sneak in, but they were sent packing by a waiter waving a tiger around.

Just before we reached the Tea Plantation, where we stayed the night, we stopped off at the fish spa. I was looking forward to this, around 16 years ago, I plunged my feet into a fish spa tank at the Singapore Zoo, when David 32, (then David15), and I were there on holiday. My feet have never looked better.

This time I had to wade into a rocky river.

I have to say, it was easier to sit and put your feet into a tank. 

The Sabah tea plantation was established in 1973. Naturally they grow normal tea, but they have herbal teas as well. Pandan tea is the big seller here.

This will be the third tea plantation I’ve been to in 4 months!

The travel bag that I bought last year in the Outback got ripped on the boat, so today at the fish spa I bought a new one. It’s early days, but I think I’m going to like it.

Dad joke of the day: