Rucksackpacked

The saying goes with age comes wisdom. Apparently it also comes with new balance issues and one of the best places not to find this out is during a hard uphill scrabble in dense equatorial jungle in 36°C, where half the exposed tree roots are footholds and the other half are trip hazards. And better not put a steadying hand down too quickly, as the local fauna includes sleeping pit vipers, invisibly waiting for the unwary. This is Bako National Park, on theh western tip of Borneo, home to probocsis monkeys (the one with the silly nose and their dicks always hanging out), silvered leaf monkeys and wild bearded pigs. Oh and pit vipers, but they can just sod off. The national bird of Borneo is the rhinoceros hornbill, but not here. We almost needn't have bothered with the hike as Jen, our guide, spotted a pair of probicsis in the mangrove swamp from the speedboat on the way over to the park entrance. Then, hearing a commotion in a nearby tree while enjoying a coffee before the hike, w...