1996 Trip to Borneo

Flying from the small port city of Miri to the protected area of Mulu, the vast expanse of the dense jungle could be seen, broken only by small villages and the twisting rivers and streams.

The rivers are like highways, generally more effective than roads for connecting the rural population. Traditional longboats, now upgraded with small outboards, were our primary transport to and from trekking areas.

Huge trees overshadowed us in the jungle. Near here, a large cobra disappeared into the vegetation as we approached. Our guide also had tales of villagers locked into fights with pythons. Fortunately, we avoided such conflicts.