It's not you, it's me

Bario is a nice little farming village in the Kelabit Highlands of Borneo. It is also the rare place in Malaysia where you don't necessarily sweat all the time--I actually wore my sweatshirt at night. The people are extremely nice and friendly, but there's just nothing to do there--and actually had me longing for the heat and humidity of Miri.

I booked my tickets to Bario the day before I went to Niah Caves. In hindsight, that proved to be a big mistake, as had I known then that I could pass on the jungle trekking, I would have never booked the tickets. As soon as I got off the plane, I realized that I wasn't as tough and wilderness prepared as I thought I was, as the frequent blackflies buzzing around the airport pestered me to death. Unfortunately, though, I was effectively stuck in Bario until the 19th, as the flights on the 18th were all booked.

I was picked up by the brother of the owner of the homestay/lodge that I was staying at. The owner was in Miri--and it wasn't hard to figure out why. Only carrying a small backpack and a stuff sack, I hopped on his motorbike and begin the ride down the rough and heavily potholed dirt/rock road. About halfway down, the bike runs out of gas, and we are forced to walk the next kilometer back to town. It felt somewhat like summer in Colorado, and you can see the thunderheads build up and deliver their afternoon rainshowers (responsible for the fritzy electricity). I stared at my plate of cold chicken and rice, took a small bite of deer curry (too spicy for my taste), and realized that "off the beaten path" really was off the beaten path--and that I could either be miserable, or try to fake being happy. I did the latter, and just started talking to a bunch of townfolk--who were surprisingly blunt in their opinions on politics and the like.

Accomplishments while in Bario:

Being put in the awkward position of having to play marriage counselor/sounding board for a woman that I had just met--the wife of the guy that picked me up from the airport--and trying to lend her a sympathetic voice.

Being the first Jew that the brother had ever met, and correcting some of his assumptions about Jews and Israel (he genuinely thought that Israel controlled the U.S., and that the Jews owned Congress--and this is from an avowed Christian who supports Israel--there was nothing malicious in his beliefs, the guy just didn't know anything else).

Fording a washed out road on the back of a motorbike.

Taking a bucket shower for the very first (and hopefully last) time.

Realizing that even in equatorial regions, the sun is stronger in the mountains than by the shore.

Heading to Kuching today--about to go off to the airport.

Here's me after coming back to Miri.