Trekking borneo jungle barefooted.... - Malaysia Travel Story

Title: Trekking borneo jungle barefooted....
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Working in the most boring place on earth as an architectural designer coping stress, pressure and knowing news designs and ideas are a big boredom to handle... but somehow I was able to escape on this forsaken place Brunei... ohm yes wealthy country but too bored to tolerate. So the end solution escapes and head to the nearest neighboring country and kill the boredom by experiencing the most thrilling trekking I ever did in my entire life... It was last Jan. 31 2006 holiday in Brunei in celebration w/ the Chinese new year...I head to Kota kinabalu for a restful vacation w/ my long time friends and classmates... along with our friend in KK and join by one wacko American guy we head to poring spring which takes us 3 hours drive from the “Bandar “in Malay words means city to poring hot spring.. Located on the bottom of Mt. kk... on our way to poring spring we are able to enjoy the scenery of Mt. KK along, take some pictures and blast...One of my companion got car sick so we have to stop to recuperate at Ranau town which we have to stop for 20 min. to stretch our legs … after 20 min rest we head to poring spring were our adventure began……. Our initial plan was only stay on the foot of the mountain and just be content with the hot spring resort or just go for there famous canopy walk coz our time is limited and we are not equip to do climbing but then when we reach the place its full pack of people in all walks of life covering almost the entire area of the resort … so we decide to head for the first waterfalls which we thought not much people will go there but then we were wrong still a lot of people were there and the thing is we don’t want to share a crowded pool and spoiled water… so end solution trek the jungle and look for other waterfalls which is mentioned on the brochures… but its to far from the main base of the resort and we are not well equip to trek the jungle…,, we did not bring our walking shoes ,insect repellant and etc.. but our American friends still want to go coz he say maybe it’s a worth to try,,,,,so we have to see for our self if it is worthy to climb ….. and because we did not bring our shoes and our slipper can’t hold the muddy path our best solution walked barefooted uphill… at first it was difficult to walked barefooted but why give up we did not reach even 50 meters yet so we did continue,,,,,, 3 of us first tried barefooted my two friends they used there rubber sandals to climb but because of too much mud and there sandal keep on sticking on the muddy path they decide to removed it and that’s were the fun begun… reach 500 meter our feet feel the pain at first but when the mud start to pile up on our feet we can’t feel no pain no longer and while we keep on walking we feel like were having a foot massage cum spa at the same time in Thai style…. At least free reflexology no need to pay a 50 dollar for such a massage…ha...ha.. anyway we met people on the trek and we asked them how far and always they answer back to us “jag” in Malay means still far…we want to give up coz one of my friend was stuck by blood sucking leech on her bare legs…. and she don’t know how to removed it so I told her the best solution is by cigarette but then nobody is smoking from us so I told her live it and let the leech sucked the blood until she got enough and it will let go on her own and guess what!!!!!!! My theory works out true the leech let go on her own volition….so we continue to walked barefooted and luckily no leech around to keep on clinging on us and we walked almost 3,000 meter in distance from the base to the waterfall
Before reaching our destination………..I was the first to reach the pool and within the vicinity of the pool you can see big trees which maybe 100 years old…vines, ferns and other unknown wild plants which only grows on the jungle… I even saw a tiny pitcher plants… which so famous in Borneo jungle……and endangered…. sun can’t kiss the ground coz a lot of trees hovering within the enclosed area of the waterfalls and covering almost entire area…our excitement to jump on the pool was exhilarating the water was not so deep and totally icy cool but it doesn’t affect our excitement coz we can easily have an access to the falling water and one thing is we did found our own paradise… our adventure did not end yet due to too much fun my friend forgot that she have one false tooth and guess what the tooth fairy toke it as a souvenir…ha..ha.. nope it’s a joke but true she really did lost her tooth but she said its worthy… after an hour on the pool we have to head back to the main camp and trek the jungle barefooted again back for another hour…coz we were so hungry and we forgot to bring our lunch…….that is what you called un-plan but a learning adventure… my friends comment that they won’t know that barefoot walking is a good therapy… and a humble experience worth to try….and most of all the leech did attach a good camaraderie with my friend coz one of the leech was able to sneak back to the city with us..all in all its an adventure with a clinch…and bored is out question…so till next travel adventure which I hope soon….maybe Thailand or Cambodia…and definitely try barefooted…