Lambir Hills NP

I went to Lambir Hills National Park today. After a bit of jickiness on the bus route, I was dropped off at the entrance around 11 AM. The only problem was that it was pouring. So I sat, read a book, had lunch, and stared until the rain let up enough for me to declare that it had stopped and was therefore safe to go hiking in the forest.

Since I didn't leave the park headquarters until 1, I didn't have as much time as I would have liked. But the trip was still worth it. I hiked up a big hill called Bukit Pantu and had some amazing views of the rainforest canopy and clearing wisps of clouds. While walking around the little pagoda/look out at the top, I walked right smack into a giant cobweb. I like spiders, but walking into their webs always gives me the heebiejeebies. Then I realized that the web crackled, just like the webs of the black widows at the Lazy K. All I could think of was the opening scene in Arachnophobia and started swatting my entire body madly. Nothing. Later on I saw a big-ass shiny black spider with a super thin waist and red markings on the underside of the abdomen climbing up what remained of its web. I decided to leave it alone and head back down the trail. I stopped off at the Pantu waterfall for a quick dip in what were hopefully schistosomiasis-free waters. When checking out of the headquarters, I showed the staff a picture of the spider and they confirmed that it was indeed poisonous.

Pantu Waterfall

I head to Gunung Mulu National Park tomorrow and may not be able to update for 5 days or so.