Borneo! The most and maybe only thing I ever really connected Borneo with was headhunting. I didn't really even know where it was. I think I just thought it was somewhere in Africa. It just sounded like an African place!

Besides the caves and trekking trails in Borneo, another popular activity is hiking the "Headhunters Trail" . You go along narrow trails and visit several authentic villages of the original headhunters of Borneo. 

In 1884, The Very Rev. Thomas Jackson, Perfect Apostolic of Labuan and North Borneo, wrote about the headhunters:
 
 "They have a custom of killing people in order to obtain human skulls, which they suspend as trophies from the roofs of their huts. But, notwithstanding the barbarous customs that exist amongst them, they have many good qualities." 

Here's some more info about the headhunters you need to know. Headhunting was a way to gain respect and fame among his tribe. How many skulls were hanging in a man's house showed how great a man he was and a warming to others not to mess with him.

In Sabah the Murut tribesman conducted headhunting raids in order to get married. The young man had to take as least two heads to prove his worth.

There were different ways to cut off heads, depending on the tribe you were part of . One tribe would sever the head at the neck, preserving the jaws. Another tribe would just slash the skull with a mallet or cut the throat.

The Iban tribe would scoop out the brains through the nostrils. Then, hang the head up to dry in the smoke of a wood fire. Now and then they might wander over to the fire and tear a piece of the flesh off to eat. They believed this would add to their courage.

While headhunting stopped several years ago, (1950), I am told when a man in a headhunters tribe wants to marry, he presents the girl with a human skull, even now. I don't know where he finds the skull. 

Today we leave the mysterious, enchanting island of Mulu and fly to Kota Kinabalu, commonly called KK. 

There are a few places I have stayed in my travels that stick in my mind as exceptional. Always, it has been because of the people I have met while staying there . D-Caves is one of those places I will always remember fondly! I met a lot of people from various countries here. The outgoing attitude of the owner of the guesthouse and the fact that we communicated more without the internet available was the reason we got to know each other so well. 

I said goodbye to my new friends (that I may never see again......or, I may see somewhere in another part of the world). The airport is in walking distance of D-Caves Hostel. This is the only place I have ever stayed where I could just walk to the airport when it was time to leave! 

KK is still on the island of Borneo. It is the state capital of Sabah, Malaysia. KK was mostly destroyed in the bombings in WWII, so there is not much pre-war historical sights to see here.

This intriguing city is located on the coast of the South China Sea, surrounded by hills all around. It's irresistible, especially at night . The coastline is covered with eaing tents that come alive in the early evening with every type of fresh seafood imaginable.

Paul (from British Isles) and I ran into a couple of friends of mine from China. We all agreed to head to the coast for a seafood dinner. If you are not a fan of seafood you might be out of place in this seafood haven.

 Mount Kintabula is one of the tallest mountains in South-East Asia and is the reason many people come to KK to visit. It takes two days to climb the mountain, but I will not get to climb this one this time around.

NEXT: I VISIT THE WORLD'S MOST EXPENSIVE BUILDING!