hello everyone. Just a quick blog to keep you upto date with everything out here. Nearly comingto the end of my trekking rotation. Has been really good, we have had an excellent ranger, Gabili, who klknows so much about the jungle and has taught us a lot. The first 5 days we were doing surveys of orangutan nests. One of our treks included walking to a natural water hole and so we had a dip in the fresh water.althugh we were convinced there were leeches and snakes in there as it was dirty frommud on the bottom, it was actually very clean and was so nice after a long sweaty trek!!!! Gabili made us banana cake on a lot of the treks as a energy boost - it was really yummy!!!

The last 4 days we have been doing small mammal surveys, setting traps and recording the measurements and weight and then marking them before releasing them again. We have so far caught lots of tree shrews, rats and a porquepine (spelling?!!). We have been on 2 night hikes, they were really cool, lots of amazing noises really loud coming from the smallest of animals!!! WE saw an orangutan making its nest too which was great. Feel like we've seen the whole processof the orangutans now - all we need is a birth of a baby!!! hehe.

Last night there was a big party at our guest house for someone who was retiring from working with the wildlife organisation out here. Lots of food, drink and karaoke and dancing!! Sylvia got us up dancing a lot ..... not so nice when it was big sweaty men trying to dance with you!!!!! HAHA! we had a fun night though.

Last day of trekking tomorrow, then we are climbing Mount Kinabalu on Tuesday ARGHHH!! Im really nervous, been told we wont be able to walk for days after!! Oh well wish me luck, hopefully Ill come back alive!!

lots of love xxx