Day 9 Saba tea plantation.

The long houses here are more like what I was expecting.

Raised wooden huts with accommodation along one side and open at the other. They were mostly constructed of bamboo but had a tin roof.

When we arrived we were informed that we would be sharing the place with an all girl school from Australia... Not as good as it sounds... I would have been put on a special list for the rest of my life if I had touched any of them!

After dinner that night some of the children that live on the plantation gave a demonstration of traditional dancing which we all joined in with.

The funniest part of the evening had to be when Lisa 'i really don't like insects Cluroe was attacked by a fairly meaty looking cricket... I think they can sense her fear!

I am going to include a picture of the big brown spider that was in the blokes toilet... I was trying to get my hand next to it for scale... But every time I did the b***** moved!

So I decided to use the trap furthest away.

Up and ready for 6:45 this morning so we could watt h the sun rise over the tea plantation. We got to see the mists clear from Kinabalu.

The mornings here are odd... When you look out across the landscape and see the hills and mountains shrouded in mist it almost looks false like a BBC scenery prop!

Once we finished breakfast we had a tour around the Tea factory... It was interesting to see what is behind something we pay so little notice to.

Henry and the plantation manager took us o. A walk up a small hill in the plantation grounds. By the time we started the sun was defiantly up.

It wasn't that bad though. Most of it was shaded by the canopy... The incline was tough ish in parts but there was plenty of flat bits and the head guy from the plantation stopped allot to explain various plants and herbs... Most of it seemed to be variations on wild Ginger though... Apart from the cinnamon tree!

And the leaf that smelt like coffee but was nothing to do with coffee... I think I need a coffee!

Two mini buses and a 4x4 came to take us to the Mesilau lodge. From there we climb the mountain tomorrow.

We were told it was basic accommodation... It's 3 bunk beds in a room and there are good showers/loos here.

6 AM start for the climb tomorrow.