Thursday 23rd July

8:10am

Today we were up and out of camp by 6, going on a river cruise before breakfast to try and see some more wildlife. We successfully spotted a kingfisher, a couple of hornbills, an eagle, a crocodile and a proboscis monkey - all before 7:30 in the morning!
     Breakfast was served when we got back to camp (which included a real fried egg... I'd almost forgotten that eggs existed!!) and soon we'll be starting project work at 9.
     I love being in the riverboats here. It's so peaceful (apart from the sound of the engine) drifting along down the endless river, surrounded by jungle on either side. I'm beginning to really like being on boats.

8:16pm

Project work this morning involved collecting seeds from the trees for replanting in the future. Taing, one of the locals, climbed a huge tree and cut down branches which fell to the ground where we were waiting so that we could then harvest the seeds by picking them off of the branches and putting them all into bin bags. It wasn't too hot at this point, and we were sitting down so it was easy enough and actually kind of therapeutic just picking all of these seeds off of the branches.
    We did this until lunch, and then after we'd eaten we had a break so I went off to my hammock for a nap. This is the first place where we've actually had separate sleeping quarters, so it's pretty much the first time we've been able to get any privacy in all the time we've been here. Unfortunately you can't stay there too long though, as it gets incredibly hot inside the hammocks in the middle of the day.
     At 1:30 we headed off into the jungle, walking for about half an hour until we reached a clearing. Here, our task was to clear the area of all the long grass, cutting it down with machetes - or parangs as the locals call them - in order to leave the space clear for planting trees. Together we got this done surprisingly quickly, so we were only out there for a couple of hours before heading back to camp.
     Soon after we got back we went on another river cruise as a lot of wildlife go down to the river banks in the afternoon so it was hoped that we'd be able to see some more. I didn't really set out with any expectations as you never know how lucky you're going to be, it's all completely down to chance,  but my god were we lucky.
     Firstly, we saw another hornbill up really close in the tree, then a giant lizard slithering along, a crocodile emerging onto the bank from the water, and a couple more eagles... and then we saw the monkeys.
     Long tailed macaques sitting, playing, and basking in the sun all along the bank. You could easily tell which one was alpha, as he was prowling along, looking out over the others. There were mothers and babies, young and old, and we just got to sit there on the river and watch them in their natural habitat. No zoos, no cages, no fences, no controlled environments, just monkeys in the jungle, just as monkeys should be.
     We thought that that was as good as it could get, but soon after we'd begun journeying along again, a shout went up from one guide to another across the three boats: ORANGUTAN! And there she was. Sitting high in the treetops, hidden at first - but with one leisurely swing through the branches, she was there as clear as day - an orangutan. For a second no one breathed. Then we noticed it: just behind her, only just old enough to swing himself through the trees. A baby orangutan.
     We were told that we could get out onto the river bank for a closer look as long as we didn't disturb them, so out everyone clambered to watch the pair stretching out and swinging through the trees. We watched them for a while before they disappeared into the branches and we reluctantly had to set off again.
     But our luck hadn't ended yet. Further down, the shout went up again, and even clearer this time, there was another orangutan, sat so high in the canopies it looked like the branches couldn't possibly support him. But support him they did as he swung from branch to branch, eventually disappearing from sight.
     And it still wasn't over. We'd turned around and were on our way back to camp again when we noticed another. This time we got to see him taking a snack; picking and munching fruit with one hand while clinging onto the branch with the other. We can't be 100% sure if he was a different orangutan or the same one as we'd seen a few minutes before, but all the same, the whole thing was the most incredible experience in the world.
     We got to see 3, possibly 4, wild orangutans in the rainforest of Borneo, all within the space of an hour. The orangutan is the emblem of our trip; it's on our tshirts because it represents Borneo like nothing else. And yet it's becoming incredibly rare. No other group here has spotted the orangutans in the wild for months, and we got multiple sightings all in one day. There was a rumour of a mother and baby down river, but we were the first to see.
     It makes every little trauma of this trip so much more than worthwhile. To see the orangutans here in their natural habitat is beyond words, and hands down the most incredible thing I have ever witnessed. I feel so, so lucky to be sitting here in the middle of the jungle writing this down. And all on Gemma's birthday!
     We all came back to camp absolutely buzzing with excitement and joy at how lucky we'd been. And then it was time for tea, with us slowly coming back down to earth, and now after such an amazing day, it's time for another night in my hammock.

Wednesday 22nd July

2:30pm

We left the hostel at 7:00 this morning and we've pretty much been on the coach ever since, bar a couple of stops along the way. We stopped at the same market we've been too several times now for snacks, and then we stopped at a little restaurant for lunch where I had some really tasty sweet and sour chicken and rice (still enjoyable, despite its familiarity by now).
     We must be getting close to our destination by now though as we've been travelling for several hours and now all that can be seen on either side of us is rainforest as far as the eye can see. You can tell where a lot of it has been re-planted, as some of the trees still look really young and are in very obviously straight lines. It is obviously a huge shame that the re-planting has to take place at all, but it's also really good to see that something is being done. Borneo just wouldn't be Borneo without the jungle.
     None of us really know quite what Camp Batu Puteh is going to be like, including how basic (or non-existent) the facilities will be, so once more it's a case of waiting to see what the rest of the day will bring...

10:27pm

About 3:30pm saw us arrive at base camp, which is basically just the village of Batu Puteh itself before we head into the jungle. The coach just about squeezed itself down the narrow, dusty roads!
     We had little Malaysian sweets waiting for us as a quick break before we stored our main backpacks away, as they're being left here whilst we're in the jungle. Then it was onto the boats and we were off down the Kinabatangan River on our way to the jungle!
     It was only a short way down the river before we were climbing out onto the muddy bank and entering camp. There's a central dining area (which consists of a few benches under a huge tarpaulin), a couple of other tarps to mark the toilet and 'shower' areas, and then several more dotted around which will be the bashers for our hammocks.
     We were quickly briefed by Mia, the camp leader, and then shown how to put our hammocks up - and then we were left to it. It was a bit confusing putting the hammock up if I'm honest, but luckily some of the others were complete naturals, so they then gave me a hand with mine and eventually we were up! I tried getting in it, which didn't work out too well and sort of just ended up with me half in and half out in a very odd position... Guess I'll just have to try again later!
     The funniest thing that happened today was the toilet saga... The toilet here is, as expected, just a hole in the ground surrounded by a charming smell and a bit of tarpaulin tied to some sticks for dignity. We do have toilet roll though - or should I say did have toilet roll - as I managed to drop the entire roll down said 'toilet', and even though we've only been here a couple of hours, there are 17 of us girls and there was already some stuff down though which meant that I wasn't too keen to try and fish the toilet roll out again... Luckily Mia saw the funny side of it and found us some spare!!
    After dinner we set off on a night walk through the jungle to try and spot some wildlife. It was only a short walk as a lot of us were quite worn out, but we did spot several lizards, birds and a huge spider, as well as coming across some other Camps International groups who were staying in other jungle camps nearby. One of them recognised us and shouted 'It's the wheelbarrow guy from Bongkud!' at Joe as we walked past...
     Once we came back from the night walk we all sat around together under the main tarp until slowly people started to drift off towards their hammocks. I stayed up a bit later than usual, so I'm one of the last in bed - and getting in here was certainly an adventure. Considering that I hadn't actually successfully got into my hammock at all yet, and it's now so dark that even my head torch isn't much help, I'm not quite sure how I managed it... but manage it I did. I got into my hammock, took off my boots and socks and tied them up so that no creepy crawlies could make their home there in the night, and then commenced a lot of wriggling around until I'd eventually got comfortable. Like many of the others, I chose not to get changed in the end just to avoid any more hassle!

Tuesday 21st July

12:50pm

This morning we were awoken at 4:45!! With only time to throw some water on my face and throw on my boots, we set off for our sunrise walk with many of us still in the same clothes we'd slept in.
     It was still completely dark, so our head torches were required for about half of the way there. It was roughly a 40 minute walk across the beach, but it wasn't too bad as it still being dark meant that it was fairly cool for once.
     We walked all the way to the end of the island and sat there on the shore as the sun rose before us. It was partially hidden by cloud to begin with, but slowly it ascended past the cloud and at last the sky was fully lit for the day. It was so peaceful just sitting there with nothing to do except stare at the sky ahead of us.
     The walk back was a little harder as once the sun was up it started getting hotter very quickly. It certainly built up an appetite too, so we were glad to have breakfast as soon as we got back to camp.
     The rest of the day has been very laid back as we've just been getting ready to leave, and the other group here left this morning so at the minute we've got the camp to ourselves again for a little while.
     We took full advantage of our last opportunity to go swimming and spent ages in the sea, splashing around and admiring just how amazing it is here. I'm really not a beach fan (and even here I can't help but get a bit annoyed now and then by the sand getting EVERYWHERE) and I'm sick of being so stupidly hot that you're all constantly sweaty and dirty no matter what you do, and I'm tired of the fact that on this island your feet are never really dry... But despite all that, I absolutely love it here because it's so incredible that it's simply impossible not to.
     Apart from packing (which was nearly completely trauma-free this time!) and eating lunch (which was tomato pasta!!!) I've done pretty much nothing for the rest of the day, and now it's just some more relaxation time in the hammocks before we get on the boat and start our journey back to Kota Kinabalu.

10:30pm

The boat was late - nothing unusual in this country - so I fell asleep in the hammock where I was resting and only got woken up when it arrived. Then it was a 45 minute journey back to the mainland (many people let the boat rock themselves to sleep) and a 2 hour coach journey, and now we're back in Kota Kinabalu.
    This time we're staying in another different hostel called Borneo Backpackers (which is actually the same place we are in on our first night in KK). We got there a little later than planned so dinner was served nearly straight away.
     After dinner we were briefed by Dave about what life in the jungle would be like and what to pack as we're only allowed to take our day bags with us to the jungle rather than our main bags. The briefing was followed by a lot of anxious questions from everyone, but most of us are really excited about going into the jungle, as well as being slightly scared!
     Then there was just time to pop out to grab any last minute bits we needed for the jungle (extra bug spray was top of many people's lists!) before packing and rearranging our bags ready for the journey to Batu Puteh - the last camp of our expedition.

   

Monday 20th July

5:50am

Mantanani is so ridiculously peaceful in the morning. I was first out of bed today, and I have no desire to go back there when this world is out here for me. All there is is the sound of the waves lapping against the shore and the occasional call of a bird and the slight rustle of a breeze through the trees. The rest is silence.
     Today is our last full day on Mantanani already, so I think we're back to the hard work today! I just cannot believe that we have basically a week left before we head home already: the time has gone by so, so quickly!! Seeing as we're heading to the jungle next, the hardest part is probably still to come, but in Borneo everything has been a challenge, so there'll be nothing new there!
     The main thing that this expedition has done is constantly surprise me. It surprises me when I'm shown the world in a whole new light; it surprises me when I discover new cultures and traditions that I had no idea existed; and it surprises me when I'm shown just what I'm capable of, which is more often than not far more than I've ever dreamed possible.

6:45pm

After breakfast we were briefed about the beach cleanup project and why it's important to remove litter from the beaches, and then we set off. We had a 400m stretch of beach to cover. At first all of us were litter-picking, but then we changed tactics, which meant that me and some of the others headed back to camp again to begin sorting the rubbish out. We had to sort it into specified categories so that the data about how much we had collected etc could all be analysed properly, but some of the categories were really oddly specific and others were very vague, so sorting it wasn't actually as easy as you might imagine. Once sorted, it all had to be counted and weighed as well. In total, we collected and sorted just under 90kg of rubbish by 11:00, which is apparently another record broken by our team!
     It felt really rewarding, but also a little pointless to be collecting all this rubbish when we've seen how the villagers dump it all and it will be just as bad again tomorrow, but at the same time I know why it's a really important job and it is a good feeling to know that you're helping to save the lives of marine animals and birds.
     In the afternoon, we headed down to the project site where they're building the community/Homestay hall. We were packing the bottles together with chicken wire and mortar to make the walls. It was ridiculously hot - about 45°C, so there was a fair amount of grumbling (including from me), but we all took turns so that people could have breaks and we got through it.
      This evening should be good as we're holding early birthday celebrations for Gemma (18 on the 23rd) and Ethan (17 on the 25th) as their birthdays are whilst we're in the jungle, so we decided to make the most of the opportunity here to throw a bit of a party.

8:30pm

After dinner we had banana cake and layer cake trifle for dessert as a special birthday treat, and then we all sang Happy Birthday before heading down to the beach for a bonfire. However, just as we started making our way down we heard a pattering on the roof of the eating area. We ignored it at first as this isn't unusual - in the evening a lot of leaves fall from the trees if there's wind and that makes a similar noise. But the pattering quickly turned into a roaring and before we could even comprehend what was happening, it was raining! Rain on Mantanani in the hot season? Even Ida looked shocked! At any other time we would have welcomed the rain with open arms (we still kind of did because of the heat, even though it was terrible timing). Everyone ran in from the beach, and Hattie started sprinting through camp, screaming that her washing was out - at which point I realised that mine was too, so I dropped my water bottle from where I'd been filling it up and ran after her. We all just about managed to rescue it in time and string up a makeshift washing line inside the bunkhouse where it would be out of the rain.
      We thought that that was the bonfire plan out of the window for the evening, but then word spread that Dave still wanted us down at the beach for another surprise. So despite the rain (which was surprisingly chilly), we met him there, where he was waiting with marshmallows and biscuits which he'd somehow managed to get hold of in the village shop! Gemma and I had only been reminiscing about making s'mores on Girlguiding campfires the other night, so it was really lovely. Toasted on what was left of the bonfire, we stuffed our faces, finishing them all in good timing just as the fire went out.
    And now, after all that excitement, it's time for bed...

Sunday 19th July

7:35

Today has been a much more relaxed day in camp, which has been a nice change, especially seeing as it just seems to keep getting hotter!!
     We were split up into small groups in the morning and then first my group did the introduction to the Marine Conservation Project. Ida and a volunteer staff member who's studying Marine Biology told us a bit about the marine life around the coast of Borneo, and on Mantanani in particular, and then we were split into two again and given some books to use for research. My group had to research sea turtles, and the other group had to research coral, and then after about half an hour we each had to give a presentation to the other group. I didn't really know anything about turtles before so it was actually really interesting - and studying on the beach was definitely a new experience... Some of the things that I learnt include the fact that there are 7 different types of sea turtle, and they all have no teeth. Also, the gender of a turtle is decided by the sea temperature - if it's above 29.9°C then the turtle will be a girl, if below then it will be a boy. This is why climate change is really important, because warmer sea temperatures mean that the gender balance will no longer be balanced! I also didn't even know that coral was actually an animal, so you really do learn something new everyday!
      After that, we attempted to make bracelets out of rubbish found on the beach. We used crisp packets and similar wrappers to fold up into little squares and join together to make the bracelets. A lot of the local women on Mantanani make and sell them, so it was good to have a go for ourselves, but it was surprisingly fiddly and actually really hard, so not all of us finished!
     During our lunch break I went for a quick swim again - it really is hard to stay out of the water when it's so beautiful (even for me, and I usually hate beaches!) Then after lunch we tried hammock making, which was actually really simple once you got the hang of it and learnt the pattern of knotting the ropes together.
     Then we swapped with the other group to learn about coconut and its uses. There are loads of coconut trees here, so the locals have a lot of knowledge about them and the best ways to use them for all sorts of purposes. We had the chance to try climbing up a coconut tree, but I decided I was probably safer off on the ground... Several others tried but all struggled quite a lot - except from Dave, who was the only one who could get anywhere near the Mowgli-like movements one of the villagers showed us! We then tried coconut water and coconut flesh from young and mature coconuts to compare them both and decide which we liked the best. The coconut water was much nicer from the young coconut, but the flesh was much nicer from the mature coconut (in my opinion). Lastly, we also learnt about how coconuts can be used to make bedding, mats, rope and much more.
     We had a short break, during which another cow wandered into camp - this time leisurely chased away by the security guard on a bike... Plus we were treated to the surprisingly tasty snack of sugared potato wedges, which I couldn't keep away from!
     After the break we learnt to weave with palm fronds, which was really simple and fun, and weaving together a whole palm leaf did feel like quite an achievement.
     Today has definitely been the hottest day by far, and the sweat was just dripping off of us all all day long. That's one thing I definitely won't miss!!
     We're now just sat around having some free time after dinner before we head off on a night walk (it's already pitch black) with the aim to see, or at least hear, the Mantanani Scops Owl, which can't be found anywhere else in the world, so I'm hoping for some luck!
 
9:01

We saw two!! We didn't even have to go that far, but our guide took us right into the depths of the jungle - it was amazing in itself how he knew the way in and out of there. A little way in and we were all told to turn off our head torches and we stood still in complete darkness for a few seconds before our guide suddenly shone his torch into the treetops, and right there, perched on a branch was a Mantanani Scops Owl; all dappled brown and white, his wings tucked up, still asleep and not yet ventured out for the night. He was tiny too - I expected him to be small, but the guide said they're normally about 18cm and this one can only have been about half the size of that. Our guide started moving again, making owl calls as he went, and then suddenly up went the torch beam again, and just in time for us to see it, there was another one just flying up out of the branches.
     So far, all the other groups this summer have been unsuccessful in trying to catch a glimpse, so the 10 or so of us that were on the walk all feel incredibly lucky to have managed to do so (not that it was down to our efforts at all, it's all thanks to our guide!)
     On the way back we also saw a couple of hermit crabs scuttling along in the darkness, camouflaged amongst the leaves, and all the way back it was hard to concentrate on looking where I was going because all I wanted to do was look up at the sky - which resulted in a few near trips - because the stars were so beautifully clear. I could have stayed there all night.

Saturday 18th July

7:20pm

Today has been our first full day in Camp Mantanani and it has been hot beyond words!!
     At 8:00, we headed off across the island again, but this time much further than where we walked yesterday evening. We then spent the morning collecting plastic bottles and bits of plastic and styrofoam from the beach and the surrounding area. The whole place is like an actual tip, it's almost unbelievable. Then once we'd collected enough we began on the main task: using the rubbish to fill the bottles in order to make eco-bricks. These will be used for the walls of the Homestay community hall that they're building. In Malaysia, the government operate a program called Homestay which is where a few families are selected to act as hosts to visiting tourists, instead of them staying in hotels. Camps are helping the way this operates on Mantanani by building a little hall which will have an office and somewhere for the tourists to wait to meet their host families or to wait for their boat etc. Anyway, in an effort to be as sustainable as possible, this hall is being built using these eco-bricks rather than standard bricks, so it was our job to make them. Not to sound lazy, but it was lovely to do project work sitting down for once!
     When we came back for lunch we were all so disgustingly sweaty that all 23 of us dived straight into the sea to cool off. I originally said that I was only going to paddle, but that idea didn't last very long! We all played games like Piggy in the Middle and just floated around, feeling like we were living in luxury.
      Unfortunately, 2:00pm came and we had to head back to site again to carry on filling bottles. I found the walk there much harder this time as the temperature had shot up over lunch and some of the walk is across sand, so it can be quite hard-going. We continued filling the bottles, keeping ourselves entertained by playing the Categories game as we did so, and soon enough we were finished for the day.
     Back at camp, most people jumped straight back into the sea again, but I chose to use the time to cool down in the shade and get some washing done (it's never-ending), as well as treating myself by shaving my legs for the first time since we left home... 
     After dinner I showered and now I'm just writing this as we wait for our welcome dance to begin, which should be starting very soon. We didn't have it last night as another group arrived today, so it's being done tonight to welcome both of our groups.
     I also had my first experience of lying in a hammock today, and instead found it very comfortable. These ones are made of knotted rope though so laying in it with bare skin can be a bit uncomfy and can leave some really attractive patterns on your skin...
    We also had a cow get into camp this afternoon. As I said, they're everywhere on this island, but our camp is enclosed so it's unusual for one to get in. This one was a little calf and was absolutely adorable, but was soon chased away by the security guard. When I say chased, I mean he wandered after it very leisurely...

9:10

I'm now ready for bed (I'm such a party animal out here). The welcome dance started a little later than it was supposed to as the dancers were held up at a local football tournament, where they won several games.
    The dance here was very different to the other tribal dancers that we've seen so far. It was originally the traditional dance of the sea-gypsy people of the Sabah coastal region, but is now pretty much a lost tradition, so one of the women here has trained a dance troupe so that their tradition isn't lost forever. These dancers were much more focused on really subtle movements, particularly with their hands, and they had glittery decorations on all of their fingers so that they sparkled in the light when they moved.
     They performed three dances, all to music played on a speaker, which was also different as previously the dances we've seen have been accompanied by gongs. The group consisted of three women and two young girls - one of the girls haltingly introduced us to the dance in English which was really lovely as you could see how difficult she found it but how eager she was to welcome us.
     When they'd performed all three dances, they asked for volunteers to join in with two of them, and then we all had to join in with a train dance which was a bit like the Conga, only this one went backwards as well as forwards!

Friday 17th July

11:45am

I'm currently sitting on the coach once more as we travel onwards with our journey towards the island of Mantanani. After a quick breakfast and last-minute packing session, we hopped on the coach at 8:00 and we've been here ever since.
     About 9:30, we stopped at the same market as we did on our way to Bongkud, only this time we realised that around the corner from all the market stalls, there's also a little tourist spot and viewing platform where you can look out at Mount Kinabalu. It was a bit cloudy this morning, but you could still see it pretty clearly.
    The rest of the coach journey has been a combination of naps and gazing out of the window, watching the world go by. One thing I really will miss about Borneo is just how green it is. No matter where you are, there are always trees everywhere, and you're never too far from the jungle, which can usually be seen looming ahead on a hill somewhere.
     It's so easy to forget that the world is not the same everywhere you go. It's so easy to grow up under the illusion that the part of the world that is different to the one where you spend your days is so far away that it may as well be in a different universe entirely. It's so easy to forget that, whilst all people are humans, and we're all connected by that alone, not all people are the same. There are so many different languages and cultures and ways of life, but it's so easy to fall into the trap of thinking that yours is the only one, when it's really, really not.

9:30pm

We got off the coach at a slightly questionable-looking harbour which appeared to have been abandoned for about 80 years (a very stark contrast from the posh marina where we caught the boat to Gaya). There we ate our packed lunch of chicken and rice and then we were in for a long wait until the boat arrived, as it was only about 12:30 and the boat wasn't arriving until 2. As it turned out, the boat was even later than planned, so we amused ourselves by playing the Categories game and Two Truths and a Lie. Dave nearly managed to convince us that he'd once been homeless, but not quite...
     When the boat did turn up, it looked slightly dubious as to whether us and all of our bags would even fit on, but with a bit of a squeeze we did, and we were on our way. The journey was about 40 minutes and was a little slow to begin with, but we were soon out onto the open sea, and speeding along, cruising across the waves. And suddenly, out of nowhere, the sea miraculously changed colour - you could actually look back and see the line where it changed - to the most brilliant blue I have ever been lucky enough to see. As we neared the island, everyone gasped as we realised that the sea is so crystal clear you can easily see all the way to the bottom and spy all the little fish swimming around.
     We tumbled off of the boat, which was able to drive all the way up to the shore, with people squealing and laughing in delight and disbelief at the island that lay before us. The beach stretches on as far as you can see, and the sand is so white it almost sparkles, and the sea is so clear at the shore - the lightest shade of blue imaginable!
     We met our camp manager, Ida, and were briefed on life in camp here. It's joint squat toilets/showers here too, but at least there's far fewer of us here! At the minute we're the only group on Mantanani, but there will be another group arriving tomorrow. We put our bags in our accommodation quickly and then met back in the dining area. All of us girls are in one bunkhouse together in beds which are hammock- like material, but over a wooden frame, so they mould to your body and are ridiculously comfortable, if a little tricky to get out of once you're in! The beds are three storeys high so some people have got to climb quite a way in and out, but I tactfully chose the bottom...
     Then Ida took us on a tour of the camp and one of the villages on the island. There are two villages here on Mantanani, one either side of the camp. The villagers are, as usual, extremely friendly and eager to welcome us, but the conditions are quite poor. They share one toilet between around 5 families, and it's usual here for parents to have around 8 children, often more, so the families are pretty big. And there's only that many toilets because Camps built them some more! They only have electricity at night, from 6pm - 6am, as they obviously primarily use it just for light. And there's all these cows wandering around everywhere randomly, just stood on the beach perfectly content! It's such a shame that the part of the beach by the village is basically a dumping ground which is appalling considering how beautiful it is - but I guess these people don't know any different, it's what they've always been used to.
     We walked back to camp just to fill up our water bottles quickly and then we headed to the other village at the other end of the island in time to see the sunset on the beach. I paddled, but some people swam right out; the water was so warm and lovely, and the sunset was the best I have ever seen, the colours bleeding across the sky as the sun slowly sank and we all splashed around laughing.
     Shower time when we got back to camp. This is definitely the place more than any other so far where we're going to be permanently sweating - Ida said that it reached over 40°C here yesterday!! Then about 8, after dinner, we built a little bonfire on the beach out of driftwood and all crowded round it - not that we needed the heat, but it was a really nice atmosphere, especially as across the bay there were fireworks being set off as tonight is Eid, the last night of Ramadan, so the whole of Mantanani, which is mainly Muslim, has a very festive feel tonight. Some of the boys tried to catch crabs and little fish and cook them on the fire. They managed to catch them, but eating them didn't go too well!
     And now, even though it already feels like we've been on Mantanani for ages, it's time to settle down for our first night here.