The Saddle Saga: the wilds of Borneo After lunch we headed further into the dense jungle. Choosing the longest, 8-mile trail; we planned to hike all day, camping on the beach and trekking back the next morning. Over the course of the afternoon the trail deteriorated, becoming a series of near vertical climbs and descents on slippery ground. By 6pm it had become so dark I could not see the trail under the tree canopy. It began raining as lightning flashed across the sky. Our concern began to grow. We got to the beach just before night fall and quickly set up camp. We collected wood for a fire and with no tent or ground mat I found a four-meter leaf to sleep on. Eventually we got the fire going, ate some dinner and lay down to rest. Crocodiles are endemic in this region and thoughts of them kept invading my sleep, snapping me awake. After a few hours the monsoon rains began again so we retreated into a small cave in an attempt to stay dry. After sunrise a water monitor lizard wandered past and then a tribe of monkeys scoured the beach for food. The hike back was immensely tough, the trail was water logged and even more treacherous as the rivers had burst their banks. We soon ran out of water and had to drink from the streams using water purifiers. Due to the painfully slow progress we didn't stop for lunch, walking for eight hours straight. On our return we discovered we both had trench foot but our more immediate concern was to shower, eat and sleep. My friend Kamrul invited us to spend the Muslim festival of Hari Raya with his in-laws near Kuching. Captain Gulzar welcomed us and we enjoyed a fireworks display to rival that of the public ones in London for Bonfire Night. The following morning we experienced a Malaysian "open house." This is where Muslims invite friends and family over to enjoy the post-Ramadan celebrations. Captain Gulzar and his family take it a step further by inviting everyone in the surrounding villages round to eat and receive a small cash present. Over three days, 9,000 people paid a visit. It was some house party. Matt McDonald and Andy Madeley are cycling from London to Sydney to raise money for War Child. Follow their route at www.thecyclediaries.com