hi laurieco

i have trekked in our jungles and have never used a leech sock. i usually try to not use covered shoes and i wear shorts so that i can spot the leeches straight away and use a twig to flick them off before they sink their hooks in!

i also carry a little bit of salt to throw on them so that they curl up and drop off - never had to use it yet though. the best is to be the first to walk ahead on the trail coz it is after they sense the vibrations from the people trekking that they are all ready to latch on the next person.

i cant believe leech socks work

Hornbill, I have to say that I'm sitting here laughing at your exchanges with Laurie about leeches. I'm also headed for Borneo in November and have done my share of research on it.

While I can't say that I would be comfortable with your approach (bare legs so you can knock leaches off before they start sucking your blood) note my post above that says how leech socks work: "One of the disgusting things about leech socks is that they don't really prevent the leeches from sucking your blood, it just means they have to go past your shoes and leech socks to find someplace to attach. The leech socks are light colored cloth, and you hope that your traveling partner will see the leech climbing up your socks in time to knock it off... yuck!"

I know Laurie and her partner have purchased "Seal Skinz" which are water proof in hopes they will deter leeches. I'll be interested to hear how they work, but I'm not so sure I want black waterproff socks in the hot and humid jungles of Borneo.

Your tip about using salt on leeches is a good one. Others have talked about using lighters to get them to drop off - I have to say I am more comfortable with salt.

Call me crazy but I'm having a hard time understanding why anyone would want to go thru all of that on a vacation - leeches, malaria- and you pay to be exposed to all of that. As I said call me crazy!

No, Bill, you're calling us crazy - and I understand why! If the lure of the wildlife wasn't so great...

But I'll report back (and I know Laurie will too) and let you know if I thought it was all worth it!

I am looking forward to complete reports on the effectiveness of these socks as well as overall experiences with leeches in Borneo from Laurie and Kathie. I for one will not be upset if Laurie leaves Bob's leeches on the plane rather than bringing them to the Boston GTG.

Bill, you forgot typhoid and dengue fever. As I always tell my friends who want to know why I go to these places, it's not a vacation unless you have the opportunity to pick up a rare tropical disease or two! Not that I want to get one (when I got back from Costa Rica a few months ago, I had a malaria scare and had to be tested, not fun), but the most interesting places are conducive to these things. I could stick to places that are "safe" such as Europe but been there, done that so many times that I now find it boring and need some adventure. Eric and I really love being in jungle, seeing wildlife, and yes, the threat of danger, remote as it is, does add to the adventure and excitement. Leeches however are another story. They are just too disgusting for words.

Craig, the leeches were going to be my "show & tell" for the display table ;-) But first I have to get them past the customs man.

laurie:
I know how you can get them past the customs people...just wear them somewhere unoticable. :)
Aloha!

hawaiiantraveler, I think I'll take a pass on that one.

Kathie or Laurie:
Are you taking anything for Malaria when you are in Borneo? Is Malaria prevelant in Malaysian Borneo?
Aloha!

hawaiiantraveler, I'll be taking malarone. Thanks for reminding me--I got the prescription 10 days ago but haven't filled it yet. Better do that this week! There is malaria in Borneo, along with all the usual suspects of disease.

laurieco

i really hope you have a wonderful time in borneo. i usually recommmend east coast of west malaysia and east malaysia(ie sabah and sarawak) to friends overseas. i wish i could meet up with you in kuching and ask you how it all went in the jungle and whether the socks worked. but i will be going to italy for my holiday in sept!!

looking forward to hearing about your holiday here when i get back.

Thank you hornbill. I apprecaite your good wishes. If you are back in early October, we will be in Kuching then. Let me know. Have a wonderful time in Italy, a country that is very dear to me. I spent a semester of college in Siena, in Tuscany. Some of my fondest memories are from that time. I may be going back there next July for a reunion.

i am back 8th october. will you still be in kuching?

i am so looking forward to this italian trip. have been to milan, florence and venice.

this time, will be concentrating on the rome and amalfi coast.

the good wishes extend to you too, kathie for your november trip here.

if you do want to get in touch with a local here, my email is [email protected]. i enjoy meeting people.

HT, I'm also taking malarone. There aren't many areas of Malaysia that still have malaria, but Sabah and Sarawak do. And I will spend a few days in the deep jungle, so I want to be as protected as I can be.

Hornbill, I'll be in Malaysian Borneo in November. I don't have the exact dates in front of me. We'll spend the last few days in Kuching.

Have a wonderful trip to Italy!

thank you, kathie. just let me know if you would like to meet up when you are here.

Thanks for the offer, Hornbill, I'll be in touch with you via email.

Hornbill, unfortunately we will be going home on Oct. 8. We're leaving Kuching Oct 4 to spend a couple of nights in Penang at the E&O and then back to KL for 2 more nights at the Mandarin Oriental.

have a safe and wonderful journey. us chinese would say, sun hong

Thank you hornbill. Sun hong to you as well.

just wondering laurieco, have you read into the heart of borneo by redmond o' hanlon? its a humourous account of two englishman, one literary reviewer and one poet, who trekked in sarawak to look for the borneo rhino.

another book is stranger in the forest: on foot across borneo by eric hansen. i have not read this one yet though.