Under-estimating the popularity of climbing Mount Kinabalu, we neglected to book our spots until it was too late, and so had to be content with the stunning views of the giant we enjoyed during our bus ride from Sepilok to Kota Kinabalu. At some 4095m, the mountain soars over the surrounding area, cloaked in mist like a giant slumbering dragon. We've agreed that we'll have to come back and complete the climb at some point (although I'm secretly quite relieved we weren't able to do it on this occasion – it looked massive!)

As a result, we had a couple of extra days on our hands, and chose to spend them in Kota Kinabalu, the biggest and most prosperous town in Sabah. We were planning on seeing the local sights and spending a day snorkelling off the coast in Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park, comprising a series of islands which offer the best chance of seeing marine life close up in SE Asia.

Sadly, fate intervened, and I returned from the jungle sporting a rather attractive red rash on my arms, legs, chest and neck. It seemed that my over-zealous application of a Tiger Balm-based insect repellent had resulted in a pretty sizeable allergic reaction, which left me feeling tired, sore and irritable. After a day of antihistamines gave no respite, we decided to pay a visit to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, to a) make sure I hadn't brought back anything serious from the jungle, and b) try and get rid of it as soon as possible. Malaysian hospitals seem a lot like British hospitals except they're more efficient, and A&E has a pet cat. Aside from this hygienic blind-spot, it was a relief to speak with a doctor (in English!) and within an hour and a half, I had been given a blood test, got the results (no dengue fever, hoorah!) and been given treatment, in the form of a hydro-cortisone shot.

James maintained that I was just being a hypochondriac, that it would've gone away by itself given time. He's probably right, but travelling when you're not feeling well is never much fun. Besides, this was the man who told me the cut on my finger was 'just a scratch' when I ended up needing 5 stitches, so I'm happier trusting my own judgment on such matters!

I was pretty tired and grumpy for the next couple of days, so we decided against the snorkelling trip and instead hung around the town, visiting the delightfully 70s Sabah Museum and Heritage Village. The museum itself was interesting, although the highlight for me was being asked to pose for a photo with a teenage schoolboy, who then proceeded to show off the photo to all his friends – before he was even out of my sight! The Folk Village showed all of the different types of wooden longhouse that the different native tribes live in – they all started to look the same after a while, although the highlights were the one with the natural trampoline, and the one with the collection of skulls in the roof, to ward off evil spirits. Looking forward to seeing a real longhouse when we get to Sarawak!