Espresso with the Headhunters

John Wassner sets off to find the fearsome headhunters of Borneo - his only concern: would he be able to find a decent cup of espresso in the jungle? In a journey that took 12 months of planning and preparation, he experiences and explores the wilds of Borneo.

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The indigenous people of Borneo use blowpipes and poisoned arrows. They wear "pan-handle" haircuts, live in communal dwellings and some tribes have mastered the art of making themselves "invisible" in the jungle. But above all, they have a reputation as fearsome headhunters. Having cast aside his Armani jeans and bought up all the jungle equipment he could find, the author sets off to experience and explore the wilds of Borneo, one of the last relatively unknown places on earth. His only concern: whether he would be able to find a decent cup of espresso in the jungle. But life in the wilderness turns out to be quite agreeable - with wonderful (if unusual) food, all-night longhouse parties, drunken natives and breathtaking surroundings. In a journey that took 12 months of planning and preparation, the author takes on the mighty Rajang river, travelling up its many tributaries into the heart of Borneo - visiting remote longhouses, isolated frontier towns, government outposts, logging camps and nomadic tribes deep in the jungle.