when i first went up this river, i was sick with love. the bad kind. the fist around your heart kind. i ran far but there was no escaping it. it followed me upriver all the way. that was ten long years ago. a previous episode of a previous series of a previous life.

yet here i am again. heading up to that same longhouse in the jungle. ♪ i took a walk through this beautiful world ♪ ♪ felt the cool rain on my shoulder ♪ ♪ found something good in this beautiful world ♪ ♪ i felt the rain getting colder ♪ ♪ sha la la la la ♪ sha la la la la la ♪ sha la la la la ♪ sha la la la la la la

♪ >> last time i saw all this, i think it's fair to say i was at a turning point in my life. i promised some people i'd come back, and i am back. my life has changed a lot. how much have their lives changed? kuala lumpur. happy to be here, but brimming with mixed emotions. surrounded by all the sights, smells, and flavors i remember so well.

this is where a wandering soul such as myself can dive right in and get some of that straight chinese food i've been missing. first order of business, dinner. been on a plane for, like, i don't know, this long. very long. saw, like, five mark wahlberg films. i can't tell you how excited i am about the prospect of getting some black pepper crab, and some pork gladed noodles and a regional beverage. reasonably cold. i don't even know what this is. i love you, noodles. don't want to get all heavy and philosophical at this point, but why i'm here, what my mission is, what i expect to find,

basically me tracing my steps and all that. we'll talk about that later. right now, noodles. good. this place is the most excellent. oh, look at the greasy, fatty, yes, come to daddy. i'm a bad man. this is, like, a random restaurant, with a minney mouse logo and their food is unbelievably good. oh, yeah. black pepper crab. right here. reveal yourself to me. hot, hot, hot. oh, yeah. wow. all right. the frenzy's over. now eat in a more relaxed phase.

kuala lumpur rises up out of steamy, equatorial jungle, malaysia's capital city. a chaotic, multi-ethnic, multi-cultural metropolis. this is where you start out when fulfilling a decade-old promise to your ex-gold hunter friends to return for the annual gawain rice harvest festival. what's interesting the last time i was there, the old guys with their tattoos and rings on their fingers. >> yeah. a lot of them have passed on. >> i hear no more skulls. they made them put the skulls away. >> once enjoyed a truly formidable reputation as

trackers, warriors, and ritualiritual istic takers of heads. they were and continue to be wanderers. valuing a tradition where every tribesman was set out from the lo longhouse of his birth to travel, learn, to bring something back. each tattoo he gets over the course ever of his life represents a different experience, a different journey. >> just to signify knowledge and the wel they brought back to the longhouse, what you probably would want to get -- >> like that. >> last time i saw you, you were getting that. >> still there. >> still there. ten years ago at his shop, born borneo ink, he tattooed me be a symbol of a snake eating its own tail. life, death, the eternal ebb and flow. i think i was going through a hippy phase.

eddie does great work and he's known for traditional tribal tattoos, but i'm looking forward to getting it done old school this time. hand tapped in the jungle. so, i need your advice because i'm going back to the same village that i went to last time. >> just be careful of the -- >> yes, they had it in every type of bottle. this is clear sort of cloudy liquid with particles in it. >> sometimes they put weird stuff inside. my dad used to tell me they take mosquito oil and leave it inside. >> a mosquito what? >> coil. >> like the pesticide? >> yeah. just make it, like, stronger. >> i would imagine so. >> that's a natural staple l, gawai, usually drinking, passing out, waking up, eating, drinking some more, passing out again then getting up and drinking some more. yeah. you're going to have fun, man. >> wow. all right.

♪ so i'm headed upriver again. >> yes, sorry i can't be there. >> i promised them, i said i'm going back. >> about nine years late on your promise, but -- >> nine years late. >> that happens. you know, promises come liberally. >> it was david who first took me up to the longhouse. on that previous trip we met at aunty aini's on the outskirts. >> everything moves exponentially. feels like some things remain exactly the same, some things haven't changed at all. this place is certainly one. >> the charming and for lack of a better word fabulous aini was an actor in the malaysian film

scene who now runs a very successful restaurant specializing in beloved village or country classics. all of them prepared with a staggering finesse and precision. this is delicious, delicious food. >> welcome. it's been so long. oh, my. you still look as handsome as ever. all right. >> well let's pick up right where we left off which started with this. >> help yourself. >> thank you. >> you're going to have the roast beef and poached egg and our favorite. >> so good to be back. >> i love watching you guys eat. >> who taught you to cook? who was the good cook in your family? >> when we were small, my grandmother would say stuff

like, i don't care who you are, if you can't cook, you're nobody to me. >> oh, wow. >> yeah. there's no teaching malay cooking here. it comes from your mom's kitchen. it's how i teach my children to cook. all the dishes join do them, the aroma just floats around. i know exactly where the chili paste frying in the pan is ready for not. it's from here. basically it's from here. >> this food is so perfect. the flavors are so perfect. it's so delicious.

selling 18 homes? easy. building them all in four and a half months? now that was a leap. i was calling in every favor i could, to track down enough lumber to get the job done. and i knew i could rely on american express to help me buy those building materials. there are always going to be unknowns. you just have to be ready for them. another step on the journey... will you be ready when growth presents itself? realize your buying power at open.com well, right now you can get 15 gigs for the price of 10. that's 5 extra gigs for the same price. so five more gigs for the same price? may i? 50% more data for the same price. now get 15 gigs for the price of 10.

come on! let's hide in the attic. no. in the basement. why can't we just get in the running car? are you crazy? let's hide behind the chainsaws. smart. yeah. ok. if you're in a horror movie, you make poor decisions. it's what you do. this was a good idea. shhhh. be quiet. i'm being quiet. you're breathing on me! if you want to save fifteen percent or more on car insurance, you switch to geico. it's what you do. head for the cemetery! (patrick 2) pretty great.ke to be the boss of you? (patrick 1) how about a 10% raise? (patrick 2) how about 20? (patrick 1) how about done? (patrick 2) that's the kind of control i like... ...and that's what they give me at national car rental. i can choose any car in the aisle i want- without having to ask anyone. who better to be the boss of you... (patrick 1)than me. i mean, you...us.

(vo) go national. go like a pro. ♪ after a two-hour flight from kuala lumpur, i land in borneo,

third largest island in the world. divided between malaysia, b brunei, and indonesia. kuching. capital. it's a sleepily city with a colorful 19th century boys adventure story history. pirates, head hunters, opportunists. the former domain of sir james brook, an englishman who came to be known as the white raja. for a century, generations of the brook family ruled sarawak has an independent kingdom. they created their own army, the sarawak rangers who also acted as raja's personal guard. tomorrow i follow the pavement as far as it goes then it's boats the rest of the way. but first, breakfast. unfortunately, i know exactly where to go. i sat at this same table last

time. >> i look at my life as a continuum, a trail of noodles. going round and round the world until it comes right back to the same spicy bowl. oh, yeah, that is, can i say tumecent on cnn? yeah, pretty sure i can. oh, yeah, babe b baby. it's a magical dish. i don't know. it's two types of noodles i think. chicken, coconut, chili. you know, the main event of this is the broth. the wisdom of the ages is contained in there. it's, like, super complex. might need more of this. all right. i'll have another one of these. more.

it's the broth. the broth. look at it. thank you. now i'm becoming the object of much amusement. people have noticed i'm on my second. damn. best breakfast ever. ♪ ♪

♪ >> love that sound. ♪ ♪ >> before heading out to the longhouse, i'm meeting kuching

native alex wong at a dockside karaoke joint on the malay side of town. what's up to the karaoke here? it's popular everywhere, but this is alcohol-free karaoke. >> yes. >> in my experience, you have to be really [ muted ] up to do karaoke, but here apparently not. >> no, no. it's the spirit. our people here, they can party any time. ♪ ♪ >> so you're coming upriver with us? >> yes, i am. i am. >> exciting. >> four days of nonconnectivity, you know that? >> yes. i'm committed to that. it's the drinking. >> i'm worried about that, too, seriously, because i'm past my drinking days, you know, bullet i don't think there's an escape from it. why are you back in kuching after ten years?

all the places in borneo? >> it's a good question. i'm revisiting some stuff. just some -- i was in a weird place in my head when i first came here. i was personally, professionally, everything in my life was changing. i was in this sort of nowhere land between previous life and whatever came next. i'm retracing my steps to a lot of this to see if it still hurts. >> ah, okay. >> and also i said i'd promise these guys in the village, the chiefs, that i'd come back. well, i made a promise, and i'm going to live up to it. >> yeah. ♪ ♪

10 gigs of 4g lte data, each. no sharing just $30 bucks a line need new phones for the family? get the samsung galaxy s6 for zero upfront, and just ten bucks a month. plus, get a samsung 4g lte tablet on us when you get a new data plan only from t-mobile. i tried depend last weekend. it really made the difference between a morning around the house and getting a little exercise. only depend underwear has new confidence core technology for fast absorption and the smooth, comfortable fit of fit-flex™ protection. get a coupon at depend.com i am totally blind. and sometimes i struggle to sleep at night, and stay awake during the day. this is called non-24. learn more by calling 844-824-2424.

or visit your24info.com. want bladder leak underwear that try always discreet underwear and move, groove, wiggle, giggle, swerve, curve. lift, shift, ride, glide, hit your stride. only always discreet underwear has soft dual leak guard barriers to help stop leaks where they happen most and a discreet fit that hugs your curves, you barely feel it. always discreet underwear so bladder leaks can feel like no big deal.

because hey, pee happens. get your free pair and valuable coupons at always discreet.com

♪ even the jungle wanted him dead. ♪ this river, what's the line, snakes through the sarawak jungle like a main circuit

cable, plugged straight in a, somewhere. a place. a state of mind. i don't know. i was a basket case last time i went up this river. my mind miles away. >> is this how you remember it, tony? >> yeah. >> exactly the same, huh? ten years later? >> pretty much. yeah. so far. you pick your way upriver, like walking up a gradual flight of stairs, getting out often to push. with several hours still to gorgo, a stop for lunch. there we are. we're even right on a beach, too. all right.

that's cool. >> looks like bamboo chicken there. ♪ >> good. good, right? >> it's great. that means delicious. >> yeah, how's your -- >> it's possible, i guess. basic words. >> i gather the plan is to try to get there before dark. >> i don't think it's going to happen. >> yeah, me either. >> no. ♪

>> hello. >> all those years ago the man who looked after me at the longhouse was named itom. over 80 years old back then, he led us bounding uphill through the jungle like a young gazelle. he still had the marks on his fingers of a man who'd taken hits, in his case, presumably communist guerillas when he fought during the malay ins insurgen insurgency. we drank shots of whiskey together under human skulls, trophies of the time. i promised i'd come back. a big day on their calendar, when friends and relatives return to the longhouse. a lot has changed since he

tracked comis through the jungle and much has changed in the ten years since i've been here. itom passed away the year before last at the age of 92, and the evidence of how timbering he's depleted much of the forest is everywhere, scandalously so. ♪ it's dark by the time we arrive, but someone has been waiting for us.

please advise me of protocol. [ speaking foreign language ] thank you. all for me. oh, yeah. just like old times. there you go, my man. custom must be observed. thank you. woo. oh, yeah. >> woo! ♪

♪ >> more cell phones than last time. ♪ ♪

>> a great welcome. >> pardon? [ speaking foreign language ] yes. my respect, my condolence. [ speaking foreign language ] >> she cannot stand longer, of course. >> thank you. treads, what you got? lookin' a little bald, sir. with all due respect. got the perfect fit -- ready to roll. wheels up, flaps down, let's fly. right now during the big tire event,

get a $140 mail-in-rebate on four select tires at your ford dealer. ford parts. ford tools. ford techs. when your ford needs service, there's one, elite team. these are the specialists. at ford. i built my business with passion. but i keep it growing by making every dollar count. that's why i have the spark cash card from capital one. i earn unlimited 2% cash back on everything i buy for my studio. ♪ and that unlimited 2% cash back from spark means thousands of dollars each year going back into my business... that's huge for my bottom line. what's in your wallet?

start looking for a house? oh did you see that listing on zillow i sent you. you see that bathroom? did we just decide to buy house? i think so. yay! find your way home. zillow.

love or like? naughty or nice? calm or bright? but at bedtime ...why settle for this? enter sleep number. don't miss the semiannual sale going on now! sleepiq technology tells you how you slept and what adjustments you can make. she likes the bed soft. he's more hardcore. so your sleep goes from good to great to wow! gift the best sleep of your life to your whole family. only at a sleep number store. right now save $500 on the veteran's day special edition mattress with sleepiq technology. know better sleep with sleep number.

digestive core.r so choose ultimate flora by renewlife. it has 30 billion probiotic cultures. feel lighter and more energized. ultimate flora. more power to your gut. ♪

back after a lot of years and a lot of miles. i wake up to the sounds of early morning village life. roosters call. the coughing and clearing of lungs as the elders rise to do chores. sharing a communal space that runs the length of the building. some things have noticeably changed. the longhouse i first stayed in has been replaced by a somewhat more modern version. these days there's electricity from a reliable diesel generator. and while there's no cell phone signal, the plumbing works, the washing in the river is still, the way i see it, anyway, the preferable option. ♪

in this part of the world, you live or die by the rice harvest. less so these days as timbering has changed, well, everything out here, but traditions run deep, and in gawai, the harvest festival was and remains like christmas and new year's rolled into one. [ thunder ] we will need pork for gawai. and unfortunately, that means a pig must die. more awkwardly, custom, and my personal history in this village

demands, once again, that i do the job. down by the river, i shot my baby. what did he mean by that? why would he do that? shoot his baby? unless baby was a delicious, delicious pig. ♪

♪ >> i'd like to tell you that this is never easy, that i felt this time like i did the first time. sad, nauseated, complicit, aware

that i crossed a line, been changed by the violence and the blood and the awful noise. but that would be a lie. this time, i plunged the spear in without hesitation or remorse. when the pig dies, finally gives it up, i feel only relief. i have been hardened by the last ten years. i don't know what that says about me, but there it is.

(patrick 1) what's it like to be the boss of you?

(patrick 2) pretty great. (patrick 1) how about a 10% raise? (patrick 2) how about 20? (patrick 1) how about done? (patrick 2) that's the kind of control i like... ...and that's what they give me at national car rental. i can choose any car in the aisle i want- without having to ask anyone. who better to be the boss of you... (patrick 1)than me. i mean, you...us. (vo) go national. go like a pro. the most advanced iphone yet. get the new iphone 6s at t-mobile. the network that's doubled its lte coverage in the past year.

our new extended range lte signal now reaches twice as far as before. and is four times better in buildings. get our lowest price on iphone 6s with trade-in. zero upfront and just 5 bucks a month with jump on demand. get it now at t-mobile.

♪ ♪ far up the river, the countdown to gawai is on, and i can't help but be struck by one particular upgrade since my last visit. ♪

♪ karaoke. as i come to learn, constant karaoke. never-ending ca never-ending karaoke. from a limited playlist of favorites. nearly 24 hours a day accompanied by copious amounts of beer, and other strong spirits. ♪ ♪

♪ >> it should be pointed out gawai isn't just about consuming potentially blinding amounts of alcohol. it's also about food. and one would be well advised to eat a lot. lay down a solid base for the torment to come. oh, thank you. i feel so guilty. >> no, no, not at all, actually. >> should not. >> so delicious. all right. >> tradition that people put rice on their plate. >> common. >> yeah, yeah. >> good. delicious.

♪ ♪

. >> welcome back. >> thank you. cheers. ♪ >> as the revelry kicks into high gear, there is nowhere to hide. i know only that if i sit still anywhere within range of hospitality, there will be a river of booze. beer, tuac, which is rough hand crafted local rice wine and its

more lethal distilled brother. then somebody's pouring you johnny black or j.d. or vat 69. then who knows. you only know it keeps coming until you sag facedown on the perfectly acceptable practice, by the way. i wake up, i go to sleep, i wake up again. the party has moved down a few doors, but it's still going. this is an experience that will repeat itself again and again for the next three days. one time it's the ladies still standing, partying like it's

1999, dancing and drinking, and another time it's the old dudes, the village chiefs and elders, and everybody, women, children, visiting families, and wherever circumstances, that's where it took them. the party expands and contracts according to mysterious patterns that i am in no shape to discern. when you booked this trip, you didn't know we had over 11,000 local activities listed on our app.

or that you could book them right from your phone. a few weeks ago, you still didn't know if you were gonna go. now the only thing you don't know, is why it took you so long to come here. expedia. technology that connects you to the people and places that matter. oh no... (under his breath) hey man! hey peter. (unenthusiastic)

oh... ha ha ha! joanne? is that you? it's me... you don't look a day over 70. am i right? jingle jingle. if you're peter pan, you stay young forever. it's what you do. if you want to save fifteen percent or more on car insurance, you switch to geico. ♪ you make me feel so young... it's what you do. ♪ you make me feel ♪ so spring has sprung. well, right now you can get 15 gigs for the price of 10. that's 5 extra gigs for the same price. so five more gigs for the same price? may i? 50% more data for the same price. now get 15 gigs for the price of 10. we thought we'd be ready. but demand for our cocktail bitters was huge. i could feel our deadlines racing towards us. we didn't need a loan. we needed short-term funding. fast. our amex helped us fill the orders. just like that. you can't predict it, but you can be ready.

another step on the journey. will you be ready when growth presents itself. realize your buying power at open.com. i am totally blind. and sometimes i struggle to sleep at night, and stay awake during the day. this is called non-24. learn more by calling 844-824-2424. or visit your24info.com. i tried depend last weekend. it really made the difference between a morning around the house and getting a little exercise. only depend underwear has new confidence core technology for fast absorption and the smooth, comfortable fit of fit-flex™ protection. get a coupon at depend.com

morning routine. wake up, feed the chickens, rake the pepper drying in the sun, then it's time to rock the bike people and it starts all over again.

♪ ♪ while the party continues up at the long house, i've got an appointment. if you are wonder tpg this hurts, two guys hammering away at my abs with a sharp needle? yes, yes, and if it was not on camera, i would be whimpering like a gunshot poodle.

>> there, stand up. >> all right, good? very happy guys, thank you. all right, let's party. another tattoo is never going to make me younger, or tougher or more relevant and won't connect me with some spiritual crossroads in my life. at this point i think my body is like an old car, another dent ain't going to make a whole lot of difference. at best it's a reminder that you are still alive and lucky as hell. another tattoo, another thing you did, another place you've been.

another long gaze to take in for the last time in my life, the slow village, one more thing to do, say good-bye to an old friend. ♪ >> he was a very strong man. i remember him well running uphill, faster than all of us. what do we do? leave him a beer and cigarettes? >> yeah. >> he would like that? >> yeah, he would like.

♪ >> first cigarette in two years for you, man. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ i'm mike rowe, and i'm on a mission to find people on a mission. what are they doing? how are they doing it? and why? ♪ ♪ >> it's got to be done. on this episode, i'm barking up the right tree, way up, and going out on a limb, way out.