Malaysia

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Malaysia hadn't been in my plans at all, but with it being 9 degrees and raining in Hanoi, and 0 degrees in the area that I'd planned to go trekking in the north of Vietnam, it quickly became a part of them after I went into the Air Asia office to find out where I could fly to from Hanoi. It meant I can head up overland through Thailand to catch my next flight in a month's time to India. I liked Kuala Lumpur, although I only spent a couple of days there, due to the budget accomodation not being that great, or that budget either. I stayed in the Chinatown area which had a lively market and street food stalls, had a good scoff in the food court of the Petronas Towers (didn't go up, you had to wait all day for a ticket), did the hop on hop off bus tour and wandered round the bird park in the rain, which meant me and the birds had most of the place to ourselves. After that I headed for the Cameron Highlands, which I'd intended visiting for 3 or 4 days but due to the exodus of people that is Chinese New Year, I got here and then couldn't go anywhere else, so have ended up being here for 8 days in total. I've had a couple of walks in the forest, visited a couple of tea plantations, drunk a lot of tea (sometimes while looking at the tea plantations), eaten scones with jam and cream every day, and in the past 3 or 4 days watched a lot of films and talked a lot of rubbish with the other people who've been stranded here! (No accomodation or bus tickets to be had in the whole of Malaysia) I'd planned to visit Penang and Langkawi on my way to Thailand, but as I hadn't planned to be in Malaysia in the first place, it's not the biggest disruption to my travel plans. So tonight I get an overnight bus to Hat Yai in Thailand, from where I hope to go to Ko Lanta, and will hopefully be there by mid afternoon tomorrow. I've enjoyed my brief and limited stay in Malaysia, it's a very developed country and seems very integrated with the three main groups of Malay, Chinese and Indian seeming to live harmoniously together. Maybe one day I'll be back when it's not Chinese New Year.

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Photos

Petronas towers
Had to wait all day for a ticket to go up to the sky bridge (which isn't even anywhere near the top) so just went and had a very nice Indian meal in the food court instead

Wee ferny thing
A plant. In the forest. Yesterday

Scone red alert
If only every trek had a sign like this appearing halfway through the day

Tea plantation and forest
I went on a trek where we walked through the tea plantation and then the forest

Trekking group
With our guide, the famous Uncle Kali who is 63, and hikes in the jungle every day. He told us lots of information about the plants and trees of the forest.

Loo with a view
At the tea plantation cafe

Out walking in the forest
A tough day's walking, hanging on to roots and branches to haul yourself up and lower yourself down the whole time

Cicada on the hand of our guide
The ones that make all the noise

Pitcher plant
Insects fly in and get trapped in liquid and then get digested by the plant

Another tea plantation, another scone
This one in a fancy pants cafe

Accomodation in Tanah Rata
The guesthouse I stayed in was former army barracks