Cameron Highlands

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I got a minibus the next day to the Cameron Highlands: The land of tea plantations and rolling hills. We were dropped off at a shabby looking hostel, where no-one wanted to stay. Consulting the bible we decided on Father's Guest Lodge, but the driver would not take us there. It seems Daniel's Lodge the shabby hostel was intent on trying to monopolise the backpacker accommodation and Father's was the only other accommodation in its way. After much argument, we gave up and decided to walk ourselves. It was only five minutes away. Father's was actually lovely, the dorms were set in WW2 Corrugated Iron style bunkers and there was a huge TV/restaurant area complete with sofas. At such altitude the temperature had dropped and so me and the two British girls I was sharing a room with excitedly contemplated a night of film-watching. Firstly we decided to go on the countryside tour in the afternoon that was leaving a few minutes after we'd just checked in. Perfect, so we thought. I had envisaged walking around the countryside and then visiting a tea plantation for a cuppa and some scones. Instead, we were ferried around in a minibus with 'older tourists' to a Chinese Temple, a Rose Farm, A Butterfly farm, a strawberry farm (strawberries to eat here so worth a visit) a bee farm and finally the tea plantation. We learnt how the tea is made and were given a tour around the factory, the guide for the factory took the whole thing very seriously. It got heated when he claimed tea can prevent cancers such as breast cancer and cervical cancer and a Gynaecologist piped up stating such claims were not definite. Definitely time for a cuppa. I chose my cake of choice and went to order a cup of 'Boh' tea: no water apparently, so no tea. With my mouth aghast I asked the woman why there was no water or tea at a tea plantation cafe. Apparently there was a blockage with the water from the hills. There really would be no tea. Gutted was an understatement.

We headed back laughing at the lameness of the day. Little Miss Sunshine was the film for the evening though so that was an improvement. I spent part of the evening searching for flights to Borneo. For some reason when faced with the prospect of two weeks in rainy and busy Peninsula Malaysia the idea of going over to Borneo popped into my head. Air Asia and its ridiculously cheap flights cemented the idea. I booked my tickets the next morning and Jo a girl we met the previous night gave me Malarone tablets she had left over. I deemed this as a good omen and excitedly thought about spending Christmas in Malaysian Borneo with Orangutans.

First I was to visit Kuala Lumpur for a few days...

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