Malaysian Road Rules

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These last couple days have been crazy. Yesterday we began the journey from Singapore to Cameron Highlands in Malaysia. We got on a bus from Singapore to the Malaysia border city Johor Bahru (JB). Singapore and Malaysia are separated by a long bridge, and the idea is to bus to Singapore immigration, get off the bus to get your exit stamp, then get back on the bus to cross the bridge to Malaysian customs. We got a little confused and ended up walking across the bridge.
In JB a tour guide (aka - some random guy with pamphlets) gave us a ride to the bus station, and told us to follow some other random guy who would get us our tickets. We were a little nervous but we ended up on a greyhound bus to Tapah, some little jungle town at the base of the highlands. The scenery was awesome, forests of palm trees, red dirt, mountains - all on a highway better than those in Saskatchewan. After about seven hours the bus pulled over, told us to get off and pointed to some random people with an SUV that would take us the rest of the way. So going 150 km/h to some strange town, with some strange people, we finally made it to Tapah. The people there stared at us as if they had never seen a white person before. The only thing that may have looked more out of place was the KFC.
In Tapah we got on a school bus that had seen much better days, which took us up the mountain around endless tight, blind curves with cliffs on the side. The bus didn't bother slowing down around these turns - thats what the horn is for, right? It was pretty scary, and then it got dark, and very scary. We made it though, and found a place to stay.

Today we went on an adventure tour. We visited a tea plantation and factory, went to the highest peak (6666 ft), and visited an aboriginal village where they taught us how to use a blow gun (you better not piss me off when I get back!).

Then came the jungle walk. The walk itself was great, we saw the biggest flower in the world (the rafflesia) in bloom. What was completely terrifying was the drive up to the jungle hiking place. Picture red dirt (mud), potholes like meteor craters, ruts two feet deep, and of course, it wouldn't be complete without a cliff. Don't worry mom, we were wearing our seatbelts - just kidding, there weren't any. The ride up was scary enough, but we made it (and only broke down once!) It rained while we were on the jungle walk, so it was even worse on the way down. One of the British girls was yelling at the driver to stop because she wanted out. He couldn't really stop where he was, otherwise I would have gotten out with her.

All in all it was a great day, but I definately thought I was going to die a couple times! We are ready for some beaches now, so tomorrow we are heading to the Perhentian Islands (top ten in the world according to Lonely Planet!).

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Photos

Awesome Malaysian Man
this dude serenaded us in the morning and gave us rice

Michelle and the flower
the biggest flower in the world

Malaysian Archetecture
the jungle trek begins

Comments

[allianne]

exotic
wow!! i cant believe.. there's a biggest flower.. now that i saw it i am satisfied.. thanks,.. God bleSS you..

[allianne]

exotic
wow!! so beautiful.. i can't believe that there's a biggest flower.. now that i saw it i am satisfied.. thanks for your report..

[Lilly]

Wow
Those pix are amazing and that is the scariest looking flower! can it eat people? if it can i am not going near it! Lol :) and is it poisonous!!??

[ching]

wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
that is a big flower