Cameron Highlands and Penang

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Wednesday February 26^th

So most part of the day was travelling to Cameron Highlands. The bus driver was horrendous. A bit like a boy racer, just couldn’t get there fast enough. Overtaking all the time, on blind bends and hills and then having to brake suddenly as he was going too fast. Maryanne was going to say something when we stop, but we didn’t stop in the three hours it took us. I think he must’ve calmed down after a while as all three of us slept on the way, and the driver did drop us all off individually at our hotels so that’s good.

This was the first time I had arrived at a hostel/hotel without a reservation. Basically, not known where I was sleeping that night. I arranged to get dropped off at the Eight Mentigi guesthouse, luckily they had room, well a bed for two nights. The owner (I assume) was really friendly and booked me in after showing me to my bed. I then booked onto a full day tour for the next day. Me, Max and Maryanne had arranged to meet for dinner. So I just chilled out for a bit, uploaded some photos to facebook, won’t be putting much more on there, so bloody time consuming! This is bad enough, but I have gotten into a rhythm with it now. Met a girl that has been travelling for 2 and a half years! WOW!

Met Max and Maryanne for dinner and we went for an Indian, and shared our meals. It was really nice. Quite touristy place but still small and quaint at the same time. They had booked to leave to Penang the next afternoon after a morning tour. Said goodbye to them for the evening and swapped emails etc.



Thursday 27^th February

Up early to be collected for my day trip. I was the only one collected from my hotel, but the hostel owner said he was a very good guide as he was pulling up. As I got in the car he, Raju, was very friendly and said ‘lets go pick some more people up!’ yay! Not on my own for once. We pulled up to the Cameron Highlands Resort – posh – and picked up 2 British couples that had been on the same tour as me in Taman Negara! It was great as I was missing British humour! Didn’t realise just how sarcastic we are as a nation! I love it! We also picked another couple up who were from Germany I think.. we were in a Landrover Defender as well, which reminded me of my dads old one. There is a higher density of Landrovers in the Cameron Highlands than anywhere in the world! First on this tour we stopped at the side of the road where there was tea growing to take some pictures, then Raju talked us through the growing and harvesting of the tea, they are big tea drinkers in Malaysia so none of it gets exported any more. Next we headed to the highest point of the highlands, around 2600m above see water, higher than Machu Picchu! To take some pictures, there was also a viewpoint tower which had some scarily steep stairs (‘not more stairs’ we were moaning – after Taman Negara).

Next stop the Mossy Forest! It was beautiful, much nicer than the Taman Negara trail as it was on the ground rather than on a raised walkway. The ground was soft and spongy due the humidity and moisture in the ground, the trees were completely covered in moss and there were insect eating flowers along the way! Just stunning. After this we headed to the Tea factory where they roll the tea, then dry it and then sort it into graded of tea. It was very interesting. We then went to the café and each of us (me and the 2 British couples) had a different type of tea each. Including one called, Palas, and Gold blend and others that I cannot remember, we all sent our tea round each of us to taste them all and mine was the winner! Ha ha it tasted most like English tea! After this we went to a butterfly farm, but it wasn’t just about butterflies. Oh no. there were snakes, Rhino headed beetles, spiders, stick insects, leaf insects, geckos, chameleons, and even scorpions! ALL of which they took out of the cages and put on your hand/body. Oh my god! I was being a right girl about it, and the British couples were just standing there holding a scorpion or something! Nutters! I got a picture with a butterfly on my hand and holding a massive tortoise, but that’s all I could do!

Next was lunch in a Chinese place, I had Balsam pear chicken, no idea what a balsam pear is, but it was nice. The german couple left as they had only booked a half day trip. I was talking to the couples about China and other places they had been and I was going etc. it was good to speak to some English people, is that bad? I have loved everyone company so far, but it made me comfortable to talk to them! After lunch we headed to a massive Strawberry Farm and tried some, they are grown off the ground and each plant has a tube with water and nutrients being pumped into the soil. We tried some and they were lovely!

Next stop, Time Tunnel, which was basically a collection of old things owned by one man, from old money and bottles to barbers chairs etc, the collection had been turned into a museum. It was interesting to be honest. Last stop, a beautiful buddist temple. I am finding that in quite few places you have to take your shoes off to go in, the religious places I get, but other places too.. I remember asking Meeri about it in KL and she said she experienced it a lot in Thailand, something to do with not letting bad spirits in?

Long day! Went back to the hostel and booked a bus to Penang and a hostel while I am there too, leaving at 7am, skyped some people and went to bed!



Friday 28^th February

Bus to Penang, much better driver! I slept through most of the 4 hour journey.. when we got there they dropped us off at Chulia Street, it was lucky that I knew pretty much where my hostel was, as the driver has never heard of it. My mum will be happy to know that I DIDN’T get lost trying to find it. I walked and found it within 5 minutes! I was early for check in again so I chilled in the common area for a bit. The hostel, House of Journey, is new and only been open for a month, it is ran by a lovely young couple who have been in the UK for a few years but originally from Penang, it has really good reviews for somewhere that hasn’t been open long, and the place really is great, set out in a good way and its clean. Also it doesn’t feel like it’s only been open a month.

Once I was shown to my dorm, which was great, I had another sleep! Mustve needed it! I have been pretty busy the past few days.. I went for a wander around the local area, headed to the coast, which wasn’t a beach as it was near the Jetty. (Mum – I didn’t get lost!) had a look around, it is a lot more built up than I was expecting, more like a city than an island. After having a wander I found myself in a lovely place called De yard that served beer and Prawn Rendang. Yes please. Headed back to the hotel and booked a plane to Langkawi for the day I check out. Again just chilled out, I am developing a theme I think for my first night in a new place; check in early, wifi, sleep/chill, wander, eat, wifi, sleep.



Saturday 1^st March

Breakfast – jam on toast. Head out for another wander, go a different way out of my street and find myself on Cambell street, lots of Chinese lanterns. I keep walking and I find a market, but it is more of a local market, not a tourist one. So there is raw meat and fish, fruit, veg, and things other than food, like electrical equipment and household items. I also found a stall a few streets down that specialised in ‘Chendol’ I took a picture – the one in a blue bowl with green noodles. Amazingly it is a refreshing desert with noodles and red beans.. and it was filling! Even though it is mostly ice! I have a video of ow quickly they make it too.. I’ll try to remember to upload that one.. Found myself in a mall or two and then a bus station so I hopped on a bus to the Kok Lek Si temple on the outskirts of the town, on the bus there were 7 young English lads and their conersations made me laugh, from football to superheroes, something don’t change.

Kok Lek Si Temple was incredible. I cant really say much than that, please look at the pictures to see. I was there for nearly two hours. I even fed the turtles at the end. Then I got the bus back, had to miss the first one as I only had a 50RM note and the bus was 2RM and doesn’t give change. But I quite like the fact that I have the flexibility to miss buses. Freedom, no time limits or deadlines, for the first time in my life.



I had a casual wander back again, missing my stop, but again it doesn’t really matter that much. i stumbled across an 'interactive museum' on the way back and got some shots of that. Bit crap on your own, but great for people watching. Went back to the hotel via the same restaurant as last night and discovered they serve cider! I have been craving cider a lot as it isn’t something you come across outside the UK. I had two bottles of Somersby cider and a whole delicious pizza to myself too. Comfort food. No shame in that every once and a while. I then headed back to the hostel and chilled out again. The girl in my dorm invited me out for dinner, but I politely declined. I think people are here for spring break.. I have heard that a bit while I have been, showered packed and arranged my lift to the airport before going to bed. On to the next adventure.

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