Can't believe we didn't die on that bus!

Trip Start Jun 15, 2007
1
83
164
Trip End Ongoing


Loading Map
Map your own trip!
Map Options
Show trip route
Hide lines
shadow

Flag of Malaysia  ,
Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Well we thought the local bus in KL was bad, we hadn't seen anything! We got the bus to the Cameron Highlands yesterday and that was another suicidal trip. We had to change buses half way as the brakes broke and so we wouldn't have got up the hills in the Highlands if we had managed to live to get anywhere at all! But the new bus had broken air con so we had to go to a shack for it to be fixed and sit on the sweltering bus while 3 men were inside the engine trying to fix the problem. Then we were on our way into the mountains where our driver got horn happy. He would beep the horn on every corner and if anything was coming the other way they would have to move quickly as our driver had no intention of moving. We discovered it was best to shut our eyes and not watch as it was just too frightening! We just had to hope for the best! Oh and when we changed buses Ali went to use the toilet, no sorry, a hole in the ground, but didn't take any money with her. There was a big momma sitting outside the "toilet" but she came and blocked the way out demanding money. Ali had to dodge her, as she wouldn't let her past without paying, and run to the bus where she hid while the bus pulled away. The woman was not a happy bunny and is probably still cursing the Brits!
We are only staying in the Cameron Highlands for 2 nights so last night we went to a hostel up the road with some people we met on the bus, and we sat around their camp fire drinking and chatting the night away. That was fun apart from all the mosquitoes that like to chomp on our flesh. We will do the same again tonight after dinner. We also went for dinner with these guys and went to a fruit stall in the village where we got to try lots of the native fruits from Malaysia. Some are really nice but the Dorian Fruit is really not good. It is like bitter cheese and it smells really bad! So bad that we are not allowed to bring any to the guesthouse!!!
Today we went on a tour of the Highlands, stopping off at a Butterfly Farm, where we saw lots of different insects and creatures as well as Butterflies, and Ed got to hold a poisonous scorpion - why???? Then we went to a strawberry farm where we saw the strawberry plantation and got to taste the homemade jams and marmalades and also to have a cream tea! Next stop was the Tea Plantation and Factory, where we saw the tea plants and got to see the process of making tea inside the factory. We then got to try the BOH brand tea before we moved on to the Honey Bee Farm where we saw the bees and honey being collected and we tried the honey too. From here we went to the local market where we got to try some fruit and veg and to buy some of the strawberries from the farm we saw earlier today. Our last stop for the day was a Chinese Temple. We looked around at the statues and the candles before heading back to the guesthouse and now we are getting ready to go for dinner. Tomorrow we are off to Penang, so will catch up again soon!!!
Print this entry