David Cameron Highlands

Trip Start Nov 12, 2008
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Trip End Apr 30, 2009


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Flag of Malaysia  ,
Monday, January 5, 2009

Leaving behind the hustle and bustle of the city, we head to the Cameron Highlands, a highland region located about 121 km east of Ipoh and about 214 km north of Kuala Lumpur, in Pahang, Malaysia. At 5,000 ft (1,500 m) above sea level it is the highest area on the mainland (thanks Wikipedia).  Its a beautiful area of lush greens and wet rainforest and a perfect place to chill back.  Jim Thompson thought the same back in the 60's, leaving behind the dirt of Bangkok to spend a few days relaxing here.  Unfortunately he went on a little walk into the hills and never came back, and no one ever saw him again.  Several 'Lord Lucan' style sightings around the world fueled the rumour that he had done a dissapearing act.  The consensus of opinion was that an accident befell him (its very easy to get lost here), or one of the Malay tigers, presupposing the later eponymously titled Thai Restaurant, thought he looked like a tasty lunch (although at 60 + years I can't imagine he was too tender).  My favourite theory is that he stumbled into one of the Aborigine tribes (yes they are called that and no they are not the dark australian type) tiger traps and when they found him, fearing the consequences of killing a white man, they preferred the idea of burying him and keeping schtum!!
Anyhow I can see why he would have come here.  We went off into the hills to see what it was all about.  Sprawling tea plantations in every single shade of green, populated by mountain goat type workers scaling impossibly high slopes to pick the leafs for a measly 20 cents a kilo (about 4p).  We went up to the highest point, 6,666ft up to look around, and watched clouds forming just below us (whilst my sinuses reminded me of the altitude).  We went off for a short trek into the Mossy Forest, a million year plus old forest where the trees are caked in moss and pretty weird flowers grow (as well as snakes, spiders and scorpions).  We visisted a strawberry farm and had amazing cake and ice-cream, before topping it all off at the insect farm.  Here our chirpy guide decided we must try holding the little critters, starting off slow with black scorpions, moving on to three horned rhino beetle, stick insects, millipedes, tortoises and other stuff too creepy to remember.  The line was drawn at the snakes.  Of course I type this in the context of 'we', I didn't touch any of these disgusting insects, I freaked out when they put a buttefly on my head.
Onwards and downwards to Melaka in the South....
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