The Cameron Highlands

The beautiful Cameron highlands of Malaysia are at the tops of mountains in the centre of the country. The temperature dropped considerably as I walked to my hostel. And I was dismayed to find my single room was without fan or AC...."You won't need it" claimed the man at the front desk. I wasn't assured. But I found out later that night that it was indeed the case. I ended up being a bit chilly in fact! That morning I awoke before my alarm for a bathroom break and as the door to my room shut with a click of the lock I realized the keys in my hand were for my luggage and not my room. Oh man! Luckily the staff were just opening up and could let me in for 30 more minutes of blissful sleep. I booked a tour of the country side for that day. Frances, my guide was amazing and filled my brain to brimming with knowledge of the area, the process of tea, and the mossy forest.  At one point we were 2500 metres above sea level and had stunning views over the countryside. We saw a plant that acts like Tiger Balm, one like Citronella, and a Cinammon tree. We went to a strawberry farm with strawberries from Holland. The plants don't grow in the ground, but hang upside down where they can spread where they want. We went to a butterfly farm and saw the coolest bugs. In the mossy forest we learned how to survive using moss: squeeze and drink the water, use it as insulation to keep warm, absorb water with it, and use it as a quilt, or a bed to lay on. As we explored, cicadas (big ones) sang around us. Bamboo is also a survival tool as it holds water. Cut it above the notch and drink the water inside, break the wood and you can make a tent, furniture, a raft, a spear...and the list goes on.

Tea was originally planted in the highlands in 1929 by a Scottish man. His family still runs it today. The area doesn't have seasons so they can grow the tea trees continuously. Although they used to have workers who picked the leaves by hand, they now use a machine that cuts the leaves off and the workers sort them. The newest leaves are the ones they are looking for. Green tea is made of these new leaves without ageing them. White tea is the very middle of the leaf where a new sprout is just beginning to form. Different teas come from different trees. It was all very interesting. I finished off my day having dinner with some fellow travellers and the was off the following morning for the islands!

Sadly, my 249 pictures have been lost. I am hoping to recover them but currently have none to show. If you Google Cameron Highlands Malaysia you will see what I saw....beautiful!