Malaysia. Cameron Highlands.

We wound our way up the steep and windy roads up to the Cameron Highlands in the afternoon. The landscape got so much greener the higher to climbed and there was jungle everywhere. The hills were so steep and there were little staircases all over the hills, I'm not sure if there were for people or for rain channels. As we got higher the land became very commercial and there were farms everywhere. There is so much fruit and veg grown here and they are famous for their strawberries and tea. There was so much touristy strawberry junk everywhere! But the landscape was not as pretty as I was hoping. It was being so developed and there were giant hotels and apartments popping up everywhere that it really looked spoilt. The farms too really ruined the landscape as they just covered the land with poly tunnels. Not as beautiful as I was hoping. 

We arrived in the evening at our hotel and  I actually felt chilly for the first time since leaving England. No need for air con here! We went out for dinner and had some not so amazing Indian food. There is such a mix of Chinese, Indian, Thai and Malay food in Malaysia it's great! We were staying in a pretty small town so not much nightlife! 

In the morning we had a day trip booked to see the sights. It started with a hike to find the rafXxx which is the biggest flower in the world. Our guide led us through the jungle for about an hour to find it. It was pretty slippery going in my toms! 

Being in the jungle was great! Our guide knew where one which was a day old was. They take 4.5 years to develop and then flower for only a week. They live parasitically off another plant or tree so have no leaves. It was pretty huge!

We hiked back and I did an impressive slip onto my ass. Shoes like glass! We then had a demonstration of a blow pipe which was and still is used to hunt animals using a poisoned dart. We had a go and then got asked to buy one, not sure how anyone would attempt to get it through airport security!

We stopped for lunch at the BOH tea plantation (best of highlands). I had the best cup of tea I've had since leaving England! The cakes weren't up to much and those who had scones were definitly mugged off! But the tea was great and the views of the platoon were spectacular. 

We had a look around the tea processing plant and I found out that all teas come from the same leave. I though green and white teas were different plants, but no just different processing. Green tea is unfermented. I bought some tea as it was so good!

Out next stop was the strawberry farm, more of a tourist stop with loads of different strawberry things to eat. I chose so badly and had a milkshake and ice cream. The ice cream was fluorescent pink and tasted so fake and the milkshake was crappy :( 

We left the Cameron Highlands early the next day down the windy roads again to head to Kuala Lumpur and back to the heat!!