Family Day Outing in the Cameron Highlands

As B put it, from the beautiful islands to the misty highlands...  The Cameron Highlands, third stop in Malaysia.  This is where the famous textile king Jim Thompson went missing, and his body has still never been found.  You have nothing to worry about, obviously, as I'm writing this right now... and anyway, we didn't go trekking or anything of the sort.  Nooo, we went on a family day trip to the various fields and farms that make-up the misty hills of the Cameron Highlands.  What??? you say?  Let me explain.

B and I arrived in the afternoon, after having yet another private mini-van all to ourselves.  Not intentionally.  From Georgetown to Perhentian Besut (the mainland town of the Perhentian islands), and from Gua Musang (half-way from Perhentian Besut to Cameron Highlands) to the Cameron Highlands, Bridget and I have by chance enjoyed an entire mini-van all to ourselves!  Why?  I have no idea, but lucky us, or ... we're doing it all the wrong way.  We do see backpackers, and many hostels and guesthouses are full, but where is everybody?  Either way, that means comfortable, personal rides all the way to the destination.  And both times, the drivers have been extremely friendly and outgoing, and have shared a lot of their culture with us.  In a way, it's like we're being chauffeured all across Malaysia, but at a backpacker rate.  How random.

Our driver recommended and dropped us off at Daniel Kang's Traveller's Lodge, where dormitory beds are RM 10/ night.  In addition to an awesome backpacker vibe, the place was spick and span spotless, and the bathrooms were bleach clean.  There were 5 sets of showers, with toilets (western and squats), sinks, mirrors, hooks, hot water, and towels!  There is also a "living room" for DVD watching.  They had binders full of DVD covers.  You choose, tell the reception the DVD number, and they hand you the movie to put in, whenever you want.  There is a Jungle Bar where Anchor Strong beer goes for RM 7.50, with a pool table and bonfire too!  And, free WIFI.  Definitely a step up from the A-frame shed we endured on Kecil.

We walked around the chilly mountain town, which basically means we walked one way up the main street, and back down on the other side.  We stopped for some delicious Indian food, and spent the rest of the night playing pool and sipping down a few cool ones (Anchor Strong) by the bonfire, before once again calling it an early, before midnight night. 

We booked a half day "countryside tour" as opposed to the popular jungle trek tour/ full day tour of waterfalls, tea plantations, farms, Rafflesia (the largest flower in the world) sightings, and farms all in one.  We are saving our money for Borneo.  And the jungles will be more worth it in Borneo than here.  We came to the Cameron Highlands to enjoy the misty town for a day, eat fresh strawberries and see the Tea Plantations.  The "countryside tour" that we booked included a Chinese temple (random), the Boh Tea Plantation and Factory, Insect/ Snake/ Butterfly Gardens, Bee Farm and Strawberry Farm for RM25.  We were picked up at 1:45 pm by...

Oh yes, we were picked up by a Chinese-Malay man and his outgoing 10 year old daughter, Ruby, in their jeep.  Not that one should ever assume or expect too much in Southeast Asia (or travelling in general), but we were imagining the typical minivan with other tourists in tow.  Nope.  Just the four of us out and about for the day.  When we reached the Insect/ Snake/ Butterfly Gardens, the man said to us as we were entering, "You don't mind taking Ruby in with you..."  No, we didn't, but it was pretty random.  And at that point, as we walked around the Butterly Gardens and Insect farms with Ruby, we felt like we were more on a family outing than anything else.  Ruby happily hopped along pointing out green-colored butterflies, and sharing comments like, "Oh!  And there is a blue one!  Go look, let's look.  Let's go over here."  Not sure if we felt like we were being guided by 10 year old Ruby, or babysitting 10 year old Ruby.  No, not babysitting, just an odd situation that only ended up in laughs and smiles.  What is this day?  we kept asking ourselves.

All-in-all, the glorious randomness and unexpected is what makes travelling all the more interesting.  I mean, really, who would have expected this family countryside daytrip with Ruby and her father?  Oh, and the kicker.  It turned out they lived in Kang's Traveller's Lodge.  So, all for the rest of the night, we saw Ruby and her father.  A bit awkward, but kind of cute, too.

A few things we learned from Ruby's dad:  Malays, Indians and Chinese all go to their respective schools for elementary age.  But, when they reach their middle school years, they attend altogether, mixed.  At Chinese schools, they must learn Chinese, English and Malay.  At Indian schools, they learn Tamil (I think), English and Malay.  At Malay schools, they learn Malay and English. 

Ruby is 4th generation Chinese-Malay.  Her father's grandfather was born in China and moved to Malaysia.  They mostly eat Chinese food, but every now and then will enjoy an evening at an Indian or Malay restaurant. 

Ruby's dad also shared this interesting fact with us while at the Boh Tea Plantation explaining the separation of oxidized tea leaves (the good parts from the bad parts): "And here is the dust," the leftovers from the leaves.  "You people drink the dust; that is what you buy in the tea bags.  Not like here."  Oh.  Didn't know that, did you?  That when we drink tea from tea bags, we are essentially enjoying the unwanted dust leftovers!  And never before, have B and I heard us referred to as "You people" so many times.  However, we do not take offense to it, we just find it funny. 

Off to Kuala Lumpur tomorrow!!