Our journey to the Cameron Highlands was slightly more eventful than we'd expected, as the engine of our ageing coach was undone by the 146th hairpin bend on the steep journey to Tanah Rata, and gave up 3km from town. Luckily Mark managed to flag down a passing local bus, argue with the bus driver (driver in Malaysian, Mark using international hand signals for 'bus broke down, give us a lift you cranky bugger') and get the whole coachful of people a lift.
We journeyed to the rainforest, turned onto a dirt track, and quickly realised the amount of rain the Highlands has recently received meant that the 30min drive to the trail head would be mostly through waist-deep mud, already churned by numerous other land rovers also taking thrill-seeking westerners on adventure tours.
Our group hiked into the rainforest, crossing rivers and scrambling up the sides of muddy hills, and after scaling a 60 degree incline whilst frantically grasping any nearby tree or bamboo pole for support, we reached the aim of our trek- a chance to see the enormous Rafflesia or 'Malaysian Monster Flower' which was, we concede, worth the effort.
The next morning, we opted for the 'adventure tour' to get ourselves back in the swing of things after all the saunas and chocolate fountains of KL. We hopped in our trusty land rover, complete with decorative horns on the front, and shouted (silently to ourselves, so as not to upset the German and Dutch members of our group) "Let's off road!!!" (For those of you not familiar with the Fast Show, see link below...)
We journeyed to the rainforest, turned onto a dirt track, and quickly realised the amount of rain the Highlands has recently received meant that the 30min drive to the trail head would be mostly through waist-deep mud, already churned by numerous other land rovers also taking thrill-seeking westerners on adventure tours. Our group hiked into the rainforest, crossing rivers and scrambling up the sides of muddy hills, and after scaling a 60 degree incline whilst frantically grasping any nearby tree or bamboo pole for support, we reached the aim of our trek- a chance to see the enormous Rafflesia or 'Malaysian Monster Flower' which was, we concede, worth the effort.
We then had a quick pit stop where Mark and Meg's teamwork was demonstrated to the full when a group member cut her hand, and Mark using his St John Ambulance training bandaged it up on the side of a near-vertical muddy incline, using the first aid kit that Meg had, with her usual foresight, remembered to bring along.
Back down through the rainforest, along the road of continuous mud soup, we stopped in an aboriginal village to practise the art of hunting with blowpipes. After a shaky start, Meg managed to hit the target (better than her usual darts effort, anyway!) and Mark came close to a bullseye. It wasn't clear what he might have won if he'd actually hit it, but monkey brains were being discussed, so perhaps that's just as well...
Hiya
ReplyDeleteMark, hope you checked your shoes before you put them on o make sure no unwelcome visitors were lurking there!
Mum x
M & M,
ReplyDeleteAren't you glad you have the first aid kit!
I should have taught you some Malay before you left!
Take care,
Ana