Trekking in the Jungle

The hills full of tea plants in the Cameron Highlands
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Swatting away gnats, I try not to slip on the wet leaves scattered across the jungle floor. Exotic plants and trees are all around ... I think. As I remember exotic plants are what jungles are supposed to contain, but to my untrained eye it all just looks like a mass of similar looking green trees and leaves, filled with chattering insects (and probably some larger animals too). I'm on trail 9a, the trail the famed Jim Thompson - king of the Thai silk trade - took last before he mysteriously disappeared. They think a tiger might have snatched him, but surely there aren't still tigers around here ... um, right ???? I admit a couple of times I rethought this whole going solo hiking in the jungle idea, but the trail is very well marked and it is just beautiful alone in the exotic Malay jungle - alone besides the gnats, and the insects, and of course the waiting tiger I was sure was tracking my every move ;)

Day 2 - Danny, me, and Timon at a tea plantation
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I had arrived in the Cameron Highlands around 8p yesterday. The last hour was a deja vu of many Lao bus rides - the bus speeding around tight mountain turns as I close my eyes tightly hoping not to get sick. The highlands are at a pretty high altitude, so it can get rather cold here. The area gained popularity in colonial times with the British officials and their wives who wanted a break from the sweltering SEA climate. It also happens to be a climate perfect for growing tea. After my jungle hike I decide to walk to one of the well known tea plantations, Boh tea estate. It was relatively near. But while the jungle trail was all downhill this one was uphill and in the hot noon sun. Luckily, after just a few kms a small tour minibus stopped to give me a life. Inside were 2 South Korean ladies who were visiting Malaysia for a week. As we continued to the tea plantation, gazing out at the rows of tea plants from the nice A/C van we came across 2 other people hitchhiking up the road - a french girl and german guy I had seen around the guest house. Of course, by that time they got in it was just another couple of minutes to the tea plantation.

Boh Tea Estate
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Boh tea plantation was very pleasant. They give a tour of the tea factory, plus have a nice tea cafe where you could try some fine teas, like chocolate mint - yum. After a rest at the cafe I headed back down the hill. It turns out March is the monsoon season in Malaysia - who knew? So yah, it started to rain and rain. Luckily, I was able to catch a lift from another car instead of walking the 9k back into town. And who should we see just another km or so down the road, the French girl and German guy. They ended up hoping in the car too and we all rode back into town. The rest of the evening was spent all hanging out (in dry clothes) watching movies in the lounge of the guest house.

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