Highlander IV: Not a Flower

After spending time in Baguio and Sagada recently, I was happy for another chance to enjoy cool air and pine fragrances when our route east from Kuala Lumpur to the Perhentian Islands was rudely interrupted by the Cameron Highlands.

This was one of my favourite stops in Malaysia the first time, and judging by the disproportionate number of Europeans hanging around here, I can only presume my blogs were successful in boosting its tourism profile. Coming back meant I was able to tick off the final outstanding item on the region's conveyor belt package tour itineraries by trekking deep into the forest to find the world's biggest flower that isn't even a flower and isn't the biggest of these even if it was, which it isn't.

Still, nice walk.

Malaynutrition

I like getting local insight into places I visit, and in Malaysia more than anywhere else, people have been pointing me towards the food I should be eating, rather than highlighting tourist attractions, activities or the best budget brothels (these placed further down the list).

I'm not exactly a food connoisseur, but I'm getting better at treating eating as an enjoyable activity rather than a biological necessity to be taken care of as cheaply and expediently as possible. While this means I probably miss out by not fully appreciating (or even noticing) some excellent cuisine when I chomp it down, it also luckily means I haven't developed any annoying preferences or eating habits that would restrict my options. I am truly game for anything, even if the results are sometimes bloody disgusting.

I should have paid more attention to the great local food I was eating in Taiwan, but this was tricky considering my substandard Mandarin meant I couldn't even read the menus, and I had to resort to pointing at walls and enjoying my mystery dinners. But since I've been in Malaysia (and evidently developing some form of obsessive compulsive disorder if you've seen my blogs lately), I thought I'd give this Malayzin' food the attention it deserves.

Highlander III: The Skunk Hunters of Gliese 581 g

Alright, so the Orang Asli tribe come from the Cameron Highlands, not some distant exoplanet. But I felt like I was walking in an alien landscape (again) as I squished my way through Malaysia's only mossy forest. It was ace.

Highlander II: Revenge of the Disgusting Bugs

The Cameron Highlands aren't only a place for weak British tourists to escape the oppressive Malaysian heat - people actually live and work here too. Imagine that!

I thought it would be a worthwhile and interesting activity to see how local produce like tea, honey and strawberries are cultivated. It wasn't. But at least there were some freakish bugs to keep me entertained - even if I disappointingly wasn't allowed to eat them this time.

Highlander

Gunung Brinchang at 6666 feet

(The PIN Number of the Beast)

The Cameron Highlands are the cure for what ails me. I've been having a bit of trouble with the climate since I arrived in Malaysia - it started as soon as I landed in Thailand really, but the flooding that took place in parts of that country during my last couple of weeks there seemed to temper the weather somewhat, which was a nice relief (I just hope no one got caught up in the catastrophes).

But after a week of getting burned and dehydrated during the day threatened to turn me into a vampire who only sees Malaysia by moonlight, I realised that one way of combating the problem would be to head Up. And conveniently, the Cameron Highlands were nearby (perhaps a little toooo convenient? No, I don't know what I'm talking about either).