When the world gives you mud...make tea!

Into the jungle highlands today, we were 6 ladies and Spencer, our guide, on a trek to see the largest flower in the world. We climbed into a 4X4 Land Rover and clambered into the hills. About halfway up the mountain, we encountered another Rover, tire popped, half the wheel submerged in mud. Stuck with no jack. Confusion, conference, conclusion between the drivers, we headed back into our Rover to pass the stranded. Into the mud also, just even with the other Rover, we too got stuck. The road fully blocked, both groups' trucks mud-logged, we roughed it up the rest of the hill through mud and more mud. It was the same color as Georgia red clay. I'm thankful my shoes are black...not sure it'll come out of some of the girls' sneaks.

Dan, Sana, Evelyn, Helen, Celine and me: 3 from China, 1 England, 1 Switzerland and 1 USA. An all-girl group, we crossed streams via bamboo bridges, skipped across rocks and boulders as the river widened and then took a small break at the main waterfall. All sorts of wild flora, fauna and insects stopped each of us from time to time for a snapshot. There was this one flower that looks like an alien, something created on a computer, only it's 100% natural. Not to mention gorgeous. About an hour later, we made it to the flower. Rafleesia, named for a local who first found it and a foreign botanist who kick-started a local program for new discoveries, the flower can stretch up to three meters wide. We saw two, one half-open, unable to complete its bloom because of a tree branch blocking it. And up the hill, a fully open one, three feet wide and red. What a cool thing to stumble upon in the jungle. Up close, really close, it smells like what our guide Spencer calls "a Malaysian public toilet." The flower attracts bugs inside with that smell (like a dead animal) so that they will pollinate future flowers. Only in bloom for 8 days, the flower dies after about a week after blooming never to reopen again in the same spot. If you touch it, the petals turn black, so our guide asked us not to indulge. He did say that the flower feels like leather.

Back down the mountain, we stopped at a local tribal village. Spencer called them aboriginal. We watched a demonstration with blow pipes, which the tribe still uses to kill animals. Our group was most enamored with the village children. And they with our cameras! Seeing themselves and pushing the buttons to scroll through their images caused serious giggles. I put Chichamon on my shoulders and ran through the village. Nothing like a kid to bring out the kid in you. One of the village men said, "Excuse me, miss, but that's my son. You cannot have my baby." Laughter and a big sigh, I relented.

We headed next to the BOH tea plantation.Malaysians drink 7 million cups of tea per day, apparently 5 million of which the BOH plantation produces. I learned how much more healthy tea is for you than coffee. And from today forward, I hope to make the switch. Tea is a natural anti-oxidant, contains fluoride and is anti-cancerous. Early in the plantation's history, women plucked the tea leaves by hand, but in the 80s the plantation switched to men with lawnmowers.The plantation makes black tea in varying degrees of quality and ships the tea outside of KL to add in other flavors. The tea plants themselves carpet the hills. Rolling hills of tea, it's gorgeous here. We relaxed for a spell and all had a cup of tea.

We finished the tour with a stop at a strawberry farm and then a butterfly sanctuary. At the strawberry farm, one of the workers snuck us samples of the berries. They are a bit more bitter than sweet, but still delicious. I think they were young, under-ripe and, therefore, tart. Speaking of, a strange thing happened at the farm. The worker who'd fed us all berries asked one of us to take a photo of him with another of us girls with his cell phone. Only right before the picture was snapped, the guy chose to embrace a certain part of our friend's body, an inappropriate spot. The girl taking the photo leaned out from behind the phone, in shock. Woah...what was that?!? Meanwhile, the girl in the photo who just been fondled swatted the guy's hand away. A swift departure from the scene, we rejoined our guide. We told Sana (from Hong Kong), who hadn't witnessed the incident, what had happened, and she marched off to retrieve the photo from the guy's phone. The one who had been in the photo, however, told her to let it go. What can you do?

We moved on to the butterfly farm where they also had an insect and flower exhibition. The size of your hand, some of the butterflies were iridescent. The grounds are covered in butterfly wings, as they have such short life span. It's sad to see beauty lasting such a short time.

On to roses and cacti, hibiscus and birds of paradise, the flowers were also exquisite. In the Cameron Highlands, the weather is cooler but there is still a good mix of sun and rain. I saw these pink flowers and they looked like wedding bouquets. Will you marry me? Only kidding. At the right time, the one of us who'd been violated relayed the events to our guide for future guests he might take through the joys of CH. Spencer was apologetic and disgusted but not totally surprised. Mind your bodies, ladies, at strawberry farms.

Back into town, we all agreed to meet for dinner. Steamboat at the Mayflower, we dined in local tradition, a meal a bit like fondue. A huge boiling pot in the center, ours was chicken broth, you pay per head and get the following: chicken, fish, squid, beef, mushrooms, cabbage, noodles, eggs, fish balls, and more! You drop the goodies into the pot at certain times, depending on the time they take to cook. Veggies and noodles take no time so they go in last. And from what I could tell, certain things are deemed healthier to eat first, meats and fish, followed by veggies and tofu. It's a nice coursing of a meal, not to mention interactive. And, from time to time, messy! We had a great group today. And at dinner Spence revealed that, early in the day, after we'd all been picked up, he walked into the tour office and all the guides had been jealous. A group of 6 women, a rarity, he'd struck it rich! What a ball.

We continued into the evening at the Jungle bar. Whiskey, beers, fire and fun. I love the Cameron Highlands.

Cameron Highlands

And, of course, what I figured would happen did happen. I got stuck in Tapah last night. It's not even on the map I have of Malaysia. The last bus to CH left Tapah at 3:30, which the folks in KL neglected to mention. Joy.

So after cruising the two streets of Tapah, I had satay and carrot juice for dinner. The juice is mixed with condensed milk and is too sweet for me. Like a creamcicle only carrot flavored. For satay, they run a stick through meat, place it on a grill and fan it with a banana leaf. It's hard to tell where people are from here. But, for sure, I am the only foreigner. They're all mixed up and mixed together and it's great. I'm sure it's just a surface observation of one unaware. I went to an internet cafe and was met with a fair amount of shock. A strange woman, and on her own?

My bus for CH left at 8:30 this morning. And I have made it! I'm staying in a dorm at Daniel Lodge and love it. The people are so friendly. The air is cool, a breeze, and the mountains. For the first time in weeks, I'm not sweating!

I walked to a small waterfall today and stumbled upon a snake. Looking, looking, closer, closer and it raised its head. Yikes! Anne-be-gone! The waterfall was beautiful but underneath bobbed tons of empty water bottles. I'm afraid eco-tourism hasn't truly hit CH yet. A conscious effort, I'm doing all I can to create no garbage while here, or at least nothing that cannot be recycled. We'll see.

In the evening, everyone heads to the Jungle Bar, attached to the lodge. The town has two bars, apparently, the other of which is seldom hopping. So most of the nightlife happens around a bonfire behind Daniel Lodge. They serve beer, have a pool table and keep the tunes coming. The stars your roof, it's heavenly. A great mix of people, we were Aussie, Korean, English, Iranian, Swiss, German, Southern Indian, among others. People are indeed people.

Tapah the evening to ya!

My bus is late. And I'm on the local, boo his. I missed the direct shot to the Cameron Highlands by 20 minutes, confound it! So I'm off to Tapah for a connection to CH. The bus is super roomy. I didn't have to put my pack under the bus; it's at my feet and I still have leg room. Given that I'm supposed to transfer in a few hours, it's handier anyway.

Jo and I had bacon and fruit for lunch today before parting. Mmm. Tasty! The manager of the Summer Guesthouse was really good to us. It makes such a difference when the people at the place you're briefly calling home are caring and nice. I'd recommend this spot to anyone. Great location in the Golden Triangle and Linda, too? What a deal.

Almost 3 full weeks of traveling, 2 countries, 3 regrets. The third is my iTouch. That thing has wifi on it, which would have been so handy. What was I thinking? Oh, and 2 losses. The wrap I had to buy in Bangkok at the royal arts exhibit bit in the dust in Koh Phan Gan. And a pair of ratty square silver dangle earrings, too, have fallen by the wayside. C'est la vie! Meanwhile, what have I gained? Not sure how to measure it yet. But a container in peanut butter is in there somewhere, among, I hope, a bevy of profound feelings and thoughts.

I'm watching you...

The sky unleashed a wrath on our tour of the 360 degree view at the top of the Menara Tower, which I've been calling the Needle for three days. Jo called it the Spike for the first two, but the Needle ultimately won. We agreed that the best time to head up to the top would be dusk, to see the city in both day and night settings. But clouds rolled in about an hour before we got there and after the sun did set came the rain.

The highest view you can reach of the city, a walking tour around the top supplies a fair amount of information, though outdated. You see the government headquarters, two stadiums, a great view of the Twin Towers, in the distance the Batu caves, Chinatown, among other KL sites.
The photographs of the landmarks and the pre-recorded walking tour could use a serious updating.

Back at the bottom, we stirred about, the rain preventing a return to our neighborhood. So we sat at a cafe and saw something neither of us had seen in our lives. A woman in full covering, all black with no eyelet cut in the material even for her eyes, slipped her tea cup under her veil to take a sip. You can't even show your face to drink tea. I can only imagine the torture of eating in public--impossible! I have done a little research and it turns out that this type of veil is called a niqab. Apparently, the more covered you are, the more sacred? Or the more likely to make it to heaven. From what I've read, according to the Koran women should be covered including hands (impractical, eh?) and face. What I can't seem to isolate is whether this veil is a choice/preference or encouraged/required. At any rate, I had never considered what it must be like to take a coffee in these clothes. Until today. I don't think I've ever sat and watched a woman drink tea for that matter. But today? I'm mesmerized.

After the top of the Needle, we cruised the animal kingdom. We arrived at dinner time as well, and got to see snakes eating mice, sometimes live, sometimes half-maimed. In the case of the "dead" mice, the handlers would hold the mouse's tail and pull its neck. I couldn't watch or even be near it. Afterward, though, they were still twitching. We saw crazy looking frogs, a huge assortment of snakes, monkeys and spiders. One of the monkeys had just had a baby. Talk about a mini-human. Anyone who denies evolution as part of the path to humankind should get up close and personal with a baby monkey. The mother, quite protective, doesn't like it when women approach. Our guide informed us that with men, she's less worried, but with women, she goes on alert. Her look says it all, no?

To the Batu Caves!

Jo and I woke up in the bunker, hot as Hades, and set the course for the day. To the Caves! We have meandered the streets of KL, not really sure where we're going, but certain we'll get there. There is a telecom needle here like in Seattle, only they just call it the Tower. It serves as an awesome directional point. Our guesthouse is between the Twin Towers and the Tower so when lost all we do is look up.

Finally to Chinatown for the bus to the caves, we skirted the wares and braved the sellers of the Petaling market district. Who knew you could get a fake Gucci watch for $40, walk away, walk back, walk away, walk back and walk away again with it on your arm with the band fitted to your size for $5?!? And if anyone wants a pirated DVD, this is the place!

The number 11D bus makes the 13 km trip out of KL to the caves. We found the bus and ran to the 7-11 (talk about an international company) for a quick snack, only to return to find the driver had left us. Buses leave fairly regularly, so no worries. Quick warning: don't sit in the last seat of the bus. Going over one of the many speed bumps, you may find yourself in the lap of your neighbor.

At the caves site, a huge golden Hindu Buddha stands at the gate, almost as high as the staircase leading into the caves. It's enormous. Up 250+ steps to a series Hindu temples, prayer services are offered twice daily. Incense and mist hangs in the air as do many stalagmites. The mood inside is peaceful and serious, a place for prayer and to show thanks. I had a personal moment there, one of reassurance and comfort.

Two flights down from the top, you can also enter the dark cave. With Wellington boots, head lamps and Jerome, our guide, we trekked into the darkness. Three kinds of bats greet you as you walk along. None blood-thirsty. And there are cockroaches everywhere, but not the ones who fly. The cockroaches are sun-sensitive and will die in the light. Nice to know there is one thing that could wipe out at least one species of cockroaches.

Further into the cave, Jerome showed us stalagmites and stalactites and the columns they form upon joining. He also shared several stories of lore, a couple coming to the caves for their honeymoon, never to be heard from again. Certain parts of the cave are millions of years old. Unbelievable. And the path you walk along used to be a river. Jerome asked us how we liked Malaysia, to which both of us responded with favor. He retorted that we obviously hadn't been there long. Funny. He's from Malaysia but finds it difficult, restrictive. The Muslim religion apparently trumps all. If a Muslim wants to marry a person outside that faith, the person must convert (unless the couple goes to a different country). Jerome is Christian and I'm guessing in a minority. He also confided that the Chinese and Indians are the ones who do all the work. Hmm. Who knows? It's good to hear the perspective of someone here, and an expression of dissent. I got the feeling that in Thailand you could speak your mind, but only about certain things, one of which wasn't the government. I am learning. I am listening. And I'm fascinated. We are each and every one unique. Whether a 28 year-old tour guide and spelunker, or a 17 year-old Iranian, our opinions vary far and wide, each of us an exception in some way.

KL, anyone?

So this morning, everyone was up early, Jo and Tom to catch flights, the others, who knows why. I figured, "What the hell?" and joined the two. At the airport I got on the same flight as they headed for Kuala Lumpur. An hour later, we touched down in KL. From the domestic airport to the Sentral train station, Jo and I said goodbye to Tom and hoppd on the monorail. Packs and all. Fifteen million stares later and a photo having been taken of us by two Chinese dudes, we found a place to stay.

In what they call the Golden Triangle, we are at Summer Guest House. We surveyed a few recommended spots but decided on a basement room at Summer. It's in the basement, no window and is basically a bunker. The fan in the room at max capacity sounds like a chopper above you and is actually pretty soothing when trying to get to sleep. Linda, the manager of the house gave us a good deal and we'd seen a couple of strange places already.

The Golden Triangle is shopping mecca in KL. They even have a Forever 32 (as I call it). We spent the day walking getting acclimated with the city. I dropped off some laundry and we explored the city. In the evening, we took an outside bistro table and ordered chicken with coconut milk rice. It was good but spicy. And as they dropped us the bill, they told us we had to pay right then. The prices apparently change for dinner at 7pm and, from what we understood, we had to pay right then to avoid paying dinner prices. The family of six next to us, however, had not yet received much less paid their bill. I have to admit, I'm still confused why they wanted us out so quickly.

After dinner, we headed for the Petronas Towers. Malaysia's Twin Towers were built of Islamic construction out of a special cement in squares fitted on top of each other to make an octagon, a traditional Islamic design. At one point, the lights of both buildings went out. I figured, hmph, it's run by a gas company. Maybe they cut off the lights to conserve energy. We then realized that it was in honor of Earth hour. How cool, right? It hurts a little bit, I have to admit, to look around here and see so many things that New York has (or once had). A Times Square, Twin Towers. I cannot imagine what would have happened were the attack to have happened here. It's still unimaginable and staring up at these buildings, it was magnificent and yet painful. The city is a huge mix of cultures and religions just like New York.

Touring Langkawi

Today the whole dorm rented a car. Well, a station wagon really. A Scotsman, a Peruvian, a Tasmanian, four English and me. Magnus, Rafael, Michael, Elzie, Jo, Gemma, Tom all formed the first National Lampoon's Langkawi Vacation. Eight of us piled in a station wagon, our first stop was up the Langkawi cable cars for a panoramoic view of the island. The cable car cuts a sharp angle up and down the mountain. I got scared at certain points and I'm not that frightened of heights. The car moves up the mountain attachd to the cable rather than along it which surprised me.

On the top of the mountain there is a bridge extending out into the mountains and surrounding fog. You can see Thailand from up there and get a reflexology foot rub. Nice! The highest two viewing points are up stairs above the bridge and get a nice breeze. Back down the mountain on the cable car, I had my bad to the descent. At one point, I turned around and almost lost it. Looking behind you through glass to find nothing but a steep fall, my feet tingled and stomach dropped.

We stopped for lunch in a small Muslim village. The first group ate most of the food at the only stall that was willing to serve scantily clad foreigners. Jo and I tried a few other spots that all claimed to be finished for the day. We stopped at another stall where a nice woman had cabbage, bean sprouts, carrots, garlic, chicken on ice and three kinds of noodles. Sounds good to me. She added in some chilis to spice mine and it was delicious. We were happy to have waited. The first group had only fried stuff.
Next stop to the seven wells, we hiked up a few hundred steps to a waterfall we'd seen from the cable car ride. A huge tree off to the right had been uprooted whole and landed on a shelter. Only, the tree didn't look like it could have fallen on its own. It looked like someone (God) had just yanked it out like a weed and crushed the shelter with it. The wells were chilly and it rained a bit but the view was nice as was being in nature.

We watched the sun go down at a beach on the top of the island. We affectionately named it shit and shells beach. Looked like the cows fancied it as much as anybody. There was a swing, too, which made Elzie happy. So, sunset, good fun, Skol beer and a soccer ball. What else do you know in life? Oh, yeah! Maybe a sarong. Tom and Magnus had picked up a couple for themselves in the Muslim village, donning their new purchases as the sun went down,
proud to be in skirts.

As the sun said goodnight, our evennig began. Back to the dorm for a shower (for some of us, myself included), we set off for the beach for drinks and then on to several bars. Dancing, drinking. Ladyboys. Gays. Straights. All having a ball.