Malaysia : The Cameron Highlands - Strawberry Fields, Dancing with Butterflies, Tea Plantations and Mossy Forest Trekking
I think this day will stand out in my memory as one of my favourites in South East Asia.
We got up early & jumped into a jeep that was going to take us up a mountain to do some trekking. The day didn't get off to the best start as the driver somehow managed to nearly blow up the engine by getting the gear stick stuck !
But then we were off ! Winding up a steep and lush path to the Mossy Forest to start our trek, we stopped off at the Tea Plantation. Rolling green hills stretched for as far as the eye could see, deep chasms cut into the land creating valleys that housed gushing streams and rivers . A delicate smell of fresh tea lingered on the air, sweeter & livelier than you have ever smelt before it danced upon the wind delighting your nostrils as they absorbed a scent so familiar. I have never seen a green colour so intense before, it contrasted against the light blue of the sky magnificently - the perfect postcard picture.
The people who pick and harvest the tea work so hard , 6 day weeks on a 3 year contract ... It made me contemplate the difference between working to live and living to work. Most of them are immigrants who send the money they earn home to their families, never being able to enjoy the fruits of their tough manual labour. It really makes you appreciate how fortunate we are to be able to work and enjoy the pleasures of everyday life such as cooking a meal and enjoying it in your own home with your family.
We hopped back into the jeep and carried on our ascent into the forest. The higher we climbed, the colder it became and mist soon surrounded us as we approached the forest . We began to trek into a world that looked like a scene from Lord of the Rings, eerie, damp and dark. It was refreshing to be out of the humid heat and felt good to clamber and climb our way through the overgrown bushes and trees along the trek. There were cobwebs everywhere glistening with dew drops from the moisture that hung on the air. It was unlike anywhere I have ever been and felt like I had been transported into a fairytale world where mythical creatures were going to appear from between the trees.
After trekking, we head to the Butterfly Farm which had a spectacular array of bugs and insects that were equally as surreal to see. Horn beetles, stick insects, slithery snakes, lizards with glue like grip and giant tortoises - all of which you could hold and touch if you wanted to. The butterflies were so beautiful, dancing and fluttering around within the humid tent where they lived. They would land on your clothes and your head before gently flitting off to find the nectar of the big, bright flowers that had grown in every spare bit of space.
Feeling happy and excited, we finished the tour at a Strawberry field where we ate strawberries and cream as we looked out over the vast fields of ripe and delicious red fruits that were sweeter than any I have ever tasted.
We head for the bus station to catch our bus to Kuala Lumpur feeling tired, muddy but exhilarated. We hadn't planned to visit the Cameron Highlands but I am so glad we did. To see a glimpse of the rural side of life in a Country where most live in the Cities was refreshing and unbelievably beautiful.