17th March - KL to Tanah Rata (Cameron Highlands) - bank fraud

Monday 17^th March

Hibiscus

We left KL in thick smog at 9.45, on our very comfortable Golden Coach bus, for the princely sum of 40 ringgits ($13.40).  It took less than four hours to get to Tanah Rata, the central town in the Highlands.

Islamic calligraphy

Behind us were two Russian women who talked NON-STOP for the first hour and a half.  I didn’t notice at first because I was engrossed in my book, but when we started moving I saw that Pete was looking a bit wild-eyed and desperate as the chat became even more high-pitched and intense.  And then suddenly – they stopped!  They had both fallen FAST asleep, as had nearly every other passenger.  Golden Sleepyboboland Coach!

Tiles from the Islamic Arts Centre

It is much cooler here, probably around 20 degrees, and it is drizzling a bit.  Glorious!  We had lunch at an Indian restaurant in the main drag, oh so yummy, and then traipsed along with our luggage (good thing we travel so light) looking for accommodation.  After a bi of thought we settled on the Planters Hotel, very central.  It seems perfectly OK to us, and the receptionist dropped the price from 130 to 88 ringgits ($29.50) if we agreed to stay two nights.  There is very speedy WiFi here so I made a cup of tea and looked up Planters Hotel on Trip Advisor.  Well…I have never read so many horrid things!  The rooms are cold, the beds are shabby, there are infestations of nasty insects, the staff are over-worked and rude and they shriek and fight in the hallways.  Good thing I didn’t read this first; we are perfectly happy.

And yes more glorious jewellery

Some of the hotels in this area look like this:

 Ours, however, is like this…

 We have been meeting lovely young women along the way.  On the LRT (monorail) I got into conversation with a very conservatively dressed young Malaysian woman, Moheira.  She was extra friendly, full of fun.  I asked her where she was going – she had a lot of luggage.  She laughed and said, Oh I have been running away from home.  She comes from Kuchin, a long way from KL.  When I told her we were going to the Cameron Highlands she said that was where she had been, backpacking with friends.  But now I am going home; my mummy misses me!  I gave her our 2XS card and she sent me an email, and a photo – a new friend.

Moheira

And last night we made another delightful friend, Sheena.  We had been walking purposefully around the streets of Tanah Rata, looking for a bar.  As you do… There is a bar, a one-and-only, just about opposite our hotel.  We got into conversation with Sheena, who was there on her own.  She had come up to the Highlands for the day to pick fresh strawberries… She is an adventurous girl who works for a big Japanese corporation in Singapore.  We had a great evening with her, culminating in sharing a large pizza at the restaurant right next to our Planters Hotel – yes it is very well situated.  Sheena is going back to KL in the morning, and then on to Singapore so from now on she will have to be a penfriend, not an eating-and-chatting friend.

Pete and Sheena

My bad news is…my credit card has been skimmed or scammed or whatever, nearly $5000.  Kookmin Bank, in Korea – withdrawals of around $700 every few days till I am way up to my limit instead of $300 in credit, as I had cosily thought.

Bummer!! 

Fortunately – yes this does have a happy ending – I rang Westpac in a state of mild panic.  After being on hold for an inordinately long time, I was put though to a lovely, calm man called Chris.  We both gazed at my account on the website and he said, soothingly, deary me well yes, you have been defrauded.  Never mind we will fix it and we will send you a new visacard in the next seven days.

So all is well, and thank God for Westpac.  I know we are supposed to hate the big banks, but…Westpac has been my staunch and kind friend and supporter for many years and I very much appreciate this speedy back-up.

 Another birthday to celebrate – March 17^th is Jemima’s sixth birthday.  I am particularly proud of Jemima because she is VERY brave.  It is indeed easy to be brave when one is not frightened of anything very much.  But Jemima has suffered from most debilitating fear of…animals.  All animals, large and small, dogs in particular.  But, with a bit of help and support, she has overcome this, and she now has her very own guinea pigs, which do not make her shudder.  When we were together in Bicheno I watched her reaction when we passed big barking dogs behind fences.  Last year she would have been climbing up her mother like a koala shinning up a gum-tree; now she stops, takes a deep breath, and says, Oh yes, it’s a dog! And keeps on walking on her very own legs.  Bravo Jemima!