19th March - 2XS is safe in Rebak - Cameron Highlands - tea - bees - flowers - butterflies strawberries - temple

Wednesday 19^th March

We have news of 2XS.  Mick and Janice went aboard to check for leaks, and to give the poor abandoned boat a hug from us…One does get very attached to a boat…They said all was well, no dampness, nothing untoward.

Today we are leaving yet another cosy nest…Planters Hotel has become very familiar and comfortable.  Especially since Pete complained, very politely, about the ghastly smell emanating from the bathroom… We got upgraded immediately to a bigger, better room with a rather more fragrant ablutions facility.

Another beautiful Islamic calligraphy. No I don't know what anything means; I think it is all just beauty..

We are taking a minivan across to Gua Musang, and from there hope to catch the 11am train through the jungle, as far as Gemas.  And from there we will get ourselves, somehow, to Molucca/Melaka.

 Early this morning we had breakfast at our favourite Indian restaurant, Kumar’s, in the main street.  Roti and eggs – it couldn’t have been more delicious!  I tried to get a photo of the roti wizard in action but…he is so fast it was a blur!

Last night we decided to stay in the Highlands one extra day, because we had missed out, really, on all of the sights.  Pete booked us onto a 4 hour morning tour, for 25 ringgits (approx. $8) each.  It was just wonderful.  A nifty little 20-seater bus, a serous, knowledgeable driver/guide, and LOTS of variety…

First stop was the butterfly farm.

I didn’t want to go…have been to several very wonderful butterfly farms… But it was on the agenda, so out we trooped.  And it was in fact all very interesting. 

There were stick insects

Lizards

and yes butterflies!!

I made a bit of an exhibition of myself by shuddering faintly all the way around the displays on the lower level because I knew there were large hairy spiders waiting to be admired… I left that level very swiftly and took photos of hibiscuses… Tarantulas took pride of place…But there was a darling frog which looks like a leaf:

Next stop a bee farm.  Our guide told us about the two sorts of bees producing honey in this region.  Ordinary honey bees, and tiny black sting-less bees.  The latter produce very medicinal honey which, he said, narrowing his eyes at Pete and me, is VERY good for oldpeople with rheumatic aches and pains.  (Yes, I bought some…)

The strawberry farm was interesting. 

The fruit are all grown in coconut husk fibre, on benches – SO easy to pick – no achey backs for the workers.  We picked some, and ate them then and there.

The BOH tea plantation was a highlight.

It produce most of the tea consumed in Malaysia, with some premium stuff left over for export.  J.A (James Archibald) Russell, a Scot, began the BOH plantations in 1929, and the company is still run by his descendants.  There is a little village for the workers

with a school, three churches (temple, mosque, church,) and a company store.  Some of our sailing friends told us that their driver in the Highlands came from this planation.  His parents worked there and didn’t leave the plantation even ONCE for seventeen years… The little village met all of their needs, and they were probably too exhausted, on their day off, to think about trudging down the road to Brinchang or Tanah Rata.

We had a quick tour of the factory, and then – yes! A cup of tea in the café overlooking the valley.

The Highlands produce a large amount of the fruit, vegetables, flowers and tea for Malaysia.  A lot of the countryside is swathed in plastic…

And where there isn’t plastic, there are enormous hotels, hundreds of them.  On the hillsides

And in clusters

There must be accommodation, literally for millions of people.  Our driver said, At the weekend, we are full.  Pete and I cannot believe this…

Next stop was a flower farm, of sorts.  They have a green rose growing there our driver said it is regarded as the ugliest flower in Malaysia.

There were lots of other flowers, small curly roses, mostly.  But most of the display was…WHY??? – plastic flowers.

And life-size statues next to which one could be photographed…Like this one:

and these Bambis of the Forest.

We were perfectly fascinated.

We thought the tour was over but no!  There was still, of course, a temple to visit.  (There is always a temple…)

I was very pleased to see these contented dogs lying in the road near the temple.  You don’t see many dogs, in these predominantly Muslim countries…

In case anyone is worried about me and my finances, now my visacard has been frozen and is being checked for fraud – all is well; I have help from the HeadlamBank!

I am going to cheat and put this up on blogspot now, although it is still Tuesday – we will be rushing around like mad things tomorrow and trying to rush through cyberspace is very bad or my health and temper.