It's Tea Time Anytime!!!

Monday March 28, 2011

It’s TEA time ANYTIME…

I have escaped the hot and sweaty climate that was making the clothes stick to my skin in Penang (but at least it wasn’t raining) and arrived in the Cameron Highlands of Malaysia…..home of tea plantations and strawberry fields. My last morning in Penang had me walking around seeing some more temples and I got to speak my Chinese ‘hakka’ language for the first time at one of the Buddhist temples with a gentleman manning the entrance….very cool!

The drive was very easy and the roads are fabulous here (well at least for this part of the country). As you get closer to the highlands, you see massive green forested mountains pop all around you. The blue sunny weather blanketed everything beautiful and green.

Now I am soo excited to be here in the highlands because like many of you, I LOVE BOTH tea and strawberries SO MUCH! There is pretty much just one main road in the town and about 13 trails off this road lead to various gardens and plantations. Tomorrow however, I have booked myself on a junlgle trek out to see the world’s biggest flower that grows in the jungle here. I am craving a good hike so thought this would be nice and I also met a girl in town who is doing the same trek too.

For tonight, I am in a dorm with 16 people, it’s the first time on my trip with so many bodies in one room and fortunately, it’s a BIG room in an old converted convent. The place is old but has a nice ambience and is nice and quiet. I think I might try and get a single room tomorrow night though if I can.

I have forgotten to mention that the people in Malaysia are so very well versed in the English language. I asked and I guess they learn the English language at an early age when starting school….very cool indeed!