M-whY

James, my guesthouse owner, dropped me off at the beginning of Jungle Trek No. 1. "There are a couple trails branching off the main one. Remember to keep right and stay on the main path. If you go left, you'll be heading towards Ipoh (a town some 60kms away). Several people have gotten lost in the past, so be careful." His serious expression relaxed. "Oh, and watch out for the pink T-Rex," he grinned.

I thanked him for the lift and began my climb to the summit of Gunung Brinchang. 2000m above sea level, Gunung Brinchang was the highest peak in the region. At the top, there are purportedly great views of the highlands. Getting there early was important; heavy fog descended on the summit without fail every day. I began at 9:30am, and planned on reaching the summit by 11:00am.

Just 20 minutes from the start, I felt lost. I found myself in a small village with no indication which direction to go. A woman was washing clothes on her porch, and I approached her with my trail map, pointing at the route I wanted to take. She responded by pointing into the forest. Uh, ok... I guess there was a path if you looked hard enough, but it sure didn't look right. I couldn't imagine following this for the next 2.5kms.

Words of warning from the Lonely Planet echoed in my head. "Inexperienced walkers would be well advised to employ the services of a guide..., in recent years, several people have become lost." I don't mean to over-dramatize everything I do, but this really didn't look right. However, I wasn't too far into the jungle. I could keep going a bit farther, and if I got truly uncomfortable, I could always just turn around.

The barely perceptible trail intercepted a gravel walkway 15 minutes later, confirming my suspicion. But it didn't matter anymore. At least I was going the right way now. Until the walkway disappeared, and I was tramping through the forest again. Every couple hundred meters, a white stone marker was pounded into the ground, assuring me I wasn't lost. As long as I followed them, I'd be fine.

Jungle Trek No. 1 was unlike any trek I've done so far. Some sections were quite steep. Several times I had to get down on all fours to clamber over a collection of massive tree roots. Twice I lost my footing and slid a few feet in the mud. On one occasion, I walked on what I thought was solid ground, only to sink six inches into muck. I tried to step out of it, and my boot was ripped off my feet. Ugh, gross!

Two-thirds of the way up, I found myself going downhill. Wait a minute, this isn't right. I should be going uphill. I stopped and thought for a minute. My instincts told me to turn around, so I did. Five minutes of backtracking and I found myself back on the main path. I had accidently taken one of the side trails James had warned me about. Wow, that was close.

The mist had begun to gather by the time I reached the top, obstructing the views I had been promised. I changed out of my muddy pants into a pair of shorts, and hitched a ride down with a holidaying Dutch couple. (There's a paved road up for people unable or unwilling to do the hike.) I asked them to let me off at the entrance of Sungais Palas Tea Estate, which is open to the public on most days.

Visiting tea plantations is a must in the Cameron Highlands. Acres and acres of carefully manicured tea plants. A narrow, winding road through the green tabletops led to the tea factory. I took a self guided tour, and then relaxed in the cafe, washing down some nasi lemak with a cup of tea.

I hitched another ride with a mandarin speaking Chinese Malaysian couple, saving me a 10km walk and getting me back before the afternoon rain. Having visited the area many times, they offered some advice.

"You should visit the Boh Tea Estate, I remember it being much more scenic than this one."

I made a mental note to check it out.

"How was it?" asked James when I returned.

"Really nice. A bit muddy though."

"Oh yeah, sorry, I forgot to tell you about that. That walk is probably the muddiest of them all."

Keeping the blog up to date is important, but it'd be a shame to let it stand in the way of having fun. That evening, instead of holing myself in my room, I joined James and his neighbor, Baajin, in a game of poker. Five card stud, over some gin and tonic. Stakes were small; only ten cent antes. But the atmosphere was top notch, and I had tons of fun. By the end of the night, I was the big winner, taking in about RM8 (US$1 = RM3.7). Enough to by myself breakfast tomorrow morning!

Thanks to everyone for their support and comments! Knowing people are reading keeps me motivated to continue the updates!