M-whY

"How much to Tanah Rata (the main town in the Cameron Highlands?"

"18 ringgit."

The LP suggested RM13, but I figured the price hike was due to higher fuel costs.

"And when does the next one leave?"

She checked her watch. "There is one now. You can still catch it."

My bags were still upstairs, unpacked.

"I'm not ready to leave now. When is the next one after?"

"12:30, but it is a express coach. It is 22 ringgit."

"When is the next non-express?"

"3:30pm."

The Cameron Highlands were four hours away. I didn't want to get there after dark. So I paid for the 12:30 bus.

I returned to my room to pack and spent some time on the internet before heading out to get something to eat. The official language in Malaysia is Bahasa Melayu, not too different from Bahasa Indonesian. My limited vocabulary was enough to understand food menus, and I ordered some fried chicken and rice from a food court outside the bus station.

I exchanged my voucher for the ticket, and immediately noticed the RM14.60 printed on it. Hmm, had I been ripped off? Two backpackers sitting behind me must've noticed the same thing, because one of them leaned forward and asked, "How much did you pay for your ticket?"

"22 ringgit. And you?"

"Yeah, same. We were just curious, cause it says 14.60 on the ticket."

"Did you buy it from the travel agent down the street too?"

"Yeah. Oh well, it's too late to do anything about it now."

Malaysia and Indonesia may share similar languages, but the bus drivers are two distinctly different breeds. It was a smooth, easy ride up to the Cameron Highlands. As we climbed in altitude, the scenery got prettier and prettier. This is going to be an amazing place, I thought to myself.

Laid back touts greeted us at the bus station at Tanah Rata, offering lifts to various different guesthouses. The rides were free (which is probably why they weren't pushy) and I got in a van that took me to the highly recommended Hillview Inn. Unfortunately, there weren't any rooms left. The guesthouses in the area seemed like a tight-knit community, instead of cutthroat competitors, and I was referred to Papillon Inn, a couple minutes away. They even drove me there, so I didn't have to haul my bags around.

Papillon is owned and operated by a friendly Indian and Chinese Malay couple. This sunday happened to be Wesak Day, an important Buddhist holiday. This meant that most businesses would be closed the following monday. A huge crowd of domestic tourists were expected to flood this popular vacation destination to enjoy the long weekend. Demand would exceed supply, causing room costs to skyrocket. However, James and Yvonne gave me a price that was more than fair, and so I settled in in this cozy guesthouse located at the edge of town.

The climate in the Cameron Highlands is cool and refreshing, a sharp contrast to the hot and humid coastline. I hadn't really done anything yet today, and I still had a couple hours of daylight left. I borrowed a region map from them, and asked where the walk to Parit Falls started.

"Oh, you don't want to go to Parit Falls. It's very polluted."

"How about Robinson Falls then?"

"It's a bit better. It's a short walk, only about ten minutes. Here, I'll drive you to the trail head."

The walk was well marked, easy, and short. The falls itself was pretty average. But I can assure you (speaking from the future)... it's going to get a lot better!

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