Up early
We had an early start today, 6:30am. We’re getting a bus to the Cameron Highlands which is supposed to be quite a good place to visit. Apparently it’s quite beautiful in its own right, and there’s some good things to see there. In the darkness of dawn, we got all our gear together quietly, and descended into the streets. We nipped to 7/11 on the way to the bus stop to get some pastries for breakfast. These usually consist of pain au chocolate, croissants, and similar treats (from a packet).
The bus to the Cameron Highlands arrived whilst it was still dark, but it was humid even in these early hours. The bus was supposed to take around 4 hours to get to the Cameron Highlands, which should take us to late morning. When the coach turned up, we were in for a comfy ride; it was pretty nice inside, and the aircon was heavenly too. I was able to get some more kip in during the ride, as usual. As we should have expected, the bus didn’t take 4 hours, but instead over 5 hours, to get to the Cameron Highlands. I don’t know why I’m still surprised by the longevity of the journeys.
In the hills
As we entered the highland landscape, it became noticeably cooler, something I’d greatly enjoy for the next couple of days. The town itself was very snug, and nested in the mountains, surrounded on all sides by hills and forests. Our hostel was only a 10-minute walk from the bus station, which is always a bonus! The hostel was called Hostel Bricks and it was actually really comfortable. The dorm was pretty snug, and the chill out area was…well chilled. It had a chessboard and pool table too.
We went out nearby for some food quickly, and then had a walk out of town afterwards. The road we walked along was winding down the mountains, and except for the cars, the views were lovely. We could see the tops of the nearby forests, and all the plant life that came with it. Once we’d reached a tea plantation, we decided to stop. The view was stunning; the valley was full of tea plants, and it had the a very vibrant green hue to it. All of the plants seemed to show the landscapes figure very well, and it looked really cool. This was also due in part to the sunset that was happening, it cast some awesome shadows across the place.
Time for tea
After we’d watched the sunset descend behind the mountains in front of us, we began walking back to town. Once we’d reached the hostel, we sat around and chilled for a while, even short walks can drain you if you’re in the heat. We also took the opportunity to have a game of chess, I was the victor this time. There was a nearby market, so we decided to have a mill around and try some different food. I love these markets, you never know what you’re going to get, for better or for worse, and there’s usually always something new to try.
I think the market was shutting up shop, so we didn’t actually get to eat much. But just around the corner there was a large indoor food hall which was hosting a lot of people. We had a look at the menu, and then placed our order. The pair of us opted for some tandoori chicken and rice, and I had a strawberry and cheese naan bread; it was divine! After this meal, we headed back to the hostel and turned in for the night.
