Gunung Brinchang, Cameron Highlands, Malaysia – 2012

While in Georgetown we met a guy named Merlin who told us to check out the Cameron Highlands. I had wanted to go there already but his descriptions made it a priority. On the way from Georgetown to Tanah Rata we sat in the front of a bus and listened to the driver tell us stories about his bus route, traffic, and his bad experiences with Arab tourists. Despite his racial generizations he seemed to be a genuinely warm guy. At the end of the ride handed us a journal and asked us to write a note in it for him; he liked to have passengers write him notes.

It rained everyday except our last day in Tanah Rata, so we caught up on some rest and spent a lot of time in coffee shops. We ended up going on one short hike and one unexpectedly-extended hike. The short hike was really relaxing and disappointing. The long hike was exhilarating, painful and exhausting. Some hornets made a guest appearance, stinging my arms, which caused me to bleed and start shaking involuntarily, which then paused our hike. It’s a story I’ll tell you more about later. Anyway, get ready for a lot of green in these photos!

: A beautiful “point of interest” along a short hike in Tanah Rata. Do you like watching sewage flow down rocks while passing under a dilapidated bridge unfit for crossing? Hike trail #8.

: Right outside of the place we stayed at where the dogs are chained up and left to bark. This is done to create an ambient and relaxing hotel experience.

: Laundry day in Tanah Rata…. There’s something so nice about not using a dryer to dry clothes. Some friends have a clothesline in their backyard and I smile whenever I think of it.

: The main street in Tanah Rata. We spent a lot of time in that Starbucks after visiting some other shops with vastly inferior atmosphere and products.

: The road up to Gunung Brinchang. Shawna and I saw a cat so we followed it because we thought it was our spirit guide. He led us to a man who told us to go back where we came from and take the other road. Thanks spirit guide!

: On the way to hike Gunung Brinchang we passed this timeless vehicle which exuded a sense of rugged adventure.

: Adorable plants rule the cloud forests of Gunung Brinchang!

: Cutest lil Malaysian leafhopper I’ve seen in a while!

: I think these are some sort of eggs. Supposedly some insects place their eggs on stalks to prevent cannibalism upon hatching.

: I jumped when I saw this spider. He didn’t truly threaten me–it’s all in my head.

: Welcome to an ethereal world of wonder that is actually worth living in!

: Face-off between two bugs for control of a blade of grass that neither really owns though they both feel the right to control because they have ancestors who once lived there. War will exist forever until useless pride and entitlement is transcended.

: One plant uses itself as the pot for another. Symbiosis prevents plants from having to shop at Walmart.

: Hanging out with a bunch of other quiet lifeforms that are content to enjoy sunshine and water.

: Mysterious pink berries hung from a number of trees. I wanted to eat them so my life would turn into a Disney movie. Obviously, I decided not to eat them in the end.

: Some sort of insect sits on a leaf and contemplates giving me an incurable disease. He decided against it after I told him that biting me would just be a merciful gesture.

: Master Hiker Shawna stares off at some mountains. Mountains are very large, stereotypically triangular formations that occured when Jesus smashed dinosaurs.