Creepy Crawlies in Cameron Highlands' Butterfly Farm (Malaysia)

Butterfly Garden. Seems too benign, right? I have never enjoyed any Butterfly Garden until my visit at Cameron Highlands' Butterfly Farm, 3 kilometers north of Brinchang. They weren't limited to butterflies, but display other creepy crawlies as well: the leaf insect, the stick insect, spiders, scorpions, beetles, etc. With a minimum fee of 5 RM (PhP70/$1.50), you can enjoy all these amazing, unique, terrifying insects. A tour guide would show you around the place, point the ones that needed emphasis, and even take them to crawl on your hand. The photo above is of a giant stick insect, overgrown and plump. Hmmm. Very extra terrestrial.

Cameron Highlands is located in Pahang, West Malaysia. It is 200 kilometers from Kuala Lumpur with a population of 43,000 people. As a hill station, it functions as a holiday destination (though there's not much party scene if you're into that); coffee and tea plantations; a fruit haven, hiking trails, a waterfall and a food destination as well. Cameron has 7 settlements: Kampong Raja, Taman Tringkap, Kea Farm, Brinchang, Ringlet, Bartam Valley, and the town center called Tanah Rata where most holiday makers stay. I did because that's where the the bus terminal is located. There's a post office, ATM machines, tourist center, hotels, parks and rows of restaurants.

This is the Eye in the Sky!

Animated Fun at the Rose Centre in Cameron Highlands (Malaysia)

A rose is a rose is a rose is a rose. Right.

But it isn't all roses at Cameron Highlands' Rose Centre. There's more. If you love flowers, you're get more than your fix here. What's more, there are animated statues fit for Disneyland, playful tunnels (photo above), and even Snow White and her seven dwarves. Children will have a blast. Romancing couple would get their vibe. Budding photo enthusiasts would have a field day. It's a complete leisure resort (sans a swimming pool - but who goes swimming in chilly Cameron?) set on a hilly slope.

Located at Kea Farm, 3.5 kilometers away from Brinchang, Rose Centre provides a very cheap excursion in the highlands, with an entrance fee of just 5 RM ($1.50/PhP176). If you've a touring vehicle, this is usually part of a tour itinerary. If not, go suggest it.

Cameron Highlands is located in Pahang, West Malaysia. It's about 200 kilometers from KL.

This is the Eye in the Sky!

A Little Corner Called Miharja (KL, Malaysia)

It would be an outskirt of KL; a place called Miharja where an LRT station via the Ampang Line leads to a bus terminal that transports people to Cameron Highlands. People mostly forget that Kerayong River flows through this Malaysian niche.

I was on my way to the highlands and had half an hour to kill so I decided to take a little stroll at the terminal's periphery.

What I discovered was this greenery: a river, not sure if it's a tributary to the Kerayong or it is the Kerayong itself; a wooden bridge; a bit of a woodland; benches lining a pathway. Here's a place that could be developed into a parkland, a green lung, a breathing space.

It's also easy to find eateries when you're hungry or just need a little munch, like a siopao maybe? Or a coconut cookie? Or both? Taman Miharja could be easily forgotten, but it has possibilities.

This is the Eye in the Sky!

Tales from Cameron Highlands - Brinchang Stasis and Tanah Rata Lethargy

This photo only courtesy of www.trekearth's chris jules.

Cameron Highlands, Malaysia - After a debacle at the bus terminal in Bukit Jalil, finally made it to my bus. It left the station at 10:30 AM and by 3 PM, I was back in Cameron Highlands. I am finally able to stay here for the night - amidst light teasing rain and dramatic fog. I was so pleased having chosen Hillview Inn which is one of the most beautiful guesthouses I have ever been to. Took the 150 ringgit room - without the balcony, since I didn't feel like taking my shoes off just to get to a room at the 2nd floor (Otherwise, it's 200 ringgit for a room with a balcony.) It's a good for 4 people - and with a wifi service to boot. I booked for a 25 ringgit sightseeing tour tomorrow morning. That should cover most of what I want to see.

Tanah Rata is exactly as I remembered it last time I was here, though there's less flowers. I finally made it to Brinchang, a good 3 kilometers north from TR - through a 6 ringgit taxi. If you're in a group, taxis charge 2 ringgit per person which is - still - a bargain. Nothing much to see in Brinchang although there are more shops and hotels.

Cameron Highlands - in the state of Pahang - doesn't even have a movie house to amuse its people. I indulged on what I have been reading from travel forums - the Steamboat - which is what we call hotpot in the Philippines. (At main strip's unassuming Hong Kong Restaurant, at 14 ringgit per person.) The difference is, they offer more variety to dunk on a bowl of boiling water - then feast yourself to gluttony. I am thus walking back to my room with bloated stomach. But the mysterious, dramatic fog envelopes my consciousness with smug sleepiness.

Evening now and I ventured across dimly lit shops. There was a "salon" - really a barber shop with a single customer at 9 in the evening. The night market is also winding down, and people looked tired. But one thing noticeable about the highlanders is their good natured demeanor. They offer a huge smile for a 1 ringgit sale of breaded banana. A taxi driver even returned a 50 ringgit bill when I mistook it for a fiver. Earlier, while on the road, during a bus stop before arrival in CH, I knew I gave a 6 ringgit fee for a 4.50 bill, but the idiot girl pretended it was the correct amount. I knew one day she would never find success in whatever she sets her heart to. I can't wait for the tour tomorrow though. 7 stops within 4 hours. Charmed, I am sure

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This is the Eye in the Sky.

Dining in Malaysia

KL's cosmopolitan veneer extends to its gastronomic delights. This photo only courtesy of wikitravel's guyfrombronx.

Malaysia Airline food - chicken noodles with tropical fruits and orange juice.

I have learned to become adventurous due to my travels. After all, constant compromise and risk-takings are essential for survival during long haul trips. But there is one thing that I never compromise – food! I am droll and boring when it comes to food. If there is a chance I would hate what I am about to order and experiment on, I back off and get the safest, most common food on the menu.

Contrary to popular belief – that my travels involve dieting – I do get to eat more often than usual. The reason for this is simple: I will never find myself starved in the middle of a road trip where accessible food is nowhere to be found. Thus, much like diarrheic patients, I practice “small frequent feeding” – and lots of fluids! I eat and eat when I can – little amounts every so often. I usually deplete and burn them fast anyway. My travels are actually strenuous and burn a lot of energy.

Last December, I unknowingly lost 10 pounds after a month of travels in Malaysia, Bangladesh and India. Last March, I lost 5 pounds after 1 month of travels all over Myanmar (Burma) and Thailand. Bangladesh and India were a tough place to live – in terms of eating! These processed “halal” food (food that are permissible to eat by Muslim law) were effective weight reducers. I didn’t favor the taste, the food consistency, the smell, even the color. And eating dhal every so often just didn’t agree with my appetite – most especially cause I hate spicy food – and chili and spice are the gastronomic soul of Indian dining!
Being a Muslim country, Malaysia isn’t so much different. They serve halal food, BUT there is more variety that suits the western tongue (I am Pinoy but my taste buds have been primed like an American tongue haha!). There is KFC and McDonalds. Chicken tastes like chicken! In India, the taste of chicken perplexed me no end!
Was I alone with this observation?

Last March, while I was in north Myanmar – in the royal city of Mandalay, I met a Polish guy named Adam! He was also in India the whole November last year. He kept dropping “fuckin shits” and “idiots” and other expletives while he was recounting his trips. And I would stop and tell him – “You should not say, fuck you, to them!” I was such a daddy! Haha!

Adam explored India from North to South. He loved Cochin (which is south India) the best coz, according to him, “they were mostly Catholics”, and this heavily influenced the kind of food that the region consumed; i.e. “non-halal”. As a result, Adam lost 25 pounds from the whole Indian experience. He said he was constantly starving and craving for something edible. I was the same but there was somehow food that tentatively suited my taste buds! It wasn’t so bad – BUT I lost 10 pounds anyway!

On the other hand, Malaysia has a more varied range of selection. Pork is available for the non-muslims. Coffeeshops, Mamak stalls, mall food courts, fine dining – they’re all available in Malaysia, especially in KL. In middle-of-the-road areas (as in Jalan Pudu), simple restaurants display a colorful mix of viands. And the colors are, to say the least, eye-popping – orange, yellows, red, maroons – these chili paste-rich food choices just seem to jump out of their trays. On food, I am a little scared of too much color.
So here is my Eye in the Sky of food to be had in Malaysia!

McDonald, in front of Central Market, KL - Big Breakfast at 9.75 Ringgit ($2.75/PhP132.60). Malaysia's Big Breakfast is actually twice more expensive than Manila's Big Breakfast! Thailand's Big Breakfast is even moreso at 130 baht or PhP183.60.

Fruits in season in Shah Alam, Malaysia - rambutan (those hairy round fruits) and coconut.

Shah Alam restaurant just beside the Museum. Look at all the choices... and I had to choose something so safe. (below)

Fried banana looking so delectable.

My very safe and very drab choice. It was past 1:30PM so this was supposed to be late lunch, but for some reason, I wasn't hungry at all. I just got off the train from KL. I forced myself to eat so my choice was rather uninspired: Fried chicken drumstick with rice (3R), 2 slices of banana (50 cents), iced Milo drink (1.50R). Total - 5Ringgit ($1.40 or PhP68).

KFC along Jalan Pudu in KL - 2 piece chicken with coleslaw, bread and mashed potato - 9.75Ringgit ($2.75 or PhP132.60).

KFC once again at the Central Market area - 3 piece chicken meal - 12Ringgit ($141 or PhP163.30).

Dinner at Berjaya Times Square, my favorite place to hangout and watch movies. This was before a movie, at a restaurant called SEKHOM, just beside the cinema entrance at the 5th floor. Pork meal at 10.90Ringgit plus coke - Total is 15.50Ringgit ($4.35 or PhP210.90). Oh, they were rushing to rid of the table so I was rushing too! And more importantly, food was CRAP! Looked good, but they were all tendons, cartilages and bones!

Sekhom Restaurant facing the entrance to cinema halls in BTS. I was deciding between Thailand's "The Coffin" and South Korea's "Guardpost (GP 506)" - another war horror film. I chose the latter (GP 506) coz I knew The Coffin had a better chance of getting shown in Manila than the South Korean film. True enough, not only was The Coffin shown last week, I also bought The Coffin's DVD last April while I was in Bangkok.

Traffic as I left Berjaya Times Square after the last full show. This was station IMBI.

Maulana Food Court beside Hotel Hibiscus City along Jalan Pudu, KL. This restaurant seems to be open 24 hours. Look at all the choices. They had a fixed price for a meal - but guess what I chose (below)...

The droll unadventurous me. Haha! Rice with boiled and fried egg, noodle (bihon) and coke in can - just 5.50Ringgit ($1.56). As I said earlier, I am not so fond of colored food and lotsa chili paste!

Maulana Food Court, Jalan Pudu, KL

Layan Diri self serve bus stopover on my way to Cameron Highlands from KL. This was a 20-minute stopover. I didn't eat coz I left KL just after a meal. So, I bought kakanin (snack)... (below)

Layan Diri

Sagun Bakar or Light Cream Cookies at 4.60R ($1.30 0r PhP62.65). They tasted like chalk! Pineapple Pie at 3R ($0.85 or PhP41). I've always loved the sweetsour taste of pineapple in food. A friend of mine finds it tacky, mixing pineapple in a recipe.

Landslides and Ticket Troubles en route Cameron Highlands

It was a folly to plan out a visit to the Cameron Highlands, a tea-planting resort village at the northernmost tip of the Pahang state of Malaysia. But it wasn't completely careless. I thought I had the right information. I was carrying with me some print outs of a Wikitravel article which said that it only takes 1 1/2 hours to get there, even an hour if you take this so-and-so route. Confident of my knowledge about malaysia's transportation system, it was "go".

I proceeded to the Puduraya Station, and within 30 minutes, I was on a bus along with several other backpackers. I was probably the single soul planning for a day-out, expecting to be back in KL before midnight.

As it happens, there had been rains in the region the last few days. The winding mountain roads of Cameron Highlands were fettered with landslides and the ride was agonizingly slow. Our 350-pound driver drove so slow - I was seated at his back - at 40-50 kph, and everysooften, he would stop somewhere and EAT! The whole ride stretched for hours until I realized it was going to be almost triple the amount of time I expected to get there.

Upon arrival, I hastened to get a return ticket, only to be told that all the transportation services headed back to KL have been cancelled for the day - EXCEPT the bus I took. BUT it was already fully booked! What was I to do? I wasn't ready to stay there overnight! I was just told to sit and wait with no guarantees for a ride. The bus was to leave at 4:30PM leaving me little time to gallivant the area. I resorted to the most basic maneuvers - begging! I had to literally beg the fat lady by the counter to just let me on the bus - I was ready to brave standing up the whole ride through. Finally, she looked at me intently - as if charmed by my smile - hehe - and finally relented. She pulled a bunch of tickets from under her table, then sold me one - at 23 RM (x14 = PhP).

The ride going to Tanah Rata, the main town was dazzling. You didn't even have to take local transport to see the famous tea plantations - it was on the road and stretches for kilometers of well maintained roads! Closest to heaven on earth! I remember seeing this same sight in the commercial blurbs of Jericho Rosales-Carmen Soo telenovela "Kahit Isang Saglit" (Just For A Moment).

My heart-pounding experience to get to the foggy, cool and picture-perfect Cameron Highlands was all worth the trouble.