Wowee!! The Cameron Highlands is actually cold!!! for the first time in a long time i have worn shows and even a jumper early morning!! Amazing - especially compared to the heats of Kuala Lumpar and the cities!! So we arrived in the small town and headed straight for the famous scone shope for local cameron tea and scones and jam! mm mmm! ate local food for dinner - indian quisine (i know im not in India!) in the traditional way as well...straight off a banana leaf and using your hands! Certainly another experience. Then for the real adventures...a whole days tour and definately one of my top best days on my whole trip! We started out by going to the highest point in the Cameron Highlands and venturing to the strawberry farm to test the local growth! mmm! afterwards we headed to the tea plantations and watched the local indonesians hard at work picking the tea leaves. its views like that that i have only ever seen in text books and never thought i would experience first hand!! the tea factory was pretty interesting and, considering ive only really drunk tea since coming away, it was nice stuff!! ; ) managed to get photos of the workers with the traditional pyramid style straw hats and we all jumped in the tea bushes for a quick photo too!! we dropped the rest of the group back to the hotel and 5 of us who'd opted to do the full day headed to the local aborigine tribe and village for the last half of the day. we met the inhabitants with gifts for the children and we were shown how to hunt using the tradtional methods of a blow pipe! i was rubbish at hitting the traget but successfullt got the arrow lodged into the next tree! ; ) we were greeted by the children who were playing trains in the earth with their flip flops - who needs a train set!! ; ) and they were delighted for us to take pictures of them cos they loved the fact they could see there pictures back on the digital screen. that was an experience of itself!! ; ) so we began the trek and it soon became clear that this was to be one of the funniest days of the trip to date and a laugh from start to finish!! there was me and 4 others - although the whole group gets on well we all gel pretty well and it was a good crowd to be with!! the trek is cley pretty much the whole way and so slippy, especially as it rains every afternoon!! we all made fern hats and walked along like warriors - trekking over logs, over bamboo bridges, through puddles and under fallen branches. a real jungle encounter!! so real that even the guides had to make new tracks as we went cos not even they knew the direct way! great! i had to be the first one to fall over...just to set the standard was my excuse! but i have to admit it was pretty funny!! ; ) after being held down for photos we got on our way again...before shortly falling again...and again...and again!! my light trousers are now a clay red as are my white trainers and water prrof jacket and even my knickers!!! ; ) at one point the guides left us to search the trails and we all found oursleves huddled in the jungle eating cookies amongst the wildlife!! unfortunately we didnt see any monkeys but the spider and alien frog made up for it! ; ) eventually we found the worlds biggest flower...the whole point of the trek! and it was bloody massive!!! it only has fragrance for 5 weeks of the year starting from mid december - glad it didnt smell though as it smells of rotten meat apparently! nice! ; ) its red/orange in colour and bigger than the average arm span of a human holding their arms out! got some great pics before moving away - i didnt want to slip and fall onto it!! so we started the trek back...even more treacherous as it was mainly downhill!! after the heavy downpours the river had swollen and filled up so the only way across was to wade through! at least it cleaned my trainers!! ; ) managed to get time to swim in the waterfall...first time ive done that and it was freezing but great fun!! after a few more slips and slides and even more of a lugh we eventually got back to the village and our van ride home. words and pictures hardly do it justice but i sure want to remember that day!! ; ) the adventure didnt stop there though as we came across a stranded eagle on the road! we thought it had a broken wing so were about to run it over to put it out of its misery when it recovered and flew away!! u oh! ; ) got back late but headed into town for some food...ate local cuisine again - this time a stemboat...a big steel bowl that you cook on yourself with a whole variety of meat and fish. we got jellyfish to try!! very chewy and either tastes of plastic or tripe!! ; ) mmm mm!! whilst we eating yet more adventure as we were joined by a scorpian running across the floor!! the locals went mad and we even considered putting it in the steamboat!! just kidding!! ; ) so all in all a fantastic day and just the sort of adventure i came travelling for! amazing! Penang is next and the diverse cultures and temples that inhabit the area! meant to be having a top floor pizza party on our first night overloooking the city. sounds fab to me!! so thats all for now...probably be back on here from Thailand!! Cant wait! hope all is well there and speak to you soon. Lots of love, Georgie x x x