Hello again from the beautiful Carmeron Highlands. We are now about 5000ft above sea level and the temperature here is soo nice compared to KL!!! we could not get out of that place quick enough!!! There isnt an awful lot up here, but it is very pretty!! A few days ago (cant remember when!!) we got a bus up from KL which was a bit of a nightmare as the roads in the highlands are super windy and steep so, true to form poor old Sar wasnt feeling too good!! When we arrived we checked in to Daniels Lodge recommended by good old Toby and Verina (thanks guys - it was a good tip off this time!!). There is a really cool bar in the complex called the Jungle Bar. They light a bonfire every night and everyone just sits around it chatting away over a few beers!

We have been really lucky here and met a lot of really nice people which is cool especially as we have not really met hardly anyone so far in Asia as there has not really been any good communal areas in the accommodation. We spent most of last night chatting to a guy called Paul from Bath who was really nice, and i even ended up getting a little bit drunk - for the first time in close to 2 months!!

A couple of days ago we tried to go into the jungle on one of the many treks, but being typical us, we just set off in out shorts and flip flops - expecting it to be nice and maintained trails that are easy for tourists!! Ha ha yeah right!! We lasted about half an hour of cutting our legs on overgrown bushes, tripping over roots and not knowing where to go then cut our losses and headed back for some lunch.

After lunch we trekked off to find an english restaurant called Ye Olde Smokehouse. About 15 mins into the wall - surprise surprise the ehavens opened and we had our millionth thunderstorm!! We tried to cower under some trees at the side of the road but got absolutely drenched until finally a random taxi drove past - we jumped out into the rain and flailed our limbs until it stopped - jumped im and went to the smokehouse. What a load of poo it was!! It was trying to be all olde english with a full English menu but it was so so expensive so we just had to get the cheapest thing - a hot choccy! Surely you cant go wrong with that!! Wrong again!!! It sucked!!! It was like flipping bitter chocolate and only luke warm! Needless to say, we got out of there quickly and got a cab back.

The next day we tried to get up to the tea plantations. We took a local bus there, and founf out that you had to walk 2km further to the actual tea place. It was a really nice walk but after about 15 mins it started to rain! We figured we were not going to get busted again and turned on our heels and fled back to the road to catch the bus (apparently coming past on the hour, however the buses kinded of adhere to their own timetables here!! And needless to say it didnt arrive) which we missed and started walking instead. We stopped off at a strawberry farm and had a few fresh strawbs and some yummy milkshakes, and that was that attempt.

Today we had another go and got up nice and early to beat the rains. Once again we were stitched up by buses not turning up, and eventually got to the drop off point at about half 12. There were another 2 guys from Bristol and London called Aidan and Owen who were going there as well so we spent the afternoon with them and got all of the way this time!! The walk of course was not 2kms but much further, luckily the weather was nice for once and it was pretty pleasant.

The actual tour of the tea factory was not a tour, we just walked around the machines and read a dew signs, but the area was really pretty and we had a lovely cup of tea and some choccy cake at the end of it with Owen (who was an absolute tea obssessive!!!) and Aidan ... the best thing of all?? We didnt pay for it!!! They forgot to ask us for the money when we collected our tea and cake!!! Bargain!!!

We are off to Pulau Pangkor tomorrow at 8am so its an early start!! It is a nice little island where (hopefully) we will actually see some sun and get a tan - all of these thunderstorms (literally every day) have washed it from us and we look like white Poms!!

x