And so I left Taman Negara on my little journey around the Malaysian Peninsular and headed off on a 12 hours bus journey (albeit 3 hours of it was waiting around) and looked forward to the new sights. I had been told that the Cameron Highlands were like stepping back in time into England and I suppose in a way (a very Asian way) it was. The first thing I saw as we pulled into the town was a Tudor pub and that was followed by the new bus station which overlooked the gothic style convent in the middle of the town. Very European!

I decided to get the well used running gear on and head off for a look around and I headed out past several pubs, guesthouses and resorts; all in a bizarre juxtaposition of blended styles covering most of Europe and come other places whose architecture I couldn't name off the top of my head.

What I discovered whilst jogging about was twofold. Firstly, the place was beautiful and the unique climate and conditions of the area allowed for the growth of both temperate and rainforest plants which meant for an interesting array of botany to see along the way. The second thing I learnt is that one of the prerequisites for a tea colony is steep hillsides upon which to grow the tea plants and that meant I was running on slopes every direction I turned. Phew!

We stayed in one of the worst places I think I have stayed in my travels. It was called Daniels Lodge and was 'THE backpacker haunt' of Tanah Rata (the town we were in). The problem was that Daniel had evidently taken the money and run because the place was rundown and decrepit. The supposedly 'open plan living' was in fact an attic that had been knocked through and sported a howling draught and no insulation. Indeed, this was the first time I had been cold since Sapa! The hustle and bustle of the hostel bar was sadly lacking - both nights we went it was empty and the whole place was awful and a complete ripoff. It wasn't even cheap!

The next day the guys I was travelling with - Yvonne and Matt (the banker) signed ourselves up for a half day whizz-bang tour of the area. It was the cheapest way to see the supposed highlights of the area but sadly turned out to be a trip to the contrived tourist sites of the region - well all apart from one and they were disappointing to say the least but I saw them. I hadn't slept a wink the night before due to the cold and so was pretty tired and grumpy anyway - unlike me isn't it?!

We visited first an insect/butterfly sanctuary supposedly filled with rare species. Owing to the cold, all the butterflies were stationary and there was a rather large number of detached wings and other various bodyparts scattered on the floor which was a tad upsetting,

Next up was the tea plantations for themselves. For those of you who don't know, The Cameron Highlands is 'apparently' the largest tea plantation in Asia and provides the tea for the majority of Malaysia and a good proportion of British tea also. I'm not sure on the accuracy of the first claim but they stand by it and I wasn't going to steal their glory! Actually the tea plantation was spectacular to see and I was blown away but the levels of labour that went into producing that cup of PG Tips on I drink for breakfast. They have to cut about 1cm of leaves a week from the plants over countless square km of mountains.

We next visited the BOH factory which is the Malaysian equivalent of PG / Twinings. It was a very nice complex consisting of a museum/display/video of the history and making of BOH and the products they sold - all wrapped up in a saccharine package before they directed you to the BOH Cafe for a refreshing taste of one of the several brands at only £3 a cup. That is the funky glass building you can see in the pictures on the side of the hill.

The final few stops encompassed a honey farm a temple and a local market selling all manner of genetically anomalous vegetables. As you can see - I came across purple cauliflower which was a first! All lovely.

I know that the much anticipated arrival of Ali was looming so decided that I had probably seen enough of Malaysia so headed back toward Singapore and started to prepare for her arrival. I wasn't able to do the journey in one day and managed to get as far as Malacca the first day with a quick stop in KL along the way. Once again, I stayed at Ring's Foyer and was welcomed back like an old friend. Indeed, I had recommended it to a few people whilst travelling around and they were overjoyed at the free advertising. So much so that they insisted I accompany them to Capitol Satay one more time and indulge them in letting them buy me a giant shrimp as a thank you present. I was really quite touched. It was the first time that I had been given anything in Asia for a very long time and they seemed so happy that their hostel was getting a name for itself. It wasn't even the best place I have stayed on my travels but it had a really good vibe and seemed to be ready to bend over backwards for their guests and I really liked that.

I finished my stay in Malacca by finally visiting the Museum of Beautification that I had heard of from several sources and had narrowly missed seeing the previous visit due to my arriving too late in the town. Sadly they wouldn't let me take pictures but it basically documented the methods, both historical and modern that people use to change their bodies for whatever reason. Some of it was very pleasant, some gruesome but all of it was fascinating. I left a changed man! I don't think that I shall be binding my feet or be sporting brass neck-rings quite yet however.

I finally arrived back in Singapore and managed to meet up with my mother's godfather's son - Tony Jenson. He turned out to have had an extremely colourful life having been in all 3 British services and then retiring from the Singapore forces as a half Colonel. We had a lovely dinner at my first genuinely western restaurant in 6 months and spent a weeks rent on 3 courses of food which he so generously paid for. I left stuffed full and waddled back to the MRT (tube) knowing I then had to go and find the hotel that I had booked Ali and I into for the next day when she was arriving. Im glad I did because I would never have found it otherwise which would have been extremely embarrassing! I also discovered another whole new part of Singapore in Chinatown. I had been staying in Little India surrounded by saris and curried and here I was fighting my way through markets and noodle stalls once more. It just cemented my liking for Singapore as a place with everything going on. And a real diversity of lifestyles.

My final night of solitude was spent with an English girl named Nathalie whom I met in the hostel and we were both looking for someone to justify going for a cocktail in Clinic - the supposed trendiest bar in Singapore. The whole place was modelled on a hospital clinic and was replete with golden wheelchairs and gurneys to relax in. You could also order your drinks in all manner of 'high school chemistry lab containers' or, as we did, have your cocktail from a blood bag. I have to admit that this was an incredible idea and one that should be repeated across the world. It would however need to be done in affluent cities as I paid $50 for that 330ml bag of booze. It was strong but I was only paying $25 per night for accommodation so you can see how it compared.

We rounded off the night with a trip to 1NiteStand which was recommended by several people at the microbrewery we had escaped too after the $100 bill at Clinic for a slightly cheaper drink. In there, Nathalie was lucky enough to get free champagne whilst I concentrated on listening to the best band I have heard in ages. Indeed, it was the first time I had heard live music since I left home (apart from the odd guitar whilst travelling) but this band comprised of a 5 piece work of genius and was so swept up. They played all the great hits and when the set finished, they took a break and the first class sound system pumped out popular tunes (that I hadn't heard!) before they came back and wowed us again. Truly brilliant!

I returned to the hostel in a taxi that night as the MRT stops at midnight and realised that I had managed to spend nearly 6 hours out - well over the self imposed curfew I had set myself; but I was utterly convinced that I wanted to live in Singapore.

Bring on the Ali!!!