If Only... But Then - Cameron, Malaysia

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If Only... But Then
Cameron Highlands, Malaysia
If only we'd not heard other backpackers talking about it - this fantastic place where the sun shines without the stifling 99% humidity, of great food and an even greater new hostel. If only we'd not seen the postcards, we wouldn't have gone. That would have been a shame. As often quoted, it's the getting there that's the real adventure.

Before heading for the madness of Kuala Lumpur, the idea of relaxing in a mountain village with few tourists up in the Cameron Highlands of Malaysia sounded wonderful.

So on one hot morning in Penang we caught a bus. It was an interesting journey. We named the driver Keanu, since he was determined not to go under fifty kilometers an hour, even on the sharp 180° turns. After four hours of this rollercoaster ride, we were ready to get off. It was almost dark. The bus stopped. I peered out the window but I couldn't see a thing.

"Everybody off!" yelled Keanu. They started unloading the bus - throwing our backpacks from the roof onto the road below. I had just enough time to pick mine up and dump it on the side of the road before it became roadkill.

I was trying to figure out why the bus had stopped - no flat tyre, no hijacking, no collision. Eventually, I saw a landslide blocking the entire width of the road, about ten feet high.

"You get on the other bus," Keanu said.

"Where"?

"The other side," he replied.

So back on went the backpack as I scrambled over the fine red, wet soil that had recently settled. We finally arrived at the village. By now I just wanted to sleep. Does this new hostel exist and if so, would they let this red, soiled woman in?

The hostel was in full swing. The furniture was outside with the proprietor nearly passed out. If only we'd gone to that mountain village in the dry season. But then, we wouldn't have gotten a great discount with a sober owner.

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