Between Kuala Lumpur and the Malaysian border with Thailand
lies the mildly-alpine cluster of towns known collectively as the Cameron
Highlands. With its cool, crisp air, its land a patchwork of green blanketing
rolling hills, and its charming colonial-inspired, mock-Switzerland
architecture, the Highlands are a popular getaway for tourists and Malaysians
alike.
Overrun with tea plantations, butterfly gardens, and organic
farms of every variety -- vegetable, mushroom, honey, strawberries, and even a handful of cactus farms -- this part of Malaysia offered a calm pit stop after the rest of our
jungle-trekking, mosquito-swatting travels.
Few foreigners were to be seen in the sea of weekend
day-tripping Malaysians --- Muslim, Chinese, and Indians all accounted for. The
weekend prices skyrocketed. The mountain roads were heavy with traffic,
restaurants packed in the evening.
It wasn’t all as advertised. More than anything, we waded
through an endless sea of souvenirs, trinkets, and junk. Most of the so-called
farms were poor imitations, designed to lure visitors into unnecessary
purchases. The butterfly and insect gardens had seen better days, sad and
trampled as they were.
Despite the gimmicky atmosphere and over-saturated market, we
got what we asked for. The honey was sweet, the butterflies big and beautiful,
the insects and reptiles bizarre and intriguing, the strawberries ripe and luscious.
And, equally important, the Indian food
plentiful and cheap.
