4 Girls, 1 Myvi and the Highlands of Cameron...

I went on a short roadtrip with my colleague and ex-colleagues to Cameron last weekend... Took Friday off and went up after lunch... Took the Simpang Pulai route to avoid vomitting in the Myvi... hehe!! It was a girls only trip... so much fun... haha!!

Day One...

We arrived about 1800 hrs... went searching for our apartment which we booked earlier... We stayed at Desa Anthurium which is located somewhere between Brinchang and Tanah Rata... Not so great a choice but of well.. it was just for sleeping... but if you pantang looking out the window and seeing a cemetery.. this might not be the best choice...

The living room... a tad shabby....

Dining Room... also shabby... haha!! shall not show the room and bathroom.. just imagine.. even shabbier...

So anyway... we dropped out stuff into the apartment and set out off to have evening tea with scones.. went to a placed called T-Cafe and Tanah Rata... highly recommended by the internet.. hehe!! (what would be do without it nowadays) we sat down and ordered... Cream scones with homemade jam (this was super yum yum), Strawberry Fruity Scones, Strawberry Cheesecake and Apple Pie... All highly recommended by the menu... haha!!

The creams scones were really creamy and tasty... but it kinda crumbled too easily... The fruity scones were not so good.. the texture was a tad hard.... then the cheesecake was not too bad.. would have preferred it if the cake was cheesier though.. the apple pie was fresh... the apples were still crunchy... but this apparently is an acquired taste... crunchy apple pie I mean... everyone else was so used to the soft apples in the pies that this was kinda odd first time tasting.. but since it isnt an alien to me.. I liked it.. hehe!! but scones were definitely tops in this restaurant.. didnt manage the main meals coz we had something else in mind but they did look good when the tables around us were served...

Food is evidently yummy at this place.. Licin all the plates... haha!!

Promoting the place... hehe!! No...we were not bribed... hehe!

After the late tea we headed to Brinchang night market... not much of a night market la.. it was all of 100m long only I think.. they were selling fresh vegetables, fruits and honey.. now the latter is the real interesting bit... we came across this man sitting on a stool cutting the honeycomb off a man-made wooden panel.. he was selling the honeycomb itself.. Rm60/kg.. quite steep actually.. didnt take a picture of him in action.. regret regret.. wasted wasted.. but it was real interesting.. and guess how you eat it? Just like that.. wax and honey.. haha!! but the wax was a bit difficult to swallow so might as well spit it out...

Isnt it just an amazing work of art... Can you believe it.. it just naturally form... perfect little hexagons... so nice...

So after our short walk at the night market... we ended up buying some strawberries and cherry tomatoes... strawberries were sour as usual... Though Cameron is popular for its strawberries... trust me.. it is not that great... sour.. :( I would know.. strawberries are one of my fav fruits...

Oh oh.. I also bought Calla Lilies.. nice... hehe!! didnt take some pictures but they are real pretty...

So after that, it was about 2000 hrs and we went in search of another recommended food destination... charcoal steamboat.. yup.. charcoal... that is what makes it unique.. instead of a gas stove.. they use charcoal as the source of heat... this place was a stone throw away from the night market... Cant remember the name.. sounded like Highland Steamboat or something.. but then again... the food was not great... it was more just the novelty of eating a charcoal steamboat... with the cool weather... the feeling was nice....

Check that funnel out... haha!! it was so tall.... and see!! no gas stove.. it just sits on a paper covered base which is to absorb heat....
Can you see the charcoal right in the funnel?

All ready to eat... Sonia, Rachel and Amy...

Me and Sonia ready to dig in....

Whoa!!! Great balls of fire!!! haha!! it was spewing fire while we were picking out the stuff.. haha!! We ate so so so much.. I had to many fishballs and meatballs I was looking like a ball...

Overall it was a nice thing to experience but foodwise.. not great... so dont expect too much if you go and try it...
So after the steamboat meal we headed over to yet another makan place... haha!! yes.. I just said I was full... but then we had an appointment... haha!! Sonia met a teacher who lives and teaches in Cameron some time back and we called him out for drinks... since by the time we finished steamboat it was already almost 2200 hrs we headed straight over to Suria a mamak in Tanah Rata... We have not stopped eating since we arrived in Cameron.. haha!!

Well... the mamak session was normal... we chit chatted... met a couple of the teacher's frens... one is a farmer who plants tomatoes and the other chillies... cool... but we didnt get a chance to visit.. :( there was one thing interesting in the mamak.. it was called Teh Special...

Why is this so special... Coz it looks special.. that is all..taste like normal tea... haha!!

Finally... after the mamak session..we headed back to the apartment... took our bath and sat down for some mahjong session... haha!! Funny thing is that none of us really knew how to play... a bit here and a bit there... created some rules of our own... mix up the sequence a bit and we were playing... hehe!! finally went to sleep at 0330 hrs..

Day Two...

Well.. my morning didnt start so good.. somewhere middle of the night Sonia stole all the blanket and left me with none.. :( I was warm enough with my PJs and jacket but my feet were so cold... didnt wear socks to sleep... and when I tried pulling the blanket back.. she refuse to let go.. :( so instead I slept senget one side and tucked my feet underneath the blanket on her side... haha!!

So we woke up at 9 plus... got ready... then left bout 1100.... went for breakfast... had some supposedly nice prawn me... it was not great at all that photos and further mention is not required...

After that.. of we went to Sungei Palas Tea Plantation.... but before that we stopped by to buy some corn... oooh... the corn is nice... they are called Pearl Corn... really super sweet and can be eaten raw... yum yum... after our little purchase we went on to the tea plantation... the road was so cute.. had little pockets by the side of the road of vehicles to stop and let the opposite traffic pass as the roads could only accomodate 1 vehicle
at a time.. of course there were some idiots who refused to give way... :P

When we finally got to the parking.. first thing we did? Eat corn.. haha!!

Doesnt tat look yummy....

Hygiene first... must wash.... hehe!! that is the Myvi we took up... Amy's Myvi... it is it's virgin trip outstanding and it did well... hehe!!

Look at that... each succulent juicy kernel...

Me and Sonia enjoying the sweetness of the corn....

Welcome to Sungei Pakas Tea Center...

Now you see me... Now you dont!! heheh!! hiding in the tea bushes...

All four of us on our first roadtrip....

Artistically taken photo... you like? I got skill huh? hehe!!

The tea house perched at the edge of the hill overseeing the plantation... the view is breathtaking....

View from inside...unfortunately we were rushing for time so we didnt get a chance to sit down have some tea and soak in the view... what a waste....

4 of us with the main signage... we were attempting to "Chi pek" = Stick wall... haha!!

One more group photo....One more parting glance of the spectacular view...

And we were off.... down the hills of cameron and headed towards Ipoh... went to have some supposedly damn nice curry mee near Rachel's house in First Garden... well it wasnt too bad but nuthing to shout about... by this time my camera's battery was flat so no more food shots...

After that we rushed back to kl.... needed to be back in KL by 1800 hrs.... I slept like a pig...haha!! oops.. poor Sonia who was driving...

All in all it was a great trip... a very memorable one... only thing was that I wished it lasted longer... should have planned a 2 night's trip instead of one... there was so many things we have not eaten yet... there is a supposedly good german restaurant... and some good breakfast nasi lemak... and not forgetting the tea house at the plantation... definitely will plan another one.... :)

Anyone wanna go?