First in a series of photos displaying a variety of spiders, bugs and flora on the hike to Brinchang.
Tuesday, 26 February 2013
Hike to Brinchang - Cameron Highlands, February 24th 2013
Brinchang...
Since the hike along Jungle Walk Number 4 is pretty easy, about as demanding as a hike to the local chippy and back, then it's a good route to take to Brinchang, the next town along the road that I arrived on from Penang, a few days ago now. Weathers a bit drizzly, as is frequently the case around here and cool too, need a coat on today!
Through the park and onto Jungle Walk number 4 again, rather damp, feet wet already - trouble is there just wasn't any baggage room for Welly boots!
More spiders, different ones with some bugs thrown into the mix, still no snakes though.
The hike ends at the picnic site, but according to the map there is a camping area a few meters to the right, beside the jungle. Yes, in a clearing there are a few tents and some wooden chalets or cabins. Quite a nice place, calm and peaceful with just a few birds tweeting and the crickets in song. A stream gurgles away in the distance, and there are trails leading up into the thick jungle, but a short hike and I turn back. It's going to take some effort here, not really geared up for that today. It's 3RM, about 55p per night to pitch a tent according to the only tourist here, a Frenchman with pretty good English actually.
On past the little church and round by the golf course, Brinchang is about 2KM, just a short trek really. About 1/2 an hour and the towns first giant hotel complex looms on the skyline. Then it's a Shell fuel station and then a KFC. The town, like it's neighbour is pretty uninspiring, almost a carbon copy actually. Concrete blocks divided into shops, restaurants and small hotels. Several more hotel complexes reside here, blocking any view points there may be. Uninspiring, characterless but functional as a tourist town, that's really all there is to say about Brinchang. Oh, there are more Chinese here, but again they are residing in restaurants and commanding a higher price for food, just as in Tenah Rata. About 15 minutes to walk the town from end to end. A small vegetable market, selling mostly strawberries. 3 on a skewer for 2RM, but they do get dipped in chocolate.
Cup of tea at a cafe, staff with an attitude to start with, but after a while they seem to raise a smile occasionally. Waiting for the bus back then as its now raining steadily. Time to kill then, and making good use of thier Wifi. Local bus, go's from the main centre and costs 2RM for the 10 minute ride.
Since the hike along Jungle Walk Number 4 is pretty easy, about as demanding as a hike to the local chippy and back, then it's a good route to take to Brinchang, the next town along the road that I arrived on from Penang, a few days ago now. Weathers a bit drizzly, as is frequently the case around here and cool too, need a coat on today!
Through the park and onto Jungle Walk number 4 again, rather damp, feet wet already - trouble is there just wasn't any baggage room for Welly boots!
More spiders, different ones with some bugs thrown into the mix, still no snakes though.
The hike ends at the picnic site, but according to the map there is a camping area a few meters to the right, beside the jungle. Yes, in a clearing there are a few tents and some wooden chalets or cabins. Quite a nice place, calm and peaceful with just a few birds tweeting and the crickets in song. A stream gurgles away in the distance, and there are trails leading up into the thick jungle, but a short hike and I turn back. It's going to take some effort here, not really geared up for that today. It's 3RM, about 55p per night to pitch a tent according to the only tourist here, a Frenchman with pretty good English actually.
On past the little church and round by the golf course, Brinchang is about 2KM, just a short trek really. About 1/2 an hour and the towns first giant hotel complex looms on the skyline. Then it's a Shell fuel station and then a KFC. The town, like it's neighbour is pretty uninspiring, almost a carbon copy actually. Concrete blocks divided into shops, restaurants and small hotels. Several more hotel complexes reside here, blocking any view points there may be. Uninspiring, characterless but functional as a tourist town, that's really all there is to say about Brinchang. Oh, there are more Chinese here, but again they are residing in restaurants and commanding a higher price for food, just as in Tenah Rata. About 15 minutes to walk the town from end to end. A small vegetable market, selling mostly strawberries. 3 on a skewer for 2RM, but they do get dipped in chocolate.
Cup of tea at a cafe, staff with an attitude to start with, but after a while they seem to raise a smile occasionally. Waiting for the bus back then as its now raining steadily. Time to kill then, and making good use of thier Wifi. Local bus, go's from the main centre and costs 2RM for the 10 minute ride.
Monday, 25 February 2013
The Cameron H. Album - About the Town, February 2013
The 'Heat is On' is the slogan as the 'Tour de Langkawi' rides into town.
The Cameron H. Album - Tenah Rata Town
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| Wild Strawberries, no synthetics, no chemicals |
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| Abandoned, ready for redevelopment perhaps.. |
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| The New |
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| Jungle walk 13 has seen better days |
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| De-forestation close to town |
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| Jungle walk 13 impassable |
An uninspiring town but poking around in the hills just behind the concrete blocks can reveal a little nature...
Around the Town, Tenah Rata, Cameron Highlands February 2013
Around Town...
A leisurely day - haven't I said that before! 2 today's of hiking around in jungles avoiding snakes, scorpions and deadly spiders...ok a slight exaggeration, a few spiders then. The weather looks a little suspiciously like rain, so staying close to base might be a good idea anyway.
As usual breakfast South Indian style, a little spicy of course. Then let's take a look at this town, try to find some evidence of British occupation perhaps. Tenah Rata, a town without character for the most part. Huge concrete blocks line the main road. These complexes are comprised, shops, hotels and tour agencies, along with a host of restaurants. Set back off the main street is a line of properties, whitewashed with a mock Tudor effect fronted with tall pines. Quite picturesque but that's about as much character this town has. Guesthouses are tucked away down side roads with hotel complexes carved into the hills out of town. No sign of any historical British occupancy, although there is convent perched high one end of the town. It's has that Victorian or even Edwardian look about the place.
Recent expansion is evident as the hillsides are left somewhat devoid of vegetation, quite bare and sad to see. A side road leads upwards, past a collection of ramshackles and into a new, recently constructed area with nearby terraced fields in a forlorn state. Inbetween the old and the new, a little wildness on the fringes - wild strawberries infact, and a few bugs of course.
Looking down on a housing estate, again relatively new with accommodation blocks in the middle and detached houses around the edges. No sign of any vandalism or fly tipping!
Tour de Langkawi is staging through town as side roads are blocked off and about 50 police on motorbikes ride into town. It's the Malaysian version of the Tour de France I suppose, beamed live across the world vid the helicopter hovering overhead. Quite a crowd gathering for what is obviously a major sporting event. Cheering and clapping as about 100 cycle racers arrive looking exhausted having just negotiated the most challenging stage of the race. Furiously pedalling their way along the main street at high speed to the finish line, in the next town along - Brinchang.
4 major banks in the town including HSBC, offering a 3.9% interest on curremt accounts! My credit card issued by Halifax will only work with one back though - Maybank it's called, and can be found in most of South-East Asia.
and that's just about it. As mentioned, a characterless town, nothing to do here unless one likes to sip a Starbucks coffee for hours! It's entirely a tourist base for those of us with an appreciation for the outdoors - jungles, snakes and spiders. Big hotel complexes are out of the main town particularly towards the golf course, but of course these are marketed as resorts and as such command significantly more for the room. They seem to be the domain of Japanese and Taiwanese visitors in the main, with weekend occupancy by Malaysians escaping the lowlands heat.
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