Blood, sweat and...a bit more sweat

After caffeine-ing it up to the max in the Cameron Highlands, Matt and I headed to Taman Negara for some jungle fun. This is Malaysia's largest and most important National Park and is home to rainforest that dates back 130 million years. Crikey beans. Needless to say, there are all sorts of exotic creatures prowling, crawling and jumping around in the forest's depths. We decided to do a bit of wildlife spotting in the hope of seeing these mighty beasts in their natural habitat. After stocking up on supplies we hit the tracks for three days of jungle walking. I can honestly say, I have never sweated so much in my life so we arrived at the animal hide (where we slept) covered in sweat, mud and patches of blood from leech bites. Nice. Seriously though, the jungle was awesome, complete with buttress roots, hanging creepers and patches of muddy water for us to negotiate. In the late afternoons and evenings we sat quietly in the hide, watching patiently for animals and listening to the incredible jungle sounds. The tigers and rhinos remained elusive, as did the elephants, but we did see a troop of monkeys moving through the area. We also found elephant dung and bear prints so I was altogether happy with our tracking skills.

Three buses, two boats and a train ride later, we found ourselves surrounded by very different scenery. We ended our time in Malaysia with a visit to Pulau Perhentian Kecil, a small east coast island which is famed for its white sand beaches and turquoise water. After our exertion in the jungle, it was great to swim, relax and let our feet mend themselves for a few days. On the second day we went on a snorkelling trip where we saw rays, a small shark and plenty of 'everycolour' fish. Unfortunately, much of the coral in the area has been destroyed so it didn't match up to the reefs of Australia or Lombok but it was enjoyable nonetheless.

We have now crossed the border into the kingdom of Thaliand. Time to learn a new language again- I'd best get stuck in to my phrasebook!

Cup o' tea bab?

We did very little with our four days in Jakarta except avoid the heat, smells and mosquitoes by wandering around air conditioned shopping malls. To be fair, Jakarta is not the most beautiful city I've ever been to and the public transport system is rubbish. Singapore was a completely different world. The city is clean and efficient with a speedy subway system and equally amazing internet. Additionally, we had tea. Proper tea with fresh milk. I have been missing a good cup o' cha so I was a happy lass. We only stayed for two nights so had to whizz round the main attractions in one day.

After Singapore we hopped on a bus that took us to Kuala Lumpur. Coincidentally, we arrived on the eve of Malaysia's 50 years of independence, a brilliant night to be in the country's capital. Everyone was in party mode so we took to the streets and joined the fun. In both Singapore and Kuala Lumpur the people are from three dominant ethnic backgrounds- Malay, Chinese and Indian. Consequently, the food is abundant and wonderfully varied. We enjoyed curries in Singpore's Little India and stir-fried seaweed in Kuala Lumpur's China Town. We'd better watch the waistlines!

We are now in the Cameron Highlands, towards the centre of Peninsular Malaysia. Due to a higher altitude, the air is fresher and the nights chillier than anywhere we've been for while. It is the perfect place to pull on a jumper and curl up on a sofa with a nice cup of tea. We're in luck there as the surrounding hills support Malaysia's largest tea plantations. Despite getting absolutely soaked, we enjoyed a walk through one of the plantations and learned a bit about tea production. The rain held off for a walk today but we are heading into monsoon season so we're going to have to get used to the wet stuff. ''Well it is your turn!'' I hear you say, and indeed it is.