Four plus hours by bus from Penang we're almost in the Cameron Highlands. 'Almost' because the last couple of kilometers takes us an additional two hours so we're quite late arriving. It's dark; the delay has been because of the 'night market' which is a long-standing Friday and Saturday night institution. The streets are utterly clogged with stalls, cars, scooters, bicycles, busses, people - it's a grand colorful mess. These night markets are absolutely the norm all over southeast Asia - we've seen them in every city and large town we've visited.
We have five nights here and the guesthouse we're booked into is lovely - they greet us by name when we arrive after a 2-3 minute walk from the bus stop. Ahhh . . . settle in, and then off for a quick bite.
(This post is out of sequence so this was our first day.) We decide on a walk to MARDI - the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute - which is both a garden and nursery.
Another one of these condom-like things which is about a foot long!
Looks like a troll house on a stem.
Have no idea what this is but it's oh so exotic!
And then I offered to photograph these young women and they promptly wanted their photo taken with us. All the women - young and old - wore the head covering.
And one of our absolute favorite plants, the datura brugmansia which was growing, sapprophyte-like, in a fir tree!
And one that just grew, untended, right near the entrance. Tim wanted to take this one home.
Lovely day, long walk there and back but most delightful. The MARDI gardens were filled with families which we thought was so unusual. There were no rides, no video games, no kid-centric activities but lots and lots of kids. And then on the way home, walking on one side of the canal we waved to a family having a picnic on the opposite bank. They enthusiastically waved back and beckoned us over to share their picnic! We declined but were so touched.
We have five nights here and the guesthouse we're booked into is lovely - they greet us by name when we arrive after a 2-3 minute walk from the bus stop. Ahhh . . . settle in, and then off for a quick bite.
(This post is out of sequence so this was our first day.) We decide on a walk to MARDI - the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute - which is both a garden and nursery.
Another one of these condom-like things which is about a foot long!
Looks like a troll house on a stem.
Have no idea what this is but it's oh so exotic!
And then I offered to photograph these young women and they promptly wanted their photo taken with us. All the women - young and old - wore the head covering.
And one of our absolute favorite plants, the datura brugmansia which was growing, sapprophyte-like, in a fir tree!
And one that just grew, untended, right near the entrance. Tim wanted to take this one home.
Lovely day, long walk there and back but most delightful. The MARDI gardens were filled with families which we thought was so unusual. There were no rides, no video games, no kid-centric activities but lots and lots of kids. And then on the way home, walking on one side of the canal we waved to a family having a picnic on the opposite bank. They enthusiastically waved back and beckoned us over to share their picnic! We declined but were so touched.
No comments:
Post a Comment