Malaysian Mountain High

Our final few weeks in Malaysia would read like the ideal travel brochure boasting of the rich greens of the Cameron Highlands and the serene blues of Malaysia’s Perentian Islands.
The heat drives most everything inward eventually and so it was that we left the congested den of Kuala Lumpur and the sultry heat of Melaka’s coastline and dove headfirst into the crisp clean beauty of the famed Cameron Highlands.
The town of Tanah Rata, which was to be our base, was unremarkable though it could have been the astounding beauty of the surrounding area that cast a dingy light on the small town. After two months of chasing summer and a full month of enjoying my catch in Indonesia, I must admit that the retreat from the glaring sun and ever-increasing temperatures was welcomed. I was not expecting the refreshing nip in the morning and evening air that brought to mind Colorado summers nor was I prepared for the chilly nights inside our bunker-like room but they were both wonderful changes from the sun burnt days of our recent past.
The Cameron Highlands are truly a jewel in Malaysia’s natural crown of beauty. Situated high in Malaysia’s central mountain range and far from the glow of any populated cities, this region is remarkable in color and character. It is one of the last places where the Orang Asli, the native race of Malaysia, can still be found which adds culture and history to the natural beauty of the area.
There is something about pristine mountain air that makes the colors of plants seem new and playful. A new depth is given to the forest green, a new brilliance to the wildflowers of the region.
Such steep and forested areas would have been written off as profitless and unusable by lazier farmers but here the farmers are of Chinese descent and anything but lazy. No mountainside is too steep for terracing and no land too barren for use to these hearty people.
We drove through several farming communities that evoked images of the mining towns of frontier America – filthy places caked in dust and mud, the streets clogged with groaning machinery and old Land Rovers converted to carry livestock and the produce for which this area is known. Vegetables are big business here, bringing in over $2 billion ringgit per year (which is just over 600 million US dollars). These muddy towns support the people who work the land – poor people working long hours for very little pay which is the story of most agricultural workers the world over. Here in Malaysia the government owns the land. Leases are given on a long term basis, usually 30 plus years, and this ‘temporary occupancy land’ makes up about 60% of the total agricultural land nationwide. It is a basic tenant farming system which further impoverishes this class of people.
But despite the muck of the towns and the depressing status of the inhabitants, one cannot help but be impressed by the sheer exuberance with which they work the land. Impossibly steep terraces support blossoming green tomato plants and ripe green vines of melons and eggplant. Perfect rows of corn grow high above our heads and all around is a scattering of plots supporting plants thick with glowing red and green peppers ripening in the sun.
Of particular pride for this area are the strawberries of the region. Predominantly grown with precision and efficiency in surprisingly modern hydroponic facilities, these gorgeous red jewels are at every roadside stand and adorn at least one item on every local menu. Lisa is ecstatic. It’s her birthday and strawberries are her favorite fruit. And here we are in the strawberry capital of Southeast Asia. We sample every kind of local recipe – strawberry ice cream, strawberry tea, strawberry rotis which are a type of Indian pancake, strawberry cheesecake and of course, fresh strawberries right off the vine.
The cool in the air, the fields and their workers all make me nostalgic for Texas in the fall. While the scenery and the faces are certainly foreign to my eyes, their toil and their rewards are familiar. My ties to agriculture are far stronger than I can explain and so I have discovered here again, as I did a few years back in Armenia, that it is in the fields and the fresh markets that a countries people speak most clearly to me. I feel it is undeniable that the basis of all society is food – the growing, the gathering and the preparation – and that despite all other differences, it is here in the field, at the table or in the market that we can all connect somehow.
In our final days of mountain highs we travel to a local tea plantation. Malaysians are fond of their tea drinking it several times a day and often spurning the ever-popular coffee of other countries for their local grown teas. This area supports the lion’s share of tea production though the processing is mostly done elsewhere. An energetic young man of Indian ancestry shows us around the plantation where his mother still works. He expresses a hopelessly nostalgic view of the simplicity of plantation life which again reminds me of my own feeling about the farms I worked on back home.
A tea plantation is aesthetically pleasing to the eyes. The plants are a deep, waxy green and, because they are pruned often, closely resemble neat, tidy hedges. Only the very young leaves are taken to make tea so the deep green of the aged leaves gives the land a calm, resounding peace and an orderly beauty.
Though some advancements have been made in the gathering of tea leaves, the process is still very basic and difficult. Women and men alike prune and pick the leaves with the help of a heavy, cumbersome piece of equipment. The leaves are then stored in large baskets or bags and lugged to and fro. When you consider the steep inclines of these fields it is hard not to be more appreciative of your next cup of tea.
Our day was capped off with a warm cup of tea from the café onsite which boasted a panoramic view of the estate. Our time in the mountains was drawing to close. Soon we would head back to the sun and the sand for our final stop in Malaysia.

Don't you like how I left you hanging there at the end? :) Oh the suspence!

We will be here in Vientiane (the capital city of Laos) for another couple of days so hopefully I can wrap up the Malaysian chapter of our trip during that time. After this our trip certianly goes a little more "off-road" as we explore some more rural areas of Laos. That should lend itself to lots of great stories I'm sure!

Until next time - take care and God bless!

Love from the road...