Cameron & Genting Highland
After experiencing the nerve-racking 6 hours car ride of about 160-180km/h from Singapore to Cameron Highland, it feels good to be home again. Back to Ziv, Coby, my bed and smelly pillows.
6 hours of car ride including the 2-hour twist and turn up the hill from the foot of Cameron Highland to about two-third (not summit yet!) of the hill where our resort lies. The tortuous slope was steep and twisty, I watched my friend, WT (the driver) drove with sweaty palms. Obviously, that’s the botheration when a driver watches another driver drives. I am not sure if Kevin stepped on his invisible brake since he was seated at the front, he likes to do that when I drive.
Cameron Highland (CH) is basically the best place for kids to discover and experience about the lives of people before a city/state undergo urbanization. And, CH is just a very unostentatious state (or maybe hill), it is so simple that I can’t put up with being there for more than 2 nights. I am extremely urbanized, and I only know and confirm about it after this trip. I can’t walk on extremely rocky roads, I can’t eat with houseflies landing on my food, I can’t stand the smell of dirty alleys and roads, I can’t stand convince myself it is safe to dash across the busy road without traffic light, there are just too many things that prove that I can’t stay in a rural place.
That aside.
The hotel, I argued all my way so to make sure we put us up in the new wing, instead of the old haunted looking old building. I don't understand why only ang mo get to stay in the new wing. Super pissed.
Anyway, the view from the hotel balcony is superb.
CH is basically a hill, and the poor residents live at the bottom of the hill, in attap houses and set up a ‘stall’ made of dried big leaves and wood to sell about 5 bottles of honey. And perhaps some weird looking vegetables. Maybe to choose to live where they do is all because of the beauty and peacefulness that a sylvan setting affords, somethings that I failed to appreciate at this point of my life. Anyway, on my way up the hill, I saw the residents of the hill seated together to chat beside their ‘stall’ and I feel that life IS and CAN be so simple. The more ‘happening’ portion of the hill is probably where all the resorts and hotels are located. That’s also the part whereby it has lots of strawberries, bee, cactus farms and tea plantation.
Where can you pluck your own strawberries and eat them on the spot in Singapore? No.
And it was fun.
Do you know that the only Starbucks coffee and KFC on this entire hill is like God’s gift! The first night we had steamboat for dinner, and I am not sure why, or perhaps it is the cool weather here, steamboat seemed to be the most popular food in CH, not forgetting strawberry jam and desserts.
By the end of second day, we had nowhere to go except staying in the hotel room to feast on KFC, Mary Brown with beer and indulge in HK serial drama which I brought along for the trip for the entire night. It was the smartest move to bring along a HK drama, you never know when you will need it.
Next stop after CH is Genting Highland. The ride down CH took only half of the time we took to drive uphill. And we reached Genting with no hotel booking and it was full even though it was low season due to some seminars. And we have to buy rooms from those illegal sellers and managed to get a good deal out of it. Phew!
On our way back to Singapore, we visited a famous temple below Genting.
It is a very big temple.
And what I observed was that, indeed, Genting has significantly less Singaporeans and Caucasians, they probably flocked to embrace our new casino.
No luck at casino, played till 3am and lost about S$300.
At least we don’t have to wave our hands vigorously to shoo the houseflies and get to enjoy morning yum cha in Genting, Baskin and Robin ice-cream for desserts after the fulfilling buffet dinner and importantly, no more room service to curb hunger pangs in the middle of the night.
What can I say? Home sweet home!!
6 hours of car ride including the 2-hour twist and turn up the hill from the foot of Cameron Highland to about two-third (not summit yet!) of the hill where our resort lies. The tortuous slope was steep and twisty, I watched my friend, WT (the driver) drove with sweaty palms. Obviously, that’s the botheration when a driver watches another driver drives. I am not sure if Kevin stepped on his invisible brake since he was seated at the front, he likes to do that when I drive.
Cameron Highland (CH) is basically the best place for kids to discover and experience about the lives of people before a city/state undergo urbanization. And, CH is just a very unostentatious state (or maybe hill), it is so simple that I can’t put up with being there for more than 2 nights. I am extremely urbanized, and I only know and confirm about it after this trip. I can’t walk on extremely rocky roads, I can’t eat with houseflies landing on my food, I can’t stand the smell of dirty alleys and roads, I can’t stand convince myself it is safe to dash across the busy road without traffic light, there are just too many things that prove that I can’t stay in a rural place.
That aside.
The hotel, I argued all my way so to make sure we put us up in the new wing, instead of the old haunted looking old building. I don't understand why only ang mo get to stay in the new wing. Super pissed.
Anyway, the view from the hotel balcony is superb.
CH is basically a hill, and the poor residents live at the bottom of the hill, in attap houses and set up a ‘stall’ made of dried big leaves and wood to sell about 5 bottles of honey. And perhaps some weird looking vegetables. Maybe to choose to live where they do is all because of the beauty and peacefulness that a sylvan setting affords, somethings that I failed to appreciate at this point of my life. Anyway, on my way up the hill, I saw the residents of the hill seated together to chat beside their ‘stall’ and I feel that life IS and CAN be so simple. The more ‘happening’ portion of the hill is probably where all the resorts and hotels are located. That’s also the part whereby it has lots of strawberries, bee, cactus farms and tea plantation.
Where can you pluck your own strawberries and eat them on the spot in Singapore? No.
And it was fun.
We took a super risky car ride up to the BOH tea plantation. It is located at another hill linked to CH and the road is very narrow and it is a 2-way road! Even WT said that he finds it a challenge to drive up that hill. We have to sound the horn each time we approach a sharp turn to make sure no vehicle is coming on our way. But what can I say? It is worth it. Especially with good companionship and sipping hot tea in the cool weather (17deg) on top of the hill.
Do you know that the only Starbucks coffee and KFC on this entire hill is like God’s gift! The first night we had steamboat for dinner, and I am not sure why, or perhaps it is the cool weather here, steamboat seemed to be the most popular food in CH, not forgetting strawberry jam and desserts.
By the end of second day, we had nowhere to go except staying in the hotel room to feast on KFC, Mary Brown with beer and indulge in HK serial drama which I brought along for the trip for the entire night. It was the smartest move to bring along a HK drama, you never know when you will need it.
Next stop after CH is Genting Highland. The ride down CH took only half of the time we took to drive uphill. And we reached Genting with no hotel booking and it was full even though it was low season due to some seminars. And we have to buy rooms from those illegal sellers and managed to get a good deal out of it. Phew!
On our way back to Singapore, we visited a famous temple below Genting.
It is a very big temple.
And what I observed was that, indeed, Genting has significantly less Singaporeans and Caucasians, they probably flocked to embrace our new casino.
No luck at casino, played till 3am and lost about S$300.
At least we don’t have to wave our hands vigorously to shoo the houseflies and get to enjoy morning yum cha in Genting, Baskin and Robin ice-cream for desserts after the fulfilling buffet dinner and importantly, no more room service to curb hunger pangs in the middle of the night.
What can I say? Home sweet home!!
posted by Cel at
3/27/2010 09:35:00 PM
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