I arrived at my hostel in Tanah Rata to the calls of Welcome home! and they really did make it feel like I was at home. The dorm was in the roof of the house with no bunk beds!!

That night a few of us went out for dinner but then it was time for an early night as I’d booked the Highlands Experience Tour for the next day with pick up at the ungodly hour of 8.15 in the morning 😱😱😱

The jeep picked me up and it was straight off to the oldest tea plantation in the area, the BOH plantation.

Next it was off to the mossey forest and up the Batu Brinchang mountain where we were given a little lesson in the trees and plants that we could find in the jungle and how to survive if we got lost!!

Then it was onto a strawberry farm and a butterfly farm before lunch

After lunch we headed to a local market, a cactus farm and a temple where we saw a Buddhist service.

The final stop of the day was to the entrance to the easiest trail in Cameron Highlands, trail 4 which led us to a waterfall

Then it was time to say goodbye to my family for the day as it was back to our respective accommodations. The little boy, Sash, was only 3 and he was somewhat taken with me – shouting out Aunty any time I’d gone out of sight!

Another early night followed… something to do with too much fresh air!

The next day it was time to try another couple of (harder) trails I set off with Sabrine, who hikes for fun(!) back in Germany and more importantly, is a nurse, so I was in good hands. We started with trail 10 which was about felt like an eternity of climbing up natural steps created by tree routes until we finally reached the peak – here’s proof that we made it!

Then it was time for trail 6 and this time we were properly in the jungle!

Even though we got lost more times than I can count, we made it out alive! There was only one casualty…my trousers!!

Our host, AJ made us dinner that night which was amazing for two reasons 1. it was delicious and 2. I didn’t have to move!!

The next morning was the perfect lazy morning with no need to get up too early as my bus to KL wasn’t until 11!

I arrived at my hostel in Georgetown half an hour after their street art and street food walking tour had left so I decided to do my own street food tour!

I set off to the Chulia Street Market, opposite Love Lane and I was overwhelmed by how many choices there were! After circling the stalls about 3 times I decided to start with a stall where everything was on skewers. Each had a coloured label at the end which corresponded to their price. There were a selection of sauces and you can eat them cold or heat them up in the bubbling stock at the front of the stall.

Then I tried some char koay kak, I had no idea what it was but it looked tasty..and it was!! I have since googled it and its rice cakes fried with bean sprouts and egg.

The next day I teamed up with two girls from the hostel. We started with a breakfast place that had been recommended to me called Roti Canai Transfer Street. We were squeezed in at the back of the restaurant and we were given plates with a roti canai, chicken portion covered in a spicy sauce.

Then for breakfast pudding we went to a famous Cendow cart. Cendow is sweet green noodles, red beans, ice, coconut milk and some sugary sauce!

Extremely full and raring to go, we set off in the heat to find the famous street art. There are too many for me to share in one go but here are some of my favourites

For dinner we went to a Chinese restaurant where we were the only westerners. We shared some seafood udon noodles and sweet and sour ribs

The next day we started off with some dim sum and the most amazing custard bun with a salted egg yolk (there’s no picture because I ate it too quickly!)

Then we headed to Kek Lok Si, the largest Buddhist temple in Malaysia.

We spent the afternoon searching out the two most famous interactive street art pictures

and walking round the Clan Jetties. In the early days of Georgetown, Chinese settlers couldn’t afford the expensive land tax so they built wooden jetties out into the sea and built their houses on them. Each family name had their own jetty. Some of the houses are still inhabited today.

Dinner that night was Nasi Kandar which is basically rice with multiple curries. When you look at the below picture, please bear in mind there were 5 of us!!

After dinner we had a stroll around and came across a park filled with lanterns

My last morning was spent having breakfast at the most amazing Ho Ping, where we had the traditional breakfast of soft boiled eggs and toast with coconut jam (you dip the toast in the egg)

Then it was straight to the bus station to go to find some respite from the heat in the Cameron Highlands!

This is just a quick note to let everyone know that I made it!

It’s been quite the 27 hours.

I left mums and got the bus into town with no problems…then it all started to go down hill…

I GOT POOPED ON BY A BIRD

I was walking into the train station when I felt a pat on my head. A little confused, I touched the area and brought my hand down to leave me horrified! It was bright green and gritty!! Is that normal?!

So I went up to the platform to go and sort it out in the loo – my big backpack on the back, small one on the front and handbag at the side, as usual. Just as a handy bit of information to anyone who might use Worcester Foregate Street, there is no toilet on platform 2. So down the (million) stairs I went and back up to platform 1 where thank God there is a toilet. I even managed to get back down the stairs and up to platform 2 again with plenty of time to spare, though by this point I was basically a puddle being held together by backpacks.

Then the (delayed) train arrives and the driver tells us we’re not allowed to get on the train at the doors that I’m stood in front of so I end up at the back of a queue of (what seemed like) hundreds of people trying to cram into 2 carriages. The lady at the station tells me I’m going to have to wait for the next train (an hour later) but luckily a girl managed to open a door so I could stand in between the two carriages on the bendy bit! So I made it to Birmingham

Apart from having to stand again, the journey from new st to international goes without issue! Finally, things are going smoothly, I thought.

Well when I go to check in, I got randomly selected to be spoken to by a customs officer – who so kindly pointed out how sweaty I was. I felt like making him carry two backpacks stood up on two packed trains whilst trying to get to the airport without being late for a flight! Well after about 20 minutes he decided I wasn’t a threat or smuggling or whatever so I was back on track.

3 delayed flights later (yep every single one!) and I’m sat in a hostel (my home for the next 5 days) loving the speed of the wifi – quicker than work don’t you know – and wondering how soon I can go to bed without it being too early!!

What a great way to start my adventure 😁

I’ve handed in my notice and I’m off to see (a bit more of) the world!

I’m setting up this blog so that my friends and family can follow me on my travels over the next year or so. I’m only 17 days away from starting my adventure so I’m making sure I’ve got everything I need, catching up with friends and family and I’ve even started packing.

What does the next year have in store? Well, I’m not entirely sure but the plan so far is a four month “extended holiday” in and around Southeast Asia, a week at home for Christmas and then off to South America until my money runs out!

Let’s start with the extended holiday and where I’m planning to go

• Malaysia
• Brunei
• Singapore
• Indonesia
• Australia (but only so I can go and see the quokkas)
• The Philippines
• Thailand
• Myanmar (Burma)

(This isn’t set in stone but I’m definitely going to be starting in Malaysia, spending my birthday in The Philippines and going to Myanmar before heading back).

So check back here for updates..