Hitchhiking in Malaysia: Cameroon Highlands
8th of January, 2025.
On my way to outside of Kuala Kangsar last night, I’ve seen a sign which showed directions to Ipoh, through the other side of the town. I confirmed my directions by quickly using the McDonald’s wi-fi, while passing in front of it, and found out about the other route. They are both possible. I just wonder which one people take more often to go to Ipoh, which is the only big town on the way to CH.
When the first pickup stops for me, the two men inside tell me about this other route to Ipoh. As I explain to them that it’s also possible through the one we are on it, they say I can come with them and they will drop me off in a better spot, as they are going to Taiping. They drop me off in a toll gate.
By my experience, toll gates are not the best place for hitchhiking, and they remain more like a last resource for me.
After some time, a Mercedes stop in the middle of the road, when there’s enough space on the side to stop, as I am standing in the best place possible for the cars to park in a safe way there. The driver, Faiz, is going to Ipoh, but I have decided already that this is the best plan, so I come with him.
Faiz is an engineer and work with an NGO. He lives in Kuala Kangsar but need to go to Ipoh to buy some spare parts for his other car. He tells me he would like to travel more, and that I am brave for doing it so alone. People keep saying that to me, and all I can think about it is that, for me, all these countries I have been to, are totally doable alone, as a woman and hitchhiking. If I had made to Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran, they perhaps I could consider them right. OK, I’m not so sure about Africa and India…
We stop at the shop where he buys the car parts, and then Faiz offers to take me all the way outside Ipoh, for a better hitchhiking spot, as he has nothing else to do here, and will just go back to Kuala Kangsar. That’s very nice of him!
When I’m still walking towards the road, a truck stops. Guvan is going only to Blue Valley, but as he tells me that only after I’m already inside the truck, I have no choice but to come. And who knows how long it would take until somebody else stop. Right now is freaking hot and sunny outside, so I can spend the next 40 minutes under the AC, and by the time we get to Blue Valley it will be chill by the mountains.
Guvan is not a bad guy but I don’t get the best vibe from him. He can speak very little English, so we just talk a little bit, most questions and answering.
While I am waiting for my next lift, a little annoying man is “trying to help”, but as he is not going anywhere near where I am going, but keep insisting on “help” me, I just tell him that I am fine. I also don’t get a good vibe from him.
Then an old 4×4, mustard color, a common car for mountain workers around here, offer to take me near Brinchang, and I accept. He has Chinese roots, and is a very nice guy. I think he drives me for longer than where he’s actually going, and we stop not so far from my last turn before BOH Tea Plantation.
Before carrying on, I sit by the river and finish my pastries from last night. I am in front of some huge green houses, just across the river. They are all over the place. The man who drove me here said that they have all type of vegetables, and that they go to many regions and states of Malaysia. The weather in CH is favourable for agriculture, as it gets nice and chill during the night, and it’s not excruciating hot during the day. Still, I’m shocked with the huge amount of green houses, climbing one over another, making a permanent damage on the beautiful face of CH. Shame!
In my hitchhiking life, many times I wonder how things would’ve turned out if I simply had made a different choice, taking this or that car. I can see that a man in a blue car, which passed by me, made a u-turn and came back. But before he had the chance to reach me again, another car stopped, a pickup, and the man says I can come with him until Kea Farm, my last turn on the main road before BOH. I must ride on the trunk, as his back seat is fully loaded. It’s still hot and sunny, but I accept the lift, instead of trying and ask the man in the blue car. As I ride in the trunk, I realize I’m actually travelling with some dangerous products, as you can see in the photo.
The land mark for Kea Farm is some hundred metres after the turn for BOH Tea Plantation, so I must walk back for a while. Great! The second car passing by stops, and as they work for BOH, they take me all the way there. On the sign by the road it says to be only 3.5 KM until there.
I drop of The Hulk by the entrance of the parking, where two men guide people in the cars where to go. Then I walk to the Tea Centre and House. The viewpoint is FREE. That’s right! Surprisingly, and gloriously, you don’t need a ticket to appreciate this astonishing view. And I don’t see why they should charge the people, as the tea house is full of customers, eating and drinking here, but also buying many boxes of BOH Tea.
The view is astonishing! I take my time here after taking some photos, and just enjoy the beautiful scenery. Another thing which surprises me is how very few not Asian foreigners are here. I count only five in a group of what seems to be about one hundred people.
I have another viewpoint, not far from here, where I want to go. I get a short lift of 2 KM with a young couple, and then hike the rest of the way. It sucks! It’s all the way uphill, and I am dying. Two cars pass by me but don’t stop. Suckers! Chicken man that’s what they are. To make it even worse, I get to a dead end, in another green house place. I ask for help to a worker, and together we find where the “viewpoint” it should be. As he is going back to the main road, I come with him in the truck. But from the hills I can see that what supposed to be a nice viewpoint, it actually sucks, so I rather carry on with him to the main road, and further to Brinchang after that, where I will camp for tonight.
Two young men offer to take me to Brinchang and I climb on the trunk again. They drop me off in the middle of the town.
As we were already entering this small town, I could see how ridiculous it looks like. What people have done? There are many hotels and resorts, all over the hills, and they all look like European buildings, like German or Swiss style. Why? Just because these are Highlands? Bullshit! Why can’t people simply build traditional Malay houses, and make the stupid tourists comply with it. Either they stay in the traditional style houses, or they don’t come to Malaysia. End of story. But no, they rather transform completely the environment of this beautiful region, into something completely alien to it. Come on, people! The colonial period already passed! Why should you keep putting up buildings with foreigner architecture, when your own is already so gorgeous?
I’m glad I didn’t make a plan of visiting Brinchang. I’m sure that there’s nothing to see here. Apart from the immense Golf Club, of course. What? Yep! Why the hell do they need a golf club in such tiny town? I have been to way bigger places, which didn’t not have such fancy and massive golf club. What a waste of energy.
At the Gurudwara where I am planning to stay, no luck. For whatever bullshit reasons, they don’t let foreigners stay here overnight. It really pisses me off, you know?
I walk all around, looking for suitable family houses to ask to make my camping tonight. It takes some time, but I finally start talking with this short woman with Chinese roots. She says I can put my tent outside her house, but when I advise her to ask her other family members, she tells me that her sister disagree. She is a senior woman, and I have no idea why she would ask permission to her young sister. Luckily, her neighbour is also outside and overhear us, to what he says I can camp right across his house, under a small garage shelter.
As I start making my camping, Frankie comes and talks with me. It’s his family home across the street, and they also have Chinese roots. Frankie is on his sixties, but due to the high level of acid uric in his blood, he’s facing some serious health issues. He worked for 20 years as a cook in Singapore, but about 10 years ago, with his health deteriorating fast, he moved back here. In this house live also one of his brothers and his mum. We keep chatting after I finish my camping, but the temperature drops significantly, and the wind is so strong. I put on Aamir’s jacket, and I’m still cold. So Frankie tells me we should go to his house. Just as we cross the street, and enter his garage, the temperature is much warmer, and there’s no wind. I think that the thick walls keep the heat of the whole day, so just by being around this walls, we already feel much better.
Frankie offers me some coffee, Chinese steamed buns with cassava and pork, and some Chinese rice with chicken and some sweet spices. Everything is great. I can even take a hot shower after dinner. Yes, the temperatures are so low up here in CH, that I need a hot shower.
I move my tent to Frankie’s garage, and thanks to that I have a warm and pleasant night of sleep.
Next morning, I wake up around 7.00 a.m., and do some writing. Frankie goes to buy some noodles for breakfast. He actually wanted to buy Chinese noodles, but as the shop was closed, he got me some Indian curry noodles. Of course! It’s great! He also got some pork steamed dumplings, and he makes me a hot chocolate.
We listen to some music, some of his favourite Asian singers. Before I leave, I make a peanut butter and chocolate sandwich. Frankie try to offer me some money, Malay and Singapore money, but I refuse.
10 Years Around the World 