Malaysia Overland February 16

The 16th was our day to travel to the Cameron Highlands. We arose in sweltering heat and packed quickly, taking in yesterday's laundry (which had been rained on) and closing up the boat, then heading out in our rented car. The drive south from Penang was uneventful. We crossed the bridge to the mainland (longest in Asia), then drove along a modern 4-lane divided highway in air conditioned comfort. We soon left the fetid coastal plains and started climbing into the central highlands. Agricultural land gave way to jungle, and karst hills jutted dramatically and precipitously from the earth, characteristically Asian to my western mind. These later gave way in their turn to true mountains and we drove through more jungle now and then interspersed with tea estates and vegetable plantations. Michael did yeoman service driving on the switchback roads as we climbed ever higher into the lovely coolness of the afternoon.
We arrived in Tanah Rata by 5:00 pm, and checked in to a comfortable $40 (double) per night hotel, the Hillview Inn. Dinner was at Restaurant Kumar, where Barb had claypot chicken, and I had tandoori chicken with naan. Sheila outdid us with her several curries served on a banana leaf (photo). After a few Tiger beers we returned home for an early bed.