The fortieth week

Day 275- 281 On 8.07. we went on another hike in the Cameron Highlands. After a strengthening breakfast, we took Route 10 up to a power line and down the other side. Unfortunately, on the way back, we had to walk along a road.

For dinner, we ate again at the Indian restaurant, which was extremely delicious! The next day, we drove to Kuala Tahan. This village is the furthest inside the Taman Negara National Park and is the starting point for hikes. We arrived in the afternoon, rested in our accommodation, and had to stay inside longer because a storm was approaching. The next day, we had to be at an agency at 9:15 am because we had planned a jungle tour. We were given sleeping mats, sleeping bags, dishes, and cooking ingredients. In total, there were 27 participants and 3 guides. First, we took a 1.5-hour boat ride up the river. The hiking trail started at a ranger hut. We hiked about 12 km through the jungle. Sometimes we had to climb over fallen trees, balance on thick branches over streams, and watch out for tree roots. It was exciting! We had occasional drink breaks.

At around 6 pm, we arrived at the cave where we were going to spend the night. We prepared our sleeping arrangements and the guides cooked dinner. We could wash ourselves in a stream, which was desperately needed. The physical exertion and high humidity completely soaked us all. We also had to collect firewood for the campfire. The food tasted very good, especially because we were very hungry. We went to bed early. The bats only occasionally dropped their poop on us.

The night was not so good. Someone snored so loudly that there was a real echo. The next day started with breakfast, consisting of toast, jam, banana bread, and coffee. Today's stage was only 8 km. The guides pushed us a bit because the Canopy Walk was still on the program, a treetop walkway that closes at 2:30 pm. We didn't have to walk fast, but we could hardly look up and enjoy the forest. Our gaze was constantly fixed on the ground to avoid overlooking tree roots or stumbling.

Around noon, we reached our destination, another ranger station. There we had noodles for lunch and we could swim in the river. Boats picked us up and took us to the Canopy Walk. This treetop walkway was nice, but not worth the laws through the forest. Finally, we were taken to a village of people who live in and off the jungle. Unfortunately, it was a real tourist village with various demonstration areas. We were far from being the only group. We were shown how to make fire and shoot with a blowpipe. Afterwards, we were allowed to wander through the village. Many locals, young and old, sat in front of a hut. They observed us. Somehow, everything felt strange and not right. It left a bitter aftertaste. Back in Kuala Tahan, we stored the sleeping mats and sleeping bags, said goodbye, and went to our accommodation. The shower was a true delight! In the evening, we went out to eat and then went to bed early. On 12.07., we took a bus to Kuala Lumpur. We arrived in the afternoon and had to wash our things from the jungle first. They were still damp. With such high humidity, things just dry slowly. In the evening, we ate Bún cha at a Vietnamese restaurant. It didn't taste as good as in Hanoi, but still very delicious. On our last day in Asia, in Malaysia, in Kuala Lumpur, we first visited the Sultan Abdul Sammad building. In front of it is a square with a huge flagpole (the second largest in the world). Here, in 1957, the British flag was lowered and the Malaysian flag was raised.

We continued walking around, had a coconut drink, and checked out the uninteresting Kuala. 'Kuala' simply means river-crossing. There are several cities and villages in Malaysia that have 'Kuala' in their name because they are located at river crossings (e.g. Kuala Tahan, Kuala Lipis). 'Kuala Lumpur' simply means 'muddy river crossing'.

In a shopping street in Chinatown, we bought some souvenirs. Tired from walking, we returned to the hotel for a break. In the evening, we went to Jalan Alor, a street famous for food. I thought it was really cool back in 2017. Unfortunately, it's now just terrible: the street has become narrower, so you have to push your way through hundreds of people. The food is also really expensive! We ate somewhere else and since it was already late, we went back to the hotel. On 14.07., we had coffee in bed and ate rice with chicken with our last Ringitt. We packed and drove to the airport around 12 pm. Overall, everything went smoothly! We checked in, dropped off our luggage, got our exit stamp, and had some time for a last cappuccino. Then we had to go boarding. The cleaning staff received the last Ringitt in the ladies' restroom. After a 5.5-hour flight, we arrived in Shanghai. We changed planes again, everything went smoothly, and we flew on to Frankfurt. While the airplane was still on the tarmac, a young German man tried to sneak into the Business class. But he was stopped. At first, I was afraid that he would be expelled from the plane and we would have to return to the gate. Fortunately, that did not happen. The young man tried two more times. Unsuccessfully. He was always led back to his seat by the flight attendants and security personnel. On 15.07., we finally reached Germany. The air is different right away. Now we just have to get to Bielefeld by train... But the German Railways (DB) is doing its best to bring us back to reality.

By the way, we were away for about 9 months. I always say 'as long as a pregnancy!' Ivar doesn't find the comparison as funny as I do. But with this blog post, I realize: 40 weeks is exactly one pregnancy! Hahaha! I find it even funnier! Ivar finds it less and less funny. Hm.