Dinner is served

After the exertion of the tea plantation and the mossy forest we had a couple of days relaxing.  The weather in the Cameron Highlands has improved and it is pleasantly warm.  We walk around and observe the locals, many of whom are enjoying the end of their holidays before the schools return on the 3^rd January.

On Sunday, Tanah Rata feels like it will burst at the seams with day trippers visiting from KL and making the most of the extra days holiday. Eating, shopping and sight-seeing the small town is mobbed.

We promised ourselves a treat for the New Year and booked a table at the Smoke House. A short taxi ride delivered us to the last bastion of Britishness – we don’t care – after a couple of weeks of various forms of chicken and rice we’re up for some proper grub – at any price!

John started off with scotch broth – the proper stuff with barley and stuff – it was excellent

Take that Grandma Campbell

 ...and could have been a can of Campbells for all we know.  Rack of lamb followed with roast spuds – I thought it safest not to get too close whilst John was eating as I experienced at first hand the wild man of wongo who wasn’t in any mood to share.

Meat - stand back or lose a finger!

Finally, apple pie and custard – what more can you ask for?  It was heaven and all eaten in the surreal setting of a traditional English pub.  Not our normal fayre but very welcome and it did make us feel somewhat homesick particularly when we came outside to find the rain lashing down.

Tanah Rata is best described as a tired hill station in need of some love and attention with very friendly locals.  We have also discovered that it has the highest concentration of Land Rovers outside of British army bases.  Other than the Land Rovers there’s little evidence of the British ever having been here.  However, the convent in Tanah Rata was the former British hospital and John suggested that after Uncle Ron left, all the girls thought life wasn’t worth living and turned instead to serving God.

Packing to return to KL we uncovered a minor disaster with the laundry – John’s favourite blue linen shirt has been accidentally bleached although the sneaky staff in the laundry had hoped to conceal the fact by hiding the blue shirt in the middle of the bundle.  The hotel was very good about it and the laundry agreed to pay £30 to replace the shirt.  

Our driver duly arrived to take us back to KL today, a round trip involving 7 hours driving.  His driving is stress free and we enjoyed a hassle free return.  We stopped briefly at a Malaysian service station on the motorway and the difference with the UK is stark.  The place is clean and bright – there are lots of cheap food outlets and a general air of relaxation. 

Not the sort of view you get at Knutsford Services

That's all for now - I'll update you on KL in the next blog.