29 Oct 2006
27 Oct, Tanah Rata
There are many ways to deal with a fever. Bed rest, paracetamol, and lots of water are all good choices. A five-hour jungle hike in the pouring rain is not.
Afterwards, Lyn commented that "the last bit was a bit miserable". By "the last bit", she meant "the second half".
We saw approximately six-tenths of a monkey, a lot of (fairly small) spiders, and three drenched and miserable hikers. There are some rather spectacular trees if you're not too busy watching your footing to see them. One had tilted out of the ground and then grown strong roots back down, forming an organic cave that'd be a good place to shelter if you become one of the many people forced to spend the night in the jungle. A loop of strong vines hanging down from the canopy formed a natural swing that we were too cautious and demoralised to experiment with. It's probably just as well.
From the top of Mt Berembun, you can see a lot of mist. We didn't stay long. The steep track down involved a lot of scrambling and would've been quite entertaining, dry and healthy.
The hilarious thing is that it was me that pushed for the Cameron Highlands. Lyn wanted to shoot straight through to Penang and then Thailand ASAP. She's fine, now, and has given me (along with coffee, cake, and more paracetamol than is good for me), 24 hours to get well.
Meanwhile, we're locked in mortal combat with mosquitoes that, with dangling legs extended, are more than an inch across. We've secured the windows despite the stuffiness of the room, and I've already nailed one with Thailand Confidential[1]. Lyn's attempting to spray them with 'Medicated Rid Repellent', possibly in the hope that the "soothing camomile and vitamin E" will calm them down, because it certainly doesn't kill them.
The assault continues, with each of us spotting for the other. I slap another one on to the bed, then flick its mangled body aside. It flies away.
fn1. A mid-weight paperback with a glossy cover that's easy to clean.