Sept 23rd 2011 – Day of the Rhino Beetle

Yesterday we did nothing but rest. We strolled around town, ate claypot noodle soup and had a couple of beers to rest from the day before…

Refreshed we decided on a second jungle trek (much smaller this time!!). We followed the river to Robinson Falls a dramatic waterfall and then took a level path into the forest past ancient trees and wild bananas (f***ing livid they were! 🙂 And soon found ourselves on steep paths just a few inches wide with long drops into the gorge below.

Me jungle trek 2

This was indeed a wildlife walk – we saw 1 monkey, a squirrel, lizards, 1 black snake, 1 metallic turquoise flying bug the size of a sparrows egg……..AND….. a flying Rhinoceros Beetle… my personal favourite… I noticed him quite early on in the walk, he had given away his position by firing up his helicopter engines and taking off right in front of my face… it was fantastic! He was the size of my fist…. but flying!? Flying is putting it mildly it was more like… “Get outa the way! I have no clue how to fly this thing!!” – “Get outa the way! I’m trying to land this thing!” 🙂 Hilarous! Great looking thing, and to see it live and so close to my face was brilliant… best creature of the day for me by far.

We surfaced out of the jungle through a vegetable farm and poor map reading skills sent us off in the wrong direction!

A small temple in the middle of a vegetable field

But we did find some more fantastic landscape passing small farms and places where you would think no-one lived until a man pops his head through the door and says “hello” 🙂

Dodgy parking of the hire car 🙂

We eventually headed back through another steep jungle route up the mountain, luckily (for me at least) this one was much shorter… but no less difficult! It saved us a ten mile trek back to town though!

Another amazing day – we treated ourselves to some more noodle soup and lassi ( a yoghurt drink with blended fruit – bloody lovely!)

There’s no way I’m doing another jungle trek…so heading to Penang tomorrow. I’ve enjoyed Cameron Highlands and it’s people… and it’s food… 8am start, 4 hour drive… better get to bed!