Bukit Larut - In These Shoes?

After breakfast, some photo taking around the resort gardens and the checking out, we decide to head back to the Lake again, but inadvertently end up at this place called Bukit Larut – or Maxwell Hill. Apparently there is a massive waterfall (which we could see form the lake) there so we decide to go to the top. The dick of a ticket seller grunted something in Malay at me as we walked in, and Arif engaged in a conversation with him, and he seemed to change his attitude. Anyway, upshot is that the landrovers that take you to top are not running for a few hours, so we decide to walk. How hard can it be?

Maybe doing this trek in a pair of Birkenstocks was not the best idea I have had: we started off well, enthusiastic, taking photos and chatting gaily but as the kilometres clocked up, and the incline stepped up, the photos became less prolific, the enthusiasm waned and talking became almost a break between the groans of horror as we turned each steep corner to find an even steeper corner to walk up! My feet were beginning to preoccupy me a bit, and I could feel the blisters burning, so I decided to walk barefoot for a while, which was surprisingly easy underfoot, so carried on for a kilometre or so, swapping between torture implement (Birkenstock) and barefoot. I refreshed my feet in a waterfall along the way which was bliss – and I had to remind myself that although pain all around, the scenery was absolutely beautiful – lush vegetation, stunning views, amazing canopy effects from the trees. What an amazing place!

I must admit, I did rather hope that there would be some refreshment spots along our hike: I get the feeling that a lot of Malaysians are opportunist businesspeople, so was surprised to find no one selling water, coconut juice or nasi lemak along the way. Of course, we had no water with us, which was not a problem when we were at the beginning of the hike, but as we climbed and sweated like cow's wotsits, we were both a tad dehydrated… Then we spotted this huge sign for a Tea House and a grand building just ahead – hurrah! 

It might as well have been a mirage for all use it was – it was closed up, unfinished. Bastards!

So we marched onwards and upwards and the kilometre markers gradually count us down to ‘Bukit Larut – 1 km’ and we scream with delight, taking photos at this spot. Not long now, and I was beginning to feel that I can’t really goon much further without some sort of refreshment or food, and then we se the final marker, in the middle of a long stretch of uphill road.

Erm, so what now? Were we there? I fucking well hoped we weren’t, as there was absolutely nothing there at all. So we walked further and about another 500m we saw signs of what could be a landmark ‘top of a hill’ open space – a pagoda, viewpoints, chalets, gardens etc – lovely. And A CAFE!!

Which was closed.

We sat almost crying with joy that we’d climbed all this way (was an amazing achievement); pain caused by ruined feet; joy as said feet felt the cool grass of the picnic area and disbelief at the fact the fucking café all the way up here was closed! Most of the other visitors that were here (it wasn’t that busy, thankfully) had come up in the landrovers that had started running so they were all refreshed and skipping about the place, whereas the few of us that had climbed looked like wrecks!