The coolest place in Malaysia
Once we got used to taking the twins out, we decided it was time for a family vacation. Our life had changed drastically overnight (you can read about it here: Intro, Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, and Part 5), and Matt and I realized we hadn't had much time to enjoy being a family. We'd been too caught up with figuring out schedules, learning to care for twins and keeping up with work.
We decided to go to Cameron Highlands, also known as the "coolest place in Malaysia." (Matt doesn't do well in hot weather, so that was another reason we hadn't gone out much.) I wanted us to be able to get some fresh air and let the girls enjoy the outdoors. After reading up on it, we booked an Airbnb, rented a car for the week and packed our bags.
Packing for twins
If taking the girls to the store feels like packing up a circus, then you can only imagine what taking them on vacation is like. We brought everything - from the bottle sterilizer to an entire pack of 81 diapers (we go through that in about 6 or 7 days) to extra changes of clothes to the pack-n-play for them to sleep in. Halfway through packing, I wondered what I'd been thinking. And halfway through trying to put everything in the car, my husband was wondering the same thing! LOL
Because it is so much colder in Cameron Highlands, we packed all our warm clothing. Even though my husband is from MI, we don't have much winter gear anymore. On our various stops to Malaysia, I had to leave behind about 100 pounds worth of luggage and most of that was our cold-weather clothing. That story was actually one of my first posts on Steemit! (You can read it here.)
On the road
The babies weren't used to long car rides, so I was glad we weren't taking a Grab. I wasn't sure what we'd be in for. But instead of a screaming 3-hour nightmare, the babies slept the entire time. You can see they're a little apprehensive about being all bundled up in their car seats, but about 5 minutes later, Matt and I were experiencing the quietest moments we'd had in the last four months!
The drive to Cameron Highlands
After being on the highway for about 2 hours, we started up the mountain. Growing up on the West Coast, I've done my time on mountain roads, but these were new to me. They were winding and narrow like the coastal roads while going almost straight up in elevation. My friend had warned me that drivers would try to pass us even on the narrow stretches ... and she was right!
Having lived in several countries (including one in the middle east) my husband and I have become less sensitive to crazy driving. If we were coming straight out of the States, I'm pretty sure I would've had a heart attack.
There was a beautiful waterfall on the way up and lots of homemade shops selling coconuts, bananas, and some amazingly long green beans.
Cameron Highlands
When we reached the top, it looked nothing like I was expecting. I'd sort of imagined a city laid out on the top of the mountain, but the Highlands are actually a string of small towns that have sprung up along the mountain highway. Our Airbnb was in the last of these towns before the road started to descend again.
We arrived early and hadn't been given check-in instructions yet (the owner thought he'd already sent them), so we killed time walking around the area. Because it was all connected by the highway, it wasn't easy to explore, but there was a small shopping center right in front of our complex.
The thing we noticed right away was the temperature. The air was foggy and cool. It felt amazing!
To be continued ...
Note: I hadn't planned on writing so much about Cameron Highlands, but I'm remembering more as I go. And even though I could try to squeeze our bug adventure and "cash only" experience into this post, the girls want to be held. They've had a stomach bug for the last few days so they're clingier than usual. (Which is also why this post is late and I haven't been on Steemit much.) :(
But see you next time!
