"Ummph" and the Cameron Highlands

This is how tea starts out. I always thought it came from the Lipton box.

Strawberries are another big crop in this area. I know I am far from home when I contrast "Self plucking" strawberries with "U Pick" peaches.

I enjoyed being relatively static staying with my friend in Kuala Lumpur, but after a Cameron Highland tea is well known and respected by tea afficianados. Today I visited the Boh Sungai Palace Tea Estate and toured the factoy where the tea we drink is week the road called and I packed my bags and set out. I traveled by train about 150 KM north to the town of Ipoh. I have learned that almost always public transportation is overly air conditioned so I wore long pants and long sleeves. This train, however, was a sweat box and I felt like I wasn sitting in a sauna fully clothed. I sweated all the way to Ipoh, a British colonial town, renowned for great food. I took a tax (expensive) to the hotel suggested by Lonely Planet. The hotel was dreary, the town not very appealing and I decided even before checking in that I would not stay long in Ipoh.

I bussed the following morning to Tanah Rata in the area of Malaysia known as the Cameron Highlands. What a difference from Ipoh. This town exudes charm and the guesthouse I picked is very sociable with a nice view of the verdent mountains. The elevation here is just about that of Denver (if my metric conversion is correct)and it is wonderfully cool. Well, actually almost too cool.

This is where the British, during the colonial days, developed a great tea industry, and now produced from green harvested leaves. It was a very ordinary tour with an extraordinary exception.

Did you ever think about where the word "ummph" came from? What I learned today is that in the 80's the promoters of Boh Tea wanted a word to describe their product. Well, they invented the word "ummph" meaning 1) something with a "kick", i.e., strength or impact: and 2)invigorating or refreshing. Whether this is true or not, I think it makes a pretty good story.