I went on a hike by myself through the Cameron Highlands in Malaysia. Natural staircases made of tree roots, jungle overgrowth creating narrow trail passages, mud-slicked slip slides down a rope-assisted hillside, and finally landing in a tea plantation off one of the main roads where I was able to find a taxi to take me back into town. People said don’t hike alone - there are wild dogs that come out at night - the only wildlife I encountered that day was a butterfly. People said don’t walk the streets alone as a western woman, especially at night. I heeded that advice for the most part - sticking to more crowded areas as I ambled around the cities and towns I visited. I got some sideways glances from people on my travels throughout Malaysia, and I was approached by a few (fairly polite) men in the street, but I never felt unsafe. I was just a cultural anomaly - nothing more, nothing less. I feel safer wandering in these far off lands than I would in a mall, movie theater, church, school, nightclub, or pharmacy back home...
