Knees Trembling, Spirits Soaring: Our Mini Irau Adventure
I was nervous at first. Four of us, thrown together for several days. Would it work? I had hiked with Ziyad and Reina separately, and Ateh, my partner in crime since university, was my anchor. Each of them was remarkable in their own way. But together? That was the great unknown. The journey began with a sense of anticipation, a quiet current humming beneath our laughter. By evening, we reached Cameron Highlands, the mist curling in the air like secrets waiting to be told. Dinner was our first test. They teased me mercilessly for confessing a genuine fear: What if Cameron Highlands had no food? A ridiculous thought, perhaps, but after years of trekking through remote places where shops vanished with the setting sun, my paranoia wasn’t entirely unfounded. Their laughter was affectionate, and I let it wash over me. For that night, I was the wide-eyed tourist, and they were delighted to play my guides. We checked into our hotel, weary but restless, when fate presented a t...