After a successful and most enjoyable cycle tour between Hanoi and Bangkok in the 2024/5 summer, Sarah and I had wasted no time booking a follow up. Being a sucker for border crossings, I'd initially looked into Singapore to Bangkok, but discovered that Singapore Airlines would refund us some money on that fare if we caught an additional flight with them to Kuala Lumpur (all other flights being the same), and it was an offer I couldn't refuse. KL to Bangkok, locked and loaded.
Dad's death in early April upended the year, and aside from the trip with Mum to Italy, the riding aspects of which were documented on this blog, we really had little riding in our legs other than mountain-bike commutes (though for me, a solid Labour Weekend block of riding down every street in Whanganui - adding to my growing collection of "maps").
We had enough time for 18 riding days, and therefore some time to get fit! I'd played around with Google Maps to get a sense of how much riding we'd need to do, and it seemed conceivable that we'd be able to ride the whole way with the time we had available, without compromising too much on the route. Given the choice between Malaysian food and Thai, I'd pick Malaysian every time, so preferred not to rush towards the border. A massive storm had passed through the region in late November, devastating parts of Southern Thailand that we'd need to ride through. I was conscious that we might need to catch a bus (or even flight) for one reason or another.
Usual last minute prep was fairly straightforward.
I installed new rear tyres on both our bikes, and topped up tubeless fluid in our fairly worn but passable front tyres. Otherwise, one virtue of the lack of riding we'd been doing was that the bikes were probably in reasonably good shape (I hoped)!
I'd lost my 2017-vintage Edge 1030 GPS unit en route to Whanganui, and had replaced it with Garmin's latest flagship model, the eye-wateringly-expensive 1050. I assumed the process to add basemap data to the unit was the same, but after repeated failures and inconclusive internet searches, I discovered before completely losing my rag that the process was now much simpler. Instead of relying on a third-party download, the unit I'd bought provides a direct interface to installing "legit" base maps directly from Garmin via WiFi - a welcome upgrade, particularly given that you can do the installation on the road (rather than needing a USB connection to a computer). After all of that, I felt ever so slightly less bad about the loss.
Sarah ordered our single travel e-SIM, while I would ask her for internet privileges when we pulled in for a rest and I could be bothered fishing out my reading glasses.
As the work year ground us down right to the last, I was particularly looking forward to riding in Malaysia. I'd first been there in 2002 to visit my father, Geoff, who was NZ's high commissioner at the time, and have been there almost annually for work over the last decade. I've taken a bike with me a couple of times - following my nose in the outskirts of Melaka in late 2019, and then cycle-touring alone between Melaka and Singapore a couple of years ago - but this would be the first time riding there with Sarah.
We finished up work a week before the majority of our colleagues knocked off, and left Wellington on the first leg of an overnight itinerary late on Sunday evening, boarding the long flight in the wee hours of Monday. It had been nice to have the weekend, and indeed the majority of Sunday, to get organised. But, our excitement really kicked in when Khulie dropped us at Wellington Airport with a couple of bike boxes and a tiny bit of carry-on luggage. The adventure began...!
Day 1
Our relatively tight connection at Changi went smoothly enough, and our bike boxes were waiting for us at the baggage carousel when we cleared immigration. We found a spot immediately outside the terminal to conduct the assembly process.
As the bikes were nearing road-readiness, we took turns getting changed, and then it was time to get underway. It took a while for our GPS units to find satellites, and Sarah's Di2 system needed intervention to wake it up, but we began in earnest just after 11:30am, some two hours after touching down.
When I was planning the first couple of days, Strava's heatmap seemed to have plenty of cycling activity from the airport, and I had hoped it wouldn't be too tough settling in. I got a bit nervous a few minutes in when we had to cross four or five lanes to take the turnoff we wanted, but it was a good way to get the heart rate up!
I'd forgotten to seek out an ATM at the airport, but did have some leftover cash from my most recent work trip, and we soon had full water bottles, and had made the first of a few stops to pump up a stubborn rear tyre before it finally settled down.
After about an hour, we made a stop I'd been looking forward to for months - at a Nasi Kandar (aka cheap Indian restaurant) for a feed of roti canai washed down by sickly sweet but nonetheless fitting teh tarik. Let the eating with impunity begin!
We soon discovered that it was difficult to ride side roads in parallel with our route. "Blocks" would often have a single access point to the main road, and while getting to or from the side networks could be more easily be achieved on a bike (or on foot) than in a car, we had to back track a couple of times before resigning ourselves to the simplicity of the main drag.
After about 90 minutes of endless opportunities to stop for food or drink, we turned off the main road, and a long stretch without services began. While very pleasant riding, unfortunately this coincided with a strong desire to stop for food or drink, particularly by Sarah! I had packed some frooze-balls from home, so we weren't in trouble, but this did cause some discomfort.
We passed a massive cemetery named the "Nirvana Memorial Garden" before false flat turned into a small climb, to bring us up to the level of the Seminyeh Reservoir.
Our first troops of monkeys and the scenery more generally weren't cutting through Sarah's displeasure - too hot, not enough sleep, not enough food, and likely not enough recent riding. With the benefit of the ride profile on my GPS, I was somewhat dreading the two 200m climbs ahead!
Between climbs was a built up area, and we were able to pull in for some food and rest. Unfortunately, while the latter was easily forced upon Sarah, she needed to participate in the former, and was reluctant to. I did what I could to pry some calories into her, and then hoped...!
Those issues aside, I was looking forward to the second hill, and it did not disappoint! I'd chosen this route as a way to get around KL (rather than ride through it), and there was a very nice "big reveal" moment when the city finally came into view.
I was a little bit nervous about our first hotel booking, and in particular what the bike storage situation would be.
The heavens opened 10 minutes or so before our arrival which made the final navigation a bit more challenging (my Garmin screen was behaving awesomely in the wet - another genuine upgrade - but directions to the accommodation were on my phone, and that was way less responsive). As advertised, the check-in process was a bit of a stressful affair. Eventually, the janitor tasked with taking me to various public spaces so I could leave our bikes, succumbed to my refusals and took me and the bikes up to the apartment we'd booked. He asked me not to exit with the bikes via the lobby, and I agreed we would go out through the carpark! I slipped him a nice tip, which I hope made him feel a lot better about the risk he was taking!
I left the bikes in the hallway briefly, collected Sarah from the lobby, and we were soon settling in. We'd done a convenience store raid on our way into the building, so eating for tomorrow had begun. The room had a washing machine, and before heading out for dinner, we put a load of wet riding gear on to wash.
There was a nasi kandar in the base of the building, and we went there for dinner without exploring other options. Sarah couldn't or wouldn't eat much while we were there, but we got a doggy bag, and she ate a bit more of her murtabak before bed.
The apartment block we were in was one of four 40-storey towers in a large complex, and we enjoyed a few minutes on the "Sky Ring" - a circular walkway connecting all four towers and accessed from floor 27 - on our way back to our room. The views towards the city centre were particularly spectacular.
The day had been very fraught at times, but in the scheme of things had been a success. I was glad not to be fretting about bike security, leaving me with only tomorrow's hors categorie climb to silently ponder!
Stats: 92km ridden, temp range 25 to 31 degrees.
Day 2
After a good sleep, we woke to a wet morning. We had breakfast at the nasi kandar downstairs, choosing from the same menu that we'd sampled the previous night, before returning to our room to don freshly laundered riding kit.
As requested, we rode through nine stories of parking garage, remembering to return our access card to the security desk, and then hit the road.
I'd tweaked our route the previous evening having noticed we'd pass by one of KL's main tourist attractions, the Batu Caves. I made a bit of a meal of getting there, misinterpreting a road sign and exiting the main road way too early. It later became clear that the sign meant "Batu Caves and a U-turn opportunity ahead", rather than "Take the U-turn for Batu Caves". Nothing that a bit of riding on footpaths and up the wrong side of the road didn't couldn't fix.
Given the rain and the fact we'd been to the caves together (when Sarah and Khulan had tagged along on a work trip) we made do with a slow pass of the entrance before continuing on our way.
We soon found ourselves on the KL Ring Road, and while the riding wasn't too bad, it was nice to eventually get off it and onto a road that was actually heading in the direction we needed to go. The impromptu Batu Caves deviation had been a shambles!
We were headed for Bukit Fraser (aka Fraser's Hill), a bird-watching mecca and a destination one might use to get away from the heat by virtue of it sitting about 1300m above sea level. Given the previous day's experience, I'd also tweaked things to minimise climbing prior to the final, unavoidable ascent. What looks like a tiny bump on the day's profile involved more climbing than either of the first day's hills, but it was very quiet, and in wet and cool conditions, was not triggering objection!
We did well on the food front, buying some tasty and no doubt calorific red bean filled steamed buns for morning tea, followed by a lunch buffet before we headed for the big hill. I'd learnt in Vietnam to look out for a place teeming with locals. The system here was similar, where you'd get a plate of rice, and then help yourself from a buffet with dozens of options. Once you were seated, someone would come by and price up your plate, and offer drinks.
Things were all going well, and we were in good spirits as we turned onto the climb. A quick detour to admire a vibrant set of stairs to a monastery, and then we were underway. Although a significant climb lay ahead of us, the 1200m ascent was spread over about 40km, so in all likelihood was going to be a pleasant affair. At least, that was my hope.
Before long, we'd seen a lot of monkeys - and soon a dam came into view and became a nice "target".
As with one we'd passed the day before, there was no access onto the dam itself, but we soon after pulled into a rest area with good views over the lake. A guy was in the process of setting up a coffee cart and figuring this might well be our only opportunity to buy anything, we added 10 minutes or so to our break in order to get a couple of flat whites on board.
As we climbed, it got wetter and wetter, but it was still nice and warm and there was no need to put jackets on. Despite the road being one of only a few crossing this mountain range, it was a slow drive relative to the major road to the south, and as a result, dead quiet. As we neared the turnoff to Bukit Fraser - a narrow road, I presumed, given it was a one-way loop - we passed some buildings and remnants of an old swing bridge.
We'd been climbing almost 3 hours when we made the turn-off, and began the final 8km stretch to the village. As is my standard approach, I'd not done my homework, so had a most enjoyable sense of intrigue and anticipation as we chipped away.
When we reached the village, everyone was tucked away indoors, and it was equal parts beautiful and eerie. The location of our hotel wasn't immediately obvious, but a fellow working at an empty yet open cafe pointed us in the right direction.
We were warmly welcomed by Sammy, who for both our sakes provided me with a towel while the check in processes were completed. He was a great help all evening, helping us secure our bicycles, upgrading our room to include breakfast, organising a laundry service, and even phoning a motel 90km ahead to book us a room for the following night (in a booking.com dead spot...).
After showers, we headed to the hotel's restaurant for dinner, and as we entered, applause erupted from one of the few occupied tables. The two bird watchers had passed us in their car some time that afternoon, and clearly felt that cycling up the hill was a feat worthy of congratulation! While the weather wasn't great for us, the bird-watching they'd hoped to do that afternoon had been a write-off, but they were still in good spirits.
We both had curry laksas for dinner - this had been my go-to dish over years of happy dining at Satay Village, and we thought of Don, his wife, and staff, hoping that their retirement (and closure) had begun well. A delicious sago dessert rounded off the meal very nicely, and brought to a close a much better day!
Stats: 105km ridden including a hefty climb. 19 to 33 degrees.
Day 3
We started the morning with the aforementioned breakfast. Slight confusion on Sarah's part saw her order both nasi goreng and an American breakfast, and between those and the continental buffet, there was plenty to eat!
We suited up, and though it wasn't raining, put jackets on in anticipation of cool air on the long descent ahead. We took a short detour into the village, but didn't feel compelled to poke around further.
After passing a school, presumably serving the staff of the hotels and the few shops, the road became one-way again and this took us back to the main road, about 200m from where we'd left it the previous evening.
As before, traffic was incredibly light, and the 40km descent to Raub was relatively uneventful. We stopped at a street vendor and bought some incredibly delicious sweets (sri muka and little mini muffins which seemed to have pumpkin as an ingredient).
We passed through Raub without incident, and continued on a fairly major road heading north alongside the mountains. It wasn't overly pleasant, but there were new sights to enjoy!
After tapping out a further 50km in the rain, we reached Sungai Koyan, a village that would set us up perfectly for the next day's ride. There was a food market setting up at our turn off, and I was thrilled to recognise a local delicacy that I'd been craving since first experiencing on a visit to Geoff and Jo in 2002 - apam balik, a pancake filled with crushed peanuts and sweetcorn! It was fresh off the griddle and piping hot, and I was able to endure the wait of another 3 or 4 minutes before finding a covered seat outside our motel and tucking in! OMG, it was just as good as I remembered.
We were early for check-in (a 40km descent and then 50km in the rain will do that to you), but our room was available anyway. After showers, we struck out on foot to a laundromat back on the main road. That done, we headed back to our room for a while, before another outing on foot to the food market for our evening meal. A second pancake shared for dessert was sufficient, so the third one we'd bought did indeed look likely to survive as a riding snack!
Stats: 94km ridden, temps a very civilised 20 to 25 degrees, and some great food eaten!
Day 4
It was good to have had a couple of better riding days under our belts, as we were about to begin crossing back over to the western side of the peninsula, i.e. heading back up the massive hill we'd only just come down.
The day started with a buffet breakfast, which consisted of small servings of char kway teow as well as glutinous rice wrapped in banana leaf with something akin to a satay sauce, plus a few other things, washed down by sweet black coffee.
It was dry when we set off, but rain was clearly on the cards, and we got that soon enough. I was anticipating an 80km climb devoid of services until we reached Ringlet, a town at the intersection of this road with the main access road from KL to the Cameron Highlands. While we did pass a few villages in which we might have found shops, the only roadside store was about an hour in, and we did stop there simply because we could!
A few minutes up the road was a cute village called Kampung Saran, and after stopping to photograph it, I found Sarah patiently waiting at a road-sign in order to point out this was almost Kampung Sarah, a detail than initially went way over my head!
A few minutes after a sign warning of elephants, we did pass a pile of elephant shit, but never saw any more, and certainly never saw any elephants.
Up, up, up we rode, on a climb that was much less regular than the road to Bukit Fraser had been. About 20km before Ringlet, we passed an impressive concrete dam (those we'd seen prior had all been earth dams), behind which sat some very discoloured water.
There was a lot of drainage infrastructure along the road, and I was fascinated that while some was very muddy, other nearby drains ran clean. Another curiosity was a grand set of traffic lights, whose sole purpose seemed to be to ensure school kids could get to the bus stop safely (presumably once a school day). It seemed like an expensive solution!
We soon found ourselves surrounded by market gardens, which tended to consist of massive plastic-lined greenhouses, following the contours of the land. It wasn't always obvious what was being grown, and even when the road did give a good vantage, the crops weren't always familiar to us!
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| A soursop, according to Google Lens |
The greenhouses continued to fascinate, although Sarah was beginning to tire of the long climb.
Just before the main intersection we rode through some shops (mostly agricultural supplies, though I'm sure we'd have found some food if we'd tried), which were followed by an incredibly steep stretch of road. I had a horrible thought that I might have misremembered that Ringlet was on the main road, and was relieved to find it where I expected it would be.
We each had hankerings for some real food, but couldn't quite find what we were after, and made do with smash and grab convenience store stuff - possibly better from a calorie point of view, but psychologically a bit shit.
Traffic was heavy for the rest of the ride, but not problematic. We passed but did not stop at a Tea farm which seemed to be a tourist attraction, though did stop soon after at a strawberry farm for some overpriced fresh berries and some "real fruit ice cream" which hit the spot nicely.
Not long after that we reached our turnoff on the outskirts of the town named Cameron Highlands (not to be confused with the region with the same name). Our boutique hotel had sent a lovely message offering a shuttle service from the bus station in the centre of town, and when I'd replied we'd be arriving on bicycles, the offer had been repeated! When we got to the bottom of their driveway, it was clear why. Sarah opted for a tactical walk, but by the skin of my teeth, I was able to manage power and traction sufficiently to get myself up it.
After a wash and a rest, we availed ourselves of a scheduled dinner shuttle, and after wandering around for a bit, settled at an Indian restaurant where we shared a couple of curries, assorted breads, mango lassi and a beer. The walk back to the hotel was 15 minutes or so, albeit with a sting in the tail.
Stats: 94km ridden, sleeping at 1450m above sea level, temperature 21 to 27 degrees
Day 5
The hotel restaurant was very busy when we headed down for breakfast, and we had a good feed from an eclectic selection. Supplementing a couple of eggs each (cooked to our preference), as well as toast and spreads, were macaroni, salads, broccoli, carrot, fried chicken and some small cakes.
With full bellies, we survived the steep driveway, and settled in to an undulating 35km stretch beyond which lay a 1350 metre (40 kilometre plus) descent.
Indeed, the first couple of hours were full of curiosities. We stopped briefly at a mall of sorts, and watched a person in a 3.5 metre tall bear costume entertain some small kids. It wasn't hot, but the costume had a built in electric fan to keep the occupant cool.
Just up the road from that was a small, covered ferris wheel - something I don't recall seeing before - in any area dominated by large hotel or apartment blocks.
We stopped for some teh tarik and roti, notable in part because since leaving KL, we hadn't seen any nasi kandar (the locals being mostly Malays and Chinese). While getting our roti fix, we were approached by a Chinese farmer, who I think had noticed the Mongolian flags on my jersey sleeves, and had interupted us to ask where we were from. He then told us that his sister-in-law had lived in UB for 20 years! He'd visited her once, and he described what he'd seen as "the end of the world". He used "recalcitrant" to describe current world leaders, and then asked if he'd used the word correctly. It was a fascinating and unexpected encounter - it wasn't hard to suspect we'd met the only person in the Cameron Highlands that had ever been to Mongolia!
Built up areas started to become infrequent, and for a while we were back in amongst the greenhouses. Soon, we reached a major intersection, and for the most part had neither again.
After 15 minutes or so on the major east-west crossing, we pulled into a complex which among other things was a chocolate store, dinosaur exhibition, water park, garden centre, cafe and restaurant. We weren't hungry, and had a fairly long ride ahead of us still, but even so, the "signature strawberry pizza" "made with farm fresh strawberry, homemade strawberry jam, banana, peach, pineapple, mozzarella cheese and custard" was very hard to go past. Perhaps if we'd seen it as we were stopping rather than as we were about to leave, the 20-25 minute advertised wait wouldn't have seemed so bad.
The next tourist stop seemed to be the cheekily named Hobbitoon, built on a small hill. The main road circumnavigated said hill, and from the road, it was impossible to make out anything resembling Matamata's Hobbiton (or scenes from the movies), and we had no inclination to go back for a closer look.
What did get the nod though was a lovely roadside waterfall - just the thing for my companion, as the air temperature was rapidly ramping up as we peeled off altitude.
The base of the hill was about 80km into the day's ride. With the next night's destination in mind, I'd pushed today out a bit, leaving us still with 60km to go. The first half had been a far cry from the free roll down from Bukit Fraser, but at least we were in a more populated part of the country, so we weren't going to go hungry.
To that end, we had a great lunch, watched closely by inquisitive locals, followed by busy roads through the big city of Ipoh. The last stretch was a bit of a detour around a small mountain range - the extra distance surely a lesser evil than crossing them in the heat of the afternoon - during which we passed a derelict building which appeared to house a sizable monkey community.
Then we turned southwards for a while, to Kuala Kangsar, where we eventually found our hotel (the location in booking.com wasn't accurate). Despite the poor start, the hotelier was welcoming, and surprisingly let us take our bikes into our room (I think motivated by the lack of a safe alternative).
Despite not being where it had said it was, the hotel turned out to be in a perfect spot - a short walk from a night market, and across the road from a laundromat. There was a bit of drizzle in the air, but we were able to borrow umbrellas, and appeciated that the edge had been taken off a very hot afternoon.
We took turns finding food to try, and ended up sampling beef murtabak, char kway teow, pancakes with sprouts, potato, pineapple filling, sticky rice sushi (with a leafy wrap which didn't always seem edible), coconut water, and an apam balik pancake for takeaway dessert (no wonder we had no room to eat it immediately, given the long list of food already consumed).
Stats: 142km ridden, and plenty of calories to replenish. Hot for the first time, with a 17 to 35 degree range.
Day 6
The longer-than-desirable day prior had done what it had needed to, and set us up well to get to Penang Island.
The hotel we were at did not offer breakfast, so we suited up immediately and started riding. After a couple of minutes on the bike, we stopped at a wee eatery for some roti, supplemented soon after by convenience store junk.
While there were plenty of longer options, to keep the effort down, we rode mostly on Route 1, a local road in parallel with the AH2 motorway. We had a very nice stop at a family run place for some nasi lemak, cold drinks, and a waffle with peanut butter (!!!!).
My arms started showing signs of sunburn (oh how I miss Sunsense Sports Gel, whose production line I suspect got retooled to make hand sanitiser during the pandemic and never resumed...), so I bought some "cooling arm sleeves" from a service station, and wearing them both stopped me stressing and burning.
We cut a corner via a short spell on a gravel path along a canal. During that stretch, I spotted a head sticking out of the water which I figured was either a turtle or a large lizard. The moment I stopped, it submerged, and didn't reappear before we lost patience and moved off.
As we neared the ferry terminal in Butterworth, we passed through an industrial area which offered an unfamiliar sight - other bicycles! We saw a number of people commuting on them, most of whom were riding contra flow. I could see the merit, but decided to stick with the decent shoulder on the "correct" side of the road.
The cycling route to the ferry was unusual - about 2km out, the road swung around, and about 5km later including a U-turn underpass and a corkscrew, we were waiting in line for the next ferry, which we'd at least paid one fare for! (When the barrier had gone up at the cashless terminal, Sarah had boosted through with me, rather than waiting her turn...!)
It was fun to ride on surrounded by a small peloton of motorcycles. Once we were parked up, on came a surprisingly large group of foot passengers. I'd grabbed a seat in the air-conditioned section of the ferry, but when Sarah failed to materialise, I gave up my seat to one of the many backpackers, and joined Sarah outside.
At the other end, we had a very short ride to our hotel. I had to push back on where we'd been told to leave our bikes ("I leave mine there quite safely...") but in the end, the conclusion was made they were innocuous enough and could go in our room.
We went out to a restaurant for a flash dinner (albeit dressed in our local market outfits...) where I had a dish called otak otak which was quite unlike the meal of the same name served at one of our favourite local restaurants, Little Penang. The "custard" in which some fish was baked was intriguing, though tasty enough!
After dinner we went back to our room, and availed ourselves of the guest laundry. After 9pm, we heard a bit of a commotion outside, and eventually our curiosity got the better of us, so we dressed and went out to find a street parade. We sat on the curb and watched that for a while, before retiring for the night.
I'd booked for two nights, which gave us the next day to explore Penang Island.
Stats: 121km ridden, 26 to 43 degrees, i.e. at times, hot A.F.
Day 7
Before we were done with the modest hotel breakfast, I'd managed to convince Sarah that a lap of the island wouldn't be too arduous. Not long after we started our Buddhist-friendly clockwise lap we stopped at a bakery for a top up.
That done we stumbled upon Armenian Street, and taking it, were soon in a queue to get a photo by some famous street art. While waiting to photograph Sarah, I was accosted by a chap who'd noticed my Mongolia Bike Challenge jersey. One accent led to another, and I'd soon discovered Stephen had previously worked at Vic, and was still in touch with a colleague who I knew well. I took a selfie with him and sent it via Whatsapp to our mutual acquaintance, eliciting the classic (and apt) "small world" response.
We found the Eastern side of the island to be very built up and busy, but as we neared the southern crossing, the road steadily shrunk, and the riding became mor peaceful. We had to negotiate a small climb, and it was kind of agonising to descend on a major elevated road, below which I could see the original route beckoning.
Reading Sarah's body language, but also paying attention to my own body, I knew it was time to start looking out for a lunch stop. I almost lost track of Sarah who'd ended up ahead of me and was oblivious to my intended route. We weren't separated though, and a few minutes after loading her backpack and pockets up with convenience store ice (our established strategy for keeping her cool), I spotted a lunch spot teeming with locals.
We settled in and made our selections. I chose a couple of fried eggs and a range of vegetable options on top of my serving of rice, plus some teh tarik. As with almost all Malay places we stopped at, roti were not an option.
The seaward side of the island was much quieter, and after some nice riding on the flat (during which Sarah startled a large lizard), we began the 200m climb that would take us back to the other side. A few minutes in, I passed an opportunity for Sarah to cool herself, and stopped in anticipation.
When she was clambering out from beneath the small waterfall, suitably drenched, what did we see but the first (other) cycle tourist of the trip, Amir. We flagged him and his heavily laden bike down, and chatted for a while. I couldn't quite make out what his route was, but it was nice to talk. We wished him well, and continued the climb.
Around the next bend, we got great views of a community we'd skirted around en route to the base of the climb. Soon after, I pulled in at a street vendor and bought a couple of chilled coconuts which we'd soon drained! We contemplated buying one for Amir, but decided against it.
Every few minutes or so we'd pass a sign advertising the "Hill of Fruits" farm, so when we finally reached the driveway, there was no way we weren't going to go and check it out. The driveway was bloody steep, but we had a chance to recover at the top. We had a vast array of fruit to choose from, and settled on dragonfruit juice for him, and soursop juice for her (I'd forgotten that it was the spiny avocado thing we'd seen in the Cameron Highlands). When we were heading back to our bikes, I passed an advert for "passionfruit spaghetti" which was added to the list of intriguing dishes that got away from us.
Nearing the bottom of the descent, we were treated to a curious sight. The Telok Bahang Dam sits at about 50 metres above sea level, but approaching it from the south you can see the ocean lying just above the barrier. Curvature of the horizon is about the only clue you get that the lake surface is not at sea level - it was a nice illusion.
Below the dam we found the Penang Butterfly Farm, which we chose to check out instead of the neighbouring amusement park. I vaguely recalled going to see the butterflies with Geoff and a very young Kaitlyn (as well as Jo and Jo) on our second visit in 2003 or so. Bike security didn't seem too much of a concern, and so after throwing my board shorts on (stowed in case we stopped for a swim but now used so I wasn't so offensive mincing around in my riding gear), we spent an hour or so enjoying some standard tourist activity.
The butterflies were nice, but the standout exhibits for me tended to be the other critters that were there, including some gigantic ants, supersized terrapins (snapping turtles, according to the signage), a few snakes and big beetles.
The day had marched on, and I think we both would have gladly stopped then and there. Alas, we had a fairly flat 25km yet to ride, though we did put the bikes to good use swinging by two childhood homes of one of Sarah's longest-standing NZ friends, Chris. They were a short ride from our hotel, but would have been too far to walk by a long stretch.
Once washed and changed, we had Indian thosai for dinner, chased down by some roti. Then, we booked a Grab to the funicular which again, I think I'd done on that past visit. I hadn't remembered how hectic it was, and a bit of research on the internet later that evening suggested the top speed of about 40km/h is close to triple that of the Wellington Cable Car. We made it safely up and back down, and enjoyed great views over Georgetown (on the island), Butterworth (on the mainland), and the two road bridges joining Penang Island to the mainland.
The Grab driver on the way back was lovely and chatty, having been a tour guide pre-pandemic. We were able to pay him thanks to an ATM stop on the way home, which we were happy to do a short walk from our hotel, but crucially right in the thick of a touristy area - we were hungry again, but a state quickly remedied.
Back at the hotel, we did another load of laundry, including some of our evening undergarments which was a nice treat.
Rest day stats: 88km ridden, temp range, 22 to 39 degrees. Zero runaway funiculars.
Day 8
Week two on the road began with a light breakfast (coffee, noodles, fried chicken balls and scrambled eggs), and then the tiresome pack up regimen that reminded us how nice it had been to spend two nights in the same hotel! We stopped at a cafe for more coffee, and at which I managed to buy a fridge magnet to commemorate our riding in Malaysia. We had only one more night planned, and the terrain we'd cover in between here and the border seemed unlikely to serve up souvenir shops.
After a short wait at the ferry terminal, we were soon crossing back to the mainland. As I watched the closer (and older) of the two bridges we'd seen the previous evening, I did think it was a shame bikes were not welcome on it.
We'd set off without a hotel booking, and an unusually strong sense of adventure. We were going to stick close to the coast, which would eventually bring us to the mouth of the Merbok River. If we couldn't find a boat to get us across it, we would have to ride 35km to the first available bridge! I was kind of excited about it, and while it would be a drag to turn back, reconfiguring the day wasn't going to cause lasting problems.
Once off the ferry, we were on a big road for a while, before some quieter roads beckoned. On one of those, we passed a stall selling a wide range of treats which made for a perfect morning tea and some nice conversation.
Within another hour, we found ourselves at the river, wondering if we'd soon be backtracking. I could see but one boat, so headed towards it and gave the boatman a wave. There were some locals sitting in what looked like a bus-stop, and there was a timetable pinned to it. Things started to look promising,
There was no instant response, but the boat did seem to be getting itself organised to come to us, and sure enough, we were soon being beckoned on board. We took our shoes and socks off, got the bikes loaded, and then climbed aboard. We soon blatting across the river, wallet slightly lighter, but also feeling like we'd have paid a lot more to get across!!! (Between us, we can't quite remember how much we paid, but think it was either 60 or 80 Ringgit - $25 or $35 NZ dollars, or about a dollar per kilometre to the first bridge!)
The driver was chatty, and told us he'd ferried a couple of Belgian cycle tourists the previous day. He said there was no regular service, and I never got to the bottom of why none of the locals had been invited on board.
On the far shore, there were quite a few options for lunch, but we decided to celebrate our progress further down the road. We soon found a really busy place, and boy oh boy, it was a good choice. The standard Malay buffet processes kicked in, with a plate of rice given to us, which we then filled with whatever we felt like from the dozens of dishes on offer.
I'd booked accommodation which gave us about 70km to ride after lunch. Bellies full, and souls lifted, we pressed on, and found ourselves with choice of back roads for the first time in a while.
Companions on and off for much of the afternoon was a flock of rather large storks. Sarah had first noticed them when she found herself riding in the shadow of one!
The ride was mostly pan-flat, and indeed, there was a fair chance it would be like that all the way to Bangkok! Bridges over rivers were exceptions, and some were more dramatic than others!
Sarah was starting to get a bit cranky. Riding behind her feeling kind of frustrated, I'd seen a huge lizard and had stopped to take photos of it, and by the time I was on the move again, for a few minutes I was worried I'd lost her.
I had to chase hard because I could see an intersection a couple of kilometres ahead, at which I intended to deviate from the main route. Fortunately Sarah had stopped, so there was no need for me to fire up my NZ SIM card so I could contact her.
The side road was alongside a canal, itself between the road and the beach, and I was surprised to notice a nice cycle path! Of course, it was then an agonisingly long wait until we could access it via a bridge over the canal into a layby that was in the process of becoming a night market (miles away from anywhere, so it was a very odd phenomenon, just as the cycle path was).
The path was great, and was variously sealed and unsealed. There had been bugger all traffic on the road, so it was mostly a psychological win, rather than a massive enhancement of the riding conditions.
I was in front, and from time to time would startle a large lizard, which in turn would startle me when it crashed off through the undergrowth. We passed a large fire out of the blue, and proceeded, wondering how much larger it was going to get before someone turned up to put it out!
I'd struggled a bit to find bookable accommodation, and where we'd settled wasn't in an ideal location from an evening-amenities point of view. Beggars can be choosers though!
Given our proximity to the Thai border, I was trying to carefully manage our Malaysian cash situation, but hadn't anticipated a cash-only booking, so once settled into our cabin, I had to go back out to find an ATM, in a ride that eventually blew out to 7km. The closest one was inside a locked bank, and I had to go 3km back down the road to a petrol station we'd passed. The to-ing and fro-ing all felt worth while when I startled a large kingfisher and as it flew away from me was treated to the most glorious turquoise colouring. Oh nature...!!!!
We went out on foot to find dinner, passing the first ATM I'd tried (now open)! There wasn't much to choose from food-wise, and we weren't completely successful with our order, not quite cutting through the language barrier that existed between us and the menu, and again between us and the waitress. No matter, we had enough to eat, and had dessert waiting for us at home - some sri muka that I'd bought from a roadside stall with about 30km left to ride.
Stats: 116km ridden, not entirely harmoniously, plus the ATM run. Not one, but two boat rides! 22 to 35 degrees.
Day 9, part 1
We started the day with some supermarket supplies that we'd picked up on the way home from dinner: cornflakes, some tinned fruit and a bottle of drinking yoghurt. The yoghurt wasn't quite what we were hoping for, but the food did take the edge off the morning and got us on the road.
We were in rice paddy territory, and I felt like we were finally on the right bikes for the options available! The paths were in good condition, and mostly ran parallel with the main road. Occasional crossings of side roads were the only frustating element from my point of view, though Sarah did express displeasure with the surface, and so I didn't push my luck.
As we neared the large town of Kangar, we noticed a nice Malay food stall and stopped for a proper second breakfast. Interestingly, these guys did have roti available, which was a nice treat given this was likely our last opportunity of the trip to gorge on them.
Once through Kangar, I decided to do a bit of route tweaking, and we found ourselves riding towards a prominent (and out of place) landform.
Soon after, we found ourselves on delightfully small roads, which ran towards the border crossing between the major road route and a railway line. Rarely straight, and rarely flat, it was a nice change!
Despite being very close to the last Malaysian town we'd see, and certain food options, we took a chance and stopped at a wee stall for lunch. There was no buffet, but we were hungry, and what was provided was hot and tasty. After our rice, we were given some sliced apple with a dipping sauce. One of the two was quite bitter, and I mistakenly thought it was the sauce, forgoing it for one slice, only to discover the sauce was taking the edge off the fruit!
When I went to pay, one of the other diners translated the price for me. I thought we were being fleeced when I handed over a 50 Ringgit note, only to discover that issue was in the translation of 15 - a much more reasonable amount, and par for the course...!
We resumed enjoying the engaging roads, only to discover that someone had disengaged their truck from said road by dropping the back end of the truck into a deep ditch. While one occupant was calling for help, the other was taking the opportunity to have some lunch, seeming quite nonplussed!
Unlike an oncoming car we saw heading their way a minute later, we had no trouble making our way around the truck.
All good things must come to an end, and soon, we were being funneled towards the border crossing.
I'm a sucker for a stamp in my passport, and had only the prior month been in Melaka for work. I'd entered via an E-gate, but tried to exit via a customs officer (and their rubber stamp) but had been sent to an E-gate to exit. With that experience under my belt, we'd deliberately entered Malaysia the manual way, just in case it made things easier at this end of the visit. Whether or not that was important, we will never know, and we were stamped out of Malaysia with no fuss.
No man's land was short, but kind of fun.
To streamline our entry into Thailand, we'd completed Thai Digital Arrival Cards online the night before. We were initially directed towards a motorcycle booth, but the fellows therein sent us into the building for pedestrians after asking where in the world Darkhan is (Sarah's city of birth, noted in her NZ passport without reference to Mongolia).
My passport was processed first and without comment, but then my exotic wife was really given the once over. This time, interrogation about her origins had more of a menacing vibe (rather than an inquisitive one), and she was asked questions about our visit to Cambodia a year prior. The current conflict had begun in July, and this fellow wanted assurances that Sarah had only been in Cambodia for pleasure. After rapid fire questions: where did you go? How long were you there? What did you do?, the chap was eventually satisfied we (or Sarah more particularly - he didn't give a damn about me) were simple cycle tourists rather than Cambodian agents or sympathisers.
Feeling well and truly the victim of racial profiling, Sarah returned to her bike, and we rode into Thailand together, not feeling entirely welcome!
Stats: To bring the Malaysia leg to a close, 63km ridden, and just in excess of 900km on the clock.
To be continued...
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