Right the beginning of the end and the last county standing between me and the finish line at Singapore.
Getting into Malaysia was even easier then out of Thailand.
It was straight to the desk no questions asked just a stamp on passport a scan of my index fingers and then I made my way to a barrier where there was a guy sitting at a desk with a big form. I thought here we go questions, questions but no as I approached the barrier just opened and I was in!
I spend a bit of time messing about with my look a like Gopro to get this shot then had a look around but there was nothing on this side of the border just a small shop.
I when back to the barrier and asked where I can exchange money Thailand they said. Ah I've just come from there. They said that there was a town 10km down the road through the mountains which had a currency exchange so I loaded up and set off.
After a short downhill the work really started as I hit an alpine climb with lots of switchbacks. I was thinking the last time I saw these was when entering Myanmar but at least these were rideable although hard work in the heat so I was stopping where I could to get a drink.
Soon I was gaining altitude and looking out across the range that separates these two countries.
I reached the top of the pass and was making my way down through a police checkpoint. Usually I am just waved through these so I maintain my speed but this time was flagged down so at the last minute I had to put the anchors on.
Where have you come from? said the guard, England I said, he looked at my passport and said it says Britain and Northern Ireland here. I then had to explain that England was in fact part of Britain.
Next he asked me where I had just come from? Thailand I said with the facial expression of no sh#t Sherlock, as that was the only place the road led to! He then wanted to know where in Thailand so I showed him the route I had followed on my phone, he seemed satisfied and waved me off.
No wonder I got an easy ride and the border they knew the gestapo were waiting down the road! That interrogation out of the way I rounded the next corner and Malaysia was laid out in front of me!
As directed at the border I found the town at the bottom of the hill but there was no sign of any money exchange. Most of the businesses seemed to be closed down and I wondered if it was a national holiday or something. Still I should have enough water peanuts and Oreo biscuits from Thailand to make it to the coast. I was sure to find something there as it would be more of a tourist destination. I pressed on but it's remarkable how thirsty you get when you only have a limited supply of water!
I was starting to get a bit of a headache and thought it would be best to get out of the sun for a bit so I pulled into a mosque noticeably larger as I am now in a predominantly muslim country. There was no one around but I found some covered seating in the car park. I relaxed there whilst I munched on some of the biscuits and peanuts I'd bought earlier in the day and got some more water down me. I'd emptied 1.5 litres by now and was thinking I might just have a look around and see if I can find a tap.
Just then, a guy on a scooter arrived and headed off to the other (male) side of the mosque. I thought I'll leave my water mission for five minutes for him to go in but before time was up there was a squeal of feedback from the P.A. and then the call to prayer started. Before long there was a stream of cars and scooters entering the car park. I thought it's time to make myself scarce so I battled against the flow and back to the road with a few surprised looks and was away.
I passed through another larger town but as I was waiting at the light to enter a guy wound his window down and gave me a bottle of water what a star! Confident I could now make the 7-8 miles left to go I didn't see any banks or money exchanges on my route but I didn't hang about but pressed on and was soon followed the river into Kampung Perak.
Kampung Perak has a lot in common with Holyhead. It is a bit of a dump where all you want to do is get on a ferry and leave as it is the departure point for the tourist islands a short way offshore which you can see in the distance on the photo below.
Plan A was to carry on and spend a couple of days on an island but I decided I would rather head inshore and visit the tea plantations instead. I managed to find a bank and pull some money out and, with the help of tourist information, somewhere to exchange my spare cash. A sim card was also obtained so all the usual for a new country was sorted and I went looking for a hotel.
Most hotels were budget types which had surrendered their ground floor space to shops and so just had a door from the street and were unlikely to accommodate my bike. There was one large imposing hotel nearby. I thought that would be over my budget but a quick check on booking.com showed they had rooms available for 70 RM about £14 so it was game on!
I asked at reception and they said their rooms started at 99RM circa £20 so I showed the girl the price of 70 on booking.com. Now usually they go yes we can do it for that as they still make more money as a walk in and don't have to pay commission to the website. No she mounted an argument that there would be additional charges and that would not be the price I would pay. I made the booking on line stood there and five minutes later she was giving me a receipt for 70RM with a straight face and no climb down on her side!
The place was OK but you know what I mean when I say it was trading on past days but did let me put my bike in the disused dining room which was a bit of a general dumping ground.
After I had freshed up I went to the only civilised place I could find a KFC for a combined late lunch and early dinner then retreated to my room as it was too damn hot.
I ventured out later as the sun went down it was 7.30pm now and I have gained another hour crossing the border and took the shots above.
I walked past the closed down pier and risking life and limb crossing the dilapidated seafront. I did find a night market specialising in seafood that looked good so maybe I am being too harsh on the place.
I was still full so didn't eat there but returned to my hotel via a 7 Eleven to get something for breakfast as £14 didn't stretch to that! This was a welcome sight as if these are as prolific as they were in Thailand my supply of frozen confectionary would be secure!
The next two days was a bit of a repeat of the last as I had 100 miles to go down the coast to get to the ferry which would take me to Georgetown on the island of Penang.
My plan was to cover 60 miles today then I would have a shorter ride tomorrow to arrive about midday in Georgetown where I was going to have a couple of days off. Looking at accomodation there was a homestay at 50 miles but plenty of hotels in the city of Sungai Petani 70 miles away. I chose Sungai Petani as my stretch target for the day and after my convenience store breakfast I was on the road again.
I was routed down the coast for the morning and the tide was out again when I set off with mud flats as far as the eye could see. It looked like you could walk to the islands from here.
As I continued I could see people wading out waist deep into the mud presumably searching for shellfish which must be a very hard existence.
I moved inshore and followed the course of one of the rivers most of which appeared to have been dammed off to capture the water into large canals for irrigation purposes.
I was soon riding along a quiet road for quite a few miles with irrigation dykes on either side running parallel to the coast but about half a mile inshore.
The road was empty but there were lots of heron type birds and smaller white ones who were feeding in the dykes but they took flight into the trees as soon as I approached.
At the river crossings there were small markets centred around the wharfs where the fresh catches were landed. I pushed through the first one as I was still feeling good and wanted to make the best of the cool weather but at 25 miles done I stopped off at the second for a break.
I picked up some iced tea and a couple of random parcels of sticky rice.
The first wrapped in palm leaves had ground up dried fish on but the second was the coffee cream of the selection as it was curried fish which some fool had added half a boiled egg to! I got out my spoon and managed to eat round it though.
I pushed on and was struck by the difference in the landscape compared to Thailand where I was yesterday. There was now not a rubber tree in sight just a mostly flat arable plain. Looks like the cloud cover is lifting ahead as well.
The irrigation was obviously effective as I could see that the ground was wet and all the farmers were having to use half track combine harvesters so they didn't sink into the mud.
The scene was also punctuated by a number of grain stores which were pretty brutal architectural affairs which some had unsuccessfully tried to softened by adding false windows or painting them bright colours.
The wind was pretty neutral today mostly from the side but in the afternoon the cloud which had been welcome was all burnt off and the temperature began to rise dramatically.
It was Friday prayers and the mosques where full so a lot of the shops and cafes were now closed.
With 25 miles to go I found a street vendor so stopped off and bought a bag of vegetable and banana fritters which I washed down with some orange Fanta and lots of ice, thats three of my five a day sorted!
I tipped the remaining ice into my drinks bottle and then bought another one to top it up so had a cool drink for my last leg.
As I approached the Sungai Petani the first hotel I had selected turned out to be a glorified student halls so I pressed on.
I then saw a 7 Eleven and bought a big bottle of coke to replenish my fluids and a celebratory Mangum. I was very dehydrated and think 70 miles in this heat is quite enough.
I found the next hotel which I was able to get a room at so was finished for the day.
I headed out for some food and there were lots of food stalls lining the streets around my hotel so had some fried chicken. I then ordered what I thought were waffles for dessert but when the guy put onions on them. I suspected I was wrong and they turned out to be fried octopus!
I had 30 miles to cover the next day which would get me to the ferry over to Georgetown on Penang, I was therefore not under pressure so took some time in the morning to bring this blog up to date as I had been a day behind for a few days.
Once I was free of the city I was directed onto back lanes and rough tracks again running alongside irrigation canals and dykes.
It got a bit gnarly at one point and I started thinking am I going to end up at another dead end here but I stuck with it and it worked out well.
There were more herons and their smaller white cousins on the banks but I also disturbed a few moor hen type birds which I guess had nests on the ground as they harassed and hustled me out of the area.
Soon I was approaching the Butterworth Air Force Base and was being buzzed by much larger birds which were out on exercise.
Beyond that I hit the built up area of Butterworth and could see the high rise blocks on the shore line in the distance.
The traffic was very stop and start with regular lights that always seemed to turn red as I arrived and left me sweating in the heat as it was gone eleven and the mercury was rising. My forearms were like dripping taps as I waited in blazing sun for the light to change.
My aim was to have a cold beer at 12 noon as it was touch and go whether I could achieve this with these hold up. At 11.30 I made it to the ferry and was promised a maximum wait of 45 minutes, it could be tight but at least I was now in the shade.
Thankfully after about 10 minutes it was onto the ferry and could see the Georgetown waterfront stretched out in front of me.
At 12.15 we docked and I made my way to the hotel I had booked into. As I pulled up I saw a sign a little behind schedule but it was job done!
Sightseeing! Penang is a real melting pot of cultures as it was originally settled by the Chinese who developed a trading route linking through the far east past here to Yangon in Myanmar. Some of the settlers built jetties out into the bay which remain in place today and known as the six jetties. Each one is owned by a different clan and were my first port of call, see what I did there? Jetties? Port?
Inland too there is lots of Chinese influence with many temples and businesses occupying space in the old town.
Some of the families had different clan houses where they gathered together to pray and celebrate. One famous example is the Khoo Kongsi which sit within a city square. Opposite the clan house is a performance stage with alongside an administration building and clan houses.
There is a clue in the name but this is the property of the Khoo clan and in the side chapels are memorials to the Khoo ancestors and those who have achieved academic success, including Richard Khoo who went to Lancaster University, just up the road from where I live!
Then came the British who created a outpost of the city and renamed it Georgetown after George III. With them came the expansion of the city and the usual slue of colonial style buildings.
The British garrisoned the city with troops from the East India Regiment and their families and followers squeezed into a city quarter that became known as Little India.
One great example of later fusion architecture is the former house of Cheong Fatt Tze a Chinese merchant and later mandarin who was already successful. He could see an opportunity to further his wealth when the British arrived having been cooperating with the Dutch in what is now Indonesia. He built a grand house in the city from where he could run his business and accomodate what grew to be eight wives and countless children!
It is said his first seven marriages were business related but he found true love when he met his eighth at the age of seventy two but she was seventeen when they married. So Debbie McGee what first attracted you to millionaire....
When he died Cheong Fatt Tze left the house in trust to his family with orders that it could not be sold until the last of his sons passed away. He also had arranged for a funds to be available to Debbie McGee to maintain the house. The sons however squandered their father's fortune and the money ran out so the place fell into disrepair.
With the death of the final son the building was sold and converted into The Blue Mansion Hotel and I was lucky to be able to get on one of three tours which they do each day with limited numbers.
This is a link to the website if you want to learn more although I think I have covered it pretty well if I say so myself!
Back on the road after my two days in Georgetown or more to the point the sea as I made my way back onto the mainland.
It was a relatively short day with about 50 miles to go following a circuitous route inshore to avoid taking three other busy crossing of the Sungai Perai river. I eventually made it to the far bank and started working my way south but was for the first 16-17 miles never out of the urban sprawl that has developed to the south of Butterworth.
This was linking down to the second bridge crossing to Penang Island with malls, a science park, condominiums, business parks, an outlet centre and finally a landmark building at the turn off to the bridge which signalled my final release into the countryside beyond!
That takes me back....
There was no real improvement though as I may have been cycling through palm trees but I was on a dirt track which must lead to a refuse tip as I was sharing the road with countless bin lorries and the dyke at the side was black and stank!
I had a curry in Little India last night and when I pulled up for some lunch at a cafe I found I was again going Indian as they had a big buffet laid out and I waded in.
I was showing 33 km to where there was a hotel I planned to stay at but that was via a big zig zag avoiding the main road which diminished to just 15 km, just less than 10 miles if I took the direct approach. So that was it I took route one and after a short blast down the highway I was done by about 2.30pm. Not an inspiring ride but hopefully thing will look up tomorrow.
I did have a laugh on the highway when I pulled in at some light next to a 4x4 pick up. There was a metal crash barrier at the roadside so I put my hand down on it to keep upright but it was white hot. My glove protected my palm but my fingers started to fry and I started to wave them around as the guys in the truck laughed.
They wound the window down and we had what is becoming the standard conversation which goes like this:
Where you from?
England
Oh where you come from?
England
Ye but where you cycle from?
England
Really??!!
I got a room and my blog updated and also my CV which I fired over for a job I've been approached about then went off into town.
I bought a new face flannel from a sort of pound shop to mop up the sweat on the road but there were not many food options as I was too early for the night market having not mastered being an hour ahead yet.
I didn't want to hang around for the sun to go down but there was a Pizza Hut so I took that option as it was the first of the year I think New Delhi was the last time.
Bit of a game of two halves again today the suggested bike route started off 5 miles in the opposite direction so that was ruled out so I carried on up the main road for the first 20 miles until the two routes converged and then it was shorter to take the bike option from then on.
It didn't take me too long to get to the turning point where the highway but passed a nice mosque on the way.
From here the highway went inland so I turned off and headed to the shore. I now needed food and provisions, I passed a few cafes and then the first shop I stopped at had neither so I carried on another 2-3 miles until I eventually found somewhere good.
There is still a large Indian population in this area which I believe is set to increase as I progress as a lot work in the tea plantations I am heading to. Presumably they were originally brought across by the British owners and have then settled thereafter.
There was a limited supply of lolly pops but they did have a couple of my Indian favourites mango juice and bombay mix!
As I moved off I found this impressive I think Hindu temple which was another reminder of the Indian immigrants making their mark.
My target for the day was straight ahead of me but there was a big lump of green on the map which were a range of hills which were looming up.
As I progressed I was caught up by a couple of younger guys from London. They had cycled to Istanbul and then flown to Bangkok to carry on to Singapore as well. They were a more lightweight set up and hoping to make Kuala Lumpur in two days where as I had allowed another six. I know what you are thinking but I'm not that slow. They were taking the direct route straight down the coast whereas once passed these hills I would again be heading inland and climbing.
Talking of which the road started to rise and the London boys left me for dead although I did catch them up at the next red light. This was their turn off to the sea so we said our goodbyes and I continued round my hills.
I say I had allows six more days to get to Kuala Lumpur but that would get me there on Monday 9th. However, there is the small matter of the England v Wales rugby match which kicked off at 00:30 local time that morning and I had a stretch target to get there a day earlier in order to watch the match as I'm sure there will be somewhere they will be showing it.
With this in mind I was making good progress and stopped just 15 miles short of my 60 mile target for some lunch with a view to pushing on past so some extra fuel on board would help. So much for me saying 60 miles is enough in this heat that lasted long!
This big plate of food and an iced tea set me back less than a couple of quid!
I tried to round up the figure but the woman was having none of it. Having learned in The Stans that insistance is futile with generous muslims I graciously accepted my change and pressed on.
Soon I was at a lovely bridge that crossed the river into the town of Parit which should have been my finish but it was just gone 2.30pm and with about 10 miles to go to the next hotel I got some more fluids onboard and pressed on.
This got me to 76 miles covered and the next town of Batu Gajah which is just south of Ipoh on the map up there. Tomorrow I have a short ride to Kellie's Castle in the morning and then I will start climbing into the Cameron Highlands later in the day.
When I unpacked I realised that I had left my merino wool T-shirt at the last hotel. This was very frustrating as it was good and expensive and one of the few items I wanted to bring back home with me.
Not good enough however to cycle 76 miles back to get but I managed to find genuine Hilfiger replacement in town for just £4 bargain!
The next day I was now just three miles from Kellie's Castle which was a recommended place to visit on my route but it only opened at 9 am so an early start would be no good. I had though bought a new chain at a bike shop in Georgetown so I used the time in the morning to clean the old one which would now become my spare and fit the new. With that done I got on the road and arrived there at 9.05 perfect timing!
The castle or rather large unfinished mansion house was the property of William Kellie Smith the son of a Scottish farmer who moved to Malaysia to seek his fortune. The "castle" was intended to be an extension to the already impressive Kellas House which is situated to the rear but was damaged in WWII. The Castle was never completed as William Kellie Smith suffered financial difficulties and eventually died overseas.
Rather than regurgitate what I learned this morning there is a link below to a good article I found.
And here are some more pictures I took of the place.
I left the castle behind at just gone 10am and my next cultural appointment was at a tea plantation in the hills. That closed at 4 pm so getting this knocked off today was not going to happen. I had about 50 miles to go to get to turn off to the plantation which was another couple of miles down a dead end from there. My stretch target for today was to get to the junction around which there were several hotels and guest houses but my fall back was to camp as it was a late start and mostly uphill so I might run out of time.
I came off the main road and was directed onto a dirt track which was a short cut to the hills but soon got lost it looks like the track had been diverted to make way for a solar farm.
Thankfully, I soon picked up the scent again and hit the main road and made the turn.
As I entered The Cameron Highlands there was a lot of quarrying activity for marble and granite which shows some volcanic activity in the past (GCSE Geography).
This added some welcome dust and grit into the already hot and humid air nice!
Knowing there were hills to come I decided to take a break after 20 miles and then about every 20 km (about 12.5 miles) after that but that plan was thrown into confusion as after 20 miles the road started to climb and there were no shops to be found.
I finished my drinks bottle and started on my emergency water which I mixed with some electrolyte tablets as I suspected it was going to be hot and sweaty today. The tablets in the humidity, were fused into the tube so I ended up pouring water into it to dissolve them bit by bit and then decant the foaming concoction into my bottle.
I think there were three tablets left so this was triple strength but I would water it down as the day progressed and this I did until I had gone through all the water I had.
After setting off again I met a Malaysian pro team descending in the other direction. The cyclist were all very focused but the service motorbike following on at the rear gave me a hoot and wave.
Having used my emergency water the warning light was flashing but I happened upon a spring by the road but nearly did what is know internationally as a Paul Andrews dismount where you unclip, or in my case unstrap, one side to then fall over on the other.
I think I got distracted by whether I could lean my bike up in the ditch. This would have been pretty nasty as I was right alongside it so would have fallen way beyond the horizontal into the ditch below. Luckily I just managed to get my other foot out of the strap and down in time to stop my headlong plunge.
The woman in the picture must have fallen on hard times as after filling her two containers she was fishing cans from the ditch. She was trying to get some out with a stick so I reached down with my longer arms and got them for her. Her English was perfect and after thanking me she asked about my trip.
I had an empty 1.5 litre bottle which I had kept for this purpose and filled that from the spring then was on my way. I should have checked my map as another mile or so up the road there was a shop with drinks aplenty!
Having said that on reflection I still would have stopped as there was no guarantee the shop would be open as many don’t seem to be. I downed a big coke and topped up my frame bottles, ate a bag of crisps and was on my way. I glanced at my watch and it was 1 pm and I had 30 miles to go, the time sure does fly when you are slowly grinding uphill.
Satisfied I should not have any hydration issues for the foreseeable future it started to rain. In fact it tipped it down which was a nice relief from the heat for a while but then my fingers started to go white on the downhills.
It was like this for the rest of the day with the route being mostly climbs with the speed getting as low as 3 mph, so 10 hours to target = no chance, to something more respectable.
I passed a couple of major earthwork operations which I thought might be dam building but then realised they were making vast steps into the hills to grow more strawberries which from the ads I’d passed are obviously the main crop here. They had even put up screens so you couldn't see the destruction they were inflicting on the countryside.
At 3 pm it was raining again and I came to the conclusion I was not going to make it and decided it would be prudent to get some food on board as man cannot ride on crisps alone. I found another one of these roadside buffets and loaded up my plate and the woman said you hungry then? No photo today as I was so focused on eating it and then got back out in the rain.
One thing I have not shared with you is that for about the last two weeks I’ve had a slow puncture in my back wheel but if I pump it up it seems to last for the day so that is what I have been doing. As I pulled off my tyre was soft and I thought oh no don’t fail me now but I topped it up again and thankfully it held.
I then entered strawberry central and stopped to buy some to have in my tent tonight but further on found another whole vally given over to their production.
I then turned off the main road and was really in strawberry ground zero! I put my trust in MapsMe as I threaded my way through the greenhouse favela. I thought well this is a bit of a precedent for what is happening further down the valley and was not so incensed anymore!
Eventually I hit the main road again and a town it was 6 pm and still raining and I had 10 miles to go to the junction. I might just make it but though the plantation doesn’t open until 9 am so I would them be clicking my heels in the morning especially in a wet tent if I fall short. So I started looking to see if there was a hotel here. There was so I switched to a spot of glamping!
It looks like the repairs to my waterproof map holder have not been successful as the rain has got in but my plan to the finish line is still legible as thankfully I wrote it in pencil.
I had a good look but I can't seems to see any other splits that I haven't taped over already.
In addition my main power pack appears to have given up as well which is a shame as it has been in constant use for the whole of the trip.
It discharged yesterday afternoon which I thought might be due to the cold weather but I had it plugged in overnight and it has not held any charge this morning.
I was struggling with power in the early stages of the ride when I was camping in the cold so had bought an additional pack when I got to Budapest. This had been largely unused it was not fully charged but I plugged it into the phone.
The next morning I was ready to go at 7.30 when the sun came up but there was low cloud and light rain in the air.
I still had my thin Sky top on as I expected to be in the warmer lowlands later today so I dug out my waterproof jacket which was last see action in East India and got on the road.
The night porter was watching me depart so after getting him to take this picture, rather than leaving him hanging around I said my goodbyes then I rode round the corner to pump up the rear tyre and sort out the GPS.
The jacket didn't last for long though as after a short downhill to the bottom of the town I was climbing again up the last 10 miles to get to the resort town which was my target for yesterday and then turn off to the plantation.
The cloud was still low but I could feel my arms getting wet inside the jacket sleeves so that was packed away and I continued to make my way up.
As I progressed it was evident that strawberry were no the only crop grown in the area as I passed Lavender Garden and Watercress Valley. Not forgetting of course my visit this morning tea.
I didn't mention it before, but my gears were still playing up despite the new chain and I found there was no more length on the adjuster so it looks like the cable has stretched. To take up the slack I would need to unload the bike and turn it over but being pressed for time today I decided to soldier on with what gear I had as there didn't seem to be that much climbing today.
Time passed but I rounded a corner and could see the resort in the distance which reminded me very much of the ski resort towns and villages in the Alps which loomed up in the mountains.
Closer up it reminded me how commercial and tacky they can be as well.
There was a much better view down the valley from where I had come.
I made the turn at 9 am so I had made the right decision to stop last night as it would have been about 7:30 pm and pitch black if I would have carried on up the hill.
There was a short uphill to get over the ridge where I was passed by a minibus and a few cars. Then I left them all standing as they struggled with speed ramps, tight bends and oncoming traffic which were no trouble to me and I soon arrived at the plantation.
The visitors centre was perched up the valley looking down on the workers village below with example of the machinery used in the cultivation and processing and an information video. I also paid a visit to the factory but was not allowed to photograph inside.
After that is was time to sample a pot with a big slice of apple pie in the cantilevered cafe overlooking the plantation.
Right time to get moving. I had two options one to have a shorter route to a hotel 45 miles away but it would then be main roads for the next two days to Kuala Lumpur. Or a 60 miles more central route to where there were a couple of homestays and take the back roads to the capital.
I was supposed to be downhill all the way so I opted for the longer quieter road as I climbed out of the plantation. I made my way up to the main road and was soon back in market garden land.
I was making good speed down the roads and passed a couple of cars on route I did have a bit of a fall out with a Hilux which tried to overtake outside on a bend. It drew level as I approached so I pushed him out so I would not be forced into the apex at 30 mph and boy were there some squealing tyres as he went the long way round!
It looks like the Land Rover was the main workhorse up here but their numbers are diminishing to be replaced by Asian pickups but I guess not making them anymore helps their demise as well. I can't help feeling this is a bad decision by Land Rover not to male commercial vehicles which ultimately might be the undoing of the company.
I lost my 1.5 litre bottle of spring-water on one turn which I saw spin off into the undergrowth and though bad mark for littering but I'm not going to go back and find in. There were also many cafes and restaurants every 100 metres so I was not short of fluids!
At one point I took a shortcut through a golf course and thought the Victorians who colonised this area must have thought it was heaven on earth.
I decided to break at every 20 miles but there was nothing around after the first 20. I felt good so I decided to press on another 5-6 went by and there was still nothing. At 30 miles gone I reached a drowned wood as the river had been dammed for an hydroelectric project.
When I reached the dam I searched the route ahead but there was no shops or cafes shown for another 15 miles but there looked like there was a lot more downhill to go so I pressed on thinking there must be something!
There was not, I passed a few plantation villages but these were gated and set back from the road with no sign of any obvious shops so I continued on.
Eventually, I left the Highlands and the road stopped falling but became a succession of climbs and drops which as the temperature was now rising were hard work especially with my faulty gears. I was starting to go through my water fast and thinking what I could do with now it that extra bottle of water I dropped before!
I was rationing my water and had gone through my emergency litre and started looking at the puddles in the drains and thinking I don't fancy that when salvation was in sight. I saw a spring ahead that someone had fitted a pipe to and so I got out my water filter and replenished my supplies.
The bladder had sprung a couple more leaks since I last used it but it was soon topped up.
The cafe I had found was really the only thing on that road which was very surprising and a bit of a reality check to remind me that you need to be better prepared when you go off the beaten track. I was able to pull in there and finally get a square meal and some drinks.
Another 15 miles of up and down brought me to the town where the homesays were but I was now back in palm tree country and I started thinking it was 5.30 pm so an ideal time to find somewhere to camp.
There was a small supermarket in the town so I stocked up on supplies for tonight and the morning and having covered nearly 80 miles though I deserved a special treat!
I made my way back to where I had found the palms and it was now 6 pm so I pushed in and up as this plantation was on a terraced hill to find a nice spot and set up camp for the night.
I was very hot and humid in the evening which I hoped would get better but a massive thunderstorm put pay to that. The rain was constant and I could see the flash of lightning but not hear any thunder until later in the night. All to soon the 5.30 am call to prayer was sounding and it was the start of a new day.
I had some raisin bread for breakfast in the dark and then set about my gears taking the tension out of the wire and then pulling it though a bit at the back. I then realigned the derailleur and hopefully that should do the trick.
I was put straight on the rugby that it was effectively this evening and Kuala Lumpur was 100 miles away. That was not going to happen and so my focus on getting there a day early was gone. I therefore decided to break the distance in two and get a decent break and a good night's sleep so a hotel in the halfway town of Bentong 50 miles away was my target for the day.
Riding off the gears seemed to be working much better and further on I saw a farmer cutting the fruit from the trees and stacking these at the side of the road which will go off to produce palm oil.
At the first stop I grabbed a bit hot cup of coffee with a good measure of sugar lurking in the bottom!
Thirty miles in I got to the town of Raub which had a nice green in the middle. I was looking for a place to stop but the traffic was heavy and before I know it like a cork out of a bottle I popped put of the other side without seeking anywhere I liked the look of.
Fortunately, as I got to the outskirts of the town I spotted a small supermarket so I was able to stop and have a break and some food.
There was no Walls freezer so I tried the Nestle alternative but it was a poor substitute, smaller and whilst the chocolate and almond coating was good the ice cream was sub standard!
I was then on a main road for the rest of the route to Bentong but plugging my phone into the power pack but this had gone flat. It was not as I said fully charged when I pulled it out so I plugged the phone into the inverter on the bike which runs off the front dynamo hub but that wasn't working either!
It looks like everything is starting to have issues at this late stage of the ride. The navigation was pretty simple just straight down this road for 20 miles so I switched my phone off so I had some power when I needed it and continued.
I was obviously moving through an area where they grow a fruit called Nangka Mandu I wasn't hungry but they gave me a sample which was nice so I bought a pack of the fruit to eat later.
It was a grind to cover the last miles to Bentong but I arrived at 2 pm with an impressive mosque as I entered the town.
The hills in the distance also look like I have some more climbing to do tomorrow.
Breakfast at the hotel the next morning was a bit limited to just toast, peanut butter and jam but as this is my favourite I dived in!
Ok time for the last leg of this phase to get to Kuala Lumpur and a few days rest. I had planned a route going to the north of the city to visit the Batu Caves on the way in it was about 50 miles overall so should have time to explore there and still get finished in time for a late Sunday lunch.
I saw a nice Chinese temple on the way out of the town. This reminded me what the guide at the Blue Mansion said, that you find dragons outside temples and houses to protect them but you never see them inside as they are bloody massive and would wreck the place!
As I left Bentong I could see my route through the hills ahead I was passing the Genting Highlands on the way and could see the high rise hotels in the far distance. This looked impressive but I never got a decent picture of them so you will have to take my word for it.
I did however find this video which shows the place and was the first resort developed by The Genting Group who must have struck gold catering for the wealth colonial types who would have been desperate to the highlands and escape the heat!
The road took me up though a pass a which would drop me down into Kuala Lumpur and I was using the old road as a motorway had been build which took the majority of the traffic.
It would have been a lovely ride had it not been for all the traffic noise. At one point I was looking around for an airplane but realise it was a low flying motorbike on the motorway which was above the trees!
At the halfway point I stopped at a supermarket for supplies, quality ones this time none of the Nestle rubbish and pressed on.
The road was suicidally steep at this point but there were lots of Sunday cyclist out in the cafes who gave me the thumbs up, clapped and shouted as I struggled past them.
I finally made it to the top and could see the motorway descending on the other side and on to Kuala Lumpur.
I also saw this group of cyclist on the road below and we met up at the next junction but there was no way they could keep up with me on the descent as all my extra weight now counted in my favour.
I had to dodge a few monkey on the way down though especially as this idiot was throwing white bread at them from his car!
It wasn't long before I hit the outskirts of the city and worked my way round to the Batu Caves.
As you can see this is a Hindu temple site so it was shoes off to go and explore the one at ground level first.
More dragons outside you see I wonder if that is something they picked up from the Chinese?
After that I had a refreshing coconut in preparation for my climb up the multi-coloured steps to the caves above.
When I got to the top you could see the city stretching out into the distance and once inside there was another temple and other small altars and statues which were dotted around the cave.
Beyond the cave was another staircase leading to an open area with some more small temples in but lots of moneys waiting for donations.
From here it was a short seven mile run into the city centre and being Sunday afternoon the traffic was thankfully light so I was soon approaching downtown with the twin towers in sight.
I found an irish bar close to my hotel so I headed straight there to top up with fluids and roast beef!
The hotel was great I'm finding these, how can I say, large and quite tired four star hotels are good for big cities as they have lots of amenities at reasonable prices. This one worked out at £50 a night B&B. You wouldn't get a Travelodge in Manchester for that price.
I had a big room with a bath and lots of loo roll which seems to be causing riots in other countries plus a hotline to call if I ran out. There was a pool and an enormous buffet breakfast which did away with the need for lunch. It also had a business centre which was great as I had timed my trip for my quarterly catch up with my client back in the UK and used these facilities when I needed to do some lease reading.
That evening I headed back to the Irish pub to watch the Scotland v France match I arrived early to have some food and make sure I got a good spot. It was perfect timing as they were showing the England v Wales match which was a few minutes in. Unfortunately they turned the channel over to the football at half time so I sulked until the Scotland match came on.
I started chatting to Malaysian woman who was supporting England (or should I say Scotland) like me but was there with her French friend. I reminded him of when I was a boy and went to Murrayfield to win a nailed on Grand Slam with some people who had already bought commemorative jersey and came back empty handed.
After a late night I stayed at the hotel the next day and got up to date with things and relaxed but the day after I ventured down town.
I was here 17 years ago on a short stop over after a trip to Vietnam and the twin towers look a impressive now as they did then and just goes to show that quality design is timeless. I'll have to dig out my photos from 2003 and when I get home and see how things have changed.
It was starting to get hot so I thought maybe a trip to the bridge might be a good indoor activity but when I got there fortunately the price was displayed before the pre-queue for virus screening, £16 I'll give it a miss. I had a walk round the park at the base of the towers but as I was sweating like George Best in Oddbins I retreated to the hotel pool.
On my final day realising that KL was too big to try and see on foot and to hot and busy to try and cycle I bought a ticket for the Hop on Hop off bus and used that to get round the places I wanted to see.
I went to the National Museum and learned how the Malaysian king was based in Melaka further down the road where I am heading next. He agreed to let The British East India Company used Penang as a base and establish Georgetown, on the understanding that they would come to his aid if he needed it. They duly got themselves established there and then the scoundrels broke their agreement and attacked Melaka to take control of the rest of the country. How rude!
I visited the botanica gardens which are one of the welcome green spaces in the city but was very impressed with the size of the place and the continuing development. There was not much of the old city left and In some ways it reminded me of central london with just a few old churches remaining to give a nod to the past.
Time to leave Kuala Lumpur today and after hitting the breakfast I got my bike out and loaded it up. The back tyre was as flat as a pancake after the slow puncture had five days to leak so I pumped it up but not enough as I was fielding many questions from a group of hotel staff who had gathered. I put enough air in to get me going and though I’ll stop again when I get some peace.
I entered in my target for the day which was out to the coast at Port Dickson and waved my goodbyes to the assembled crowd. I got to the road junction and realised I was going the wrong way so had to do and U turn. I hoped the sending off committee had retired back inside which thankfully they had.
I was on a dedicated cycle lane which was half the pavement so kept going up and down the kerbs which was a pain. So was a car parked half across it so to give other cyclist more room I folded in the driver’s mirror as I went past much to his surprise!
I was then directed onto a river bank path which was not as scenic as it sounds more of an open drain with homeless people going through their morning routines here and there.
This route got more tricky as sections had been dug up and then abriply it turned into a hole with people digging in it. Nice diversion signs you set up there I thought as I did an about turn and struggled back onto the highway.
I was glad I had delayed my departure until Saturday morning as there were a few more U turns and light salmoning which were needed to try and navigate my way. I thought I had found the cycle route again but came to a fence and another man with a shovel but the next time it looked more promising as I made good progress under the railway only for this to also come to a grinding halt.
Eventually I gave up and got onto the main highway route for a couple of miles until I saw a more viable cycle track which had scooters zooming back and forth along it so thought it must lead somewhere.
At this point I was checking my directions and noticed that I was being routed in a more north west direction rather than south where I wanted to go. I remembered then that the bike option, as I’ve said before on MapsMe, had come up with a ridiculous circular route adding 15 miles to the journey and I had put in a waypoint to the south to force it to be more realistic. I had forgotten to do the same this morning and had now travelled 8 miles in the wrong direction!
I looked at the options but I was too far committed so all I could do was get my head down and grind on.
After 15 miles I had been on the road now for 2 hours and stopped at a garage for a break looking at the map I was about level on the same latitude with the hotel so had made no progress whatsoever towards the finish.
I continued on through a more built up areas and then into Area 21 which sounded like something from the X Files but was an industrial estate.
It was here that I unfortunately experienced some road rage. As I was cycling along a filter lane was opening inside of me for drivers to turn left. There was a blast of a horn and a driver behind was in the lane but it was not yet wide enough for him to undertake me. I thought well that’s not my problem I'm not going to swerve out into the traffic and carried on.
Then in another 200m when the lane was wide enough he drew level, slowed to my pace, so obviously not in a rush now, and gave me some verbals and the one fingered salute. I paid him back with two and the accompanying saying and he started to slow down. I thought hello is this going to lead to handbags? He did however make the turn off but I was checking my mirror for the next mile just in case!
On reflection the last case of road rage I encountered was back in Azerbaijan so not bad going really.
The day dragged on with me now free of the city I was making better progress on minor roads so was able to up the pace. I spoke too soon the city grabbed me again, with 45 miles covered I hit the airport so psychologically felt like I was still in it. Next I passed the F1 Circuit and was then directed onto a rough track into the palms.
I’m not sure about this I thought and checked the alternatives but there were none as I was now outside the cargo terminal at the end of the runway and beyond here the road petered out.
I ventured in and it was not long until things went wrong as I was supposed to be on the other side of a flooded ditch but there was no way across.
I carried on looking for a bridge but ended up in thick mud and had to backtrack.
There were scooters coming from another direction so again I thought well that must go somewhere so follow it. It did and after a couple of pushes up steep slopes I emerged onto a plantation road and back into civilisation.
It was getting late and looked at the options but there were no other places to stay around here so I had to make Port Dickson today. I did however manage to shave a few miles off by just sticking to the main roads. The road started getting more hilly now and 10 miles out I started getting cramps. These got progressively worse I rode on gingerly but with less than a mile to go I had to stop as both my groins had gone but this subsided I finally made it.
Port Dickson was not the quaint colonial town I thought it would be which was a disappointment and didn’t even have a port just a beach with a breakwater.
It also took me five attempts to find a hotel so it was late in the day when I finally got finished. What a day!
I had a couple of cramp attacks in the night and revised my plans for today to give me an easier ride to Malaka where I was planning to have a day off so more recovery time. The bike route I was planning to take was 65 miles, the car one 46 but if I kept to the coastal road it would be 50 which I decided was a good compromise.
I had a 7 Eleven breakfast consisting of corn flakes, banana milk and porridge and was on my way but keeping my eyes peeled for more bananas to keep the cramps at bay.
Peeled, bananas.... oh forget it!
Port Dickson comprised the whole bay and I spent the first eight miles of the morning passing many hotels, resorts and condominiums plus there was an area of beach where it looked like there was free camping. There were also gazebos which people were now gathering under for their breakfast. I should have ridden on last night and got my tent out!
I found a banana stall in time for my first stop so stocked up with a big bunch that should last me for the day.
These became my mid morning snack with a new favoured lolly which was refreshing but being yogurt I don’t think qualifies for what is now the Magnum top 20.
I was making good progress and looking forward to a lunchtime finish and my day off when I came to a big double arch in the road.
No not a McDonalds but what I thought was a military checkpoint. I reached for my passport as the officer waved me down. He asked where I was going Malaka I said but he replied not through here you're not this is a military base.
MapsMe was showing a route straight on but they were having none of it so I had to back rack and add a five mile detour round. So much for an easy day.
I eventually made it into Malaka about 2 pm and to a bar I thought might be nice but that was closed. I tried a cafe but that wasn’t serving food “is that alright ? “ asked the woman I didn’t answer but just put my helmet on and rode off. I thought I’ll head for the hotel and see if there was something along the way there wasn’t.
There was however another pair of arches opposite yes a McDonalds this time. I got checked in but then the heavy rain started so I got washed and changed then as there was no let up I sprinted across the road for a tactical Big Mac.
I got a message here from my friend Danny who now lives and works in Singapore that I might want to think about getting there as soon as I can. As there is some discussion about imposing travel restrictions due to the continuing spread of Covid19. Whilst I had planned to take a three day coastal route and a couple of days off to time my arrival for next weekend, I worked out if I left tomorrow I could be there in two.
So losing my day off in Melaka I managed to do a quick walk round before in went dark. To be honest there was not a lot to see I think the British when they attacked must have done a good job because there was not much left just a small corner of the fort. The city seemed to have been rebuilt around a Disney theme emphasised by these bizarre cycle sidecar things that ran trips around the centre.
The revised direct route to Johor Bahru was 140 miles and despite my decision that 60 was enough in this heat I thought I would push myself to cover 80 miles today to put me in a better position to finish tomorrow. So after a quick breakfast at the hotel, I got on the road and then after the first 30 miles got a message from Danny that they had announced that Singapore were closing their borders at midnight and after this anyone entering will have to go into isolation for 14 days.
It was 16th March and there were eight friends who were supposed to be traveling out to meet in Singapore on the 21st then head to Bali for a few days. For those who had not left the UK this put pay to their trip there were two couples who were already in the region. Col and Jill were in Phuket, Stu and Lisa in Kuala Lumpur. Over the next few hours there were messages passing back and forth as to whether is was practical to get to Singapore tonight.
I pulled out about £300 from an ATM so I was in funds and was contemplating seeing if I could get a lift to Johor Bahru whilst others were looking at flight options. However as I rode on I thought that despite getting a few lifts along the way it did not seem right to arrive at the finish by any other means than on a bike. Also the others who were looking into matters whilst I cycled confirmed that with onward travel being restricted having got into Singapore there would be nowhere to go beyond so would be stuck there fore the next two weeks until the flight home I had booked.
I spoke with Col on the phone and we both decided it was not worth making the dash so stayed with my 80 mile target for today. I ploughed on but stopping along the way to share the disappointment with the others that out planned big finish had bitten the dust.
An emotional day was not complete without arriving at the hotel I was aiming for to find it had closed down.
I had passed one a few miles back but had a look around the town with no joy but as I was leaving saw a bright looking building up the road which I thought might be a hotel. I was right I managed to get a room and then as attempted a ridiculous smoothey, had a long talk with Danny considering my options further.
I had rented out my house until the 6th April which had been extended until the 12th so was in no hurry to get home so was looking at the possibility of self isolating at Danny's house. Terry who I supposed to be staying with was stuck in Jakarta but had also offered his house which was nice of him.
I also look at the other options which were to slowly make my way back up to Kuala Lumpur but I had also found there were daily flight from the airport at Johor Bahru were I was heading. My friend Bill had offered me the use of an empty house in the UK he had so I also had a go home option as well.
In the morning I resolved that given the direction of travel was that more restrictions were on their way and I decided it was best to cut my losses ride down to the causeway and then get back to UK as soon as I could.
My final day wouldn't be complete without a puncture would it? I got some air in it which got me down the road to a garage where I got some breakfast then set to work.
It was head down and a sprint finish after that as I wanted to try and get to the finish by lunchtime and then make preparations to leave, but not to head down not to see the monkeys up there in the wires.
There was also time to stop for final Magnum stop and a special treat as the last one!
I fought my way through the city sticking to the main road as much as possible but when it had expended to five lande with double filters in and out I decided it was time to throw in the towel and hit the longer backstreets route which brought me to the viewing point show on my map.
This was a timber balcony on the opera house which I approached on the bike. A security guard signalled for me to stop so I dismounted but he continued to protest.
As I got to him I explained that I had cycled from England to get here and could I take a photo? He said no.
Well I said I'm just going to do it then I said and made my way over to take this shot whilst he got on the radio to call for backup.
I had a celebratory beer which was a bit more low key than what was planned then found a hotel nearby for the next couple of nights.
Before I coud book anything I needed to make sure I could pack up my bike so went out on the scavenge for what I needed which thankfully (hopefully) I found.
I'll start the packing process first thing in the morning and who knows might be on a flight in the evening. The price for a flight tonight was twice as much as tomorrow, so tomorrow it was going to be.
The next day I was going to have to pay excess baggage for my bike so I had to ditch anything that was not needed or worth paying through the nose to get home.
Things were starting to shut down all around me, my hotel had put up notices that would not extending any booking as it was closing down.
The dining room was closed and I was given a packed breakfast to take to my room. Likewise, all the shops, cafes and restaurants around were shut for the next two weeks.
Those food shops that were exempt and remained open were already starting to run out of essential supplies which did not look good so I was glad I had made the decision to leave tonight.
I ate my way through the emergency food I had carried with me so that didn't go to waste plus the fruit boost that had lasted the entire way!
I then arranged for the hotel minibus to take me to the airport and was away.
THE END
to be continued.....