Cycling Up West Malaysia

Argiope aurantia

2010-05-04T15:37:00.001+08:00

Yellow garden spider spotted in my front yard.

Day 4 | Oops!

2009-11-26T11:53:00.003+08:00

I'm soooo sorry I never updated earlier... I thought no one comes to the blog anymore.

I'm going to clear up some things since I wasn't really clear with my posting.

Even though I posted on that day itself, I actually did the riding a few days back already.

I cycled on the 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th. That's like last Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

I did

PJ - Sekinchan on the first,
Sekinchan - Teluk Intan - Sitiawan on the second,
Sitiawan - Butterworth on the third.
Butterworth - Taiping on the fourth.
Taiping - Ipoh by car on the fifth and back home the same night.
On the sixth day I'm home!

Day 4!
Now I'm going to post on how I made it home.

Last Friday, I woke up in Butterworth and planned to cycle to Taiping and call it a day.

On the way out of Butterworth, I changed my mind and wanted to go all the way down to Ipoh on the North South Highway/Expressway. I thought if I did 190km last night, why can't I do 150km today?

So I cycled for about 6 hours on it and the Highway Patrol kicked me off it. As fate had it, the next exit goes into Taiping. I exited into Taiping and told myself I can still do the trunk road down to Ipoh and get there around midnight. So I called Alice to tell her I'm still getting into Ipoh. So I cycled for another half an hour down the trunk. The floor got wetter as I pass Taiping and go deeper down the road.

And so... I stopped by a petrol station to pack my stuff into a plastic bag, not wanting them to get wet. I checked my phone and saw a missed call from my mom. So I called her. She said she's in Taiping! What are the chances! But I sorta knew 'cause she told me during the day that she's gonna be in Taiping for the night. This changed my mind and since it's all rainy in front, I took a U-turn and ended up in Taiping.

I DISMANTLED MY BIKE AND THREW IT INTO MY MOM'S CAR BOOT!

HAHAHAHAH I TOOK A CAR RIDE BACK HOMEEEEEEE THE NEXT DAY (Stayed a night in Taiping).

The end.

Reason being my ass was blistered and doing more days means more money goes to accommodation.

YAY FOR EXCUSES!

Ya, the end.

Day 3 | The King's Road, Sitiawan - Butterworth

2009-11-23T20:13:00.003+08:00

Distance: approx. 180-190km.
Time started: 8.45am.
Time taken: est. 11 hours ride, 1 hour of cumulative stops and breaks.
Mood: All pumped up!
Body condition: Sore ass, sore neck, sore shoulders, sore feet. Still. And worse.
Weather: Fair.

I woke up at 6.45am, packed my bag and checked out from SK Hotel. Gave Peter a call and met him in a curry house nearby. We had our breakfast and talked about my ride up here. Revealed my intention to do Sitiawan - Butterworth in a day. Peter advised at least a few stops in between. I reasoned my need to do it since I wanted to arrive in Ipoh on the way back ASAP. So Peter told me it's not impossible and that he had done it before. We left the place on our bikes and he showed me the back way out of town.

All pumped up, I took on the road with high hopes. I set out with music in my ears, with great clouds ahead to provide shelter. The whole way was pretty flat, with a few hills on the way. I cycled like an idiot who stuck pins and needles into the saddle. I minimized ass contact with the saddle as much as I can to avoid friction. The bicycle trousers I had on did not function its best as I already had bruises and wounds on the face of my buttocks. So I had sore ass anyway for the whole ride.

Pain; nothing more than a mere distraction. Did not dampen my spirit by a thousandth of a fraction. I was motivated and eager, yearning to set this personal record.

So I cycled. I never considered the alternative to enter Taiping, to stay a night or take a rest. I cycled on. Roadside stalls were sufficient.

Many hours had passed and I have cycled along with the rushing minutes. It was a real long way and as Peter told me earlier before I left Sitiawan, "You might think that 40kms is a short distance right now but when you're that far away from your destination, it won't seem that short anymore.". And it's true. 40kms felt like a ride from Singapore to Thailand. A lil' hyperbolic but yeah, you'll get it if you try it. Haha. Worse is when you're really close to your destination -- when I'm only 14kms away from Butterworth, I was going to give up and just end the whole trip there. The King's Road, as Peter had put it, is not an easy one.

And so I've touched down in my final destination. The way back..? Haha, you're not going to believe it. Stay tuned, I guess.

P/s.: Pictures to be uploaded to facebook etc. Will post some here too. Soon. Yes, it's always "soon" with me. Never now, huh? xD

Day 2 | Sekinchan to Sitiawan

2009-11-22T05:07:00.009+08:00

Day 2 stats

Distance: approx. 130km.
Time started: 8.45am.
Time taken: est. 10 hours ride, 2 hours cumulative stops and breaks.
Mood: Okay.
Body condition: Sore ass, sore neck, sore shoulders, sore feet.
Weather: Blazing.

Around 130km in reality 'cause I took a detour into Teluk Intan.

Picture storytelling:

Pure mango juice for RM1.
Thirst quenching and tastes really good.

MOS is expanding up north!!

scroll

...

down

whee.

A few more kilometers to Teluk Intan...

And I'm there!

This shouldn't be placed on the pedestrian path,
I was poked by one back in 2005.
Even now, the thorn's still under my skin.

Teluk Intan JTC Bike Centre.

Bike Centre dudes.

Bought these few items there:
A helmet.

A speed-o-meter.

And a new saddle. (and the red light underneath it.)
And my bicycle trousers. Which has padding for anti-sore-ass-ness.

After "modding" my bike, went next door for late lunch.
Seems like the ketchup's trying to tell me something...
Like... "riio" or something in Jawi which probably means
"EAT ME NOW!".

Optical Illusion Question: Do you see 2 faces or a couple kissing?
Answer: I see a really thirsty man.

Optical Illusion Question #2: al;skdl;aksdla?
Answer: skfasl;kfl;askfl;ak!!!

I've come by many lorry, car, motorbike workshops,
but this is the first boat workshop I came across!
It's getting late, around 7.30pm. Nearing Pangkor exit.

Kah Yan, that must be where you were born?
Sitiawan's some distance more...

And I'm here!!! Actually still a few kms to go.
Towns LOVE to do early welcomes.

Went straight for food, ordered Hokkien Mee, they gave me Yee Mee!
Don't say "Fook Gin Min" when you're nearer to the north side of Malaysia,
they either give you "Ha Min" (Prawn Noodles) or "Yee Min"(Yee Noodles, lol wth is Yee).
I don't know what they call that Hokkien Mee we have here in PJ and about.

Very curious Kadazan kids I met in the cyber cafe "SpaCeNet".
Spammed me with infinite number of questions.
But they really touched me with one question.
"Kor when you're out cycling, who's taking care of your mom?"
I told them I have a younger sister at home and they went:
"Oooh... Good, at least there's someone taking care of her."

SUCH ANGELS!

SpaCeNet Internet Cafe, they're not closed,
they're just not in the mood to pay for some policeman's drink.

After looking around and asking Wern Di over the phone,
found a cozy little hotel called the "S.K. Hotel".
This man here is trying to call me a lamer. He's the innkeeper btw.

My queen sized bed!

Gave Peter a call and arranged to meet him tomorrow at 7am.

What I've learned, thoughts & tips for the day:

The ride's pretty smooth, not hilly etc. Sekinchan to Sitiawan is pretty easy to do.
Though my left pedal did get loose once or twice. That could be easily fixed if you have a number 14 box spanner with you... Or you could simply ride to a nearby workshop. Any workshop should have a number 14.
Food and drinks can be found on the way, no extras need to be brought with you in your baggage.
Talk to people around town, discover cheaper alternatives...
Sitiawan's dogs beg for food at every occupied table. Pretty cute.
Leave stuff behind if you must, old clothes, extra weight etc. You need to ride as light as possible.
Plan your route, map or GPS strongly recommended.
Have determination, motivate yourself. Set your goals to be a nearer town, then the distance will be shorter for your initial destination. (I know this is self-deception, but it boosts morale a little.)
Listen to music, hum or sing if you must. Keep yourself entertained and awake.
In the dark, imagination takes over vision. Focus on the white lines on the road!
Food up north, really cheap! Take away a lot and bring home!

Author's note: Please comment on the way I posted this one. It's more sectioned.

Sg. Kangsar

2009-11-21T15:06:00.001+08:00

Randy's favourite swimming spot.

That's from the open burning.

2009-11-20T18:44:00.001+08:00

Anyway I got kicked off the freeway by a highway patrol. Luckily they didn't summon me. Phew. Yeah so now I went from 70km away from ipoh to more than I can imagine. How to get to ipoh like this? I have to detour into taiping.

Perak again.

2009-11-20T16:03:00.001+08:00

Hmm... Effect of the northern flood? Referring to the left side of the picture.

Huh?

2009-11-20T15:18:00.000+08:00

Penang go Ipoh got pass by Kedah meh? Gg.

I can't believe I'm doing this...

2009-11-20T13:00:00.001+08:00

Taking the NSH/NSE down to Ipoh, that is. Will update day 2 and 3 at once whenever I can. I'll try.

Day 1, Part 2 [REVAMPED] | Pain x99

2009-11-18T23:31:00.005+08:00

Ignore the previous post... I typed it with super sleepiness overwhelming me. It's like I was half-drunk. Not sure what was typing.

Anyway this time... I'll do it with the help of pictures!!!

Yeah so... Before William helped me with the search of a bike shop, we went for lunch at a shop nearby, had pork ball noodles. Then we found a street filled with motorbike and bicycle shops. We took around half an hour searching... We search horizontal and vertical for a bicycle shop. Asking is always the best method. Asked a small boy and he told me to go to "that shop over there" which turned out to be a motorbike shop that helps local cyclists with flat tire mishaps, but not other bicycle stuff.

My hero. <3 ghey

You can get this in Seksyen 17 also... Similar but better.

So after that William dropped me off at my bike and I took it to the shop for repairs. The shop owner very friendly la... Give discounts etc. But I think I got conned... Today at a shop in Teluk Intan I found out they sell the same thing for half the price. Lol. Anyway... I got road tires (touring tires, I think... According to Derrick the sifu! Haha.) plus one spare tube in case of anything... Also recommended by Derrick. The shop owner's surprised at the fact that I'm cycling to Teluk Intan, I haven't even told them my final destination! So I shut up and decided not to say anything further. Haha.

Specialists at work.

The owner of Daiichi Bicycle Shop or something like that.

The "facelift" my bike got. Can't see much right...
Well basically the seat metal thing was replaced, and look at the tires!
Different type.

And then I was on my way! After a while I got my first leg cramps... Didn't rub deep heat cream beforehand, big mistake. And forgot to apply sunblock too! Did those and continued riding... The next big town will be Kuala Selangor... On the way I spotted roadkill victims... Many of them... Here's a pic of the one and only one of the roadkill victims, an alien I think... Nola... A Komodo Dragon? Pity them so much... I can't bear the sight, the thought and something less hypocritical -- the smell! So I never took anymore pictures of any corpse after that...

Having my first leg cramp, chilling by a highway.

Hi Kuala Selangor!

Eww.. Gross. Scroll faster if you wish to skip this picture.

And then cycle cycle cycle... Feeling thirsty, didn't bring any water. What to do? Tip #1, "Don't bring water, Malaysian roadsides are filled with drink/food stalls!" Plus they only cost RM1 per cup, So I stopped for a drink at a stall, and got a drink. Talked to the vendors, it's so fun to surprise people with my goal. :p

What happened to the OLD beggar?
Haha. Funny pun. Ha. Ha. Sorry, lame much.

Junior taking it's sweet well-deserved rest.

Sungguh informatif! Malaysia boleh!

Jason "TheRealJason" Tan Chia Ming, here's one for you.

Anyway... Fast forward. Before reaching Sekinchan, stopped at another stall. Had Air Kelapa and free donuts! Because of my bike story. Hahaha. It's pretty awesome I guess :p?

Another fast forward, I think my words are starting to bore my dear readers. >> Reached Sekinchan! Then checked-in at Harbour View Hotel 'cause the skies were turning real grey and dark and all. They only have the twin deluxe rooms left, bloody RM78 and no other hotels around. Lol the room can fit 5 people la... It was 7pm I think. Tak dapat sampai Teluk Intan kot... Took a nice shower and then had Bak Kut Teh dinner at some random badly-lit Chinese restaurant. Not too bad, meal with drink RM10. Rynn said that's a good price? Don't know, first time having Bak Kut Teh alone plus noticing the price.

Super Twin Deluxe Most-Expensive-You-Can-Get-Around-Here room enough for 5, and I was the only staying the night. Pretty nice la, got TV, fan, air-cond, power sockets, pretty lights, heated shower, towels, toothbrush, shampoo, etc. etc.

The Bak Kut Teh rice I had for dinner. That's the Chrysanthemum Tea on the top right corner of the picture. And those stuff in that orange plastic bag? Yaw Char Kueh! Google it. XD Aiya all Malaysians should know la...

After that went to a Mega Station Internet Cafe. Haha, awesome name, no? Catch up a bit with friends and posted a brief one then straight away run to my bed sleep. Too damn sleepy. And my ass ached like shit, due to the crappy saddle. (Which I changed today. Will update about it tomorrow..) Sun burnt a lil'... Muscle sores were treated with deep heat rubs... Back ache, neck ache etc, heavy bag and bad posture!

I guess that's about it for Day 1. Stay tuned for Day 2... Will be updating when in Penang. No time now. Ciao!

P/s. : Damn Facebook photo upload thingy, reach 99% tell me failed and then not even 1 uploaded. Grr..

P/s/s. : Sceneries etc. will be uploaded on facebook photos when I have the time and when it actually works. Will all be captioned!

Day 1, Part 2 | Pain, more pain and even more pain.

2009-11-17T20:36:00.002+08:00

cont'd from Part 1,

Yeah so after I left the cc William fetched me to a Chinese restaurant for pork ball noodles. After brunch we looked around the whole of BRP just to find zero bicycle shops. Finally got info from a little boy that a motorbike shop repairs bicycles. When asked, the man at the shop said they only replace tubes. Found out from him that there are a lot of bicycle shops at one area.

My bike got a face-lift. The guys at the bike shop were really friendly and helpful. They even suggested that I get a full cyclist suit plus helmet as those gain respect from other people. I "WHAT"-ed in my head. Anyway they "selamat jalan"-ed and I left.

After that I cycle until my ass was aching, resulting from the hard-ass spongeless seat. The heavy load on my back hurt my neck and shoulders. The awkward cycling pose also caused minor back aches. It's all about the pain.

Cycled quite a while, felt damn thirsty, went to get some coconut drink from a streetside stall. Talked for a while there, before going on with the route. They "selamat jalan"-ed me too! A somewhat related thing happened soon after this.

Wah beh tahan... My eyes keep closing... Can I procrastinate... Please? Thanks. You said yes.

Day 1, Part 1 | Familiar roads.

2009-11-17T09:10:00.006+08:00

click on image to enlarge.
Oh noes... Only 19 out of 182kms done...

I didn't sleep for the night... And I left house around 6am...

I dunno what I'm trying to portray.

6.27am mark, Riana Green.

SEGi College KD.

I've been here many times, sitting in a car.

The true terrors of a road trip on two wheels and no doors.

This reminds me of late night dim sum...

deja vu.

Great, that rusted part is starting to bend.
Damn I'm too heavy for my bike.

Loitered and had a drink in some restaurant @ Kg. Baru Sg. Buloh while waiting for a bike shop to open.

Can't wait anymore,

I asked around and rode around too look for a shop, couldn't find any and decided to continue my ride, since the bend is only a minor one, so I thought.

Nearing Bukit Rahman Putra, that metal bent even more than before, now almost impossible to continue without getting it fixed. Have to stand and cycle the whole way.

And here's where I decided to call William Ch'ng, a fellow local -- a true blue BRPian. He told me there's a shop nearby but they won't be opening until later (at that point it was around 8.50am.) so I decided to hang around even longer. I know there's a internet cafe nearby which explains how I'm posting this...

I'M STILL IN KL AREA! HOW CAN THIS BEEEEE!?

A bad start, I gotta say. Anyway, great weather... So, meh...

Stay tuned for Part 2... If I still have the energy by then, that is...

Ahaha...
Peace.
:)

Sleepless, no pads, no helmets, just balls of fury.

2009-11-17T03:44:00.003+08:00

Check this out... Lol.

I'm setting out in less than 3 hours!

Not packed and unready, still here blogging about how unready I am.

Well, hope all goes well!

Will update again... When I get the chance to.

WITH PICTURES! :)

Cya.

Kitchen.

2009-11-17T02:09:00.001+08:00

third test post from phone.

Okay, this is working.

Cycle starts 3 hours from now.

Why

2009-11-17T00:47:00.001+08:00

isn't this working.

second test post. My younger sis drinking sink water.

Hahahahaha. Jk.

Selangor - Penang and back!

2009-11-16T00:47:00.000+08:00

Checklist

a bike.
backpack
water bottle
phone
emergency sugar crackers
map
clothes
wallet
toothbrush
hat
motivation
socks
shoes
slippers
towel
shampoo
soap
pen knife
plastic bags!
...rain coat?
tooth paste...
deep heat cream?

And I'm set to go. What am I missing? Let me know before I go!

To be updated daily.

Alan @ orchestra prac.

2009-11-15T16:29:00.001+08:00

test post from phone.