We found the terminal. Many companies refused to let us bring a bike onboard but I managed to get a ticket for Bro back to Larkin from KKKL Ekspres. I re-stocked my supplies at the Melaka Bazaar before having breakfast at McDonald’s.
There we parted, with Bro spending some time in Melaka until his bus at 5.30pm while I hit the road down south. It was 9am when I left on my solo journey.
Muar was 45km away. Before noon, I had already passed the town and was on my way to Batu Pahat. Traffic was rather light and it was a lonely journey pass a whole stretch of plantations. I encountered two Malaysian roadies heading in the opposite direction but I was more than glad for the brief moment when we exchanged waves. The sun was high up in the sky and while one may think a breeze may help, I hated it whenever the route turned north-eastern as it brought me head on with the winds coming from the N-E direction. My speed would slow drastically and more effort was needed to keep the bike going.
Some 20km away from Batu Pahat, my strength was fading so much that I had to stop at a village in the Semerah area for lunch. My presence drew a lot of attention, especially from the kids who crowded around and asked quite a few questions. They were also rather intrigued by my bike but I had to politely decline their requests to ride it and be on my way to Batu Pahat.
Close to town, I encountered a trio of cyclists heading in the opposite direction. There was a teenager followed closely by two adults and they were delighted to see me, as much as I was to bump into fellow cyclists on this lonely route. From the look of their helmets, shades, fanciful rucksacks and beautiful Giant hard-tails, I think they are Singaporeans. The encounter gave me renewed determination to carry on.
I reached the town at half past two. There, my worse nightmare came true when I headed on Jalan Kluang towards Ayer Hitam. The entire stretch was more than 30km long and in the eastern / north-eastern direction. The headwinds were terribly strong and it did not help when the weather poured. I had to stop a few times, slowing my progress.
I felt a sense of optimism when I turned into Route 1, heading on a south-eastern direction towards Johor Bahru. I stopped to have a coconut, much to the amusement of the elderly man and his granddaughters who were manning the roadside stall. They were very friendly to offer me a seat in the shade.
By 5pm, I was on my way, with about 90km to cover. The route from Ayer Hitam to Kulai brought me through the villages of Simpang Renggam and a whole stretch of Sime Darby and Tradewinds pineapple plantations.
The road became windy, narrow and steep, all which worried me because dusk was fast approaching. As I hit the crest of yet another climb, I met a solo cyclist with a gigantic backpack. I waved and silently wished him good luck in reaching his intended destination before dusk.
About 25km from Kulai, I encountered a ferocious black dog. As I sped past, he gave chase. I really did not feel like stopping and instead increased my speed. The dog sprinted faster and with every second, he was catching up. I utilized all my strength and muscles in accelerating away but out of the corner of my sight, I saw a second black dog ahead and closing in on me. I would never make it. As the second dog attempted to cross the road, a huge truck bore down on it; blaring its horn. That saved me as the dog was taken by surprise and scrambled for safety.
I continued on a fast paced ride, hoping to hit Kulai before darkness closed in. The thought of riding through the forested area was not very appealing and I knew that once I hit Kulai, I would be safe in an urban area all the way down south.
Hence, I did not dare to stop but by 7.45pm, dusk had completely fallen and I relied on my front lamp to illuminate the dark road ahead. I felt desperate. My strength was almost gone and I could barely concentrate. I just could not keep on pedaling and had to let the bike coast on the down-slopes.
I felt like giving up. The fear of fainting and just lying down on the road flashed through my mind. Just as I thought I was a goner, I spotted the lights from a row of shop-houses. I had reached Kulai! And best of all, there was a row of seafood restaurants. I never felt that relieved as I wheeled my bike towards a Chinese food outlet.
The staff and customers were surprised to see me. After I ordered seafood soup with rice, a fury of questions came my way. Where are you from? Are you a student? Are you alone? When did you cycle from? Where are you heading? Aren’t you afraid? I could barely answer all their queries as I gulped down the food. They were even kind enough to look after my belongings when I used the washroom and offered to refill my water supply.
Recharged and encouraged by their positive comments, I started the last 30km to J.B. at 8.45pm. It felt great to speed past Senai on the Lebuhraya Senai and subsequently Jalan Skudai. The relatively brighter and wider roads provided a welcome relief and the heavy traffic flow resulted in some form of draft.
The last few kilometers was the most excruciating. Pusat Bandaraya was suddenly my favorite place when I reached the KFC where Bro was waiting. We had a meal before heading to City Square. We had intended to catch a midnight movie, an opportunity for me to rest my weary body, but we were not in luck. Hobson’s choice, we started our journey home.
Cycling on our home soil felt so different. I felt like speeding home but did not have the strength to do it. We still made it home on the stroke of midnight. And for once, my thirst for adventure and cycling seems to have been satisfied =)
Total distance: 252km
Money spent: RM300~ (total 4D3N)
Participants: LSH
2 comments:
Woah!
On knobbies!
You da man!
Good job!
:-D
I am honored =) Your own adventures are pretty cool and your blog has become a "must-refer" site!
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