Kukup and the Perfect Storm

I must admit, it was tough getting out of bed and somehow, we only set off close to 5am. Nonetheless, the jam at the checkpoint did not affect motorbikes (and bicycles =P) so we were soon in Johor (around 5.30am).

It rained when we crossed the causeway but it stopped soon after we reached Pusat Bandaraya. Taking the "usual" Jalan Skudai route, we headed in the direction of Senai before taking the trunk road to Pontian. I suddenly felt my rear oscillating (just like on a full suspension bike) and I initially thought my seat post was about to give way! We stopped and I realized it was a flat on the rear.

It took us a good thirty minutes to change the flat, no thanks to my Kenda knobblies which were impossible to remove without tire levers and an incredible amount of strength. It was another daunting task to fit the tire back on but at last, we were on our way.

Good Friday was apparently not a public holiday in Malaysia as the kids were on their way to school in their yellow Bas Sekolah. Another common sight, especially in the rural areas, were kids in uniform on their BMXs (not BMWs =P) or pillion-riding on their parents' motorcycles. As we neared Pekan Nanas, we could see groups of workers walking / cycling to their workplaces, a myriad of factories situated away from the trunk road. Most notably, the Shimano factory which manufactures high-end bicycle components is located there. Take a look at your Shimano parts, if they state "Made in Malaysia", you know where exactly it was manufactured.

We had breakfast at an Indian Muslim coffee shop (they call it Restoran in Malaysia) and were lucky enough to spot a Shimano truck moving out to the main road. I wonder if the factory entertains walk-in customers =P

After a meal of prata and ice Milo, we continued on our journey to Pontian and it was about 9.30am when we reached the major town. Of course, it was time to chill out at the bay beside the Hotel Pontian and we spent a good half an hour there before moving on to Kukup (21km away).

I was really tempted to explore Tanjung Piai, the southern-most tip of continental Asia (mainland). At that point in time, Kukup was just 4km away as compared to Tanjung Piai which was 8km away (16km two-way). I turned into the road leading to Tanjung Piai, hoping that Dad and Bro would follow blindly but apparently they did not! =P They are always quick to shoot down my idea of taking the longer route and Dad suggested that we could consider exploring it on the way back if we had the time. Obviously, I didn't get to explore Tanjung Piai in the end!

We reached Kukup around 11.15am and spent some time showing Bro (who had not been there before) around the "floating" kampungs, before having the much awaited seafood lunch. Coincidentally we "chose" (or rather, we got touted) the same outlet as the one we patronized on our previous visit.

This time round, we had sweet & sour fish, seafood soup, deep fried squid and sambal kangkong. The dishes were quite good but I think I prefer chilli crabs. Anyway, the restoran was crowded with Singaporeans. They arrived shortly after we settled down and from the looks of it, they were on a RC organized day tour.

It started to rain before we finished our meal. It did not seem as if the rain would stop anytime soon hence we decided to set off for the return leg. That was when the fun started.

Halfway through to Pontian, the skies poured and in no time, we were soaking wet. Visibility started to become poorer hence we switched on our lights. The weak batteries on my Topeak Redlite died on me.

The currents of the groundwater were quite strong. On steep climbs, I could feel the resistance from the on-rushing water and it became an energy-sapping irritant after awhile.

The rain increased in intensity as we neared Johor Bahru. Visibility became so poor that I could not see more than 50m and I was drinking a lot of rain water. Then we encountered the flooded areas which proved a nuisance to traffic. By then, it was so cold and wet that I didn't care when passing vehicles threw up a wall of water over me. In fact, I just plowed through the flooded areas as fast as possible. There were some parts where the water levels were amazingly high, something seldom seen in Singapore, which is a testimony to the effectiveness of our drainage systems. I nearly stalled in one stretch where my wheels were totally under water. Shifting gears and pedaling out of the saddle, I managed to get the bike to shallower waters. It was a good test to the reliability and performance of my drive-train when submerged in water!

The cendol stall was open! It had not been when we passed on 2 separate occasions.

It was 5.30pm when we reached Pusat Bandaraya. Dad wanted to cross the causeway first and probably head for home (since we were cold and wet) while Bro's main concern was to find a toilet. I was very hungry and would have loved to grab a meal at KFC before heading home. We settled on a meal at KFC eventually since there was a toilet there!

My foresight put us in good stead as there was an unexpected traffic jam on the road towards the Malaysian checkpoint. The good thing about riding bicycles was that we managed to wiggle through the chaos. At the Malaysian customs, we ran into a trio of Caucasian cyclists who were returning too.

I was so glad to cross the causeway. When we encountered a jam at the Singapore customs, I heaved a sigh of relief - it was great that we had dinner earlier. Nonetheless, the jam did not dampen my spirits - we were home.

p.s. Dad skidded over a slippery metal drain cover at Woodlands MRT, giving his bike its first scar.

Total Distance: 200km
Money spent: RM100 for 3 pax
Participants: LSH, Dad, Bro