14 May 2010: Ipoh – Penang

I think we were pretty much getting used to traveling in the wee hours. The darkness was foreboding at times but the roads were pretty clear of traffic and weather definitely cooler. After a restless night in Ipoh, I was just hoping to get over this ride and catch some rest in Penang.

As the sun rose above the horizon, we found ourselves among mist-shrouded towns that seem to be lined with a never-ending range of mountains. Traffic was also becoming heavier and at one town, we saw kids cycling or walking to school. The luckier ones had their parents fetch them to school by motorbike. As we were hungry, we had breakfast (wanton mee) around 7.30am before continuing our journey to Penang.

By mid-day, the weather was incredibly hot. The last 30km “felt” impossible to complete with our empty stomachs. We pulled over at a fringe town to have a hearty lunch. I definitely didn’t feel like going out into the scalding heat after lunch!

Then our luck turned for the worst. Within the last 10km, I had a puncture. There were several patches of glass which we had to run over as traffic was too heavy for us to filter out. Some of shards had pierced through my rear tire. I removed the shards and replaced the inner tube.

By mistake, we turned onto the Lebuhraya Utara Selatan. There was no way to backtrack but we managed to find an exit due to some construction works. I thought we were finally crossing over to Penang when we approached the toll booths. Imagine my surprise when I was told bicycles were not allowed on the Penang bridge! The lady at the counter mentioned the ferry. Without any option, we backtracked to a side road and headed for the Butterworth Ferry Terminal. Uncertainty crowded our thoughts as we wondered if we could catch the last ferry.

Unfortunately, my rear went flat again. Some shards had been embedded rather deeply in the tire and had not been removed previously. I had to dig out the pieces with my Swiss Army Knife and pray my final tube held for the rest of the day!

The Butterworth Ferry Terminal was co-located with the KTM railway station and express bus terminal. We were a little confused over the entry point but some guidance from passer-bys pointed us in the right direction. Surprise, surprise. We found ourselves on a huge vehicle ferry. And the charge for a bicycle was RM1.40! The return leg was free.

 

I was so glad to be on Penang! We had yet again completed another epic stage of our tour up North and Penang had always been our primary objective! The evening traffic in Georgetown was crazy but we were fortunate to get around without any incident. It was difficult to locate the cheaper hotels – so much have changed since I was there in 2008! We finally found Hotel Rope Walk (the one which we stayed in 2008) but the old ah-pek in-charge of the hotel would not even listen to the idea of bringing bikes into the room. I think his impression of bikes (which I will not be surprised at all) was that of a “Flying Pigeon”-style, heavy piece of metal almost impossible to carry. Times have changed. We moved on.

Finally, we found the Crystal Guesthouse along Lebuh Chulia which looked relatively new and offered decent rates. The rooms were very small but the furnishing and air-conditioner were very modern. We managed to squeeze the bikes in. I was glad with my find but Dad seemed to expect a water-cooler around and windows to dry clothes (which our small room didn’t have). I thought his demands were pretty ridiculous for the price we were charged. I was very satisfied that everything was in working order and couldn’t ask for more. For the price, he would settle for an old hotel with the amenities he wanted (be it working or not) and I don’t trust his taste! A good rest was the most important! Lesson learnt in Ipoh!

Total distance: 169km
Money spent: RM104
Participants: LSH, Dad

13 May 2010: Cameron Highlands – Ipoh

Goodbye Cameron Highlands. Till the next time. After our breakfast at the market, we returned to our room to pack our bags and checked out.

Several challenging climbs awaited us along the way but the incredibly long down-hills were exhilarating. Imagine maintaining a speed of 45km/h for hours. The scenery was good and we stopped to take pictures at unique sights such as waterfalls and the smaller towns.

Dad soon pulled ahead and disappeared out of sight. He wasn’t even pedaling. On a mountain bike, I didn’t dare to stop my consistent cadence. The bike slowed too quickly when you ease off. There were times when I hit “max speed”. Unable to pedal further, I just cruised and prayed for a steeper decline in hope of catching Dad. Fat hope.

In the end, I was just contented to play with my GPS and take pictures along the way. Our rest point was a drain. Taking “cover” there, we had our snacks and I finished the remainder of our tomatoes. My shoulders were aching from the load of my backpack. As I carried additional but essential equipment, my load was incredibly much heavier than Dad’s. But I was accustomed to such loads with experience from previous expeditions and frequent commuting to school. Dad was already complaining about the weight on his back.

We reached Ipoh in time for lunch and commenced our search for hotels. The first few hotels were more like brothels. I checked out a pretty decent one but they didn’t allow bikes in the room. That was the first hotel I have come across that didn’t want to accommodate us (I would come across a few more on the trip). Even Hotel Theme Park on Genting was willing to take our bikes in. I call that good service =)

I checked my GPS and found a “Hollywood Hotel”. We approached the building and immediately I was skeptical. How old was it? It sure looked past its glory years. Probably a 1960s hotel? The wooden ceiling had huge gaping holes while the exterior walls (wood) sounded hollow. I would give it a vote of no-confidence. Dad went to check the room out. He accepted it as it was only RM55. I remained skeptical when I spied few empty slots in the key-press. I signed in the logbook. We were the first guests of the day. Wonderful.

We went up to our room. I was astounded at the condition. And amazed at how low Dad’s standard can get. We might as well camp out. The idea was to get a comfortable enough room so that we can rest well. Never mind, I reassured myself. We were moving out at 3am anyway.

A shower was a wonderful reprieve. We walked the streets of Ipoh, checked out Jalan Lim Bo Seng (named after Singapore’s war hero) and “The Store”. At nightfall, we headed back to the hawker centre opposite our hotel for dinner. We had mixed rice which was reasonably priced but not great. Indian rojak didn’t look that good but it was uniquely delicious! The peanut ice kacang was great too =)

We couldn’t sleep well that night. The air-conditioner was almost non-functional. That model was probably older than me. When Dad got the windows open, in came the mosquitoes. I caught forty winks just after midnight but by 2.30am, we had to be up.  

Total distance: 90km
Money spent: RM90
Participants: LSH, Dad

12 May 2010: Gunung Brinchang (altitude 2031m)

We slept in late, exhausted from yesterday. Waking up “late” meant 8am – 9am as we didn’t want to miss our breakfast at the market. Stuff there, especially Cameron Highlands produce, are generally cheap. I got ourselves 6 tomatoes for RM1, totally unheard of in Singapore. We also bought ang-gu-kueh, nasi lemak and soya milk for breakfast. Then it was the dreadful task of patching spoilt inner tubes and packing necessities for our ride up Gunung Brinchang in the afternoon.

We had chicken rice for lunch around noon. By the time we were done, it was raining on and off. In the usual fashion, we proceeded with the ride. A little rain won’t kill =)

Having trekked 16km up Gunung Brinchang via the jungle trail and back to Brinchang via the road last July, I knew what to expect. That provided some form of mental preparation but once you hit the climb, physical exertion and mental exhaustion sets in. It was tough going but since Dad couldn’t climb the steep inclines on his road bike and had to push, that gave me a lot of leeway to rest while waiting for him at intervals. I took the opportunities to snap pictures that would help to preserve precious memories.

The rain didn’t really help in our progress. The weather on Cameron Highlands was cool enough and the rain only served to dampen my spirits. I couldn’t take nice shots with the limited capabilities of my hand-phone camera if the sky was dark and weather bad!

Several jeeps with mostly Caucasian tourists passed us and they were pretty surprise to see people cycling up Gunung Brinchang. The road up to the peak was steeper than Genting and Gunung Pulai. At that point in time, it was probably the steepest mountain I have climbed on a bike, though not necessary the most tiring. Genting was a real pain while the 60km climb up Cameron Highlands would be considered a nightmare after factoring in a 150km ride from Kuala Lumpur. 

After passing the Mountain Strawberry Farm, the road became steeper and narrower. There were rocks, bumps and metal drains with pretty huge gaps, enough to pull in anything less than a 1.75” MTB tire. It started to rain again and at that altitude, the fog was settling in and visibility became extremely poor. We switched on our lights.

Past 4pm, we were finally at the summit. We took a break, snapped lots of photos and visited the observation tower. It was raining, the mist blocked everything past 200m, hence there was nothing much that could be seen from the tower. I went up for memory sake but it was freezing and the darn metal steps were super slippery! The steps were roughly half my shoe size, definitely not for the faint-hearted to climb in wet weather!

Descending was the fun part. Or I should say, madness. The turns were very steep and very tight. Dad had to walk several sections. My heart leapt into my mouth when I saw Dad skidding, his wheels locked out as he tried to stop before an impossible turn. For a mountain bike, descending was not a problem. By the time I was down, my rotors were fiery red and crackling (against the generally cool atmosphere). The permanent burnt marks left behind are probably a reminder of the action this bike has seen in the mountains!

Total distance: 24km 
Money spent: RM82
Participants: LSH, Dad

11 May 2010: Kuala Lumpur – Cameron Highlands

We started riding at 3.30am, hoping to be able to reach Tapah by lunch, get some rest then scale the 60km route to Cameron Highlands. Finding the route out of KL wasn’t that hard in the dark, aided by a GPS of course. We were pretty stunned to see a very steep climb over a mountain range just out of KL on Federal Road 1 but nonetheless, we scaled it and took a breather at the top. Descending was a relief to the lungs and we passed familiar towns like Rawang and Kuala Kubu Baru =)

Cycling is taxing on the stomach. We were almost constantly hungry and my breakfast (bread with sardines @ 2.30am) was quickly diminished within an hour! Fortunately, we always had a stockpile of biscuits, sweets and bread for these occasions. Nonetheless, a proper breakfast was a relief. The roti telur (prata with egg) was big, filling and gave me strength to pedal till lunch.

We failed to meet our target of reaching Tapah before lunch. The weather was incredibly hot and Dad had slowed quite a bit. Also, very unexpectedly, my Navigator phone died. There went the GPS and camera which was a real pity because the most beautiful sights up Cameron Highlands (the Lata Iskandar waterfalls and the Senoi tribe “Orang Asli” settlements) remained un-captured. The last couple of shots I managed to take were probably that of Slim River (of historical importance during World War II when the British failed to stop advancing Japanese tanks).

Lunch, comprising Nasi Ayam, was good but I had to replace Dad’s rear inner tube before leaving. It had been slowly leaking air. We finally reached Tapah around 2pm and after refilling our water supply, we commenced the 60km climb up Cameron Highlands. I had hoped to reach Brinchang before dusk but we weren’t about to make it. Dad was exhausted from the 150km leg (KL – Tapah) and the 60km climb proved to be more than a match for his fitness.

I pedaled ahead, stopping every few kilometers to wait for him. I waited around 15min each time and by the time we hit the 20km mark, it had started to pour heavily. We rested under a makeshift hut before continuing the agonizing climb. Dad was already walking his bike up steep climbs and cycling only the less steep sections. I pulled ahead of him, cycling till my body protested for a rest.

I bought more water from the stalls at the foot of the Lata Iskandar falls. My backpack felt so heavy as I maintained a steady cadence and the weight effectively drained my energy, slowing me down tremendously. In the end, in a bid to lighten the load on my back, I ended up tying water bottles to my handlebar. It sure provided some relief to my shoulders. We passed the Senoi tribe settlements along the way and I couldn’t help but marvel at the simplicity of the lives they led. They sat by the roadside watching vehicles, ran through incredibly steep jungle terrain barefooted and did not seem the least affected by the cold wind and rain.

It was getting dark. I waited at least 30min for Dad and he came up panting, totally exhausted, frustrated and not thinking straight. I saw the source of his frustration. A punctured front tire. I quickly changed the tube (using the final 700cc tube we had) while trying to talk sense into him. Many times I have seen people do silly things when they are totally worn out and demoralized. Throughout the years, I have realized that impregnable mental strength is crucial for survival. I was feeling very weak, hungry and cold. But I told myself to push on. I challenged the remaining 20km to take me down. I wasn’t about to give up and I didn’t want Dad to succumb to his mental weakness too.

We reached Ringlet (around 1200m above sea level) late. It was already close to 8pm. The town was bustling with life (the pasar malam was on every Tuesday night). We had dinner at a zi-char restaurant before deciding to move on to Tanah Rata. In pitch black conditions, the 13km to the higher-elevated town was a nightmare. Even walking up the slopes were torturous to Dad. He had reached his limits.

We took forever to get to Tanah Rata (roughly around 1500m above sea level). I checked several hotels out but they weren’t available. Dad was disheartened when he learnt we had to push on to Brinchang but Hobson’s choice, we had to move. I carried his backpack. With two loads on my back for the final 6km to Brinchang, I felt as if I was cycling with full FBO load! I was just relieved to see Brinchang within sight and gave a last burst of speed up the climb past the KFC.

Hotel Jasmine was available and we checked in, totally tired. I felt a grim sense of satisfaction – at completing the longest climb in my life.

Total distance: 210km 
Money spent: RM199
Participants: LSH, Dad

10 May 2010: Rest Day in KL

I am sure both of us appreciated the rest after 2 days of cycling nearly 200km each day! Bike maintenance had to be carried out after breakfast, punctured tubes had to be patched (we encountered punctures on almost every single day of our expedition!). We had lunch at our favourite Chinatown mixed rice stall – great food at great quantities at great prices.

Despite the weather – it just makes you want to stay cool in a sheltered, air-conditioned place, we proceeded to the Menara, passing Taman Eco Rimba and Muzium Telekom on the way. We didn’t have the budget to spend on the rides and galleries at the Menara, hence it was more of a sightseeing trip. Interestingly, there was a display of old public phones used in Malaysia during the past century. I thought the displays should belong to the Muzium Telekom?

The rest of the day was spent at the Bukit Bintang district – walking through the malls, shopping at the Giant supermarket (Sungei Wang Plaza) and browsing books at Borders (Times Square). And we also “browsed” the cameras at the Nikon display store in Times Square. I particularly liked the capabilities of the D90.

We retired to our hotel (Petaling Street Hotel) early in preparation for our ride to Cameron Highlands the following day. We had a simple dinner of nasi lemak, Ramly burgers and Coke.

Total distance: 0km
Money spent: RM35
Participants: LSH, Dad

9 May 2010: Melaka – Kuala Lumpur

After a strenuous first day, we decided to sleep in longer and start our journey later. It was easy finding breakfast and after filling our stomachs, it was time to pack-up and starting the journey to KL. We left our hotel around 9.30pm.

It would be a mistake to assume the 150km to KL was an easy feat considering the much longer 240km covered the day before. Firstly, any physical and mental ill-effects from the first day would be carried over and secondly, we had yet to factor in the “memorable” climbs we would experience once out of Melaka (before Seremban). In fact, the climbs slowed us down and the wet, chilly weather was not making our progress any easier.

In the rain, we pulled into Rembau for lunch, then it was back into the rain again for another 30km to Seremban. In Seremban, we seemed to be making many turns without covering much “useful” distance thanks to ongoing construction works. We stopped for a hot meal, then it was on to KL.

I decided not to take the windy Federal Route 1 but instead Lebuhraya Kajang – Seremban (E21) then Lebuhraya Cheras – Kajang (E7) into KL. The route was probably not much shorter but definitely smoother. An interesting sight would be the mountain ranges as well as the bird nest “farm” (seen in the photo below). Traffic into KL was heavy and atrocious. We rode among hordes of fast-moving vehicles but thankfully, all was well.

Hentian Puduraya was under construction and Bukit Jalil (Komplex Sukan Negara) was being used as a temporary Terminal Bas Exspres. It did not affect us anyway and we proceeded to find a hotel at Petaling Street. I was considering my usual “hide-out” but we found a newer hotel at similar rates.

Total distance: 150km
Money spent: RM187
Participants: LSH, Dad