Rainy days, lots of DOMA and km’s

Woke up this morning to the sound of light rain, reference the light rain. No problem only 77 km easy in a bit of rain. Put my jacket on to see how that would fair. Off I went, back to the main road this an’t so bad, bit of rain keeps things a bit cooler. Through town starting to get a bit heavy, will keep going a bit more don’t mind if my feet get a bit wet. Well edge of the city and the gods let lose, thunder, lightning torrential rain. Straight in under a shops cover.
So not the best of starts, it should slow down can’t rain like this all morning, waiting, waiting 10 minutes 15, 20 o bugger this I’m off, everything should be dry in the bags and things. I will check a bit later on just to make sure. So off I went out into the pouring rain. 1 hour later it was still going, must admit it had slowed down a bit but still a pretty good flow. At least the thunder and lightning had stopped.
So I was doing a pretty good speed, did not have to worry about over heating today. 20km down thought I start looking for some place to stop for water and breakfast. Found both, breakfast was rice and chicken curry, which I had four pieces of chicken which amused the locals that were in there. The tea was beautiful, sweet, creamy ish fantastic. Breakfast of kings, well malay kings any way.
Feed watered back on the road, now sometimes you get a bit bored when you’re out there all alone so you make your own fun, like riding through the big river of water coming down the hill from behind that works sign, all good fun till just as your cutting up the inside line, yes not going were the cars are around the outside, you see the massive hole were all the water is gushing out from. Don’t panic you’ve ridden smaller gaps then that, yes there is a gap about 12cm across between the side of the road with the big puddle that you could lose an elephant in and the eruption of water to the other side.
So as I guided my bike between said to obstacles with ease and the skills of a trained professional I started to breathe again, better keep a look out for that sort of thing next time. Right get some Km’s done then, head down arse up and off I went, have to say made rather good time the rest of the way.
Arrived in Kuala Terengganu with some of the morning and the rest of the day to sort out the wet dirty cloths situation. Had lunch, three helpings of Roti Canai. Stopped at a few places to stay, too expensive, smells bad, can’t get bike up stairs, hmmm maybe something a little bit away from the centre of town, head off looking, looking, nothing. Ok Merang 30km up the coast should have something, 30km about two hours maybe less.
O bollocks, you ride 30km up the road and there all over priced or full, what is going on with the North East of Malaysia, south nooo problem, just rock up to a town and look there’s a few hotels now which one to choose. The north can’t find a thing. Did contemplate camping would have been alright, might have been able to dry something’s. Camp was full of Kids, a big school camp.. Bugger.
Right O, were to next, on my local map showed me a beach stop about 20km further up the coast, down a Red Bull, load up on water, trim the sails and I’m off, and racing now, head down arse up powering down the road must be hitting somewhere around 25-30km, got the wind coming from behind flying I was flying, 20km just went like that, of course by the time you add in looking at different places talking to the locals etc it was around 4pm by the time I found my rest stop for the night in a place called Penarik Beach.
Nice enough place really, the people are really friendly. Have a few wet cloths still but did manage to wash them all. I had checked my bag earlier in the day and everything was dry on top, didn’t check the bottom did I, just found my sleeping bag has taken on a bit of water, off to the Perhentian Island tomorrow so will dry it out then. The computer was dry so that’s the main thing.
So road kill, Lots of lizards of varying sizes today, few frogs brought out by the wet, couple of monkeys, 3 snakes of different sizes and colors, some type of possum like creature. There was a few DOMA, I personally feel that this is not the best way to see the creatures of Malaysia, I would much prefer to see them alive, But some of them I really don’t think you would have the opportunity to see in the wild. Too hard to find me thinks. Their more a zoo type of thing.
Anyway have about maybe a week or so left in Malaysia, then Thailand. Well look at the condition of southern Thailand when I get to Kota Bharu. Hopefully island if I can find somewhere to leave my bike.

refineries, sea views and the rules to Bike travel

Well left Cherating this morning had about a 87km ride to Dungun, Headed out the legs felt good the bike was running well and soon the km were dropping at a good pace, first 40km were done in just under two hours, breakfast was just some little café on the side of the road then back out and away I went.
Just after breakfast I hit the first of what would be about 6 refineries down both sides of the road, all with their flaming stacks and pipes that seem to go everywhere and end up in about the same place. Anyway lots of refineries for about 2-3 km, then it was back into the country side and waving locals. I had finished the 87km by about 11am this morning.
I have found a nice resort style accommodation, I am not sure what they thought of me but I got some weird looks. I think the receptionist tried to put me off staying here by quoting me there most expensive room price which was about 400 ringet, I looked at her dumbfounded and said you know where I can get cheaper room. This she mistook as what is your cheapest room. Which she then quoted me 100 ringet.
So I said again, do you know of another hotel that is cheaper than this one, from this I got we have rooms for 50 ringet, good I’ll take it, does it have Air con. That’s right I need a little comfort these days, it also helps with the heat rash I keep getting. Anyone know any way to stop heat rash in a hot country which I am riding through. The hotel is just across the road from the beach, with fantastic views of a few islands and the south china sea. Which I have to say is looking very clear today.
Any way I am here and need some creature comforts. They also have a pool which I intend to use very shortly. So the ride was good feels like it is getting hotter the more north I go, I had thought it would get cooler.
Ok so what I want to put here are some rules of riding through Asia, things that you need to know if you are doing anything like this.
First and for most rule, don’t do any training with your trailer or bags fully loaded, You will realize it is not that easy and will probably leave the bike and things behind. Once you’re here you have to do it.
Rule one: equip bike with touring bars, they would have been a great help.
Rule two: Have two Bandanas one for your head the other for your neck. The one on your neck can also be used if your riding through dusty smell areas. Thanks for that one Peter.
Rule Three: Invest in some good tires these can make hell of a difference. Thanks again Peter.
Rule Four: Trailers are really good as its great having nothing on your bike. You can also store extra water bottles on it.
Rule Five: Camelbaks are good to have if you like that way to carry your water, but make sure it is only the weight of the water on your back.
Rule Six: If you’re feeling hungry stop when you see somewhere that looks OK, don’t carry on thinking there could be something else around the corner, Sometime you have to do an extra 10km before you find the next place to eat.
Rule Seven: Start early in the morning you get a few hours in the cool before your covered it sweet, the roads are more pleasant and if you’re lucky you might get to see some wild life that is not road kill.
Which reminds me came across some nicely colored bird today it was a shame that they were DOMA, it would have been nice to see them alive.
Rule Eight: Buy a motorbike. No just kidding, were would the fun in that be…

Notes about Cherating

So to start with the sea flat calm this morning, slight ripple but nothing you could surf on. Bugger.
Not much has really happened today, I got savaged by mosquitoes at dinner time last night, even with mossie repellent on. So not to happy today to say the least. Have heat rash on my legs and the weather seems stifling at the moment. Looking forward to being back on the bike and on the road again, I think four days in one spot is enough at the moment before I get board and start thinking. Yep it does happen every now and then. Start contemplating the meaning of life etc. Still an’t come up with much though.
So Cherating, interesting place, there is no rhyme or reason to it. Shops open whenever they want, 10am one day 11am the next. Restaurants have their own work hours, which again change depending on what sort of day it is. There is one shop here that has only been open for one day and that has been it.
The information centre in town opens after lunch sometime and closes sometime in the afternoon, there is a time table on the door but that means nothing. The only place I have come across that opens and closes, well not sure about closes but at least it opens at the right time every day is the internet place. Open bang on ten and closes at twelve.
The monkeys have been out in force, did not see any the first couple of days here but the last two they’re everywhere. Wondering along power lines, saw one this morning with some ones bucket dragging it across the roof. Some other ones, we’ll probably the same ones have just come down into where I am staying and were into the guys building equipment, now what would monkeys need a hammer for. Yep time to leave.
A monkey just went across one of the power lines with a cup in its mouth.
Rule number one in Cherating never leave anything outside. The monkeys will get it or try to.
Rule two even if you think you have covered yourself with mossie repellent you have not, or there just ruthless little bustards here, I think the later as I had covered myself.
Rule three If the surf is good spend as much time as you can on it, even if it means not being able to walk the next day, you might not get a second chance.
Rule four, if coming to Cherating come on a weekday, you could have the whole beach to yourself like I did this morning.
Rule five goes with rule three, go surfing with the locals they know the sea and can get you the best waves.
Well those are the rules for Cherating, so far the one of the best beaches I have been to, Monkey bay was pretty damn good to. Well dinner time then pack ready for the 6 o clock start and some more biking. Have had numb fingers on both hands since the 100km ride the other day, just my little finger and the one next to it, it seems the way I hold the handle bar puts pressure on the nerves in my hand. I I I will tape them up tomorrow and see if that helps, have only just started to get feeling back. Movement circulation seem fine, just feels like I have sat on them for too long.

Point Break, Big bad bugs and another day

So the 5th was recon, food, find a board and have a look around the town, enjoy the sea. The food here is great some places are now offering Thai food as well. So I have to choose between Malay, Thai, India Malay (yes there are differences) and Western. I have to say as yet I have not had western food since subway in Brisbane airport. Mostly on the road it has been Roti. I have been eating a more India Malay breakfast then a Malay one which is normally just something with rice. You can only eat so much rice.
The Beach is really nice and unlike most other Malay beaches it’s pretty clean. So not really much went on on the 5th, it rained most of the morning so had to go out and get a new book, I was on the beach most of the afternoon. O forgot to mention, on weekends lots of Malaysians come to the beach, it’s a shame Cherating closes on a Sunday, yep that’s right, not much open till about 12pm and then all closed by 5-6pm which I have to say was nice.
I did find a contact for getting a surf board, was talking to a local girl and she said she knew someone with a board I might be able to borrow. Was told to meet her at the Little Bali bar at 10pm. I thought it best to go armed just in case something was up, so I took Barnaby (little teddy bear, he wanted to come anyway) along for protection. Anyway thought it was best to get there early and case the joint out.
Well it was a bar, by a river and there were a few Malay’s in it, so had a beer and waited, and waited and yes waited some more, 10pm she said, it was now close to 10:30pm well passed my bed time. While I waited talked to the bar lady and took some photo’s for some girls out on a hen night, women are worse than guys, or maybe it’s just Malay women the things they were saying. Had to tell Barnaby to close his ears. Feel sorry for the guy who is going to marry that one.
Anyway gave up waiting in the end and walk back via the beach, it was a clear night with the promise of a clear day. Let’s hope I can find a board and get some surfing done, the waves were calling. So off to bed.
All was well until about 3 in the morning, all of a sudden bang something large lands right on my pillow, dam near shat myself, sorry mum. This cockroach landed right by my face, and we an’t talking no NZ cockroach here we are talking about something that was about 2 ½ inches long and about a inch wide, it can also do a hundred meters in under ten seconds as I found out went I tried to kill it.
But the trouble was it was too quick and I was way too slow, only because I had just been rudely awakened. So I lost it, now I thought will hopefully it will go away and not come back. Yea right Steve. A few minutes later I could see a dark shape moving up the wall. This was it, I was wide awake now and ready to attack. No escape bug. So screaming I got up and ran. No just kidding I chopped the bottom off a bottle and managed to catch it in there. Took it to the door and through it out. Told it, it was band form this night club for a year.
Finally back to sleep, O yes stars were still out, perfect. Woke up the next day with the rest of the night in peace. Headed out for breakfast and board location. Found a board after a bit of a search. 30 rigit or $15 for half day. Not bad I thought. So out to the waves, I was a bit worried because I had seen a few locals coming back with their boards so thought I might have missed the best surf.
But No, surf was perfect for me, now just to fill you in I have had 3 days surfing in NZ in my life, and a couple of those days I spent more time trying to get out to the waves then catching them. So it’s safe to say I am a beginner. Now I do know a little bit about surfing, were I was going it was off a point break which for you who don’t surf , the surf starts at a rocky out crop. Then the wave just slowly breaks along the beach. Now Cherating has a perfect point break, and the waves just keep rolling down the beach all the way along. Now if your good I recon you could ride the wave for maybe 100 meters, yes that good.
Me I was going to be happy if I can still stand up. Now when I got out to the waves there was one local guy out there. Long haired short board looked like he knew what he was doing, yep I sat and watched him catch a couple before I headed out. Catch up on the local know how sort of thing.
Right I’m ready, out I go. The local guy, have to call him that because I never got his name, pointed out the waves to catch, the only thing was he pointed out the biggest waves to catch. So what the hell I have always been a all or nothing kind of guy. Yippy I up I down, I got slammed. Bugger. This was all much to the local guys amusement of course. So back out this time he pointed out one wave more my size not to small, just right. So up I went standing I was away for at least 20m then off. Came up with a smile on my face. I was the bomb.
Back out next wave, bam slammed again. Came up out of the water to find a crowd of people come down to watch. Lucky for them they had the local guy to watch. So I had a watch of him again and back out, changed my technique a bit and yes I was back, well for about 10m. This was it I was going to get it this time Local Guy pointed out a wave it was mine. Paddle, pop up standing, riding, going along the wave front, still going along the wave front, bit of a turn still going maybe 40 to 50 meters along the beach and the wave put me down nicely in about two foot of water. Arms in the air, I wooped, that’s right, I wooped. Absolutely grand, even one of the spectators gave me a clap. Who’s the beginner, I am.
So after this ride I had it down pat, started riding the bigger waves, yep the local guy was still pointing them out to me. Whoever you are local guy you’re a legend to me. After about 45 minutes I was picking the waves and getting some really good rides in, still had a few slams but that’s part of the fun. After about an hour and half local guy left. So the waves were all mine. I had started riding the waves around 9:30am and left at about 12:15pm as had to get the board back.
So it’s now about 4:30pm have done my days washing, cleaned my bike as it had got dirty on the ride from Kuantan and am going to arrange the board again tomorrow for some more surfing. So will stay another night then back on the bike. I have heard there are more surfing places up the coast with bigger waves, I think I am ready. I heard by day 6 surfing your classed as a pro. But there are also some nice islands as well up north. God this is hard to surf or to snorkel.
Have heard some more news from the south of Thailand, there has been no trouble for a couple of months so hopefully it stays that way. Will take some photo’s of the surf and up load them tomorrow.

Noisy Night, short ride, beach stop

Well decided to leave the hotel in Kuantan and make a run for Cherating beach, the hotel I stayed in last night was right by a road used by all the boy racers of Kuantan, so most of the night I had the sounds of cars racing by then at 5ish in the morning the local mosque blarring out to Ala, so the decision was made get up and leave.
The bike ride to Cherating was a pleasant 47 km which took about 3 hours had a few DOMA on the way, forgot to mention in yesterday’s report, had my first snake DOMA, ended seeing about 3. Monkeys seem to be a common thing.
The Beach here at cherating seems really nice, not as much rubbish on this one as everywhere else I have been which is a nice surprise. Well have to go for a swim a bit later on. There is some nice surf out there as well a good Left to right break off the point so will try find a board and head out tomorrow if I can. If it’s good might stay a few more days.
O yes have shaved my legs, not for speed, but because I have been getting bad heat rash, Shaving my legs has helped, not I feel like a real roady. So smooth. Might wax next time. You don’t really need to know that though. Does show off my Carves nicely…
Hope all is well back in NZ. Curly n Maria got a Date yet???

Swamps, sewerage and lots of km

Well I started a little late this morning, about 6:15am normally try to be out before 6am. Just could not get out of bed. Hope this is not the start of hard wake ups. Well the starting of the trip was not to bad, more straight flat roads and a head wind. Now why this does not seem bad it gets a bit boring and you have to keep on pedaling otherwise you come to a stop.
Now the first few hours passed uneventful, then the swamps began, and with the swamps the smell, it was like riding passed dead animals continuously. It was horrible to say the least, anyway as the morning wore on the clouds were gathering just before I reached the town of Nanasi the heavens opened up and the rain came down. I stopped for a bit in a bus stop and when the rain eased I found a nice little restaurant for some breakfast.
After breakfast it was off again on the open road, after an hour or so I came across the sewerage plant well the smell from this was not that great either and it went on for at least 2km.How much smelly fun can you have in one day. The rest of the morning was more flat road with curves yeppy a change from flat straight roads.
Made it to Pekan, don’t ever go to Pekan it’s a dive and only has 3 hotels one of which I could not find, the other one was full and the third was to expensive. So I thought maybe I can camp somewhere but alas no. So I had just done 87km and it was another 47 to Kuantan, big lunch two large plates of rice and chicken hopefully will get me through.
The roads out of Pekan all have road works being done on them so it was for the next 30 odd kilometers, it was also very hot and very humid. A lot hotter than in the morning, in the 47km I drank through about 5 litres of water. I was making good time a lot better than the morning and then I realized that I no longer had a head wind, I had been fighting it all morning. At about the 40km mark I asked some locals how much further it was to Kuantan and was told another 20km, my knees were sore I was tired and then I heard that it was a bit soul shattering. I refreshed myself and carried on. The turn off to Kuantan was about 4 km up the road and then it was about 10km into town. By the time I got to 5km to go I had to get off the bike and walk for a km. My knee just would go any more.
After a bit of a walk I managed to ride the rest of the way into town. I have now found a nice hotel for the night with internet access so am updating everything. Maybe off to the beach tomorrow or Sunday.

Break down of Km done

Singapore to Johor Bhuru 52km
Johor Bhuru to Kota Tinngi 47km
Kota Tinngi to Mersing 92km
Mersing to Junit Beach 87km
Junit Beach to Kuantan 122km
Kuantan to Cherating Beach 47km
Total as of 4th April 2009 447km

Bed bugs, Tragedy, and an English tea.

Well the trip back to Mersing from the island was uneventful, I decided to find an establishment heading out of Mersing. BAD MOVE. The scourge of the back packers has got me, bed bugs, I had covered my self with Bushman insect repellent on my back legs and arms hoping to ward off any mosquitoes, but what I forgot was my arse, lets just say it looks like someone has gone to town with a pin on my arse. Luckily the front escaped unharmed. Everywhere else seems to be fine. I have had a few mosquitoe bites but nothing like this. And no Treve I am not taking a photo of it.
Anyway because I had planned to start out early any way I got up about 4.30 and was well on my way by 5am. The stars were out and the lights of the city were soon flashing by. As I headed away from Mersing and the town I ended up riding through the country side in no time at all. At some points I was the only one on the road. It was me and the sounds of the forest. Yep after about 10km into the ride the thought popped into my head, what wild animals were there in Malaysia, and were there any that could eat me and what the hell was that sound behind me.
Luckily I put these thoughts to the back of my mind and carried on riding through the night, the stars were out and the morning was clear. I arrived in Endau about 6.45 so was still travelling around 20km per hour, the road was hill but just more up and down rather than long climbs. Tragedy had struck some were between Mersing and Endau I had lost my bright colored flag, I am now only flying the New Zealand silver fern, I will have to see if I can find a replacement flag at some point.
Breakfast at Endau was toast with honey and some sweet tea. Yep I had tea, the first cup was good the second not that great. After breakfast it was back on the bike and back out in the traffic. Asked for directions and got told the wrong way, so a guy on his motor bike showed me were to go and I was off again. Since leaving Endau the roads have been flat and easy going, I made good time to Kuala Rompin that I decided I would carry on up the road for another 15km to get a head of the game.
On the way here which is Lanjut Beach I came across a man with a monkey which was dropping coconuts out of the coconut trees, it was pretty cool to watch for a few minutes as I had not seen it done before. In the passed I just paid one of the local kids to climb up.
I am now by a beach with a bit of surf, I don’t really feel like swimming and the water is a bit of a brown color so washing and relaxing is the order for this afternoon, then back on the bike tomorrow to Pekan. Then Cherating beach for another few days break.