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Malaysia/Kuala Pilah Round the world trip 2007
7-16
We are now on the “gringo trail” and have seen other cyclists: a couple and a family of four. As we follow the recommendations and read the glowing descriptions in the Lonely Planet Guide, we wonder which planet they are talking about. Cherating was written up to be such a lovely laid-back place where one may choose to extend their stay for weeks. In reality, it appeared to be a bombed out refugee camp! Dirty, with streetside eating places over-charging for the same unimaginative foods. No wonder the residents were so sullen. It was too hot for the liter-strewn beach and the accomodations were either in tear-down condition or new and characterless, all over priced. This is not the Malaysia we have been loving. As tourists around the world, we have pulled into a number of these beautifully described beach sites to be greeted with similar conditions.
I have loads of time to write and read. We had a spoke break; fixed it; rode 400 meters and had a flat. Another rim just split! Art is running all over the small town of Cukai while I babysit the bike and gear. Hopefully, some shop will have something to replace it. Art came back with a new wheel, we put on the tire and patched tube and off we rode: 500 meters and another flat. Obviously, I had not repaired the tube completely! Every time we had to take all the bags off to remove the back wheel, adjust brakes, etc. The new wheel has NO bump! Ever since the bike was damaged in the airplane to Bali, the rear wheel had a flat spot and I believe the split wheel was the result of that.
Across the street is a nice retaurant, so we eat lunch. It is now after 2pm and we have only traveled 15km. We decide to push on. There are suppoosed to be several resort style accomodations along this road. Miles and miles of terrible traffic and ugly road. Who ever suggested the east side of the Malaysian Peninsula as a good cycle? It is getting late, the sun is sooo hot and we are finding no accomodations to our liking (too expensive, too old, etc.) and the one we really counted on was full. At 5:30 we find a new hotel: simple but clean in Dungun, 85 km for the day.
After a shower to clean up and cool down, we raced to the nearest US chain eatery: Pizza Hut. Never in the US do we indulge so often in these fast food places, but we get tired of guessing what we are eating in the Malaysian street stalls. Spices are knowledgably and liberally used to create great taste treats. Most choices incude fish: fish heads, tiny dried fish, chunks of boney fish. Art doesn’t care for fish and I find I don’t particularyly care for most of the fish dishes either. A seafood curry was served in a hot pot with a small crab hacked in two pieces, a fish head, several whole, unpealed prawns, and squid. I relish KFC or a Big Mac or an American omlete for breakfast!
We are staying in fairly good shape considering the heat. Judee has heat rash on her thighs (could be laundry detergent residue) and she is suffering from an eye infection, probably caused by the particulates in the air. Art has to take special care of his bottom: boils threaten to erupt on the longer days. We sometimes have rub spots on our feet. All in all we heal pretty quickly and use salves liberally.
July 20 Malaysia/Cherating Weltreise 2007 >
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July 14 Malaysia/Temerloh Weltreise 2007
We are now on the “gringo trail” and have seen other cyclists: a couple and a family of four. As we follow the recommendations and read the glowing descriptions in the Lonely Planet Guide, we wonder which planet they are talking about. Cherating was written up to be such a lovely laid-back place where one may choose to extend their stay for weeks. In reality, it appeared to be a bombed out refugee camp! Dirty, with streetside eating places over-charging for the same unimaginative foods. No wonder the residents were so sullen. It was too hot for the liter-strewn beach and the accomodations were either in tear-down condition or new and characterless, all over priced. This is not the Malaysia we have been loving. As tourists around the world, we have pulled into a number of these beautifully described beach sites to be greeted with similar conditions.
I have loads of time to write and read. We had a spoke break; fixed it; rode 400 meters and had a flat. Another rim just split! Art is running all over the small town of Cukai while I babysit the bike and gear. Hopefully, some shop will have something to replace it. Art came back with a new wheel, we put on the tire and patched tube and off we rode: 500 meters and another flat. Obviously, I had not repaired the tube completely! Every time we had to take all the bags off to remove the back wheel, adjust brakes, etc. The new wheel has NO bump! Ever since the bike was damaged in the airplane to Bali, the rear wheel had a flat spot and I believe the split wheel was the result of that.
Across the street is a nice retaurant, so we eat lunch. It is now after 2pm and we have only traveled 15km. We decide to push on. There are suppoosed to be several resort style accomodations along this road. Miles and miles of terrible traffic and ugly road. Who ever suggested the east side of the Malaysian Peninsula as a good cycle? It is getting late, the sun is sooo hot and we are finding no accomodations to our liking (too expensive, too old, etc.) and the one we really counted on was full. At 5:30 we find a new hotel: simple but clean in Dungun, 85 km for the day.
After a shower to clean up and cool down, we raced to the nearest US chain eatery: Pizza Hut. Never in the US do we indulge so often in these fast food places, but we get tired of guessing what we are eating in the Malaysian street stalls. Spices are knowledgably and liberally used to create great taste treats. Most choices incude fish: fish heads, tiny dried fish, chunks of boney fish. Art doesn’t care for fish and I find I don’t particularyly care for most of the fish dishes either. A seafood curry was served in a hot pot with a small crab hacked in two pieces, a fish head, several whole, unpealed prawns, and squid. I relish KFC or a Big Mac or an American omlete for breakfast!
We are staying in fairly good shape considering the heat. Judee has heat rash on her thighs (could be laundry detergent residue) and she is suffering from an eye infection, probably caused by the particulates in the air. Art has to take special care of his bottom: boils threaten to erupt on the longer days. We sometimes have rub spots on our feet. All in all we heal pretty quickly and use salves liberally.
