Update - Cycle Touring Malaysia - End of Day 16 in country.
Parts of this journey have been tough, real tough. I arrived in country and spent a day or two just to orientate myself and get used to a new culture, new currency, new diet and different weather….extremely humid and the expectation of daily heavy thunderstorms. Every day is different with no two days being the same due to riding conditions, traffic intensity, road surface changing constantly from good to bad and the ever ending curiosity of what will this day bring.
I am well down their East Coast with a view of reaching destination (Johor Bahru) within the next week. What could possibly go wrong?
Distance covered to date : 688km.
See you on the other side.
See captions below.
Every hotel room has the direction of north indicated for Prayer. In Islam, the Qibla is the direction Muslims face during prayer, which is towards the Kaaba in the Sacred Mosque in Mecca
This mosque dominated the skyline in Kota Bahru, my start point for this journey.
Did some local touring in Kota Bahru which included a small museum dedicated to the Japanese invasion of Malaysia and Singapore.
The view from my Office window as I make my way on minor backroads thru small villages while avoiding major roads where I can.
Did a snorkelling day trip to one of their many islands, in this case, Perhentian Island. Warm waters, abundant marine life including Reef Sharks and Sea Turtles and stunning beaches.
I was befriended by a young family (maybe they pitied me) during the snorkelling tour and they invited me to lunch. A delightful experience to help get to know the locals.
Fisherman’s Wharf, the main jetty on Perhentian Island. No roads exist on the Island so all movement from bay to bay (Resorts) has to be by water taxi.
Some serious erosion from some severe storm sea surges as I continue heading south along their coastline.
The Jambatan Angkat Kuala Terengganu, also known as the Kuala Terengganu Drawbridge, is a striking modern landmark that has quickly become a symbol of the city. Opened in 2019, the bridge’s design is inspired by London’s Tower Bridge, featuring a dual-leaf bascule system that allows ships to pass through, making it a functional and visually captivating structure.
Like a lot of us, I rely on modern technology to help navigate. In this case, Maps.Me let me down and took me down to a dead end. I lost one hour that morning and rode 15km for no gain. That turned out to be my hardest day so far covering 100km by days end. I was a spent cartridge when I finally pulled up for the night.
Finding beer is difficult in the country with a majority Muslim population. I did find some at Cherating which was also hosting a National Surfing Championship on the same weekend.
Occasionally the locals will strike up a conversation with natural curiosity. This was a local cafe owner (great coffee) who insisted on a selfie. I insisted on a reciprocal favour.
Finding beer is difficult; keeping it cool is another challenge with very few Hotels having fridges. Thankfully, ice is not difficult to source. improvise, adapt, overcome.
