December 30, 2005
When Jodi and I decided to do this trip we planned on keeping our ride length at 50 to 60 km per day. We did not anticipate the days when accommodation would not be available and we would need to ride more. Well, we have ridden more, much much more!
Three days ago we left Mersing for Kuala Rompin, 80km. But before moving on I discovered that Jodi’s cones on her rear hub were loose and I needed to find a way to tighten them before hitting the road. Luckily, my dad had sent one of my cone wrenches with my pedals so I could use it to install the pedals on my bike. Thank goodness the wrench was the right size but then I needed another wrench to turn the locking nut to free the cones so I could get the tension right. Again luck was on my side and the nice Chinese woman who ran the hotel had an oversized adjustable wrench. I freed the nut and the cone and was able to get the right tension after two tries, a new personal best.
The ride was long during which we discovered Mr. Pumpy isn’t always accurate with his details, or lack there of. He mentioned that from Mersing to Cherating the road is dead flat which is mostly correct but the road doesn’t get flat until after Padang Endau. Then it becomes a flat ribbon of tar stretching off into the distance. The riding reminds me of the drive between Salida and Alamosa, dead flat with waves of heat distorting the view.
The first pass through Kuala Rompin we did so thinking that we would be able to find some nice beach accommodations at Rompin Lanjut Beach (15km further up the road). We stopped in the shelter of a bus stop to enjoy a few snacks of peanut butter, apples, bananas and energy biscuits. We were not paying much attention when a guy appeared just outside the bus stop. His name was Michael, from Johor Bahru and he was seeking information about where he could buy gear like ours. He wanted to do a touring ride around Malaysia next year and I guess finding gear is very difficult. He asked how much touring we had done and I think we surprised him when we answered that this was our first trip and that we had no idea what our bags cost because some friends loaned them to us. I suggested he could probably get some made since there are so many people good at making things in Malaysia, but he said that would be too expensive. We suggested he check out the website for http://www.panpack.com/ where he could find information about the packs we are using. Michael provided us with some good information about places to stay up the road and indicated that there was nothing at Rompin Lanjut Beach. So when Michael left we packed up and rode back the way we had come to Kuala Rompin.
In all we did over 80km that day and found a place that had beach access in the distance and was acceptable but nothing like what we had become accustomed too while in Bali. It did have a great pool and HBO, both of which we enjoyed. Usually when we finish a ride we lay low in our room for an hour or two just enjoying the cool temperatures inside and on this day we watched the "Italian Job" during our rest. Later we walked down the unspoiled beach wondering why there were no other places to stay on the coastline here or any other types of development including houses. It was a long lonely stretch of beach, which was beautiful even though the ocean was very brown from the recent rains. Unfortunately we discovered we were being eaten alive as we walked along by little annoying sand fleas. We returned to our room with welts all over our bodies. Late in the evening I went into town to fetch some snacks and returned in time to take a dip in the pool, then to bed.
At 6am we awoke, packed and ate our free American breakfast of eggs, toast, baked beans and "sausage" which were actually hot dogs. Eww! The ride was an uneventful 75km, but at the end of the road we finally found what we were looking for. All the way from Kuala Rompin we noticed signs that indicated a "Beach Resort with Budget Accommodations". We followed the signs expecting yet another goat rope but this time things turned for the better (usually when we follow these types of signs the places turn out to be expensive and the signage disappears so we can not find the place and we end up circling round and round). There was a narrow walking bridge across a river and some cute beach bungalows right on the beach. It was so nice to take my afternoon nap with the sound of the crashing surf just outside. I loved it! One problem, the place did not have a restaurant and the closest warung was 2km away and did not have food that would really power us up for another ride the next day. We’re a little tired of fried rice and fried noodles. So I thought I would ride north a few more "K" hoping I could find something. I found something in Pekan 15km away, but I did not take water thinking it was only going to be a short trip. By the time I arrived at a Chinese Mini Mart I was hot, sweaty and dehydrated. I walked up and down the aisles looking for food for dinner and breakfast the following day with sweat pouring off me onto the floor. The people running the place looked at me like I was going to drop dead any minute and no one spoke English and what little Malay I knew they did not understand. They called to their teenage daughter and she came looking very annoyed that she had been disturbed from what she was doing to talk English with this hot and sweaty bloke. She helped me find the things I needed, yogurt, peanuts, peanut butter, bananas, noodle soup and tuna. I also purchased a large bottle of water that I downed once outside. They all stood around trying to figure out how I was going to carry all this stuff on my bike and even offered a few extra shopping bags. I tried to explain that I had a backpack but no dice, so I just let them do their thing while I loaded everything into the pack and handed the bags back to them when I was done. I bowed and said "Terima Kasih" and rode off.
The 15k back sucked! The whole time I envisioned Jodi napping and enjoying the beach while I was destroying the shower I had taken and on the verge of total exhaustion. I stopped just short of the lodge and purchased two orders of fried rice from the warung. They gave me an order of fish cakes, which are ground up fish that I think is similar to a spam like concoction but deep fried. I went to eat one and noticed how badly my hands were shaking and I knew no matter how much I hated deep fried food I had better eat them, so I doused them in hot sauce. I noticed a really nice SUV pull up and two gentlemen get out and sit nearby. They ordered fish cakes and sat and talked to me. They asked where I was from and I said New Zealand because every time I said I was American in Mersing the looks I received in response lead me to believe they do not care much for the good ol’ US of A. He told me we were safe in Malaysia and that we had nothing to worry about. The further north we ride the more I would agree with him. In Mersing, I felt kind of like a black man at a "KKK" convention but further north the people seem more hospitable; however, I think I will continue being a Kiwi nonetheless. They shared their fish cakes with me and they had a good laugh when my dinner only came to 6 ringets and they did the conversion from ringets to kiwi dollars. They said that is only $2.50 where you come from, not even enough to buy a coke. I smiled feeling not very comfortable with whole thing and said goodbye. When I returned to the room Jodi was just finishing the laundry and was delighted to have some fried rice and snacks. We had two dinners that night, one of fried rice and the other of Tom Yam soup, all in the passing of two hours.
It was so nice to finally have accommodation right on the beach! We enjoyed sitting in the sand watching the sunset on our own private beach. All night long I could hear the surf and it had such a calming effect on my nerves, helping me to relax and get a really good nights sleep. This morning we watched the sunrise during our breakfast and were on the road by 7:30 am. We had a "short" ride of 68km to Kuantan.
One thing that really amazes me is how much things change with the time and the distance. From Mersing to Kuala Rompin there was thick jungle on both sides with the occasional monkeys playing on the roadside. Then from Kuala Rompin to Pekan the jungle became less dense and disappeared into wetlands where we were more exposed and the riding became hot. Then from Pekan to Kuantan the road became less lonely, the jungle pushed away by development and we had much more company on our way. Then we turned from highway 3 onto 2 and were joined by all the people coming from Kuala Lumpur. The road was very busy. I wanted to get some lunch before pressing on because I wanted my wits about me but Jodi insisted that we only had 5km more today and she just wanted to get down and out of the heat. We pressed on but I don’t think it was a smart decision since the traffic wasn’t very biker friendly. We followed Lonely Planets advice (the first time on this trip) and stayed at the Classic Hotel. We don’t know if we will move on tomorrow, we are both very tired and need some down days. We had hoped to make Cherating by New Years Eve but right now laying low in a place with good food and services for the beginning of the New Year sounds very nice.
Three days ago we left Mersing for Kuala Rompin, 80km. But before moving on I discovered that Jodi’s cones on her rear hub were loose and I needed to find a way to tighten them before hitting the road. Luckily, my dad had sent one of my cone wrenches with my pedals so I could use it to install the pedals on my bike. Thank goodness the wrench was the right size but then I needed another wrench to turn the locking nut to free the cones so I could get the tension right. Again luck was on my side and the nice Chinese woman who ran the hotel had an oversized adjustable wrench. I freed the nut and the cone and was able to get the right tension after two tries, a new personal best.
The ride was long during which we discovered Mr. Pumpy isn’t always accurate with his details, or lack there of. He mentioned that from Mersing to Cherating the road is dead flat which is mostly correct but the road doesn’t get flat until after Padang Endau. Then it becomes a flat ribbon of tar stretching off into the distance. The riding reminds me of the drive between Salida and Alamosa, dead flat with waves of heat distorting the view.
The first pass through Kuala Rompin we did so thinking that we would be able to find some nice beach accommodations at Rompin Lanjut Beach (15km further up the road). We stopped in the shelter of a bus stop to enjoy a few snacks of peanut butter, apples, bananas and energy biscuits. We were not paying much attention when a guy appeared just outside the bus stop. His name was Michael, from Johor Bahru and he was seeking information about where he could buy gear like ours. He wanted to do a touring ride around Malaysia next year and I guess finding gear is very difficult. He asked how much touring we had done and I think we surprised him when we answered that this was our first trip and that we had no idea what our bags cost because some friends loaned them to us. I suggested he could probably get some made since there are so many people good at making things in Malaysia, but he said that would be too expensive. We suggested he check out the website for http://www.panpack.com/ where he could find information about the packs we are using. Michael provided us with some good information about places to stay up the road and indicated that there was nothing at Rompin Lanjut Beach. So when Michael left we packed up and rode back the way we had come to Kuala Rompin.
In all we did over 80km that day and found a place that had beach access in the distance and was acceptable but nothing like what we had become accustomed too while in Bali. It did have a great pool and HBO, both of which we enjoyed. Usually when we finish a ride we lay low in our room for an hour or two just enjoying the cool temperatures inside and on this day we watched the "Italian Job" during our rest. Later we walked down the unspoiled beach wondering why there were no other places to stay on the coastline here or any other types of development including houses. It was a long lonely stretch of beach, which was beautiful even though the ocean was very brown from the recent rains. Unfortunately we discovered we were being eaten alive as we walked along by little annoying sand fleas. We returned to our room with welts all over our bodies. Late in the evening I went into town to fetch some snacks and returned in time to take a dip in the pool, then to bed.
At 6am we awoke, packed and ate our free American breakfast of eggs, toast, baked beans and "sausage" which were actually hot dogs. Eww! The ride was an uneventful 75km, but at the end of the road we finally found what we were looking for. All the way from Kuala Rompin we noticed signs that indicated a "Beach Resort with Budget Accommodations". We followed the signs expecting yet another goat rope but this time things turned for the better (usually when we follow these types of signs the places turn out to be expensive and the signage disappears so we can not find the place and we end up circling round and round). There was a narrow walking bridge across a river and some cute beach bungalows right on the beach. It was so nice to take my afternoon nap with the sound of the crashing surf just outside. I loved it! One problem, the place did not have a restaurant and the closest warung was 2km away and did not have food that would really power us up for another ride the next day. We’re a little tired of fried rice and fried noodles. So I thought I would ride north a few more "K" hoping I could find something. I found something in Pekan 15km away, but I did not take water thinking it was only going to be a short trip. By the time I arrived at a Chinese Mini Mart I was hot, sweaty and dehydrated. I walked up and down the aisles looking for food for dinner and breakfast the following day with sweat pouring off me onto the floor. The people running the place looked at me like I was going to drop dead any minute and no one spoke English and what little Malay I knew they did not understand. They called to their teenage daughter and she came looking very annoyed that she had been disturbed from what she was doing to talk English with this hot and sweaty bloke. She helped me find the things I needed, yogurt, peanuts, peanut butter, bananas, noodle soup and tuna. I also purchased a large bottle of water that I downed once outside. They all stood around trying to figure out how I was going to carry all this stuff on my bike and even offered a few extra shopping bags. I tried to explain that I had a backpack but no dice, so I just let them do their thing while I loaded everything into the pack and handed the bags back to them when I was done. I bowed and said "Terima Kasih" and rode off.
The 15k back sucked! The whole time I envisioned Jodi napping and enjoying the beach while I was destroying the shower I had taken and on the verge of total exhaustion. I stopped just short of the lodge and purchased two orders of fried rice from the warung. They gave me an order of fish cakes, which are ground up fish that I think is similar to a spam like concoction but deep fried. I went to eat one and noticed how badly my hands were shaking and I knew no matter how much I hated deep fried food I had better eat them, so I doused them in hot sauce. I noticed a really nice SUV pull up and two gentlemen get out and sit nearby. They ordered fish cakes and sat and talked to me. They asked where I was from and I said New Zealand because every time I said I was American in Mersing the looks I received in response lead me to believe they do not care much for the good ol’ US of A. He told me we were safe in Malaysia and that we had nothing to worry about. The further north we ride the more I would agree with him. In Mersing, I felt kind of like a black man at a "KKK" convention but further north the people seem more hospitable; however, I think I will continue being a Kiwi nonetheless. They shared their fish cakes with me and they had a good laugh when my dinner only came to 6 ringets and they did the conversion from ringets to kiwi dollars. They said that is only $2.50 where you come from, not even enough to buy a coke. I smiled feeling not very comfortable with whole thing and said goodbye. When I returned to the room Jodi was just finishing the laundry and was delighted to have some fried rice and snacks. We had two dinners that night, one of fried rice and the other of Tom Yam soup, all in the passing of two hours.
It was so nice to finally have accommodation right on the beach! We enjoyed sitting in the sand watching the sunset on our own private beach. All night long I could hear the surf and it had such a calming effect on my nerves, helping me to relax and get a really good nights sleep. This morning we watched the sunrise during our breakfast and were on the road by 7:30 am. We had a "short" ride of 68km to Kuantan.
One thing that really amazes me is how much things change with the time and the distance. From Mersing to Kuala Rompin there was thick jungle on both sides with the occasional monkeys playing on the roadside. Then from Kuala Rompin to Pekan the jungle became less dense and disappeared into wetlands where we were more exposed and the riding became hot. Then from Pekan to Kuantan the road became less lonely, the jungle pushed away by development and we had much more company on our way. Then we turned from highway 3 onto 2 and were joined by all the people coming from Kuala Lumpur. The road was very busy. I wanted to get some lunch before pressing on because I wanted my wits about me but Jodi insisted that we only had 5km more today and she just wanted to get down and out of the heat. We pressed on but I don’t think it was a smart decision since the traffic wasn’t very biker friendly. We followed Lonely Planets advice (the first time on this trip) and stayed at the Classic Hotel. We don’t know if we will move on tomorrow, we are both very tired and need some down days. We had hoped to make Cherating by New Years Eve but right now laying low in a place with good food and services for the beginning of the New Year sounds very nice.
posted by Kirk & Jodi Roberts at 7:30 PM
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