From Pontian to Malacca: Overcooked, he resorts to the Sponge Bobs

June 11, 2015

To Pontian

From just out of Skudai, I took the J4, a sort of back way/shortcut to the Pontian road. It was still pretty busy, but probably a bit safer than trying to get out of Skudai on the main road. The impact of petro dollars is everywhere here, and a marked contract from my first trip about 40 years ago. There are buildings and factories going up everywhere and everyone is driving about in new vehicles. At one point I surprised wild boar, monkeys and big meter long lizards in a wee patch of remnant swamp adjacent to a new industrial development.

It was about 50 km distance. I found a cheapish hotel room (about $25 aud) not far from the waterfront, cleaned up, went out for dinner and back to the room to sleep. Such is the life of the solo cyclist. The hotel owner pulled me over in the street to offer me the room. He had just come back from a visit to Perth and said we would go out and talk and have a couple of drinks later.... Luckily for me he must have had other engagements - I needed some sleep.

Pontian foreshore - not many tourists, western or local

To Batu Pahat

Next day it was 75 km cycling in intermittent rain to Batu Pahat. I felt very clever for putting in so many km so early in my tour. Had a flat rear tyre, first flat for my Schwalbe XRs - mind you a 3/4 inch self tapping metal screw will defeat even a car tire. By the time I stopped it had self tapped and screwed itself all the way into the tyre right up to the hilt - that will do it. Guys at the local m'bike shop wanted to sell me a new tyre, or a tube but couldn't be bothered trying to patch it. No worries, as I had already taken it off the bike and off the rim by then - just unscrewed the screw from the tyre, swapped out tubes and was off again before long.

First time for everything - my first flat with these XR tyres in many 1000's of kms touring. That's a 3/4" self tapping screw, tapped right to the hilt. The tyre is fine, but the tube is stuffed. The hardest part of the repair was unscrewing the screw from the tyre.

Nothing redeeming about Batu Pahat, certainly nothing worth writing home about. Second hotel in a row with dirty sheets...

In the process of overcooking myself on the ride into Batu Pahat

To Muar

I finally managed to find a back road into Muar for the last 10 km - I could cycle forever on roads like that. The previous 40 km were just nose down and pedal, one eye on the rear view mirror. And I did penance today for yesterday's distance. It was only 50 km, but I was pretty shattered by the time I got there. I think I had overcooked it by doing 75 km in one day too early in this ride. I have to be careful as I can do 100 km in a day, but always pay for it down the track. In another couple of weeks lets see if I can up the daily average.

No wildlife apart from the road kill: rats, frogs, lizards and monkeys - and one very flat long skinny bright green snake.

Muar is a lovely town. I should have stayed longer. The guest house had clean sheets.

Muar sunset: Listening to the muezzin calling the faithful to evening prayer was pure magic

To Malacca

It was very difficult leaving the Popchuco guest house this morning. I was the only guest and they had locked the 6' high front gate. No one was scheduled to show up for hours... Well at least the gate wasn't razor wired and it was wrought iron filigree with lots of footholds, so I scaled it: 20 kg bike, bags and all - one bag at a time. Getting the bike over in one piece was the hard part. Neighbours just watched bemused.

Can't hold a good bike back. Turtle scaled the gate, no worries...

I got out what I call my Sponge Bob Bike Pants (padded lycra riding shorts - I do not like the look, especially in SE Asia and would rather do without them if possible) and the shammy cream for today's ride, expecting a hard ride after my finish yesterday. Need not have worried, it was a very pleasant 50 km down mostly back roads into Malacca. I found a good hostel and will spend a couple of days here doing the R&R.

I thought my bike looked pretty special. There are dozens, if not hundreds of these things plying the streets of downtown Malacca, boom boxes blaring and led lights flashing. A group of about 20, loaded with Chinese tourists took off en mass from the town centre. Ah Malacca on a serene Sunday night.

Zoom into this picture to see the school of fish gulping down air. I think they want out.

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