Malaysia, en route to Kuala Lumpur

trip dist: 66.55km
ride time: 3h41
total distance: 9907km

Today, I started late. very late. indeed I had to fix a website that was for some reason not working anymore. so I left around 10 am. the temperature was surprisingly correct even though it was sunny. After 1 hour on the road the heat suddenly started to raise up. I met two bike tourers, they were locals and cycling south. They looked like ninjas as none of their skin was in direct contact with the sun. Fully covered with their clothes. Then an hour later two others, the traffic was too important and the heat too high to stop so we just waved to each other. For the last few kilo meters I stopped under the shade of every tree to cool down. I arrived at Muar and stopped but I could have kept cycling a bit longer. That’s a good sign that my body is on its way back to long distance cycling!

trip dist: 45.72km
ride time: 2h25
total dist trip: 9953km

this morning I set up an alarm to wake up at 5:30am then stayed in bed until 6:30am still hard to wake up that early but cycling that early is actually great!! It reminds me cycling at night in the Australian desert to avoid the terrible heat.
Here, the heat is pretty much the same but it’s humid as well… way less than Indonesia though.my plan for today is to visit Malaka. so it will be good to arrive early. At 10:15 am my cycling was done for the day and I found just by chance an hostel who is referenced on warm showers! So I’ve got a 50% discount on the already very low price. It will be perfect to make my laundry and meet new people as this hostel is full of young travellers! I planned to stay just for a night but I might stay for two in the end.

trip dist: 93.33km
trip time: 5h21
total trip distance:10046km

I woke up at 4:30am and everyone was still sleeping deep. I organised my bicycle and left at 5am. it was great to cycle at night, no one was in the street but even if there was no sun it was very humid and 26°C. I was actually sweating more at night than I was during the day. My plan for today was to follow the coast and avoid the main road. I took left at a crossing and went downhill until I’ve been stopped by the army. There was a checkpoint and only Malaysians could pass this point. He didn’t want to know anything and asked me to turn around and go back on the main road. Si I kept following the main road.Then I passed the keystone of 10 000km (6213 miles)! The day was warm and there was not much shade along that road. Just palm tree plantations all the way. It’s been a bit challenging at some point where I was feeling my brain boiling under that sun. I went through a small town and been joined by Muhammad who was cycling as well on his mountain bike to “stay fit” as he told me. We spoke while cycling and he took some pictures of us cycling. Very cool guy, it was good to have some company even if it was for 10 minutes only before he came back to his friends. I finally reached an hostel and was very tired. Lied down on my bed and woke up 3 hours after.

trip dist: 90.51km
time: 5h04
total trip dist: 10137km

Today, I started at 5.30am and the night was very warm but when the sun rose it got fresher and as it was overcast, the ride was enjoyable. For the second time I came to an inland border where only Malaysians can enter. The problem here is that I’m very far away from any other option. There is the highway but forbidden to bicycle. I explain this to the security guy and after a few minutes chatting, He lets me come through and told me to rush and not stop anywhere. At least this guard was not armed with an AK47 like the other one. In this area it was weird. A bit too quiet and perfectly organised. Police cars were patrolling very often but never controlled me. They might think that if i’m inside then I must have a reason.

I arrived in KL easily and before noon. I could actually have keep cycling for a while. That’s a good sign.

trip dist: 86.89km
time: 4h23
total trip dist:10 224km

Last night I stayed at Louise place. we met at Wanaka 2 years ago and she is now living in Singapore. We missed each other a couple of time there but she is currently working for 6 months in Kuala Lumpur. She hosted me for a night in her absolutely crazy huge appartment that the company is providing. There is security everywhere, to come in with the bike was quite an experience. I took a shower and we went to her colleague flat which is in the same building but other tower. With your card your are just allowed to go to your floor so if you want to visit a neighbor at another level then you must meet downstairs and go up together.  We talked until 1am. I won’t have lot of sleep but I need to go in the following day as it’s been too long that I’m in Kuala Lumpur now. I learned to love this place that I didn’t really liked at the beginning. It’s actually a very good place. the life is cheap but the quality of life for us the lucky westerners is pretty good!

this morning I didn’t hear the alarm and woke at 6.50am instead of 6am. Well I should better go quick to make the most of it before the sun becomes too hard. and I’ve been surprised to realise that almost all the way except for 1km it was flat or downhill. so good. the ride has been easy all the way. I’m feeling now way better and can cycle easy 80km a day. Next step will be to rise it up to 100km a day. I’m half way to Cameron Highlands road. I’m looking forward to check those tea fields at sunrise. It looks so photogenic!