Road to Mersing

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Geo: 2.0251, 103.333



The road over to Mersing was fab... I love getting back on the bike, I mean 'every time' that I get back on it, this feeling tells me that this is what I should be doing and to stop hanging around places for too long, new years resolution 'must do better'...ha ha you'd never guess I watched Bridget Jones last night (again)!

From Melaka I only cycled as far as Muar before checking into a cheap hotel, although I really didn't feel well and ended up in my bed for a few days, and only managed a little exploring around. It's very like Penang and Malaka with the archways and style of houses and has a high Chinese population which is reflected in the style. It has many local fishing boats and each wee pier is filled with locals and motorbikes which is still the main form of transportation around. It has fab markets and mosques and is a quaint place that obviously doesn't attract many tourists by the looks I get (or maybe that just crazy western chicks on bicycles) and my favorite was the roast duck I found served with rice and veg... mmm tasty!

As I've not been well, I take it easy for a few days and find myself next at Batu Pahat where I stayed inside a Chinese Temple of all places! The road down was filled with local Malay houses, I love the local insight you get when pedaling along and I meet my first cycle tourists in a long time, they're a nice young couple who have just started from Singapore and heading north however, they started a few months back cycling in Europe before catching a flight and plan on spending the next couple of years cycling as far as possible and are enjoying their adventure.

I stopped for tea and a bowl of soup when I arrived in Batu Pahat and got talking to a lovely young guy for around an hour before his mum joined us, they were such characters I ended up chatting away for around three hours before deciding I might as well just stop here for the night. They pointed me in the direction of a place to stay but it was far too expensive for one person so I headed off looking for somewhere to camp, I had also been nursing a slow puncture which I had to fix so I didn't plan on venturing away too far.

On passing a Chinese temple I noticed quite a bit of ground around it so asked if I could camp up behind it out of the way which they said was no problem, I quickly changed into long pants and top as a sign of respect and came back to work on my bike. Around six wee Chinese men watched (with some helping) me change the tube in my tyre which was the first job of the day, I was asked a million questions about where I had cycled from as well as questions about Scotland and was offered food and drink which was very kind, and said I could use the kitchen/dining area for water etc. Once I went in though it looked an ideal place to sleep so I was pleased when they said it was no bother, the temple didn't close the doors until 10pm so I just chatted away while I waited on all but the caretaker leaving.

The wee caretaker was a bit on the drunk side but was funny with it, and after their game of what looked like checkers (Chinese version though) I locked the door behind them and curled up for the night. No sooner had I got my head down when a karaoke started in a place next door and I couldn't stop myself giggling away at some of the renditions, and although I must have fallen asleep briefly, when the karaoke stopped and the quiz started at 2am I was woken again! Sleep didn't really return after this time but was a great experience and a first for me and I was extremely grateful for their help. In the morning they took me for breakfast before setting off once more and I enjoyed my completely unique experience!

The road takes me into many palm oil plantations and the road curved up, over and round for the rest of the day, there are warning signs on the road for wild elephants and taipei's and I end up quite nervous not knowing what to expect, making the resolution to be off the road by sunset which is when I think they would normally be out wandering around! Thankfully I didn't encounter either elephants or teipei's on the road although a few times you could here animals beside you in the bushes and by the noises and shaking going which was freaking me out. At one point though I could hear rustling rushing my direction and got the fright of my life when half a dozen large monkey's appeared out on the road in front of me, thankfully they just kept going which saved me having to deal with them but my mind was working overtime!

The plantations disappeared for clearer ground but you get a real insight into how they work while traveling through, they oldest plants are 25 years old before they're ripped out, burned and new plants put in their place. The heavy fruit is cut and loaded on carts and wagons using big spikes to pierce them before being loaded into trucks for transportation and looks very hard work, I'm always wary of these trucks as you often see the fruit falling and one of these hitting you would wipe you out! All other trucks on the road are full of massive logs which I tend to try and get out their way because of the speed they drive along these roads.

I was relieved to be out of the plantations and through the jungle areas and the land opened out with more of a view and less threat of animals. There are many Chinese cemeteries which are similar to those I saw in Thailand and are impressive affairs before I arrived in a small village near Bekok. I managed to find a cheap hotel and after check in went out for dinner and to explored the night market outside. The market was heaving with people and I had some of the tastiest local food in their own spicy sauces, chicken and satay and rice, coconut type cake balls, and lots of fruit and veg stalls. The market had some weird and wonderful things from all the dried fish stalls to huge knives and farming tools which were a bit scary looking! They're all fascinated by 'the tourist' and many of them commented on my bicycle, they obviously saw me arriving in town, they were an extremely kind and friendly bunch and it took some time getting round with all my stops chatting away.

So onwards to Mersing, another bowl of spicy Chinese soup for breakfast and more of the same roads, plantations, jungles, animals, warning signs and interaction with the locals. When I arrived in Mersing I found a room and arranged to leave my bicycle with them when I go over to Tioman Island as I've been advised not to take the bike there as it's all bays, not many roads and plenty of mountains. I arrange my ferry ticket at the nearby terminal and have a look around the beach area as well as the market for food before calling it a night. I repacked just a small bag for a beach adventure and look forward to visiting Tioman Island which many have raved about.

So I've now crossed Malaysia coast to coast, from west to east and plan on some beach time yeeha...

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Photos

Fishing Boats in Muar
Muar

Chinese signs
Muar

Local family
Lovely people who were great entertainment for hours