The further south I go, the more oil palm plantations I see. Many are already established and completed plantations, others are growing and new areas are being cleared for more plantations.
Today, Indonesia and Malaysia together account for 85 percent of the global amount of palm oil produced.

For many in rural Malaysia, palm oil is a vital part of their economy. They often have nothing else to support themselves and their families.

Sadly, the environmentally sustainable palm oil plantations are a drop in the ocean. We in the rich world can do a lot to save the environment
and wildlife in Malaysia and Indonesia by demanding organic plantations.

This would help both the rural population and the wildlife, especially the endangered Orangutans.

Help them keep their home

Rest of my cycling south and to Pekan at the eastcoast was quite easy but very hot and humid. No problems to pitch up my tent and the roads was good.
Malaysia seems to be investing in tourism.
I passes several new hotel and tourism resorts and I understand them because it is a nice country to stay in. No problems with language communication, good beaches, nature experiences and nice people.

The fact that I have the rainforest all around me is hard to avoid. Some road signs let me know.

 These lovely animals crawl around and they are not cuddly.

A typical river., But one thing is for sure, I don’t want to swim here.

What kind of snake is it I dont know

Green and denst rainforset with palmoil plantation

Malysia is also a muslim country. No problems finding mosques

Late afternoon I cycled into Pekan and I already has planned to stay here two nights. Found a cheap hoteL
middle of town and by the Pahang river.
Firts thing I did after checked in was to jump into the shower.

Tomorrow rest day and I will search for a shoemaker.

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See Yeah later
// P-G, The Global Cyclist

January 25

Time for me to leave this highlands for  lower part of Malysia. My plan is to cycle souhteast to Pekan and then by the coastline to Johor Baharu, the border control into Singapore.

At 7,30 am I sitting ouside the hotel at the bar and eating breakfast, sausage, white beans, toasts, juice and black coffe. The weather forcast has told  sun will shine during forenoon but then cloudy but no rain.
First 15 km mostly downwards and the road down to Ringlet is lined with several places that offer tea drinking, tea buying, beekeeping visits and the mountainsides covered with tea plantations.

no matter where I look, green fields of tea plantations everywhere or dense rainforest.

 It´s green everywhere and surrandings are more than beautiful, it´s breathtaking! After almost an hour I heading Ringlet. Here I turn left against Sungao Koyan on road 102.
The teaplantations has been replaced with huge of flowernurseries, mountain slopes are covered with plastic-roofed greenhouses, km after km. Trucks leaving and loaded with flowers, probably for export.

The geography is still downhill, but there are many small, short uphills to fight. Late afternoon, around 4 pm I stopped outskirt center of Sungai Koyan at a small bar for evening dinner, rice, chicken, vegestable but no beer. Here is it muslim tradition to follow. When I left is was still around 30 °C in the air and very humid. Another 15 km before I pitch up my tent beside the road.

Before I sleept I pick up a halfcold beer from my foodbag, drank it and then listning at a downloaded radioprogran, ”era of the spies”
Falling into sleep very fast

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See Yeah Later

//P-G, The Global Cyclist

After almost 7 weeks on island Penag and George Town its time to go further, southeast heading Cameron Highland.

My bicycle is up to date, new tyres and rear cassette and I also bought my self a pair of new bicycle shoes.

The other shoes had done their job, almost 20000 km, so it was time for new fresh shoes This is my last picture from George Town, and I’m ready for new rigours.

 After almost 7 weeks it was time to head southeast

To cross Strait of Malacca to mainland I’ve two options, both includes bridges. The Penang Bridge is a heavily trafficked bridge and it leads to Butterworth, but there is also another bridge. About 17 km south Gerorge Town a new bridge, Penang Second Bridge (Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah Bridge) opend 2014 and it leads across the Straits and about 30 km south of Butterworh.

It also seems to be more  nice and safer to ride on. Is a dual carriageway bridge with separate lane for MC  and bicycles. 24 km long and 17 km over water. Longest bridge in Malaysia and the second longest in Southeast Asia.

24 km long and separated lane for me and my bicycle,and there was little traffic

Good Enviromental News From Malaysia
Due to my concern about the deforestation of the rainforest for oil palm plantations, Malaysia announces that they will not allow anymore oil palm plantations and that they will protect 50% of the rainforest.

Photograph by Matthias Klum, Nat Geo Image Collection

Perhaps the protests against the deforestation of the rainforest begin to pay off! I’m keeping my fingers crossed that it’s true

See Yeah Later
// P-G, The Global Cyclist
Member of Green Parti, Sweden  

The news shows and reports on the unusual tropical storm ”Pabuk” that hit southern Thailand. The meteorological department said the storm had maximum sustained winds of 47 mph or 21 m/s when it made land shortly after noon, but Malaysia is lucky and Pabuk will only touch the island of Penang which I have nothing against.

Pabuk storm is coming over Penang

It’s not a good time to be outside right now…

In the afternoon, I’m down by one of the beaches and saw the approaching storm coming in and it was rainin heavily on the mainland. Time to
go home.
Down here rainy weather is usually intense and I dont have an umbrella, but does not last very long!

See Yeha Later
// P-G, The Global Cyclist

24/12 – 3/1 2019

My fever has subsided but I still have pain in the body, neck, and upper back. Instead, I’ve suffered from some kind of nausea and dizziness.

New Year’s Eve was not great, I lay most of the day thinking about whether I would get sick to my stomach as well. In addition, the New Year’s celebration does not seem to be a high priority here. No fireworks or festivities.

My plan was to restar my journey january 1 but I change my mind.

I have checked out my planned route  from George Town on Pulau Pinang to  Pekan on east coast and then down to Singapore. Covering a distance of 900 km.  This route also include a tour up to Tanah Rata, Cameron Highlands,  a popular tourist attraction, especial the tea farms, mossy forest.
Cameron Highlands, ia located 1,500 meters above sea level

Route George Town – Tanah Rata – Mersing – Singapore

Tea plantation up in the Cameron Highlands

To day is Thursday January 3 and I am still left in George Town. I dont feel any stress since I have 90 days to stay in Malaysia before I need a VISA.
I don´t want to start to early and risk that I get a relapse of the fever.

See Yeah Later
// P-G, The Global Cyclist