Tough cycling to Tanah Rata

The road continues fairly flat but the plantations of oil palms and bananas remain. I also see started oil palm plantations and it doesn’t look nice.

Eventually after 35 km I arrive at Simpang Pulaj and there I stop just after the exit at a street bar. It seems very popular because it is almost full and the staff runs shuttles between the tables, the kitchen and the dishes.

I was´nt  hungry but coffee and two ice–filled glasses of Cameron Highland tea, which tasted lovely in the heat.

Then off and now the heat has come to some kind of peak, because it feels like you’re sitting in front of a fireplace and also the climb begins and it becomes both to work uphill with the pedals and to steer the bike uphill when it’s steepest.

I had planned to fill up with water in the next village, Pos Slim but for some reason I miss the turn–off.

 

It will be to continue to fight uphill and my thoughst and hope is that there will be some small stall along the road where I can fill up or buy water. Unfortunately I am disappointed, not a single village or shop and I do not have much water left, barely half a liter.

After 50 km I arrive at a waterfall, Sinju Fall, river Raya and I park the bike at the guardrail and walk down towards the waterfall. I sit down at the edge of the stream on some rocks and take off everything except my shorts and T–shirt and crawl into the water which despite the current was quite warm.

Here I sit for probably half an hour and enjoy the surroundings and the cooling off before I get on my Long Haul Trucker for more climbing upwards!

Half past three the rain comes, not much but a little more than drizzle and it feels liberating. The heat drops drastically The heat drops drastically which I do not oppose.

The road continue upwards km after km, not very steep but still upwards. The heat and humidity force me to do some small stops.
At one of these I get a tip from to guys, roadworkes to fill water from a pipe that water flows from the rock. First I was suspicious but the water looks very clean, tastes good and I was in dire need of refilling my bottles so I’m taking a chance.

After replenishing, I just have to continue the diabolical climb uphill and unfortunately there are also few places where I can camp.

An opportunity arises after one of many slopes, an electric power station that is open and has paved surfaces. This place will fit my needs I thought.

I steered the bike in and was just about to lock the bike to one of the masts stanchion when I discover that the place is a giant haunt for spiders.
No small spiders either, some are dm big, and many they are also, maybe a hundred of them.

I left the place quickly to find a less spider–popular spot. The surroundings especially on my left side just get more and more powerful and the mists from the rain rising up towards the mountain tops make it a bit dramatic views.

 

Next attempt at a large green area above the road where there are also a number of small houses, mostly similar to barracks, but with some nice green areas around but two old ladies and an elderly gentleman just waving their hands in the negative and I understand that they do not want any tented Scandinavians.

It is now just after half past six and it is hurrying to find a suitable place before darkness falls, but it does not look good.

On the right side of the road only slopes upwards and dense rainforest, on the left it plunges straight down hundreds of meters. The small green area that exists is occupied by the road barriers.

Just before 6 pm I saw two distance signs, one on the left side and the other on the opposite side and here there is room for my tent and the sign pole will be perfect to lock up for my bike.

The problem was to take the bike from the road down into the ditch and up the other side, it will be difficult but it is possible.

At 7 pm my tent was pitched up, a half–cold beer and two loaves of bread with sausages. Then I plug in the earbuds as usual and listen to one of many downloaded SR programs.

My program of choice tonightis about a gang, the Blekingegade gang in Denmark that belongs to KAK, Kommunistisk Arbejdskreds that carries out lots of mail robberies to send the money to the PFLP, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

Outside, the trucks thunder past and I could hear that it’s hard for them too. I’ve set the alarm for 07:15 because tomorrow will also be pretty hard. Have about 40 km left to Cameron Highland and to the top of the mountain.