BLOG – Sida 6 – The Global Cycling 1726 Around The World Journey

Singapore and Chinese New Year!

February 4

If getting through the border control was easy and hassle-free, getting into the city was a different story. Not my day!

Highways, highways, and highways, Maps.Me counted thirteen of them, none of them allowed cycling and my GPS was not working optimally.

Cycling is not allowed on the Highway Express so I was ”picked up” by the tow truck!!

I naively thought they would give me a ride to the city center, but no such luck! They found an exit on the side and dropped me off there.

Now I was completely lost. Google Maps offered some help, but after another half an hour or so without even finding a bus and it was almost black dark outside so I had to ask for help at a small airport.

I asked them to call for taxi and also gave them instruction to notify the cab driver that I had a bicycle with panniers. After half an hour the taxi showed up.It was a van so there where no probs to load my bicycle. 25 minutes later he drove into the chinese part of Singapore.

The traffic was anything but sparse—cars, pedestrians, and tourists were everywhere. It was pure chaos. The taxi driver dropped me off a few blocks from Temple Street, my hotel street.

– I can’t drive any further,” he said.
– It’s Chinese New Year, to much people. Just follow the street and look to the right.

We unloaded the bike, and I carried on. Above me hung banners, flags, and colorful lanterns. Pigs in all sorts of shapes and forms were everywhere. For the Chinese, this is the Year of the Pig.

I couldn’t help but be fascinated by the festivities that had just begun.

When I finally found my street, I realized that getting to the hotel, just 500 meters away, would be a challenge.
I had never seen so many people on a single street at the same time—three people per square meter, and there
I was, with my bike loaded with five bags.

Temple street in evening. The street was packed with people.Imagine me with a bike loaded with five packed
bags who is trying to get ahead!

I squeezed through the throngs of tourists, I caught a strong smell, which turned out to be the fruit durian, also known as the ”king of fruits.”

Many people found this smell is pleasant sweet fragance. I wasn´t none of them👎. For me it was overpowering and unpleasant

Durian fruit, also called ”king of fruits” Very popular in Southeast Asia, especially China (Foto: Sadiq Asyraf/AP/TT)

It took me 45 minutes to find my hotel, Beds Dreams Inn. Inchecking easy and quick. Got a bed in a 4 bed-room on the bottom floor. My bicycle I locked up with a wire outside under entrance roof. My bags I could take into the room.

Today distance	177,1 km	Travel time	06:16 h.m	Total time	12:29:06 h.m
Max speed	46,2 km/h	Medium speed	14,5 km/h
Max temp	44,0 °C	Average temp	35,5 °C	Min temp	27,0 °C

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

By The Global Cyclist 1726|2025-01-18T21:58:57+00:00februari 6th, 2019|Singapore, SouthEast Asia|0 Comments

Leaving Malaysia for Singapore

This is my last day in Malaysia, if nothing unexpected comes up, touch wood! my plan is to reach Singapore and my hotel on Temple Street late this afternoon.
The sun is shining from an almost clear sky and it is hot and very humid. I did a short stop and break when I saw a sign for bee farm, only 2 km from mainroad.

Entrance to the bee farm, Milik Penuh Mersing Bee farm Mersing

I was guiden around the bee farm by this smiling man.
The guide says each hive produces about 10 kg per month, about 2 kg per frame.

The road AH18 looks like this long stretches. Oilpalms plantations on both sides

After this break I continue my journey south. Quite easy cycling but I notice some strange noise when I try to put more force on the pedals, but I couldn´t see anything strange.

17-20 km after Jemaluang I get a response to the strange noises, suddently I lost every power , the chain has broken. Unfortunately, I have any chain lock left and my spare link can’t be found either. I had to steer the bike to the next small town to find a bike repair shop or a bus to Johor Baharu, but without success.

Two elderly men in a repair shop offer me a ride to his home village a few km away to get help with my problem.

Accept the offer. We drove off and they stopped for lunch and paid mine.

The help they talked about wasn’t worth much. While I was looking the other way, the so-called repairman assembled the chain without pulling it through the derailleur.

The nearest bike repair shop was in Singapore so the only thing left to do now was to hop on a bus from the nearest village to Joho Baharu and from there find a way to my hotel in Singapore.

Phew what a day

In Kota Tinggi I bought a bus ticket to Johor Baharu bordercontrol, nearly 40 km. Then I had to steer my my ”bike crew” through the control.

Zero problem to pass through, pretty fast.

Now I will cross the Johor Strait, a 1.1 km wide road then I’m in my Singapore, my 18th country om this journey!!

Johor–Singapore Causeway over Johor straits

There were also no probs to pass through the Singaporian passcontrol. My biggest problem now is how to get to the Chinese part of Singapore, where I have booked a hotel room.

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

By The Global Cyclist 1726|2025-01-18T21:56:50+00:00februari 5th, 2019|Malaysia, SouthEast Asia|0 Comments

Diving and Aquatic Varan

My second day on the island of Pulau Tioman is just nothing to write about, sleeps late, eats breakfast and strolls around among the few shops that are here. Tekek, the main village actually has only one street, where almost every shop, bar, restaurant and rental/tourism company is located. Tekek has also a very small airport, and a bank, but no problem to use creditcards.

Tekek mainstreet

Pulau Tioman Airport,is not large, slightly smaller than Schiphol’s complex in Amsterdam

Sunset at my corel reef beach

Tomorrow I had bought a speed boat tour, for bath and diving with snorkel.

Good Night
// P-G, The Global Cyclist

I woke up half past seven, walk some fifty meter to breakfast room for fried eggs and rice, toast butter and cheese and before I left
black coffe.
The speed boat leaves halv past nine from the marinan, 10 minutes walk from my cottage room. Marina from where all speed boats leaves

The weather is perfect, no to warm and some wind.
We are 10-11 person, most from Malaysia but also three girls from Germany. We stops at some popular beaches for snorkling and bath.

Just befor my first snorkel diving

The snorkeling equipment is provided by the tour operator. I haven´t snorkle much before so it will so it takes a little bit of practice to find the technique and rhythm in your breathing, but then a whole new world appears under the surface. Lots of colerful fishes and corals.

My first underwater photo

Some of the girls bring slices of bread that they fed the fishesd with, they acte like flies on a suguar cube. It was cool to swim in the middle of a school of fish.

Before our lunch at a popular diving-and beach bay, Salang Village we had some more stops for diving. The water is clear and there are lots of colorful fish around all the time. Feels like you are swimming in an aquarium.

A very popular beach, especially for scuba divers.

Here we stay for an hour for lunch before we head a little further north around a small island that is a bit out to sea.

This island is not allowed to go ashore as it is home to some Varanas, but we did get to see one or two wandering in a leisurely rocking walk on the small beach that existed.

Aquatic Varan. Has been regular on main island before, but now has been moved to an separate and empty island

Some years ago these varanas was quite common on main island and Tekek, they become to ”friendly” because the tourist fed them. So they decided to move them to an emty island.

Halv past three we where back at marinan and I was quite satisfied. Back to my cottageroom for a quick shower to get rid of all the salt. The late dinner a some cold beer

Tomorrow I need to get up early, the ferry boat back to mainland, Mersing departs 7 am

Good Night
// P-G, The Global Cyclist

By The Global Cyclist 1726|2025-01-11T22:53:19+00:00februari 4th, 2019|Malaysia, SouthEast Asia|0 Comments

Our routs splits and ferryboat to Pulau Tioman

After our lunch Marcus join me to the ferry terminal and from here our paths diverge.

Mersing ferry harbor terminal

Fishermans harbor in Mersing

The ferry leaves 5 pm so little more than an hour to by a ticket and a cup of coffe. There are quite a lot of people waiting for the ferry.60 RM (130 SEK) coast the ferry ticket for Bluewater Ferry and the journey takes about 1.5 to 2 hours depending on the weather and tide conditions.

Bluewater ferry

Bluewater ferry

Ferry Route Mersing – Tekek, Pulau Tioman

Vädret är mulet but warm and it also blows from the sea, the waves have white backs and the ferry has good speed, about 17 knots.

Just before half past eight, after four stops on the island, I get off at the seaside resort of Tekek, which is also something of a capital on the island.

After about half an hour of searching, I find a cheap hotel complex, Coral Reef, which consists of small cottages instead of hotel rooms and the beach is only about ten meters away.

My room at Corral Reef cottage. It was cheap in many way

After a shower in semi–cold but refreshed shower water, I head to the only street there is and enter a Chinese restaurant.

I was hungry like a wolf and order fried rice and a meat dish called Sizzling Iron Plate according to the menu and it tastes delicious.

Before I head back to my little cottage I bought a large Coke with me because what the camping has to offer they have tripled up the price a little too much.

Good Night
// P-G, The Global Cyclist

By The Global Cyclist 1726|2025-01-10T21:52:18+00:00februari 2nd, 2019|General, Malaysia, SouthEast Asia|0 Comments

Meeting with Marcus from Canada

Last day in January 2019

I get up halv past eight, short shower and then breakfast. Packing the bike with my panniers and returns a small bag with remotecontrols för TV and aircondition. Had deported 50 ringgit for that.
09:40 I´m sitting on my SLHT heading south. The weather is quite cool for Southeast Asia, the sun is behinde some clouds, I have tailwind and the traffic is sparse.
After 20 km I see a touring biker coming from right, that he is a touring cyclist, I can tell from his bike and panniers. He has same model as my self, a Surley Long Haul Trucker.

Marcus, new bucycle friend from Canada with father from Estonia

We stop and starting a chat, his name is Marcus and his surname sound like he came from Finland…
– No, the name came from my father, he is an Estonian and my mom from UK and my self is canadian he said
We desided to do company to Mersing, a medium-sized city smal around 130 km south.

The road is mostley flat and still the traffic is sparse.

Backpacker place with cheap and cosy room to rent

My selt in front of a wall painting in Kuala Rompin

We spent a night in a cheap 2 star hotel in Kuala Rompin

Today distance	87,4 km	Travel time	04:21 h.m	Total time	06:04 h.m
Max speed	28,3 km/h	Medium speed	20,1 km/h
Max temp	58,0 °C	Average temp	38.7 °C	Min temp	21,0 °C

I wake up to the Huawei alarm that sounds at 06.15, outside it’s pitch black but the traffic and especially the motorcycles are on the way.
After the shower I’m a breakfast of yogurt, bread and sliced cheese.
Then I carry the stuff down and load the bike that is just as I had put it the night before among baskets with dirty laundry and hung and washed sheets.

After some km Marcus stops for his breakfast ata roadside bar. I order Roti Tellur and a coffe. We have tailwind most of the time and Marcus keeping up the pace, 22-25 km/h. In Padang Endau we turn left and cycling after a small road closer to ocean, it´s winding but cozy to ride on.

In many places along the road small houses or cottages, often empty but signs says these are beach resorts, mostly for Malaysian. Foregin tourist prefer the island outside here.

We stops at one of these to refill our water bottles with ice and water. After another 10 -12 km Marcus stops at a top of a hill och pick up a little fun thing from his pannier, I want to get, a droner.

He configures it so that it automatically follows us when we later set off. The road is scenic, no plantations, just green rainforest and on the left side also large mountains that are also covered in green.

Marcus droner shows us cycling

Typical village between Endau and Mesing

The closer we got to Mersing, the more deforestation for oil plantations we saw.

Here will soon oil plantations starts

Few hours later, just after half past one we both cycling over river Sungai Mersing and entering Mersing and our routs will split. Marcus will visit a friend of his and I had planned for a ferry trip over to isle Puala Tioman. Before we split we shared a easy lunch at a bar middle of town. I order Fish and Chips andf Marcus Mongolian Lamb dish

The ferry departs at 5 pm and we say goodbye to each other after two cycling days together, although who knows, maybe we’ll see you in Borneo. If Markus only finds a sailboat, he will go across. He has one goal with his journey now and that is to avoid engines. I him for that

Today distance	74,7 km	Travel time	03:56 h.m	Total time	09:22 h.m
Max speed	40,5 km/h	Medium speed	19,0 km/h
Max temp	54,0 °C	Average temp	35,9 °C	Min temp	28,0 °C

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

By The Global Cyclist 1726|2025-01-06T00:50:58+00:00januari 31st, 2019|Malaysia, SouthEast Asia|0 Comments

The biggest market in Pekan. Here you can find something to eat, buy some clothes,
repair your shoes and trousers, fix your hairstyle, makeup stores, and you name it!

I sleppt until 10 a.m, eat some breakfast and then packing my backpack with my shimano shoes and head to the shoemaker I found yesterday inside a large market building, Bazar Muhibbah.
At the front of the toe cap there is an incipient small opening that could collect dirt, sand and gravel and then there is a risk that the shoes will not last long.
An old man with big smile took a short look at my shoes and said….
– I´ll fix it, come back after lunch.

I walked back into the city center and drop in at a cafe, checked tomorrow’s bike route south. Before I turned back to the shoemaker I also bought bread, yoghurt and sausages in a supermarket.

When I get back to the cobbler, my shoes are ready on the counter. For his job he wants 15 ringgit (MYR), about 32-33 SEK.

While the shoes were at the shoemaker’s, the seamstress in the store next door had fixed my cycling pants. At the left leg the seam had released around the reinforcement band so now it is also fixed.

– How much for your help I asked her?
– Free for You she replied with a great smile

Rest of the day I just walk about in the city and did nothing…

Through Pekan floats Pahang River

In Malaysia they have roules where is´t OK to smoke. In this public park it´s forbidden. If you are caught
with smoking, a fine for 10 000 MYR or imprionsment for two years

Muzium Masjid Sultan Abdullah. Beautiful and huge mosque which has been renovated into a museum.

…and on my way back to my hotel I stopped at a Take Away bar for a Roti Tellur.

Roti is a type of Indian flatbread made using different flours. It is a staple food in many parts of South Asian countries.
Taste lovely

At 11 pm I thought it was time to go to bed. Fifty-six miles (90 km) on the bike tomorrow requires being a bit rested!. I put the earbuds in my ear and listen to SR.
Fell into sleep quite fast. Tomorrow a bike trip by the coastline to Kula Rompin

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

By The Global Cyclist 1726|2025-01-05T00:36:08+00:00januari 30th, 2019|General, Malaysia, SouthEast Asia|0 Comments

Palmoil plantations

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.

Riau, Indonesia, Palmolja, Plantage, Indonesien

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. Malaysia is an Islam country, sunni, but constitutionally a secular state. Therefore, other religions can be practiced legally, although religious freedom is still limited in Malaysia.

Al Makmur Mosque, a modern designed mosque outside Kuantan

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

Late afternoon I cycled into Pekan and I already has planned to stay here two nights.

One of three main entrances to Pekan

Found a cheap hotel, Pekan Budget Hotel middle of town and by the Pahang river.Only 200 meters to city center.

My room at 2 star Pekan Budget Hotel

Firts thing I did after checked in was to jump into the shower. Tomorrow rest day and I will search for a shoemaker.

[/fusion_text]

Today distance	113,2 km	Travel time	06:37 h.m	Total time	08:55 h.m
Max speed	43,8 km/h	Medium speed	16,7 km/h
Max temp	41,0 °C	Average temp	32.2 °C	Min temp	24,0 °C

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

By The Global Cyclist 1726|2025-01-05T00:24:54+00:00januari 28th, 2019|Malaysia, SouthEast Asia|0 Comments

Leaving Cameron Highland and Tanah Rata for heading southeast

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.

Foto av en led från Julie Clémentine Godard med titeln Gelung Gunung Jasar - Cameron Tea House

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

[/fusion_text]

Today distance	110,4 km	Travel time	06:08 h.m	Total time	08:30 h.m
Max speed	54,4 km/h	Medium speed	18,0 km/h
Max temp	47,0 °C	Average temp	35.3 °C	Min temp	21,0 °C

See Yeah Later

//P-G, The Global Cyclist

By The Global Cyclist 1726|2024-12-28T23:30:29+00:00januari 26th, 2019|Malaysia, SouthEast Asia|0 Comments

Up to Mount Brinchang, Mossy Forest and Tea Plantations

Cameron Highland and Tanah Rata is just over 1500 meters above sea level and the top of the mountain that I am going up to is 400 meters just over higher up.

The road up to the top goes from the foot of the mountain at Brinchang and it is described that it should be paved but it is a truth with great modification. Many holes and cracks and landslides have meant that the road in many places is barely passable.

After all the way up you pass tea plantations in masses but there are also other cultivations, mostly vegetables. Green, green everywhere and for every meter you ascend it gets colder, but apparently never below 5 °C.

The sun has not had time to warm up the air very much at this time in the morning and probably won’t do so today either because the clouds don’t seem to want to separate very much.

At the top of Mount Brinchang 2031 m.a.s.l, there is a raw mist and the temperature fluctuates between 13 and 15 0 °C. It feels cool up here on the mountain, the area is called Mossy Forest and you understand that when you see the rainforest.

It is dense and in some places impenetrable, the trees are overgrown with green and soft moss and since you let nature have its own life, it is risky to walk along the path.

Up here its cool and misty and untouched nature

Pitcher’s plant is a carnivorous plant, also called the ”poor man’s condom”

You are advised not to deviate from the trail as it leads to the vegetation being trampled down and dying and thus threaten the entire rainforest area. Up here, it is also forbidden to hunt.

It’s magical, downright magical to walk along the path. The trees, plants and bushes grow as if inside each other.

The trees up here are huge

In order not to fall along the muddy path, you have to hold on to trees and branches because it is not a footbridge exactly. Unfortunately, the raw mist prevents showing the view down to the valley.

Around noon we headed down to t he tea plantations ,Boh Tea Plantation it lies further down and most of them are located along the mountain slopes. Cameron Highlands is known for its tea plantations and up here there is also a tea factory that takes care of the tea leaves.

Boh Tea Plantations, green so far you can see, Beautiful Cameron Highland, Malaysia

Rows of tea bushes soon ready to be harvested

Only the light green leaves are harvested, and they grow at the top of the bush. The dark ones are allowed to return to Earth.

The leaves do not smell of tea, you have to crush the leaves between the palms of your hands to be able to smell a faint scent of leaves or leaves but absolutely no tea smell.

Green tea is from leaves that have been dried in the sun and then the drying process is quick. The taste will be smooth. Black tea is dried without sun and together with the tea leaf process, takes longer and then the taste is also stronger.

The tea flavors are obtained through the process that after drying, grinding, sorting that the tea leaves go through From the thinnest and greenest leaves, ”white tea” is made, but then you have to handpick these and the price is then relatively high. Otherwise, you use a machine that two people stand on either side of the tea bush row hold and move forward.

White tea leaves, must be handpicked and the price will be high by that reason

On the steepest slopes it becomes too heavy and then you use large scissors to grab the tea leaves. Most of the tea workers live nearby in small houses and they earn about 2000 RmMyr per month, or just under 4400 SEK (2019)

Among all the green tea bush rows there are also less pleasant creatures. A green snake that they call Viper snake, and it is very venomous and all workers wear special gloves, sleeve guards, pants and shoes.

Green Viper snake among tea Plantage, very hard to discover without help

a tree with angel trumpets

Before we left BOH Te plantation a vist at cafeteria and the shop.

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

By The Global Cyclist 1726|2024-11-18T11:59:13+00:00januari 24th, 2019|General|0 Comments

Tough ride to Tanah Rata, day two

January 22

I wake up when the alarm sounds and get ready for today’s climb, which I already know is mostly uphill among crooked but divinely beautiful roads.
It was a problem to take the bike back on the road, the slope of the ditch was higher on this side and I had to invoke all the forces that existed.

Then get on the bike and pedal on, slowly, slowly and have to steer the bike between the worst hills.

About 6–7 km here Kampung Raja, the sign shows that I should turn right towards Cameron Highland. Now I get terrible downhill slopes instead, some are on the verge of dangerous.The area I am now in consists instead of rainforest of hundreds of gigantic tents that in some cases occupy an entire valley. There are nurseries for all kinds of plants, vegetables and fruits.
It actually looks a bit grotesque with all these tents. The places are called for example Lavender valley, Rose valley etc.

All the way up to Tanah Rata plant nurseries galore

After a few good downhill runs, I get to climb again and the communities appear at regular intervals and I reach Brinchang, Cameron Highland’s second largest city after a tiring climb.

I seriously consider staying here but decide to continue up to Tanah Rata, the largest town in Cameron Highland. After a tiring climb of about 3 km, I arrive at Tanah Rata which means, flat ground in Malay.

Now I’m at the top of Cameron Highland, and if you stay after the main road and it feels liberating then I know that down to Pekan on the east coast it’s mostly downhill or completely flat.

When I arrive, the sun is shining and the thoroughfare is jam–packed with cars. The hotels are standing like rods on the hill and I walk into Plamters Hotel which is located by the thoroughfare and booked three nights.

I’ve planned to visit the surroundings which are more beautiful than all the beautiful things I’ve seen in a long time, that’s three nights.

I also have time to perceive that there are plenty of tourists here but never show up at anyone who speaks Swedish.

If I’m tired?… Completely exhausted, I feel like an empty, damp bag that is crumpled up and even though the heat today has been like a Swedish high summer day only.