The act of cycling is repetative.
Push with the right foot.
Breath.
Push with the left.
Sip water.
Shift upwards, shift back down.
Over and over for 50, 60, 90 km.
Our days also become repetitive in nature. We have a routine that we abide by. Wake up early enough to watch the sun rise and catch a cool, peaceful hour before the sun gets high and traffic begins to thicken. It's during this time that you can be alone with your thoughts and get in sync with your bike, a rhythm that is both calming and satisfying. Every two hours, or so, rest in the shade. As the average temperature can hover around 33 Celsius during the day, and the temperature on the cycle computer telling us it feels more like 40, we have to be conscious of our core body temperatures. Squeeze lunch in at a roadside restaurant or stall at some point. If all goes well, we're in a place to escape the heat and have a cool shower by 13:00. And, of course, end the day with a good stretch.
In reality, this is all nothing but a good goal, and wishful thinking at best. So far, our itinerary has had us cycle vastly different distances from 20 km to 90km daily, and start at random times between 6:30 and 9:00. Whoops. Okay, we have to give ourselves some credit, we only just started this trip. The only thing that seems consistent is the fact that we're spent after each day. Even if we don't end up cycling vast distances, the mental exhaustion of exploring and understanding a new culture is a challenge. Not top mention it's hot.
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| The Malaysian versoin of a lemonade stand! Juice made from Jambu, simialr to a pear. |
Malaysians seem to be quite friendly, but also quite conservative as the majority of the population is Muslim, but they too have funny quirks that are emerging with everyday. As we cycle, we receive honks, whistles and thumbs up. It seems to be some sort of encouragement, however, Alyssa is still not convinced they're not taking the piss. We're told this will increase in Thailand. Awesome.
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| The rare glimpse of the beach. But the clouds were normal |
The Malaysians are also not afraid to stare....and stare...and stare. Alyssa was at first concerned that it was her clothing, as she cycles in lycra shorts during the hot days. However, after purchasing a sarong and seeing other women in tank tops and mid-thigh shorts, Alyssa and Matt are convinced it is just them. Whether they are trying to pay at a restaurant, cycling or walking down the street, all eyes seem to follow them. But that's not to say they aren't friendly. Many folks speak some English and help best they can. The women are particularly friendly.
The food here is cheap and plentiful, and delicious; although Alyssa's mother wouldn't touch any of it with a 12 foot pole. We enjoy self-serve restaurants that serve rice, fish, several curries, and fantastic veggies, and Matt can actually get full. A typical meal costs us $2.50 USD per person (includes drink). All of our accommodation so far has air-con, fresh sheets and towels and our own bathroom, plus plenty of space for our bikes in the rooms. The cost is typically 50 Malaysian Ringgits, or $8 USD per person. This makes Matt very happy.Malaysians also like to use Western utensils, but have given the heave-hoe to the knife and use only spoon and fork (taking on the role of knife, or maybe the other way around?)
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| Cows in the road!! |
The weather so far is hot, have we mentioned this? It's also the monsoon season, so we've been prepared to get wet. Our rain jackets are forever in reach. But we've been lucky, cloudy and overcast, but little rain. The weather is expected to rain heavily for most of the day, with intermittent breaks in rain. Instead, in the afternoons, we ride with little cloud cover and a beating sun. Rain comes usually at night, but dries up by morning. The news that some towns had to evacuate residence because of flooding was worrisome, but we kept cycling. Yards were under water, but people still go along as if there property had always been a small body of water.
We are continuing to head north on Hwy 3 to Kota Bahru.
Favorite Moments So Far:
1) At the border crossing, Alyssa misplaced her passport, only to find it in a zipper pocket of her camelback.
2) Matt's tire shooting out a large stone, hitting a moving car's passenger door. The car braked, then continued driving.
3) Seeing lots of wildlife including, but not limited to: monkeys, water moniters, Tucans (and possibly one Tucan't), and cool little frogs
4) Trying Durian, a fruit that Alyssa can only describe as very weak garlic with a fruity taste and a creamy, rich texture.
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| Durian Fruit |
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