98 km

We woke fairly early and were on the road at 7:00. It was cool and breezy, and felt so much better than any time the day before. We had cycled 35 km before noon, when it started getting hot and humid. Most of the day’s ride was through rolling hills of palm oil plantations. Almost no real jungle was left. In several places we saw newly-cleared hillsides looking stark against the surrounding green, and rows of baby palm trees lined each terrace. It made us think of those monkeys we saw the day before. How long until they have no place left to swing and play and eat? We also noticed a stark difference between the little patches of jungle and the plantations: one radiated with sounds of birds and other animals and the other was silent.

We arrived in Mersing and found a cheap hotel for 30 RM (Malaysian Ringgit), about ten US dollars. There were several in this price bracket, though the ones in our guide book were closed at the time. No big deal, you come to expect the same things soon enough when you’re traveling on a budget: small room, and an all-in-one bathroom that has the shower coming out of the wall right in the middle of the wee room. Sometimes you have a bucket to flush the toilet. The places we’ve seen so far are clean and tidy, but this kind of bathroom takes a little adjustment. We could obviously pay more for a little better room, but even paying twice or three times as much gets you the same sort of room, just a nicer looking one.

We ate dinner and discussed the options ahead of us: continue to head North on the coast or take a ferry out to Pulau Tioman. We knew we didn’t want to stay in Mersing, a busy, noisy little city.

69 km

Today we were riding through rolling hills sometimes covered in patches of jungle, though mostly through palm-oil plantations. As we were coming down through a hilly jungle area we saw some animals crossing the road ahead. As we got closer, we realized they were monkeys. Monkeys! They scattered to the side and we stopped and saw that they were on either side. They kept a pretty good distance, and when Dave took out his camera they seemed to get shy all of a sudden. None of them wanted to get close enough for a shot, and Dave doesn’t have his zoom lens on this trip. So we had to be content with watching them sit and stare at us and crash and swing through the jungle. Later we saw huge wild pigs run across the road. I didn’t really want to get close to them, they seemed like they would barge right through whether a bike was passing or not.

We got to Sedili Kechil faster than we thought; we had expected to ride about 90k. That was good, since it was so hot and the heat made the kilometers feel like miles. We decided we’d have to start getting up early and ride as the sun comes up, otherwise the heat would make it much less enjoyable.

We stopped at a small market and drank a liter of (cold!) juice, then went back in for ice cream. It was so hot! So humid! It felt hotter than Singapore, so we were glad to have had a few days there to adjust before riding.

We stopped in at the Sedili Country Resort to have a look around. There were rustic cabins for 90 Ringgit (about US $30) and camping available for 22 Ringgit. The owner, who introduced herself as Jackie, and her adopted son of about 4, Zackie, were full of life and smiles as they showed us around. We chose to camp, as there was a beautiful park-like center to the place with ocean views and breezes. It was still the off-season, so the restaurant was not running like usual, but Jackie kindly offered to drive us back to the little market to buy stuff for dinner and she would cook for us. How nice! The four of us jumped in her truck.

We bought some fish and green beans, and Jackie said she had rice. We went back to the resort and set up camp and took showers, then joined Jackie in the kitchen. She showed us how to prepare the fish and beans, explaining as she directed us to help and she cooked. The meal was fantastic, and we sat and talked in the outdoor dining area until late. We discovered that Jackie is a Malaysian princess, and Zackie is her 20th child, most of them having been adopted. Zackie called us auntie and uncle, wanted to tell us everything, and wanted to camp outside with us. We heard stories of their lives in this beautiful place, as well as heard some advice for the road ahead. It was an unexpected and wonderful evening.

Zackie says hi!

That night we slept under a nearly full moon to the distant sounds of the ocean waves.

Recipe:

Fish
Clean and de-scale the fish
In a blender, mix a few cloves of garlic, some chillies, a handful of turmeric and some salt.
In a large bowl, coat and mix the fish with the paste and let sit for a while.
In a large wok, heat up some oil to very hot. With tongs, drop the fish in and do not turn the oil down. Jackie says the hotter the oil, the less it is soaked up by the fish and the crispier it will be.

Beans
Wash and snap the beans to remove the string
Cut the beans diagonally to 1-2 inches length
In a mortar (or food processor) pound/mix some onion, garlic, chillies, prawn paste, salt
Heat the mixture in some oil, stirring a bit, then drop in the beans
Cook a couple of minutes, then add coconut milk. (Jackie made it fresh from coconut, but I’m sure a can would do)

Serve fish and beans with rice.

47 km

While we were eating breakfast, Dave decided to get the laptop out and see how the Packers’ playoffs game was going (we had unlimited wireless at the hostel). We ended up getting hooked on watching the play-by-play field animation and notes and stayed in the hostel until the game was over. Sadly, they lost in overtime. Darn! We decided we better get on the road, since it was already 11:30.

We rode South through the city again to the bike path that follows the coast to the East around the airport. This time the city part of the ride went even smoother, as we knew a bit more of where we were going. Once on the path, it was quiet and smooth sailing without all the weekend roller-bladers. We got to the boat dock at about 1:30 and had a snack, and got on the boat at 2:00. The passenger-only boats here are called bumboats. You step on the deck on the back and then step down about four steps to the inside, which has benches on either side for probably about ten passengers. There was only one other young man on the boat, and the boat driver helped get our bikes down inside. It was a really pleasant ride as Dave and stood on the steps in the back with our heads out in the breeze. The ride to the East coast of Malaysia took about an hour and was pretty smooth.

At the Malaysian dock our boat sidled up next to another boat that was tied to a third one next to the ladder. We had to get our bags and bikes across two boats and up the ladder to the dock. I was worried, but it all went very quickly and easily, with the driver and dock guys getting things right up to the dock with ease. They didn’t even knock the bike mirrors out of place.

Welcome to Malaysia – Dress Code for Cyclists

We then had a quick an easy check-in with immigration – a small office for a quiet entry port – and hopped on our bikes to start our Malaysian tour. Wee! We were on a very quiet country road in the humidity and heat with a complete change of scenery from Singapore: small shacks and fenced in compounds lined the road. I kept saying to Dave, “We’re in Malaysia! We’re in Malaysia!” This was my first international border crossing on a bike, and it was so easy. Here we were, riding along like it was no big deal. Kids were waving and shouting, “Hello!” and giggling, and it seemed everyone had somewhere to go, mostly riding scooters.

“We’re in Malaysia! Ohmygosh, we’re in Malaysia!”

Today was all about getting ready to start the actual bike touring. I got a much needed haircut, Dave gathered some snacks (a few bags of what we call Mysterious Crunchy Snacks, all from an Indian market and all full of spices and textures we haven’t found in the U.S.), we found a fuse for our power adapter, and we ate more South Indian food for lunch. Yes, we are thoroughly addicted to Indian food in this heaven called Little India.

We also had another evening of dinner plans to look forward to, this time with someone we hadn’t even met in person yet. There is a great website called Crazy Guy on a Bike (or CGOAB, as those involved refer to it). It is a site put together by a bike touring enthusiast who thought other bike tourers might like a place to keep their online journals and mingle in the virtual world. This is one of the most active communities I’ve been a part of online, and the people I’ve “met” are incredibly nice and helpful. There are members from all over the world posting bike touring trip journals and almost all the members also read a lot of the other journals on the site. I double-posted the Great Divide journal there and am posting this SE Asia tour as well.

That’s how we met Al. He lives in Singapore and has ridden many areas throughout Southeast Asia. He writes trip journals on CGOAB as well as travel stories for ThingsAsian.com and offered to answer any questions we might have and share advice for our trip. What a terrific opportunity!

Tonight, Al also brought along Brian, an American friend of his who has also traveled throughout the area and now lives in Singapore. Al took us to one of the best Indian restaurants in the area and we shared all kinds of new and familiar dishes while talking constantly about the trip and countries ahead of us. We had a blast talking with and learning from Al and Brian over the next three or so hours. We had one country map after another out on the table while Al blasted bits of information at us. I scribbled notes about places to stay, roads to take or avoid, places to be sure and see or skip. We also learned a lot about the different cultures and political situations of the countries we’ll be seeing. Once again we’re blown away at the hospitality, friendliness, and knowledge of Singaporeans. We couldn’t believe how helpful one evening could be.

Once we got back to the hostel we sorted through and re-packed our panniers so we’d be ready to go in the morning.

Today we slept in, ate a leisurely breakfast at the hostel and then got ourselves and our bikes ready for a ride. We decided to ride out to the ferry dock and take it to Palau Ubin, an island that is part of Singapore but not so developed.

It took a while to get our stuff together, find various odds and ends that got packed in weird places (like one of our bike computers), fill up on water, and get out. But we finally did, early in the afternoon. I was really dreading this ride, as we would have to ride through crazy-busy Singapore to get to a bike path that runs around the South/East part of the Island to the ferry. I was so nervous when we got our bikes out to the curb. Dave looks back at me and asked me if I was ready. “Sure,” I replied, not really meaning it.

This was the craziest riding I’ve ever done. I never rode before living in Flagstaff. I am glad to have had a few years of commuting experience, even if it was in such a bike-friendly and small place. It helped. Despite the fast pace and the multiple lanes of traffic and the scooters splitting lanes and the blaring Indian music and the pedestrians spilling into the streets and the DRIVING ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ROAD, we made it. It was busy, but it was all pretty orderly. I’m sure we’ll see much much crazier streets in Bangkok or elsewhere, but for now I’m pretty proud of us.

In fact, it was a really fun and totally beautiful day. The crazy part was just getting to and from the bike path along the coast. I didn’t notice the heat today because riding gives you a constant breeze. It rained a little and that cooled us off even more. There was a lot of shade from the trees along the bike path, and much of it was a park with locals and tourist all mingling on rented bikes and roller blades. Thousands of people were out enjoying the Saturday afternoon. By the time we got out to the ferry we decided it was too late to go out to the island, so we had a snack and headed back. We got started too late. But at least we could check the ferry schedule and scope it out for when we leave here on Monday. We’re taking the ferry up to the East side of Malaysia to enter the country in a quieter place than if we rode north from the city. It all looked good and we feel prepared. In all, we rode just under 4 hours – a good warm up for our tour.

All along the ride I just kept giggling to myself that we’re in ASIA riding our BIKES and it’s BEAUTIFUL and I can’t wait for more. I feel so lucky.

This morning Knik met us at our hostel at 10:00 ready to show us his town. We decided to take a walking tour, heading first to a Taoist temple, then a sculpture gallery in an old chapel, and the Singapore Art Museum, which is housed in the old mission school house built in 1852 – very old in Singapore time. They had an exhibit of their largest paintings, called The Big Picture. They decided these large paintings never get pulled out of storage for exhibits because they’re so cumbersome, so they had a show just for them. This is a modern art museum, and these pieces were made by artist from all over Southeast Asia. There were several pieces that I really enjoyed. This is a wonderful collection reflecting the many cultures and political situations of the region and I learned a lot from our guide and the art which will influence how I see the countries ahead.

Knik then took us to a vegetarian Chinese restaurant and asked if he could go ahead and order for us and we could share. This is the normal way for Chinese to eat out together, and I was so glad he suggested it. We had a variety of vegetable and tofu dishes as well as a big bowl of noodles. Everything was fresher and more complex than any Chinese food I’ve had in the U.S. Once again, we had an incredible conversation about Singapore and its people and the time flew by.

Both Knik and See Tho are true ambassadors for their country; both were frank, thoughtful and open. We get the idea that most Singaporeans are this way. I can’t believe how much we were able to learn from them in such a short visit. It has made touring this city much richer than it ever could have been left to us and our guidebook alone. Thank you both for your incredible hospitality!

Knik had to get to work, so he dropped us off in Chinatown before continuing on in the taxi. We then walked around, looking at the extra-festive shops getting ready for the Chinese New Year coming up in a couple of weeks. Then we walked along the river to the Esplenade, where we saw some men up on the building washing all the windows. They waved from all the way up there. We then hopped on the subway to get back to Little India, as our feet were getting sore. I was wilting and in need of caffeine. We got back to the hostel, had a couple of cups of coffee and then Dave got to work on the bikes while I wrote these last two posts.

Tomorrow we venture out on the bikes to get used to the crazy traffic…

See Tho picked us up at the hostel and took us to dinner downtown. Dave and I shared a delicious and incredibly fresh seafood variety platter. We asked See Tho a million questions about Singapore and the variety of cultures that exist peacefully here, and he had insightful answers. We had a great conversation and really enjoyed his company.

We then drove to the northern part of Singapore to the Night Safari – a sort of wild and natural-looking zoo that you visit at night. We rode the tram part of the time, and got out to walk part of the time. It was a beautiful evening, with rain here and there that cooled things off.

The animals were so close, sometimes within a few feet of the pathway that the tram followed. They must have fed them right before we went by, because they were often all together and eating. The animals were from the Southeast Asia region, Africa, and South America, with many deer, buffalo, tigers, lions, leopards, elephants, wolves, anteaters, porcupines, hyenas, and others. There was a bat enclosure that we walked through with free-flying bats of all sizes. They were hanging upside-down eating fruit and sometimes flying. It was crazy being right among them. All of the enclosures were so natural looking that it was sometimes hard to believe the animals wouldn’t just jump over and say hi. The whole place was built in a rain forest so it looks and feels real. It was the most amazing and enjoyable zoo experience I’ve had.

See Tho returned us to the hostel at about midnight and we were so happy to see our box had been delivered by the airline! We are now set with all our gear.

After twenty-something hours and three flights (one of which was nearly 15 hours) we have arrived in Singapore! Three of our boxes made it, but one did not. That box contains Dave’s panniers packed with all his clothing and stuff, plus all the tools and spare parts for the bikes, among other things. He can’t put the bikes together without those tools, let alone ride without panniers and all the stuff to live on the road. So, we made a claim with China Airlines and we’re hoping for the best.

We were met at the airport by Knik, a friend of Dave’s parents. What a wonderful surprise, because we had lots to carry, including three big boxes. So the taxi driver backed up his van right outside the door and we hardly had to worry.

We’re at the Inn-Crowd hostel in Little India, an area of Singapore full of bright colors and the smells of spices and incense. Last night we roamed the streets for a while and ate an incredible Indian dinner. There are lots of vegetarian options here since so many Indians are vegetarians. We got to bed around ten and both slept really well.

Tonight we’re having dinner with See Tho, a colleague that Dave worked with in the Maldives. Then See Tho is taking us to see the night safari.

Dave just got off the phone with China Airlines and they say the box is on its way this afternoon. Keep your fingers crossed!

Yesterday we made piles and checked off lists, today we pack everything in panniers to see how it all fits!

We printed out our packing list to go through our piles of stuff yesterday and have come up with several changes I’ll need to post. We have a bit more in the repair bag, a couple more spares of things like foldable tires, and our clothes have changed quite a bit.

We also have ONE bag dedicated to the first aid kit, which contains several kinds of antibiotics and antimalarials in addition to the basics. I spent a lot of time with my travel doctor back in Flagstaff and got prescriptions and directions for self-treating all kinds of things, then filled the prescriptions through Walgreen’s mail-order pharmacy while I still had rockin health insurance. I paid a couple hundred dollars in co-pays for a couple thousand dollars worth of prescriptions that we’ll take to SE Asia as well as Africa in the fall. (The anti-malarial Malarone is new and by far the best in terms of side effects but costs a LOT of money, and my rosacea treatment cream for my face is absurd.) Dave compared everything to his Wilderness First Responder knowledge and books and has The Plan for all things medical.

Once we’re done packing today I’ll update the SE Asia Packing List, since there are folks already finding the page through Google. I want this site to be a useful resource in addition to a fun read.

We leave Denver on Monday night at 9:00 PM!

It’s not like we’ve been sitting on our arses doing nothing these past few weeks. But here in the last few days we find ourselves with growing to-do lists. Eek! But we’re getting after it like the two organized and efficient planners we are.

Between yesterday and today, notable checked-off items include:

• Securing lodging in Singapore for four nights – we’re looking forward to seeing the city and meeting friends of Dave’s parents and a colleague of Dave’s.
• Finalizing travel insurance – you would not believe the amount of fine print I’ve read in the last three days. I take that back, if you’re one of my close friends you are not at all surprised. What I’ve come up with is World Nomads travel insurance, which offers the best coverage for the kind of travel we do (bike touring, with some time to be spent hiking, snorkeling, and SCUBA diving) without any add-ons and at the best price by a good bit. We both feel really good about this coverage, and I’m sure Dave’s mom will sleep at least a couple hours a night as a result.
• I’ve set up my cell plan with Verizon so we can use the phone in SE Asia.
• We took pictures that I am sizing & printing out on photo paper for all our visas we’ll need. Much cheaper than paying for passport photos at AAA or elsewhere.
• Dave has completely finished all the work on both of our bikes. It’s a LOT of work, including replacing all the cables, swapping tires, replacing some of the cogs and rings, new brakes for him, new Selle An-Atomica saddles for both of us (see Dave’s saddle review and my saddle thoughts for an explanation), new rims for me, and much more. Basically, he reconditioned both bikes from top to bottom. The bikes are now ready to be boxed up and checked as luggage.
• There’s more, much more, but now I must get back to the list…

Four days to go!