Cycling from Kuantan to JB
I left Kuantan in a very nice day fro Johor Bahru. I was planning to go to Tioman island which is half way to JB. I had almost 340km to JB and it was 3 days easy ride. I cycled 140km on the first day and I was fresh but still I am not very fit and cycling so long in a day makes me a bit tired for the next days and also still 3 kg extra weight left from time I was home.
At night I found a very nice mosque and stopped by. Always mosque is a very good place to sleep. I asked the guy there and he told me no problem you can stay here.
I left my bicycle and all my gears there and went to get shower what I always do. Now I can trust more and there is less fair for me to leave my gears somewhere. I dont scare more now for someone who still something which is good. It makes me feel good and I can easily trust people and brings me some joy in my heart. I took a shower and after half an hour reading a book I decided to sleep but!! Mosquitoes !!! what really harms me in South East Asia. Mosquitoes didn’t let me sleep and even I applied repellant but still they were biting me, always a pair of warm blood legs are such a feast for them.
I couldn’t sleep that night and it was a cause fro the next day to do not have a good performance on bicycle and feel tiredness’ Next day was really hard day for me to ride and I was feeling dizzy all the time. I had 60km to Mercing where I could get a boat for Toman island but I arrived 13pm and boat already was gone and the lady over the counter told me there is no guaranty for tomorrow to be a boat leaving for Tioman because of weather and season. So there was no point to stay there and I prefer to ignore Tioman and just cycle to JB.
I was totally finished and really tired. Just I was pushing myself mentally to continue and cycle at least 100km to leave the same for the next day. It was about 3 pm that I stopped by a cemetery where I could find a small shelter and some shade to rest. I lied down on a table which is I think for dead body to lie before saying goodbye to its relatives but no matter where it is what it is for, I only needed some shade and somewhere toile down and sleep fro a while.
It was a very hot day and a very pleasant breath made me a nice feeling and I had a lovely nap. I woke up at 4pm and again began to cycle but at least the temperature had dropped I think for 3-4 degree which was good. still I was tired and my muscles were not working well and it was more my mind which was cycling than my legs.
In a mid range hill I was pushing and pedaling hard to reach to the top of hill…still more than 500 m to the top that suddenly I heard some sound of Bees and 100 of Bees surrounding me chasing a tired cyclist in a uphill. Ohhh my gash…I couldn’t do anything and they were biting me everywhere….my head, legs, hand, bath…everywhere and I could do nothing.
Just a few weeks a go one tiger ate a Malay worker in Singapore zoo and when I was watching its video in youtube I was thinking ohhh my gash how it can be hard to be eating by a tiger and no body can help you. But in that time I found how it can be hard when you are cycling in uphill and you are tired and 100 of Bees are biting you and you can do nothing. The only thing I could do is pushing hard to the top of hill and cycling down, then may I can leave them behind and I did that. When I reached to the top I cycled down very crazy and one hand on the handlebar and the other one pushing Bees away from my body. Fortunately I was wearing cycling cloths which are very tied and just one of them could go inside. However that one was enough to bit me shoulder.
Still there was some sound from Bees but I already left them behind. I stopped and I saw few of them are around my helmets and my bags…I was sop angry and began to kill them one by one. Finally I got ride of them and started to cycle again but it was a bit hard to sit on my bicycle seat. My head, legs and bath had pain and I couldn’t use my right hand to break. it was a very quite road and not many towns and villages, so it means not many places to camp and I had to cycle till I can find a place with water and a shelter and finally I found.
I camped and I sneaked to my tent ..it was a bit warm and I took off all my cloths and slept naked. Still I had much pain but the Moon light was enough for me to be happy and enjoy its light in my tent. Fortunately I had a very nice sleep and I could recover my body, so I was fresh on the third day and I was feeling good on bicycle. I had more 90km to JB and it didn’t takes me long to reach there.
I arrived to JB and I fellow the address I had to the Sam`s house who also is a member of CS. I was there about 4pm I think.
15 Dec 2008
