Beyond in Singapore

Anyone going? Left only 2 members of the 4 originally. Wonder if the music is still as good. Those old songs really brings back memories..

Lake Chini Ride

Lake Chini Ride, originally uploaded by bikermicefrommars.

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Sent using a Sony Ericsson mobile phone

Lake Chini Ride

Lake Chini Ride, originally uploaded by bikermicefrommars.

---- 
Sent using a Sony Ericsson mobile phone

Sunday V-Strom owners breakfeast meet 15 Dec'07

At long last met up with some of the Suzuki V-Strom guys after many mention of a meet up long ago. I was in for a surprise upon reaching Gelang Patah Esso at 2nd Link. My initial thought was at most 5 to 6 bikes will turn up but instead we got 10 bikes and most of them were already mixing around introducing themselves when I reached. Good to put some face to their nicks on the forum.



Bright sunny morning meet.

Some guys went for the spa treatment for their bikes beside the coffeeshop. Didn't sent mine in, prefer to DIY. But some will regret it later in the afternoon, hehe, it showered.

Bringing out the tables and chairs to have breakfeast in front of our rows of bikes....Where to find such place in Singapore...

Fall in 1 straight file....

Malacca Ride

I did a overnite ride up Malacca with my wife around Nov'06 last year. Her first time riding pillion "so far" out. Not really far, only about 230km and takes about 2 hours from the 2nd Link. Started out in the morning and reached there by noon. Plenty of time to check-in to rest abit (sleep..Zzz) and wait for the weekend night market to start.

We stayed at Baba House, very near to the famous Jonker Street, in fact it was just a street away. It's those traditional row of shophouse that we can see at Chinatown type but the whole hotel is very nostalgic, retro feeling, Peranakan style.



Our room for the night, simple and spartan.

Luggage was the little orange daypack in the cupboard which fits just nice into my bike's top box. No more space for extra shopping.

The decor inside the hotel. Feels somewhat like in a Wong Fei Hong movie...

This area is so cooling with the breeze that I could snooze here. It's very typical feature of all these type of old shophouses that everyone has, forgotten what is it called.

Started to take a slow walk out to Jonker street where the street hawkers are slowly setting up stalls.

Waiting for our Nonya Laksa, yum yum yum. Basically it's walk few steps, eat this, another few steps, eat that. Many things to eat, stomach too small...

Still walking around later in the evening looking for some beer..Did someone says too bored, don't know what to do in Malacca? How about some live Rock music?

This is probably the best pub among the few. Ringo is an uncle looking chinese guy, think he is also the boss. Plays rock and roll, in english, mandarin and cantonese.

He have lots of supporters cos the whole place inside is full of locals. Singing, cheering and clapping away. Wonderful entertainment by him, just a simple guitar and an occasional harmonica.

Pelepah Waterfall

For those complaining Kota Tinggi is too crowded, this is the alternative, with some walking of course. Sungai Pelepah is just about 30mins drive from Kota Tinggi town and the starting point of the trek at somewhere 10mins before reaching to Kota Tinggi waterfall & Resort. Can't tell you the exact spot as it is just some little clearing among the bushes and we just start walking in from there. From the start, it is just a very small little stream with water level only up to ankle level at most. It's walking in the river for the whole journey. Further upstream, there are some deeper pools which sometimes goes up to my shoulder level. Very nice and cooling, no sticky sweaty feeling that comes along with trekking in the jungle, just be prepared, some leeches around :)

Pardon me for the picture quality, those were taken with some cheap 35mm point and shoot film camera. No fanciful megapixel cameras invented at that time. The picture above is our final campsite for the night with the waterfall behind. There is a trail to go further up but we found no suitable campsite as nice as this. Our tents were pitched right next to the stream. Take a cup, scoop some water up, yum seng (Don't ask me safe anot 'cos I'm still alive up till now). Just beware not to go there during the monsoon season or you'll be washed away by flash floods.

On our way in. All our luxurious stuff in the pack, ready for a peaceful, enjoyable night at the most natural spa you can find in Malaysia.

Still on the way. Wash up if you feel sticky, the water is cool and refreshing.

The picture doesn't do this place justice. In actual, the place looks like a very nice landscaped garden. Beautiful oh beautiful.

Did I say nice again? Our campsite is on that empty patch of sandbank to the right. Click on the picture to see a larger image and you can see me sitting on the log. Those logs must have been washed down from the upper reaches during a horrible flashflood. Don't want to witness one, thank you very much.

Crystal clear water. No need for fridge. Just leave the canned cocktail and bottled wine in the water and enjoy later. Wasted there isn't any Erdinger during those days.

Dinner time. Bring out all we have, time to make a feast. Maggie mee in mess tin not an option.

What to do with 3 days off?

Had a long weekend off rest days from work last month in Oct. Got absolutely no idea what to do with it and have not been riding (on the nice twisty trunk roads) for quite a while. Joseph had left his bike under my care and went for a long holiday to Europe with his wife, I had the chance to take it for a spin up north. Pack some stuff on a Sunday morning and headed for the causeway. The selected route, as usual, is my favourite federal route 3. Destination, unsure, maybe Cherating, Kuantan or Telok Chempadak, WHEREVER I MAY ROAM.

Everything was uneventful on the Sunday morning all the way to Kota Tinggi, was trying to see if my fav wanton mee stall is back to business after the floods. Seems like lots of changes to the road directions and stalls layout around town. Confused, I exited out of the area before getting stucked in the pre Hari Raya shopping crowds.

The V-Strom's seat is very comfortable. My butt outlasted my bladder in the battle for endurance. Stopped somewhere near Jemeluang to throw water (buang air). Rode on to Mersing to look for lunch. Saw some big Singapore bikes riding around town, some rode past without batting an eyelid to wave hello or even smile. Too fast a bike given the big capcity of the bike (and ego?). Wanted to re-fuel when I saw a Shell station having V-Power (labelled by red coloured pump), which is not available everywhere. Took it out and was about to pump while the petrol kiosk uncle shouted something at me (I had music blasting inside my helmet). Turned off my MP3 player and listened him, fwah lucky, this is not V-Power leh but leaded petrol. Leaded petrol are used mainly by older engines and 2 strokes motorbikes. Joe, if you are reading this, "heng ah".

Road along the east coast. To the right is the South China Sea.

The road is nice after Mersing with some light traffic along the way. I was blasting them away and enjoying the music that almost rhyme to the riding. Almost a highway to heaven....

I still have not decided on where to stop and spend my night at, was having a short break at a petrol kiosk somewhere in Rompin. I remembered there's a place called The Shadow Of The Moon At Half Past Four in Cherating. I read about it in Michael Fong's book on his RTW (Round The World) trip. It was his very first stopover in the early part of adventure after starting off from the Causeway. This should be a nice and quiet place to stay away from the crowds. Afterall, this book and the trips he made were very much part of my motivation for riding, meeting strangers, new foreign faces....

Ok, target locked on, Cherating Lama. Rode on into Kuantan, a typical Malaysian bustling city with heavy traffic, but a least not as bad as K.L. Continued on route 3 up and I realised that I had passed by Swiss Garden Resort earlier. I was contemplating weather to ride up there with my wife last year but we chose Swiss Garden Damai Laut. Made a U-turn and went back the same way, wanting to check the place out. As it turns out, charges are a bit steep. It is located near villages along the main road, nothing much I can do at nite. Don't like happy hour in the hotel.

Wasted the time by riding all the way back to Swiss Garden and it's near late afternoon, but that's what is good about riding alone. OTOT, own time own target! The only thing grumbling now is my stomach, and I'm also feeling abit feeling. Didn't want to go on to Cherating today already. Tried my luck at Telok Chempadak, see anything to offer there anot. Not bad, nice beach (better than ECP lah), 24Hrs Mac, a few F&B outlets (Read: Beer).

As it seems, Hyatt there is having some promotional price due to low season. Comes to about the same as Swiss Garden. Hack it, at least I can take a walk out of the hotel at nite.

Took a walk out after a short nap.

Cherating Beach. Nice and clean. Walked around to the end of the beach where I had camped for 2 nites years ago after forgoing a trip to Berkelah waterfall due to heavy rain and flash floods. Had a simple dinner at one of the eatery and went looking for the rows of pub which i saw when riding in this afternoon. Pretty quiet place on a Sunday evening. Immediately my eyes locked onto the big ERDINGER sign outside one of the pubs and without hesitation, a 0.5L glass was served, hehe. Went back to hotel after that, thinking of the next destination for tomorrow and knocked out.

Buffet breakfeast at the hotel. Seems like only me and 2 or 3 other guest helping ourselves to their spread of variety. Very full and sleepy, which is nice.

Wanted to take a morning dip in the water but the sky is still overcast from the early morning showers and it looks cold, sure can wake me up after all the food. Better not lah.

Packed up and move out late morning. Decided to take the Karak highway and exit at Gambang to ride on route 12 to Segamat, passing Lake Chini. Decided to go Mount Ophir and maybe stay a nite at the resort there.

Towards K.L. The whole road to myself, only 1 or 2 Protons passed by.

Didn't take much pics after this cos riding all the way up to Segamat non-stop. Sad to say, it started to rain cats, dogs, tiger, lion when approaching Ophir resort. Mood cut by half already. No point staying indoor at the resort if wet weather all the way. So decided to call it a day and go home. Indeed, it is wet weather all the way back to Singapore.

Filling up at GP, wet, cold and hungry. Went looking for some hot and spicy food to fill up my stomach too.