When Less Is More

CYCLING CAMBODIA - DAY 4 (Part 2)

2012-02-02T10:44:00.001+08:00

15kms before reaching Siem Reap, the road sign KAMPONG PHLUK was staring at us. This was the village visited by an earlier cycling group, which we have had knowledge of. Though we were looking forward to reach Siem Reap, we were also looking forward to visit this village. Siem Reap could wait. It was only noon. We were still early. We had seen pictures of this village. We ought to see it ourselves. The detour of 8kms was through a pleasant tree-lined secondary road, surprisingly well surfaced for most of the distance.

Loads of tourist were either returning or going towards the same direction we were headed for. Judging by the number of tourists, this destination must be something special, but hoping it was not too touristy.

The detour to Kampong Phluk

Arriving at the take off point, we noted dozens of passenger boats moored at the river. Again, judging by the numbers of boats, this tourist destination must really be a popular site. Our excitement grew. Fortunately there were no ticket touts and the process of booking a boat was rather orderly. We got to park our bikes in a covered shed and left our panniers on the bike, somehow feeling safe. We did however locked our bikes together.

We paid US$15 each for the boat ride. We thought it was a little bit steep and since there were only 2 of us, we guessed we had to wait for the boats to be filled up. Each boat could sit 20 passengers. We were directed to a boat and to our surprise, we were not waiting for other passengers. That explained the dozens of boats moored. This did not make economic sense, but this is a very convenient arrangement. One boat per entourage - big or small! US$15 did not seem pricey anymore.

The journey started through a very narrow tributary. It was more like a dug up canal to allow 2 boats just enough space to pass each other.

A minor "traffic jam" occurred when 2 big barges took up almost the entire river. Skilled maneuvering honed for so long make it look easy.

There was a barge fully laden with all kinds of goods. These were supplies to be brought to the same kampong we were visiting.

There was also a group digging sand from the river which were later transported to the same village. Digging the sand served two purpose - the activity deepened the canal at the same time served as landfill in the water village.

We were now heading into the Tonle Sap, the largest lake in South East Asia. Tonle Sap, however is a unique lake.

KAMPONG PHLUK ON THE TONLE SAP

An extract from Wikipedia below explains about the Tonle Sap.

The Tonlé Sap ("Large Fresh Water River", but more commonly translated as "Great Lake") is a combined lake and riversystem of major importance to Cambodia.

The Tonlé Sap is the largest freshwater lake in South East Asia and is an ecological hot spot that was designated as a UNESCO biosphere in 1997.

The Tonlé Sap is unusual for two reasons: its flow changes direction twice a year, and the portion that forms the lake expands and shrinks dramatically with the seasons. From November to May, Cambodia's dry season, the Tonlé Sap drains into the Mekong River at Phnom Penh. However, when the year's heavy rains begin in June, the Tonlé Sap backs up to form an enormous lake.

Seasonal direction of flow

For most of the year the lake is fairly small, around one meter deep and with an area of 2,700 square km. During the monsoon season, however, the Tonlé Sap river, which connects the lake with the Mekong river, reverses its flow. Water is pushed up from the Mekong into the lake, increasing its area to 16,000 square km and its depth to up to nine meters, flooding nearby fields and forests. The floodplain provides a great breeding ground for fish.

Kampong Phluk on the Tonle Sap

December was the season when the Tonle Sap was filled by the monsoon water from the mighty Mekong. Kampong Phluk sited in the Tonle Sap would therefore be a water village only in the monsoon. It would therefore be correct that fishing activities in this village thrives only during the monsoon. It would also be correct that tourism would thrive during this season. We were therefore at the right place at the right time.

Arriving to the village after about 40 minutes of boat ride, we were greeted with a beautiful cambodian building on stilts. Most likely it was a government building. We had no tourist guide and the boatman is just that - a boatman.

Then there was a school and several children there. School was ending as there were very few children and they appeared to be leaving.

Our boat slowly chugged its way into the village. I was ready with my camera and there were just so many subjects to capture.

First, the houses on stilts captured my attention. In my book, they were unique. This was my first experience in a "kampong air" though there are also kampong air off Kota Kinabalu and also in Bandar Sri Begawan in Brunei.

Next subject, capturing the locals at their activities, captured in their sampans of course.

School Children back from school

Quietly, I admired the people of this village. Tourist boats were criss-crossing the village. The villagers became subjects for photography and almost every tourist was armed with a camera. Everyone were snapping away, me included. The villagers however went around with their daily chores without feeling annoyed at this intrusion into their lives. Occasionally we had them smiling at us, and waving at us.

This kid was just too happy to be photographed. I was sure this was not the first time he became the subject. He could not even see the result of his pose. If it had been on land, I would have showed him how he looked in the picture. But I can't walk on water !

The boat brought us passed the village. A different photographic subject came to view. A water forest. These trees seemed to thrive in water. I imagined myself in a single seater canoe and rowing into this forest, all serene and quiet. Blissful it would be. It was a beautiful sight.

The boat moored at a floating restaurant. Surrounding the boats were little sampans. In the sampans were ladies. I thought they were selling souvenirs. I was wrong. They were offering rowing service. For US$6 an hour, one can opt to go into the sampans to experience the water forest, or wherever one prefers to go. For the same price, one can also just rent the sampan and row into the forest. We did not rent the sampan. It was a decision that I regretted later.

Took me a while to get this girl to look at my direction. Wished I had a tele lens

Next, the boat brought us out into the Tonle Sap. It was immense. It was difficult to imagine that we were in a lake. Small waves were lapping the boat as a gentle breeze swept through. I felt we were in the sea. We could not see the horizon, hence we could not see the edge of the lake. Fishing activities were going on and it was again pure bliss just to be on the boat, gently rocked by the small waves. One could just be in the boat and enjoy the moment.

But nothing lasts forever. We told the boatman that it was time to head back. Kampong Phluk remained etched in my memory. A great experience.

Siem Reap, here we come

CYCLING CAMBODIA - DAY 4 (Part 1)

2012-01-24T08:08:00.002+08:00

KAMPONG KDEI - SIEM REAP

This is the final day of our ride, and the shortest one. It would just be about 65 kms to our final destination Siem Reap. We woke up early to the crowing of cocks and hen, just like in the good old days in the kampong. It was chilly and we knew we had to put on our rain coat again, at least until we had generated sufficient body heat. This was the day when the temperature dipped below 20 and I recorded the lowest temperature at 17 degrees C. It is not often that cyclists in the tropics get to enjoy such pleasant though slightly chilly weather.

Lowest temperature recorded for the day

Without hot water we could not prepare our simple breakfast, i.e. Campbell soup. There was no one attending to the guest house so early in the morning. We made do with some bread and mineral water knowing with confidence that our lunch would be Halal food in Siem Reap. Prior to this trip, I had booked a Malaysian owned hotel serving halal food in Siem Reap.

So here we were, posing in front of the MAI BO GUESTHOUSE in Kampong Kdei, raincoats on, ready for the chill wind. For US$8 a night, the guesthouse was value for money.

We could feel the chill on the face as the morning breeze gently blew. For the past several days, the morning breeze made riding pleasurable. The head wind would gather strength as the sun heated up the road, a double whammy of sort. This added to the small challenge of cycle touring.

We passed by a school, one of the better schools we passed by. The "headmaster' blood in Khailani must surely stop here for a pose. In my previous travels, I used to pass schools along the road but I had never stop to pose at one.

I had occasions though to capture school kids either going or leaving school. Obviously this was a secondary school. These three schoolgirls gladly posed for Khailani, obedient to the headmaster!

We stopped at a road side stall, curious to check out whether there were anything worth stopping for, to whet our fast growing hunger. There was nothing much and we moved on until we reached a bigger town.

We stopped at a fruit stall for fruits

"ETOK"

and were surprised to see "etok" dried in the sun and ready for sale. Back in my state of Kelantan, I would not miss the chance of savoring this saltish delicacy of the East Coast. The "etok" here were too exposed to the dust. I doubt I have such a strong stomach to give it a try. With chilly generously sprinkled on the "etok", it was a guaranteed frequent trips to the toilet, if ever I could find one along the road. So, no thank you.

A road side mechanic attracted my eyes as I stopped for another breather. His tools were simple, honed with skills probably learned since he was a kid. I had found similar road side mechanics in my trips in Indonesia.

I took a close look at a tractor which doubled as transport for the rural folks. I was sure handling one of these machines required considerable skill as these machines were not designed to travel on the road, let alone to carry passengers. But rural economics necessitated such needs to be creative and adaptive.

Next road side activity worth stopping for were the lemang stalls. Along one particular stretch, just as we could find back home, there were numerous stalls selling Cambodian version of lemang. The lemang were packed in much smaller and shorter bamboos. Once cooked, the bamboos were stripped clean of the burnt parts. The discarded materials were recycled as fuel for subsequent cooking. No waste.

LEMANG ROAD SIDE STALL

CYCLING CAMBODIA - DAY 3

2012-01-17T09:58:00.002+08:00

DAY 3 - KAMPONG THOM TO KAMPONG KDEI

We did not see much of Kampong Thom since the guest house we stayed in was located at the periphery of the town. We did walked out after dinner, looking for Japanese slippers to buy but the shops closed pretty early. Dinner was instant Nasi Beriani, heated by immersing in boiling water. It was wishful thinking on our part to expect the Beriani to taste like the famed Beriani Batu Pahat. But it was the first solid food for the day.

We would recommend this Guest House Ponleu Thmey we stayed in. For US$10 a night, it was good value for money - clean room, air-conditioning, hot water and of-course Wi-Fi, including free internet. One of the counter staff was very happy to have English speaking guests, a way to improve his English.

Before departure

We had Campbell soup for breakfast, too light a breakfast for cycling activities. We planned to stop along the way for some hot drinks and hopefully a heavier meal. Again, wishful thinking to expect Halal food. Perhaps a decent coffee shop. Again wishful thinking.

This day's ride would bring us to Kampong Kdei (pronounced "Kedai") and I would not be surprised the meaning is similar to ours. As we cycled northwards towards Siem Reap, I noticed the weather got more chilly. We had to don on our rain jackets to keep warm, at least for the first 20 kms before we generated enough body heat to make wearing the non-gore tex jackets uncomfortable.

When we saw a market by the roadside, we stopped to look for a coffee shop. There was none but we had friendly tourist personnel eager to have a picture taken with us. They were sure proud of their uniforms and why shouldn't they?

Friendly Tourist Police personnels

A stop at a roadside market

As usual, in the early morning, most activities and the noisiest activities were at the schools we passed by. There were no school buses to ferry the children to school. Out of necessity and financial constraints, bicycles were the major mode of transport.

Bicycles, bicycles and bicycles

We came across a lake, and got a young boy to capture us for a pose together. Since it was still early, there were no visitors yet. Two eating stalls were just about to open for business. This lakeside rest area reminded me of such numerous spots found scattered along the south Thailand coasts on both sides of the Isthmus of Kra.

The atmosphere was rather serene and quiet. There was a gentle breeze coming from the lake. The breeze and the hammock lying motionless in the empty huts were a perfect combination for a great siesta. If we were only 10kms from our today's destination, we would have readily occupy these hammocks. But we were only at the beginning of today's ride. We moved on.

Lakeside R and R

We found a rather busy coffee shop at a village where there was another market. We decided to have another round of Campbell soup here. But getting the hot water from the owner was a little bit trying until one customer, who probably understood a little bit of English told the owner what we wanted. In the midst of the crowd, there was a man whose screw was a little loose. He was talking loudly, pretending he was on a phone. We were a little concern that he might approach us and asked for our phones. We were obviously not part of the usual crowd. But he stayed away though his eyes momentarily were trained at us.

We progressed on and arrived at STUONG, a comparatively big town and stopped at a decent looking Restaurant. Again we were not expecting to eat what they sell, but we could have a decent place to have our Tom Yam lunch and a rest away from the afternoon sun. We did that and before we left town, we stopped at a market to buy fruits.

Late afternoon, we stopped at a goring pisang stall. Surprisingly, this lady spoke pretty good English. Looking at the size of the fried bananas, one would expect that the bananas were from the "elephant" variety. Not actually. The bananas, split half were first pressed flat, hence the extended size. Tak dapat makan ayam penyet, pisang goring penyet jadi lah!

Goreng Pisang Cambodian style

In a travel blog I read doing my research, I read about an ancient bridge in Kampong Kdei which was a tourist attraction. We arrived Kampong Kdei and headed for this bridge. There was no other tourists when we arrived, and in the evening light we got a boy to capture us besides the bridge.

The bridge was an ancient engineering wonder as it was constructed from blocks of stones placed layers upon layers forming the bridge.

An extract from Wikipedia has this information about the bridge : Spean Praptos on the road from Angkor to Phnom Chisor^[1], Cambodia, used to be the longest corbeled stone-arch bridge in the world, with more than twenty narrow arches spanning 285 ft (87m). The bridge was built in the 12th century during the reign of King Jayavarman VII.^[2] It is one of the few Khmer empire era bridges to have survived to the modern day"

Historical Bridge @ Kampong Kdei

A shot borrowed from a website http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Asia/Cambodia/West/Siem_Reab/Kampong_Kdei/photo1106679.htm

There was nothing more to explore in Kampong Kdei, a one road town. True to its name, the Kampong is a row of shophouses, and so we went looking for a guest house. We found one and decided not to explore beyond our first find. We settled down for the night here.

US$8 twin-sharing, warm water, air-conditioning and NO wi-fi. Could not have everything.

RIDE STATISTICS

Distance : 88.6km

Average Speed : 16.1 kph

CYCLING CAMBODIA - DAY 2

2012-01-12T18:36:00.002+08:00

DAY 2 - SKUN TO KAMPONG THOM (12th Dec 2011)

Our destination on the second day was Kampong Thom. From the map, Kg Thom is a bigger town than Skun, and we could expect a bigger guest house and hopefully with wifi connection. Funny that in the internet age, one would momentarily felt cut-off without such connection.

Day 2 - Skun to Kampong Thom

We were again joined by Mr Zakaria for breakfast at Restaurant Mukmin. He told us we would be able to find a Muslim village and food outlet about 50kms from Skun. Still, I bought a packet of biscuits and filled up our water-bottles. It was always better to have some extra food than to run out of them. I had experienced that situation in the mountains of Chiengrai in Thailand once, with a group of "tuarers" almost stranded in the mountain at night.

We overnighted 4 mms before Skun. Skun is a small town with two highways, one branching to Kampong Cham and the other to Siem Reap where we were headed. Skun is popular with one delicacy which would turn off most foreign visitors - fried Tarantulas or spiders. As we cycled into town, it was too early to visit the market to have a look at this famous delicacy. No, we had no intention of trying out this so-called delicacy.

We stopped at a village a few kilometers after the town to photograph the folks at their daily activities. This is a padi-growing area and it was the harvesting season. Most activities along the route were therefore related to harvesting and dehusking padi. Where we stopped, sometimes a small crowd appear, out of curiosity. Such occasions were excellent for getting to know the locals, and we usually get eager friendly locals to be photographed.

Drying Padi In The Sun

Bahasa speaking gentleman

One for the road with the village folks

It had been in the yesteryears in the Malaysian kampong to see this traditional instrument to pound padi, making them into "empeng". Khailani told me it's called "INDIK". These boys manning the INDIK seemed rather amused at us photographing them, and again we attracted a small crowd.

Making "empeng" with the "Indik"

"EMPENG" AND HAMMOCK

In the jungle warfare fighting the colonialists, we were informed that the "empeng" was the ration the soldiers carry into battle. It's light, easy to eat and have good nutrition. I guess that makes the soldiers slim, light and very mobile, an ingredient for battle. So, all those who are also doing their battles against FAT, how about trying "empeng". It's a guaranteed win.

But what is the relationship between "empeng" and hammock? Again it's about mobility, plus good rest. The soldiers carried hammocks with them. Hammocks are easy to instal and remove, and in the jungle can easily be tied tree to tree.

Compare these two items against the colonialist soldiers so used to the comforts of life, thrown into the jungle to fight the local soldiers who were fighting for a cause.

THE FIGHTING COCKS

As I said earlier, this ride reminds me of Malaysia about 30 - 40 years ago. When I was a kid in the village (a long time ago), there were cock fights. We do not see them anymore. In Cambodia, I believe cock fighting is still legal. We came across fighting cocks on display and obviously for sale. At such early morning, a prospective customer was making choices.

Fighting cocks

We were hoping to get some worthwhile photographs of the monks in their orange saffron robe getting their daily meals from the villagers. We did not see too many of them but I managed to capture one solitary young monk waiting to cross the road. He actually offered a smile to me but I was too slow to capture him at that instant. Moments like this, you wished you carried a DSLR. But when you think of the added weight on a bicycle tour, you compromised. I would have another occasion later to regret not having a DSLR.

KAMPONG THERPIANGCHUK

By about 11am we had covered 48kms and our stomach was ready for some solid food. The biscuits had come in handy during the stops. We guessed we were nearing the Muslim village mentioned by Mr Zakaria. We slowed down (not that we were fast) and after asking 2 shops in sign language, we were pointed to a stall with a halal sign. There were two stalls, side by side. The first stall could not offer much except for instant maggi mee. We consider Maggi Mee as emergency food and since there was another stall, there was no emergency! We went to the other shop, owner spoke Malay (again) as she used to be a cook in Kuala Tregganu. So, nasi dagang on the menu? No la. She offered fried rice. I did not offer to ask whether the fried rice come with chicken or cow!

A man with a Kupiah was chatting us up. He is the local Imam, Hj Zuhli. A little bit later, we were joined by a comparatively fluent Malay speaking gentleman. He introduced himself as Hj Ali, a brand new Haji as he had just returned from the pilgrimage. Alhamdulillah. He is now a Malaysian, having migrated to Johor under the UNHCR about 16 years ago. He performed the Haj though via Cambodia, a faster approach as the waiting period to perform the Haj is much shorter in Cambodia. He originates from this village and returns often, helping the kampong to raise funds to build a new mosque.

The near completion mosque @ Kampong Therpiangchuk

We later took a short tour of the almost completed mosque, accompanied by the Imam. It was indeed very near completion. Sadly, there was no work in progress. There was no work because the fund had run dry. They wait for fresh injections and it's individuals like Hj Ali who gradually and patiently helped to raise the fund. See you in Malaysia Hj Ali!

A little bit short of fund for final completion

With Imam Hj Zuhli

We said goodbye to the Imam and proceeded on. Much later, we came across a stretch of road where big square boulders were laid by the road side and village folks were chiseling and sculpting statues.

Rocks in boulder size waiting to be sculpted

The job was both noisy and dusty. I was covered in dust just videoing them up close for a short while. I do hope the masks they wore were effective enough, or else they would have really dusty lungs.

Skilled craftsmen sculpting a figure

We stopped for a short rest at a wakaf and I took the opportunity for a short nap while Khailani was busy taking shots whatever he fancied, including my siesta.

the good old well

A short nap

Another quick stop for mini watermelons by the road side. Here, they eat watermelons with sprinkles of salt. We did the same and I quite like the taste. Guessed it was okay to have some extra sodium as cycling is a great hydrating hobby. In my case, when I sweat heavily I could feel the crystals (salt) lining my arms and face. We relaxed a while at this place as Kampong Thom was less than 5 kms away.

The sweet mini watermelon

Soon we were entering Kampong Thom and looking for hotels was not a problem. There were numerous hotels and we were happy with our choice - hot water, air-cond and of-course wi-fi and CHEAP - US$10 twin-sharing!

Cycling into Kampong Thom

The Guest House in Kampong Thom

RIDE STATISTICS:

Distance : 95 kms
Cycling Time : 5 hrs 58 mins
Average Speed : 15.8 kph

CYCLING CAMBODIA - DINNER @ RESTAURANT MUKMIN - "chicken or cow"

2012-01-10T15:11:00.002+08:00

DAY 1

Tonight, we look forward to our dinner and thinking forward, also looking forward to breakfast tomorrow before our Day 2 journey.

Rested, bathed and feeling fresh, we were back at Restaurant Mukmin. The sun sets early and is dark by 6pm, which is equivalent to 7pm Malaysian time. Dinner was just before 8pm. A waitress who doubled as the cook was at the food counter. We were looking forward for something hot from the wok and asked for fried rice. Nothing fancy. Her question (in English) caught me by surprise. "Sir, you want chicken or cow?" Took me awhile to gain my composure, "Err chicken" I said. Guess cow would be too big for me!

Khailani and I were joined by a young man, the son of the owner. He could speak some splatter of Bahasa and English. He recently graduated from a University in Phnom Penh and on the way to become a civil engineer. Not much later, we were joined by the owner. He introduced himself as "Mr Zakaria". Hmm, I could have told him I am his son! The only problem was he was about 7 years younger.

MR ZAKARIA

Mr Zakaria is a building contractor, has his business in Poipet, the border town between Thailand and Cambodia on the western side. He hailed from Kampong Cham where the bulk of the Muslims in Cambodia lives. He speaks a fair bit of Malay, but his wife spoke fluent Malay. This is a family of business-minded individuals. The wife comes to Malaysia twice a month to sell Cambodian made clothings which explained her fluency in Bahasa.

Mr Zakaria was a teenager during the Pol Pot regime and had his fair share of misery. Two of his brothers were killed by the regime. He narrated quite a fair bit of his family's life during the regime. I was not quite in a mood to listen to the atrocities. I had visited the Tuol Sleng prison back in 2006 and what I saw then was too much to be recalled.

Silently, I was happy for this family. By Cambodian standard, I would class them as in the middle-upper class, and that would be out of sheer hardwork. A Toyota Harrier parked at the garage, an extension of the Restaurant was a deserving symbol for the family.

CYCLING CAMBODIA - DAY 1

2012-01-05T17:11:00.007+08:00

THE ROUTE

Day 1 : Phnom Penh to Skun
Day 2 : Skun to Kampong Thom
Day 3 : Kampong Thom to Kampong Kdei
Day 4 : Kampong Kdei to Siem Reap

It would be a 4-day ride, covering a distance of under 400 km. Cycling in Cambodia would make a Malaysian feel very much at home. For a start, you would be cycling from "kampong" to "kampong". Though not as frequent, you will also have some rare sightings of ladies in their tudungs, signaling that you would be passing a Muslim community. And if you are lucky, just as we did, you could converse in Bahasa with some of those you would meet. These Bahasa speaking men or ladies have worked in Malaysia before, and they are found in the small villages as well.

On the road we traversed, the scenery reminded us of Malaysia about perhaps 30 - 40 years ago. The highways, as they would call their roads, are our present federal roads. Red dusty laterite tracks served the interior, feeding into the highways. All kinds of modified vehicles with loads we would never imagined to be carried are found almost everywhere and almost all the times. My regret was not to capture these overloaded vehicles as they zoom past. Amidst all that, do not be surprised to see spanking new (though dusty) Range Rovers, Toyota Harriers, Audis and BMW's overtaking you at highway speeds! In spite of that, we felt safe on our bicycles, as we have always felt in all our past cycling tours. Or else, we would not be here, two senior citizens cranking away the kilometers on pedal power.

We woke up early on this Day 1, excited to a certain degree to start what we have planned couple of months earlier. Noting the possible challenges for halal food, we carried instant Nasi Beriani, Nasi Goreng and Mee Maggis in several flavors, including my must have 3-in-one Nescafes. But this first morning, we need not worry about breakfast. D Nyonya Restaurant would be opened by 6:30 am as they had indicated last night and we checked out from the hotel at about 7 am after paying the US$16 for the night - clean room, air-conditioned and free Wi-Fi. What more can we ask for.

START OF TOUR

We posed for this picture before setting off to D Nyonya Restaurant around the block. With stomach ready for a sumptuous breakfast, we had the first disappointment. D Nyonya was still sleeping! Khailani tried to peep through the shutters hoping that it would be opened soon. Tough luck.

No point waiting. We followed my GPS towards the direction of Kampong Kilomet 9. We consoled ourselves that we would find Muslim food stalls there in the morning. We had promised Ustaz Daud we would cycle to the Madrasah since he had suggested us to take the new bypass towards Skun, which passed the madrasah. Skun was our destination for Day 1, roughly 80kms from Phnom Penh.

At the time of setting up my bike last evening, I realized that the front brakes did not sit properly. I decided to release the front brakes and hoped to get it repaired along the way. We came across a bike shop just as we neared Kilomet 9. It was not just the brakes, the front rim has to be trued too, a skill beyond my capability. Job well done and in sign language, I asked how much? Three fingers came up. Ah, US$3? When I took out US$3, the daughter of the owner spoke in English, "No, too much!" I laughed. Such honesty. It was 3000 Riels but we had no Riels, so I gave US$1. I was happy, so was the shop owner. (Note: 4,000 Riels = US$1)

TRUING THE WHEEL

We cycled for a short while then we saw a crowd, and we saw a food stall manned by ladies in tudung. Our breakfast! We parked ourselves on the benches together with the locals, who were acknowledging the presence of these 2 foreigners. We ordered our food - rice with duck meat. For US$2.50 each, we had a nice fill and proceeded on to the madrasah.

DAY 1 BREAKFAST - "DUCK RICE"

The morning assembly was in progress when we arrived at the madrasah. Our arrival obviously attracted the kids and felt a little guilty that we had diverted their attention from their daily assembly. The students posed for us and they obliged us with a group photo and after salam bersalaman all round with the teachers, we bade goodbye, to continue with our journey. Thank you Ustaz Daud for your hospitality.

A POSE WITH THE TEACHERS AND STUDENTS

The detour suggested by Ustaz Daud was across a newly built bridge across what I believe is one of the Mekong tributaries. There was indeed less traffic, but the headwind was something else. On the bridge, we stopped to photograph the delta below but keeping the camera steady was a challenge. The wind was too strong and the strong headwind became our permanent companion during the rides ahead of us.

ON THE NEWLY BUILT BRIDGE

THE DELTA BELOW THE BRIDGE

Traffic began to pick up when we reached the main Highway 4 towards Skun. Vehicles in Cambodia, just as in Vietnam moves on the right side of the road, a legacy of the French occupation. Cycling either side is never a problem but I do pay particular attention when crossing the road so that I looked in the right direction. While the road is not very wide, there is certainly enough room for a bicycle. There is also no distinct road shoulder, but the laterite side table provides adequate room should one need to give way to bigger vehicles to pass.

While the weather was hot, the wind was quite chilly and the chill helped to off-set the heat of the day. The ride was generally smooth. At one point, we detoured into a village when we saw a mosque. A Malay speaking lad approached us and pointed to a new mosque under construction. He said the funds came from abroad, mentioning donors from Trengganu. I was trying to get the Trengganu slang from the kid but obviously he did not learn it from any Pak Wan"g" from Trengganu.

KIDS EAGER TO POSE WITH THE TWO "GRANDFATHERS"

FRESH FISH AT A SMALL MARKET IN THE VILLAGE

A TYPICAL HOUSE IN A VILLAGE

When we saw a "cafe" selling coconuts by the road-side, it was spontaneous braking for both of us. It was a temporary reprieve from the heat of the day and we did a favor to the lady and contributed to her meagre daily income. We felt good doing that.

ROAD-SIDE CAFE

We also chanced upon an Australian couple who had been cycling around the region for the last 4 months. They purposely stopped to acknowledge us and were heading in the opposite direction towards Phnom Penh. They acknowledged the fact that we were cycling against the wind and that they had the tail wind pushing them to Phnom Penh.

After cycling for about 50kms, we chanced upon a RnR. The restaurant sat at a lake edge, and the continous breeze that blew across was just the right tonic for the tired muscles and droopy eyes. If only, if only ......

We knew getting lunch here would be impossible but we had Maggi Mee. So, we asked for hot water but also ordered coffee just in case the hot water was provided f..o.c. We "enjoyed" our Maggi perasa Tom Yam, while at the same time stealing glances at the food spread served to 5 customers behind our table. Hmm....

LUNCH BREAK AT A RESTAURANT BY A LAKE

After a good rest at the restaurant, we proceeded on and came across road-side peddlers selling what looks like chickens. But up close, they looked like birds, probably water fowls. We had no way to know but we were not buying either.

At one point along the route, both sides of the road were lakes and instead of water fowls, the roadside peddlars were selling smoked fish.

SMOKED SALMON ANYONE?

When we were about 10kms from SKUN, we told each other to look out for Restaurant Mukmin, the only halal restaurant in Skun. We were informed of the existence of this restaurant, roughly 3 kms before the town.

With only Maggi Tom Yam for lunch, the stomach was longing for something more solid. The empty stomach caused our eyes to open wide for the Restoran Mukmin. It was Khailani who spotted it. He must be hungrier than I was !

It was about 5 pm when we got there. The lady owner spoke Malay! We ordered our drinks, contemplating whether to return to the Restaurant later for dinner after first getting a hotel. The lady pointed to a building next to her restaurant. That's a hotel! We looked at each other and we had no need for further discussion. So we had our drinks and reserved our stomach for a hearty meal later in the evening.

RIDE INFORMATION

Distance: 81.8 km

Ride Time : 5hrs 24min

Hotel Rate : US$8

CYCLING CAMBODIA

2012-01-03T15:01:00.003+08:00

DAY ZERO - 10th Dec 2011

The last cycling tour I did was in April, exploring the coastal roads of South Vietnam. Vietnam borders Cambodia. A ride in Cambodia was the next logical goal. I had been to its capital, Phnom Penh back in 2006. I stayed and lived with the locals in Phnom Penh for 2 weeks. But something was missing then. My bicycle was not my companion! And I had longed to visit Siem Reap, famous for its Angkor Wat and made more famous by Angeline Jolie.

This Angkor Wat ride was something I had been wanting to do.

So when a fellow cycling tourer, Acid proposed to do Bangkok - Siem Reap, I was all set. However, another close cycling buddy, Khailani wanted to come along and the proposed dates did not jive with his work commitment. Yours truly cannot bear to leave another buddy so we decided to split. Acid and his 3 other buddies will stick to their dates. Khailani and I will start our journey on 10th Dec. We would be "trailing" Acid and his gang.

We got a cheap fare to Bangkok on MAS on 10th Dec and a return on the same airline from Siem Reap on 16th Dec. All systems go, so we thought.

Then heavy rain pounded Thailand, Bangkok was flooded. Not only the Thais were concerned, we were too! My bicycle is not equipped with any floating device to cycle in the flood. Even if it does, I do not fancy cycling side by side with crocodiles that might go astray from the crocodile farms. I have after all, seen enough crocodiles in my last place of work, in a golf resort. Ha....ha...

We make a quick decision to change our route. Thanks to the flood threatening closure of the Bangkok airport, MAS allowed the reschedule even for its cheap fares. Phnom Penh became our starting point. With Phnom Penh secured, I was wondering whether Ustaz Daud, someone I got acquainted with in Phnom Penh still maintained his mobile number. I have kept it for a good 6 years and I was wondering whether he still remembered me. The number was active and he was looking forward to meet me again. It did not sink on him that I will be his guest for only an evening.

Ustaz Daud

MAS was near capacity on this Phnom Penh flight. There was a no show of 3 passengers, causing some delay. Ustaz Daud was waiting for us upon arrival, together with Cik Gu Mad, another Malaysian visitor from Kelantan who came a week earlier. We got the 2 bike bags on the motorbike taxi costing us US$7 to our hotel while Ustaz Daud sent us there in his car. The hotel CITY LUX is an ideal location - both for us and would be tourists, especially lady tourists and you can guess why. Ustaz Daud's choice of the hotel for us was excellent, and I recommend this for stay in Phnom Penh, i.e. if you are also my "type" of tourist.

The heritage Psar Thmey is also a stone's throw from the hotel. So husbands beware! There are lots of information on Psar Thmei, such as this site from Wikipedia. I will let the husbands to decide whether to stay in my recommended hotel after researching on Psar Thmei. By the way, one can also lay one's hand on designer watches and clothes at a fraction of the cost in this Psar Thmei. Hmmm

It is an irony that a 2 star hotel in Phnom Penh provides free wifi. I stayed in a 4-star hotel in Malacca last week (compliment of my son) and I got only a 2 hour free wifi. Now you know WHY I usually stay in a cheap hotel (wink wink).

Two Muslim restaurants owned by Malaysians are only a few minutes walk away. One is called Cafe Malaya and that was where we had our lunch.

Cafe Malaya. Malaysian Buffet at US$4

The other is Nyonya Restaurant, where we had our dinner. At dinner we were told by the operator that the restaurant opened at 6:30 am. It was great news, assured of a sumptuous breakfast before we begin our Phnom Penh to Siem Reap ride tomorrow.

Very Malaysian. Satay Kajang and Teh Tarek on the menu!

After lunch, Ustaz Daud brought Khailani and I to Kampong Kilomet 9. It was down memory lane and a privilege for me to meet the few learned men I got acquainted with back in 2006. Ustaz Ahmad always spoke with a smile and followed by a soft laugh. He speaks both English and Malay well, a well educated man he is. I was told later that his daughter married Tok Guru Nik Aziz's son, the one that was ISA'd once. I did not recall him mentioning to me that. Such is his humility.

(L-R) ARZ, Ustaz Ahmad, Cik Gu Mad, Khailani, Ustaz Daud and Ustaz Salleh

We also visited the madrasah, built with middle-east funds. Ustaz Daud is the principal with about 400 students for both morning and afternoon session. The madrasah is totally dependent upon donations from well-wishes, mainly from abroad.

Religious Class in progress

Before we headed back to the hotel, we just had to try the freshly produced Tuak. Khailani argued lightly that it was not Tuak, but Nira. Tuak in his vocabulary is the one that will intoxicate you. He was outnumbered 2 to 1 as Cik Gu Mad and I said the Kelantanese do not call it Nira but Tuak. The intoxicated one is called Tuak Masam!

Back at the hotel, we went about fixing our dismantled bikes ready for the start of our journey the next day.

DAY 2 : SHANGRILA (The Old City)

2011-04-29T19:05:00.001+08:00

Monday 11 Apr 2011

It was an early morning checkout out from Kunming hotel and checking-in at the airport bound for Shangrila. It was roughly an hours flight, too short for a full meal on board. Only mineral water was distributed to the passengers.

The moment we stepped out of the airport in Shangrila, the air swept us cold. We were at 3,200 metres above sea level, a gain of 2,000 metres from that of Kunming. Walking out of the airplane, we could see mountains in the background. The whitish peak meant they were snow-capped and that translates to what I termed as "staying in the freezer".

The airport facade bore the familiar Tibetan style architecture. Built 5 years ago, it is a relatively small airport. It was not at all busy. This was not Tibet but it was obvious that the populace identified themselves as Tibetans. This became more obvious when we arrived in the city.

Jackson, our tour guide, a young man in his early 20s welcomed us. He spoke English and French. He spoke pretty good English but I have no standing to comment on his French. Said he went to India to learn the language. I can understand learning English in India, but French?? Mind you, he did not speak English in the familiar Indian accent though.

The journey to the city centre was a short one, under 15mins. Our program for the day would be the visit to the ancient and the new city.

We would have 3 days here in Shangrila, pronounced "Shangga rila" by the Tibetans. We were brought to a hotel in the old city. Only motorbikes and bicycles were allowed into the old city. Just as well since the cobbled roads were too narrow.

We walked about 200 metres to the hotel. The facade of traditional Chinese design greeted us. I was wondering whether our beds would be solid wood and heating would be wood-fired. I dared not think of the toilet. We were after all in the old city!

Hotel Facade

But the trappings of modern living instead greeted us. We had heating from the air-conditioning unit and an electric mat underneath the bedspread, and hot water in the bath. We were very thankful for these modern trappings. Without them, I would be cold salmon, rigid and tasteless !!

We were still fresh and early, i.e. too early for lunch. Jackson would take us on a tour of the old city. We would walk and by now we were in the thickest of our clothing. We were glad we had prepared for the cold, to a certain degree. Indeed, to a certain degree we were. But as the "degrees" kept dropping in the days ahead, I wished I had brought my long johns and wind-breaker pants.

The old city certainly held its charm and was a pleasant change from the bricks and mortars of the modern cities. Kudos to the Chinese government for retaining the charms of old, while utilising the modern convenience such as electricity and piped water.

The old city obviously had the tourists in mind. Within the confines of the classic shops, all kinds of items were on display.

There were shops selling souvenir items and dresses.

Two Malaysian ladies eyeing from a distance

This "Lucky Dressing" shop though was not so lucky with my wife. But it would not have cost us an arm and a leg. Perhaps it was the variety, the color, the style, the material that just did not jive with the prospective customer. So, a pose in front of the shop and free advertising for Lucky Dressing.

There were many shops catering for those seeking warm adventure gears of renowned brands, at ridiculously good bargain. On the third and final day, I offered myself an excuse to purchase 2 travel pants and 1 jacket, all for only RM200.00 equivalent. Back home, I would be paying in excess of RM500 for the same product and brand. I felt good postponing these purchases from a shopping mall back home!

An interesting observation I made was the market square. It was a market by day and a dancing square by night. Just like markets anywhere, there were stalls selling food, vegetable, souvenir, hardware and whatever one could imagine in a typical market.

These two ladies captured my attention. They were selling ornaments that ladies love to wrap around their wrists. I believed my wife bought two, very harmless in respect of cost.

At night, these two ladies plus many others, including bystanders, me included, joined in the swaying to the rhythm of the music. This is a daily routine lasting an hour, ending at 9pm. The dancing, in a circle, is a very harmless activity. Anyone and everyone could join in. Most of us would try to follow the footworks of these two as they tapped and turned in perfect harmony, something "poco-poco" like. Practise makes perfect. They were also there on the subsequent nights, so was I and my small entourage.

Tourists joining in the dancing

I also captured this lady in a rather unique square hat with a bamboo pipe in her mouth. The square hat reminded me of the hat one wears at a graduation - and I suppose the bigger the hat, the higher the degree!! She looked rather happy and contented, and that's because she knew how to keep her head cool. We fast-paced creatures should learn a thing or two from this lady. Ha..ha..

Life in the old city was slow and quiet. Even the motorcycles were electric. Most people walked or idled their time with friends and the loved ones.

I waved, so baby waved

Oblivious to onlookers, the two carried on with their Chinese chess

I have also noted the authority's recycling efforts. At strategic locations, recycling bins were strategically placed and I must add that the ancient city was clean, and there were no rubbish strewn all over.

As in any cold countries, daily baths are not the norm but hygiene would still be maintained. Brushing ones teeth in the street is not unusual

and washing your laundry in the open is also a norm. This young man was literally washing dirty linen in public. I wished our Malaysian politicians will also just washed the dirty linens in public the way this young man does!

The young man seemed curious why I should take his picture . Hot water was available through the public pipe stand, hence they took advantage of the facility.

We were brought to visit a monastery up on a hill with a pretty good number of steps to climb. I did not count the number of steps but it was enough to give us a good leg and heart exercise.

Do not be fooled by this couple in the traditional wears. Like us, they were also tourists and they rented the costume for a photoshoot. Hj Khailani and his wife decided to "tumpang sekaki" and why not.

When It was time for lunch, we were assured that Halal food is available. I was confident that there would be, based on my first visit to Lhasa, the capital of Tibet. So, there it was, a Muslim restaurant with the familiar jawi scripture on the signboard.

Entering the small restaurant, we were greeted with dried Yak meet hanging by the ceiling. There was no foul smell though the meat had been hanged for months. No flies either. It was really a cheap way to preserve meat, no expensive refrigeration needed.

Could we have the appetite to eat the Yak meat? Just look at the smile on our faces.

After lunch, we would tour the modern part of the city.

DAY 1 IN KUNMING

2011-04-26T11:56:00.003+08:00

10th April 2011

Kunming sits at 1,870 metres above sea level. While average temperature in April is 27 degrees C, it is pleasant and dry. Subang Jaya where I lived, sits at 70 metres above sea level. Same temperature, different altitude, different feeling.

The 3 odd hours MAS flight to Kunming landed at 3:15pm and Kunming shares the same time zone as Malaysia. The flight was almost full, majority being Chinese Malaysians visiting their ancestors' origins. A Chinese gentleman from Kajang struck a conversation with me while alighting. His group will be visiting Li Jiang and Kunming. I told him we will be doing Shangri La as well, apart from Li Jiang and of course Kunming. He was quick to point out that Shangri La is already spoiled, giving rather vague reasons. How did he know? The standard answer : "People say!"

For certain, he was not going to spoil my holidays. The "people say" phrase have been overly misused and I have to sympathize with those who succumbed to this standard phrase.

It would only be an overnight stop at Kunming as we would catch our early flight to Shangri La the following day. Immigration clearance was quite fast, and we had a young tour guide, Jackson waiting for us at the arrival hall. Jackson was the same guide when Hj Khailani and his wife visited Kunming in 2010. Hj Khailani quipped that Jackson still sport the same needle-like hair style.

We first checked in to the hotel, had a brief rest and Jackson brought us for a quick visit of a tourist spot (what else) before the sun sets. The place is called TRUMP COFFEE and we were supposed to visit some flower shops. I don't suppose it belongs to Donal Trump! Judging from the several tourist buses in the car park, it was obviously a must-visit location for tourists.

As we entered, the coffee aroma was indeed strong. Momentarily, you forgot about the flowers. Everything coffee was on sale - coffee of different brands and packing, coffee biscuits, coffee sweets, etc etc. To move forward, one must pass through ALL the stalls selling all the coffee merchandises. The narrow pathway was cleverly arranged. Manpower or rather womanpower were not an issue in China. So, the salesgirls were at every nook and corner, pampering us to sample the product and buy them.

Having survived the coffee, we came to the flower section. Ah, finally. Again, everything flower was there. If you are planning a wedding, this is certainly the place to get flowers - yang hidup atau yang mati. But, please don't forget to add the cost of the flight to Kunming.

Mushroom so big and hard, in abundance

I can't help but questioned the abundance of huge black mushrooms for sale. If I speak a splatter of Mandarin, I could perhaps ask the ever smiling salesgirls. But my "Ni how ma" cannot get me very far. So, I hoped these are not "manufactured" mushrooms, just like the manufactured eggs sold in Penang recently!

Did we buy anything? Yes, coffee crackers and some tiny winy souvenirs. You know, ladies can't leave a shop empty-handed! Anyway, my wife is usually a very careful spender...hint...hint..

Back at the hotel, we were greeted by a wedding reception at the hotel entrance. This is something different. Both the bride and bridegroom were there, together with the parents greeting their guests. So, how about our "Raja Sehari" doing the same act?

Beautiful couple aren't they?

We took photos with them and they were very happy to oblige these foreigners to share their happy occasion. There were also kacangs, cigarettes, kuachi and other tid-bits offered for guests.

Hours later, after the wedding, I am sure they will be scooted off in this stretched limousine for their honeymoon. They could actually honeymoon in the stretched limo!

We wished the couple a "Happy Wedding until children and grandchildren"

The stretched limousine

We had nothing else to do and look forward to a sumptuous dinner. Meantime, before stepping in the lobby, Hj Khailani has to pose with this bus - Kunming welcomes Cyclists. And here we are!

Tomorrow, we leave for Shangri La.

EXPLORING A TINY BIT OF CHINA

2011-04-23T08:21:00.001+08:00

Everybody knows it is so huge. One could not possibly visit the whole of China within one's adult life, probably even within one's life. How many "Malaysia" can fit into China? You make a guess.

Years before, when digital cameras were still non-existent, a friend and I visited Kunming and Chengdu - two cities within the Yunan Province. A Chinese Muslim accompanied us on this trip. Through this Chinese friend, we flew to Lhasa the capital of Tibet. In my possession are hundreds of slides I took. We visited the Muslim communities of Kunming, Chengdu and Lhasa. Yes, I was pleasantly surprised in the heartland of Lhasa, in the heart of this Buddhist capital, there are Muslims and we visited a mosque there.

For those who miserably failed their Geography in school, please see map below to orientate yourself with China.

Yunan is a province in China, with common international borders with Vietnam, Laos, Burma and Bhutan. Due to its proximity with South East Asia, Yunan is therefore the most convenient entry point for overland adventurers to visit China. There had been, therefore, numerous overland trips by 4-wheelers, superbikers and "not so superbikers" (I mean bicyclists) by Malaysians seeking to join the ranks of the modern Ibn Battuttas. Sadly, I am not one of them.......yet!

Quite recently, a friend Hj Khailani (a rather ethusiastic traveller) tempted me to re-visit Kunming. Having felt rather guilty turning him down on a promised cycling trip to Lexiago last year, I was more than ready to atone my guilt.

It will not be just Kunming. We planned to visit Shangri-la up north of Yunan and see what it has to offer. We will stay in Shangri-la for 3 nights. Then we will journey by road down to the Tiger Leaping Gorge before overnighting in Lijiang and visit it's renowned ancient city. From Lijiang, we will fly down to Kunming and drive straight to Dongchuan, a twisting 160kms to see the famous landscape of Lexiago.

To further atone my guilt, my wife will accompany me on this trip. Some say this is a "bodek" trip for future "visas" to continue my cycling tours!! Hj Khailani will also bring his wife - two men and their wives minus their bicycles.

So, once again to those readers where geography is not their favorite subject, please locate Shangrila, Lijiang, Kunming and Dongchuan from the map below. Dongchuan is slightly off north of Kunming. I hope your compass bearing is OK even if you have failed your Geography !!!

We left KLIA on Sunday 10th April and returned on Sunday 17th April. In the upcoming blogs, I shall record our experience of the places we have visited. Stay tuned.

A TOUR OF SOUTH VIETNAM - Two half-days in Nha Trang

2011-04-09T19:12:00.000+08:00

DAY 5 - After Lunch

Fully rested and showered after our noon arrival in Nha Trang, we had the full afternoon to sight-see what Nha Trang has to offer. For a start, it has to be it's splendid beach, facing the open sea. It proved popular both for tourists and locals. Nha Trang is reputed to have the best beach in Vietnam. Having traversed close to 500 kms, most times hugging the sea, I would say Nha Trang has the best developed beach in South Vietnam. By virtue of that, Nha Trang is also a very developed town. Next to the hotel we stayed, there were several high-rise projects taking advantage of the sea-front.

Nha Trang beach from our hotel

After lunch, I joined Wan Sabri, Dzul and Kamad for a quick look at the other parts of the town. The first stop was a Cham ruin. It was not really a big complex but was quite well patronised. Situated on a small hillock, there were prayer activities going on when we took the flights of steps to the top.

It was a group of lady-devotees chanting some prayers. One appeared curious of the visitors.

With the vantage point on the hillock, we captured several shots of the town.

Fishing remains one of the town's major activity

And as I made my way down, I could not resist capturing this cute baby walking down the flights of steps, secure in the grip of the father.

And Dzul captured this "young man", happily posing on a motorbike while his mom darted into a shop for a quick purchase. I do not suppose child-napping is a threat here.

Wan Sabri the Viet veteran was very comfortable taking some orders for some local delicacies and coaxing Kamad to give a shot at what was offered. I too could not resist. Don't ask me what the kueh is is called!

Next, a tour of the market.

A TOUR OF SOUTH VIETNAM - Day 5 (The Light & Easy Ride)

2011-03-29T16:33:00.001+08:00

3 March 2011 - CAM RANH TO NHA TRANG

The hotel where we stayed had a large compound, with shady trees. Internet was also available and so was cable TV. It was good value for money. This time, the bicycles slept in the kitchen, away from their owners who slept peacefully, after the fulfilling dinner at the Windmills Restaurant.

This would be the final day of riding, the shortest too. There was an air of unhurried tempo of the tuarers as we woke up to welcome the day. Whatever left of the rations was laid on the table for breakfast. That included the mushroom soup, the Nescafe 3-in-one and I believe also the serunding. We still woke up early though, the discipline of touring strongly etched in both body and mind.

The lady hotel owner was also up early. Amongst the crowd of tuarers, she was busy handing out her business card, welcoming us back to her hospitality.

Several photo sessions before we grouped for our usual group photo were in order. I had a picture taken with Ms Siti Linh, so did everyone else.

Ms Siti Linh with her "uncle"

Then it was Ms Siti Linh's turn to do her "1, 2 and 3" for our group photo. Today, the GEDEBES decided to display their Red and White jerseys, except for one of them. Terlupa kut.

There would be no mountain to climb, though the route was not entirely flat. We could expect gentle climbs but the promised great scenery along the coastal road should more than offset the increased heart rate and sweat. There would be no headwinds either to slow us down. What would slow us down would be the photo shoots along the road.

This was the light and easy ride. Light and easy are my own hallmark of a cycling tour. The route has been paced well by Wan Sabri. The final day is indeed a reward.

The town Cam Ranh was already busy when we hit the road. Stalls for breakfast were found along the roads, with small stools and small tables filled up by adults enjoying the varieties of their Vietnamese breakfasts. This reminded me of the warongs dotting the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia.

There were also the usual friendly waves by the crowd. We gladly returned their compliments, as usual. A child on a bike was also curious as we passed by and could not resist to steal a glance at these adults in funny attires. Thanks Dzul for this pic.

And when there was an opportunity to stop and buy the local fruits, notably the mangoes, we all stopped. We were in no hurry.

Once out of the town limit, we branched off into a village route that would take us towards what I termed as the "great ocean road". When we stopped at a small village shop for a drink. I could not resist taking this cute little baby boy away from her mother's arms. The baby was not afraid. Boy, was he heavy!

In my earlier blog, I claimed that I had not seen any FAT Vietnamese. I stood by my statement. The baby in my arm had not shed his baby fat yet. I am sure he will grow to be another slim and hardworking Vietnamese lad. We all agreed too that the Vietnamese children were not afraid. Either alone or in groups, the kids always waved at this 8 funny looking characters.

Baby and "granduncle"

We crossed a bridge and stopped for a photoshoot. We took our time. Special mention must be made of Kamad, the second "youngest". Kamad decided from day 1 that he wanted to experience the full touring experience. While others left the bags in the upport van, Kamad's Ortlieb panniers were on the bike with him. So, he was fully laden all the way, at times huffing and puffing at the rear of the group. With the strong headwinds, the panniers further exaggerated the drag. But at other times, he would also be somewhere up front. Syabas Pak Kamad. Lake Toba in April will be peanuts to you!

Kamad, a full tourer with panniers

Crossing the bridge, we came to a beautifully landscaped dual-carriageway, resembling closely the roads at Putrajaya. This was the best constructed road for the entire 5-day rides.

This road leads to the "ocean road" with some gentle climbs and a panoramic view of the ocean below. This was where we spent most of our time enjoying the scenery, and capturing the memories. The final destination was a mere 30 odd kms away. There was no reason to hurry.

Hj Khailani stopping for a photoshoot

The view that greeted us as we coasted down towards Nha Trang

Another panoramic view from the ocean road

One for the road.

We stopped so long that even our driver had time to scrutinize my Surly. I was wondering what actually fascinated him. Probably he could not do the mathematics for the pricing of the bikes.

Just at the outskirts of the town, there was a resort by the beach. And again we stopped for some photoshoots. That's me with Mede (Hamdan), identifying ourselves with the Nha Trang signage in the backdrop. This day, even the fast and furious Mede decided to take it easy.

We rode on for several kilometres more into the heart of town. The traffic got busier as we cycled along a beautiful beach front to our hotel.

Our hotel at Nha Trang.

We officially ended our ride just about noon. There were smiles all round and we shook hands, congratulating one another and thank Allah the Almighty for the safe journey. Deep inside, we knew there will be other journeys that we would do, in smaller groups or even solo.

The 5-day ride was officially over. The trip to South Vietnam was not. We would shower, then a short nap before we exlore Nha Trang.

A TOUR OF SOUTH VIETNAM - Day 4 (The Longest Day)

2011-03-24T11:42:00.002+08:00

2 March 2011 - PHAN RI CUA TO CAM RANH

We were now into Day 4. Last night we checked in to a small hotel, AN VIEN. It's a no frills, a clean queen-sized bed, air-conditioning and shower and clean toilet. No food outlet and no breakfast. We dined the usual sea-food not far from the hotel. Though no breakfast, the caretaker arranged for breakfast - the usual baguette and coffee. I had a sachet of mushroom soup and a Nescafe 3-in-one, compliment of my room-mate Hj Khailani. Hj Khailani had been very prepared for his maiden tour and I had been very fortunate to have him as my buddy! So, "terima kasih daun keladi".

On almost all my journeys, my bike was never my bed-mate. This time, at the request of the caretaker, the bikes slept with us! Someone must have impressed upon her that these bikes could be traded for a 3-month free stay in her simple lodge!

On my journeys, and on some very rare occasions, the cost of the bike became a subject matter. I usually refrain from satisfying the query, playing down its value. There were curiosity (and honesty) in the question though.

The breakfast by the corridor

This day would be the longest day of the ride. We would be swinging inland, away from the sea. But if we hoped for a reprieve from the strong winds, we would be utterly disappointed. Swinging inland meant we would also be passing several towns along the way.

One can note from the map above that the hinterland in this region are hilly. DA LAT on the upper left corner of the map is a hill resort. DA LAT could be scheduled for another time, another tour.

So, there we were with the usual group pose before the start of our journey. Of-course we were not sure what lies ahead. That's the beauty of touring in foreign lands - there are mysteries and new experiences to savor.

So, for most parts of the journey, we would have the mountains in our view. At some stretches, we appeared riding into the mountains, and wondering whether there would be steep climbs awaiting us. At other stretches, the mountains appeared on our left and on our right.

Some stretches were relatively flat and to a certain extent, monotonous. One of the tuarers, Shuhaimi loved to take pictures of signages. Shuhami could not actually qualify as a "tuarer". He is a bit young, unlike his buddy Mede - if you know what I mean!

Hamdan (Mede) in Blue
Shuhaimi in Red

I recalled cycling with Shuhaimi when he took this shot. I too wondered what it actually meant.

And when this shot below was taken, we had the following comments:

Dzul - Boy chasing girl

ARZ - School kids very eager to go to school

But this one below has got to be the best.

Wan Sabri : If you had accident, you will be buried here !!

I leave this signage below to the readers' imagination. Thanks Shuhaimi for being a signboard photographer. It's your niche and specialty.

Getting back on the road, this is also a region of cultivation. Amidst the mountains, there are masses of flat land, mainly planted with padi. I may have mentioned earlier in my blog about the uniqueness of this new experience of the Vietnamese padi cultivation.

One other place where I saw a similar landscape was on my cycle tour of the Minangkabau land in Sumatera, but not as pronounced. The two-tone color of the padi-fields could only mean one thing. Padi cultivation could be a year-round affair. This two-tone color also broke the monotony of the landscape.

Then, what about grapes? Yes, grapes in this hot climate? I did not pluck any and so I have no comment. Ah..."sour grape" la tu!

There was a comparatively nice lay-bye along the route and a stop there was timely. Somehow I failed to see any hammocks. This would be one of the modern stops, in comparison to the small cafes that dotted the highway.

Before reaching the town of Phan Rang, I came across this board at a road inter-section. I don't know what it meant but it certainly was loud enough to tell us who ruled the country. However, apart from such boards, one would not realize that once upon a time, Vietnam was not what it was today. What it was then, to my mind, actually toughened up its citizens. The war would have taken its toll. Deprived and destroyed, the Vietnamese rebounced to be a strong economic force. By the way, I have yet to see a FAT Vietnamese. What does that tells us?

Moving on, we were pleasantly surprised to come across a Mosque. This was before Phan Rang town. The surrounding areas were cultivated padi lands. Would have been nice to spend a night here and get to know the Muslims in this area. Again, we had a long day ahead and a committed schedule. So we moved on.

We also came across a ruins, uncertain though of its significance.

If one travelled on the Plus Highway, somewhere around Alor Gajah, one would see a wind-sock by the highway, indicating a cross-wind. In a car, one may not necessarily be over cautious about this. One is in the comfort of air-conditioning and music.

On a bike, a cross-wind is a cross-wind. And the winds were strong. And we experienced this. A lorry that overtook us would create a tail-wind that could suck us towards the lorry. This did not pose much danger, but it was an experience.

But when you see wind turbines as you cycled through, what does that tell you? We were both glad and disappointed when we stopped to photograph these turbines. Glad that the wind had not picked up when we reached this place. Disappointed that we could not witness these giant turbines rotate. I would have loved to capture these turbines rotating, on video.

I did however saw one turbine slowly rotating when we stopped for carbo-loading. It signalled that the wind was picking up. Picking up it did and we were literally pedalling against the strong wind as the days grew longer and the muscles grew weaker.

So while Malaysia is planning for a nuclear powered electricity, Vietnam has free source of generation - very eco-friendly too!

At one stage, I was feeling very exhausted. We stopped at a petrol kiosk and the backup van was there too. I decided to take some rest in the van to proceed forward. The rest continued on. The 9km rest in the van re-energized me and allowed me the opportunity to stop up ahead and video our brave tuarers ploughing into the winds.

While waiting for the tuarers, I was also able to capture several shots of the locals coming down from the mountain slopes carrying bales on their backs and firewoods in the baskets.

We plodded on against the wind into the darkness towards our final destination. The strong wind and the setting sun chilled the air as we made our way into Cam Ranh. Ms Siti Linh caught us by surprise on a motorbike when we were not sure of the junction to take. She guided us to the hotel but she too, being new to Cam Ranh, was momentarily lost. But what's 2 to 3 kilometres extra when we knew a shower and clean bed would be waiting for us.

We arrived at the hotel at 7pm (8 pm Malaysian time).

Dinner was at a fancy restaurant - aptly named Windmill Restaurant. Looks like we never had enough of the "winds". But when it was makan time, we were not out of wind.

We clocked 125 kms and we were on the saddle for 6 hrs 17 mins. Indeed the longest day.

We looked forward to tomorrow, the final day ride into Nha Trang, the coastal city reputed to have the best beach in Vietnam. It would be a reward, with an excellent panaroma as we cycled unhurriedly to our final destination.

A TOUR OF SOUTH VIETNAM - Day 3 (Riding Into More Wind)

2011-03-19T19:17:00.002+08:00

1st March 2011 - KE GA TO PHAN RI CUA

Prior to going out for dinner last night, we had a small tiff with the security guards @ Bau Mai Resort. To them, what's the big deal of leaving our touring bikes under the stars. A bike is just that, a bike. A bike is cheap in Vietnam. Little would they know that just the saddle of our bikes could buy 2 or 3 Vietnamese bicycles. They could have fainted if they knew that one of us go to bed with the bike!

So, they got the message that the bikes needed covered storage and they relented, and we went for dinner happily.

THE TSUNAMI
I woke up on Day 3 fully rested. Stepping out of the room, I could see the beach, literally a stone's throw away. As I penned today's ride in the comfort of home, I am reminded of the Tsunami that had devastated parts of Japan, a week after our return from the tour.

While we grief for the sufferings of the Japanese people, we are grateful our country is spared such calamities.

My memory also raced back to the coastline of Vietnam, where 8 "Tuarers" were hugging the beach front at several stretches of the trip. What If ??

Back to Bau Mai Resort on this Day 3, our departure was slightly delayed. Breakfasts ordered were delivered late. Apart from coffee, my breakfast never arrived. Hamdan had time to do some stretching exercise while Wasabi, Dzul and Siti Linh discussed today's ride.

As usual, another group photo before we went off. Today, Dzul recited the doa. Siti Linh as usual became our photographer. I took a shot of her taking our group photo. To ready us for the shot, she would always say "1, 2 and 3", emphasising "and" then took the shot. We would chorused after her, "1, 2 and 3".

Smile when I say "1, 2 AND 3"

The result? 8 unconscious old men, some smiling some looking serious.

We said goodbye to Bau Mai resort and hit the road. We passed several fishing villages and in the cool of the morning, the ride was generally faster. The winds would picked up in the later part of the day, as the over-worked muscles struggled to pedal against the non-relenting winds.

This day's ride would bring us into the city of Phan Tiet. We would also cycled through the long stretch of holiday resorts of Mui Ne Beach before ending the ride at Phan Ri Cua.

At one stage, I was cycling with a group of schoolboys. One was on an electric bike. Boy, did I wish for one at this moment. On the e-bike, it would be just a twist of the wrist to propel me forward, with or without the head wind!

On long rides, I do consume Coke for energy recovery. This lady though believed in the rival brand. I just wondered whether she too needed to energize or was it pure love of the drink.

Khailani and I took a short detour into the beach front when we saw our group up ahead stopping for rest. We photographed a group of people sieving out their catch, undisturbed by our presence.

A few men were packing sand dug from the beach. Those heavy bags of sand were transported on the cubchais. These must be the most overworked cubchais around. I just wondered whether what these men were doing were legal.

It's also good to know there are bike repair shops along the route. Do not expect to do any major parts replacement though.

For our rest break, we stopped across the road of this beautiful Golden Coast resort. The sunflowers and Ixoras were in full bloom. There were, as I said earlier, numerous resorts of different grades dotting the long coastal beach of South Vietnam.

Golden Coast Resort, one of the many found along this route

We did not explore the resort though as were too busy enjoying the local fruits, expertly peeled by Siti Linh, ever the industrious tourist guide. The eight uncles were now appearing dependent upon Siti Linh to feed us. Am now wondering whether future visas will be granted by our "home ministers" for future trips.

Continuing our ride, we entered a comparatively big and busy city of Phan Tiet. As usual, there was a dire lack of road-signages to guide us out of Phan Tiet. Phan Tiet reminded me of Had Yai, busy and with lots of vehicles - lorries, cars and countless numbers of motorcycles.

We momentarily lost sight of our support van. But Hamdan's google map on his BB guided us out of Phan Tiet. If time was on our side, we could have overnighted in Phan Tiet and explore the city.

Riding into Phan Tiet

But we were not even half-way from our destination and it was certainly too early to stop. It was even too early for lunch, especially after the fruit extravaganza at our earlier stop. A few of us though, managed to capture some scenes on a bridge in Phan Tiet.

Fishing boats moored in the river at Phan Tiet

The market, besides the river.

There were some climbs and some rewards of downhill. Moments like this on a downhill with the sight of the sea and blue sky were always moments to cherish. Such feelings are much more fulfilling when you are on a bicycle. You are after all, one with nature.

We were rolling down to Mui Ne beach. Below is an extract about Mui Ne from Wikipedia

Mui Ne (Mũi Né) is a coastal resort town in the Binh Thuan Province of southeastern Vietnam. The town is close to the city ofPhan Thiết. Tourism has transformed Mui Ne into a resort destination since 1995, when many visited to view the total solar eclipse of October 24, 1995.Mui Ne has many resorts on the beach, as well as restaurants, bars and cafes.

Mui Ne Beach is a popular tropical beach. Strong sea breezes make it very popular for kitesurfing and windsurfing^[2]. The tourist season is from December to May.

As we rolled down to the flats of Mui Ne, we were greeted by a small esplanade, certainly a good place to stop and soak in the tranquility of the moment. But some of us were already quite far ahead and we need to keep pace.

However, we did manage to stop for a quick shot of our man in black (Pak Wan), who blended in well with this black classic of a car. This was in front of the many resorts along this stretch.

The five-foot ways along this stretch were tiled. Coconut trees lined the streets, offering both shades and drinks for the many holiday-goers, mainly Russians. One could obviously understand the relationship of the Russians with the Vietnamese, dated back since the Vietnam war.

Two other highlights need to be mentioned of the Mui Ne area. The group just had to stop to capture the scenery before us. This was one highlight.

The number of fishing boats in the sea were just too many to count. Fishing must certainly be one of the main source of income for the populace. Fishing must have been done at night as all the boats we captured were in mooring.

The second highlight is the sand-dunes. Just after lunch, kids greeted us offering us to sand-surf. Mui Ne is also famous for their sand-dunes. These dunes are not necessarily by the beach. These dunes are also found across the road, away from the beach front.

Sand-surfing activity offered to us.

Lunch was another affair with sea-food. One restaurant lost our business. The security guard manning the entrance refused to allow the bikes to be parked within the carpark area, probably for the same reason at Bau Mai resort - bikes are just that, bikes.

As they say, one restaurant's loss is another restaurant's gain. We were the only customers and service were fast and food were marvelous.

We had a good rest here and took the opportunity to jamak our prayers, before moving on.

Moving on became very slow. The winds were roaring against us. The coconut trees bent forward, as if bowing to us, welcoming us to the land of the winds. So I penned a short poem below:

THE WIND

The wind, ah...the wind that blows

Strength after strength it grows

We cycled, we peleton, all in a row

We started fast, then we became slow

And we stop often, to rest our tired soul

Ah....the wind that blows

To compound the challenge, at the 69km mark on my POLAR (50 mile mark on Zu's Garmin), as the heat bore on us, the road climbed and climbed, corner after corner. Factor the wind and we are talking about a triple blow - heat, wind and terrain.

Shuhaimi aptly commented in his fluent French "lembu pun terberak nok ghukah (climb) bukit ni", noting the cowdungs along this climbing stretch. Such observance!

The climb started at the 50 mile mark

Anyway, cycling is also about free-wheeling. Once at the top, we were rewarded with a great downhill to a small town Luong San where a drink stop was the reward of the hard climb. Along this downhill stretch, we noted tapioca as a cottage industry.

We were still a good 20kms to our night stop and we arrived just as the sun was setting. It was the most welcoming sight when we saw the support van at this small hotel, called An Vien. Tonight, in this small hotel, there would be no seperate beds. But I have no worries. Haji Khailani slept soundly everytime!

We clocked 119 kms on Day 3 and ready ourselves for the longest day on Day 4.

A TOUR OF SOUTH VIETNAM - Day 2 (Riding Into The Wind)

2011-03-16T08:43:00.001+08:00

28th February 2011 - DAT DO TO KE GA

To an average Vietnamese, The THUY DONG RESORT where we spent the night is quite upmarket. At VND 700,000 per room (RM105), it was reasonably priced for us. It was a pity though our itinerary would not allow us to spend more time here.

A tennis court and a swimming pool complement the hotel. It would have been nice to soothe the tired muscles in the pool. The beach lies across the road. Apart from Hj Khailani who took several shots of the beach, nobody else I believed explored it. Anyway, there would be plenty of beaches we would be seeing for the next several days. Just hope it would not be an overdose.

Our rooms were on the ground floor, located a distance from the main Hotel building. There were very ample room to park our bikes along the corridors. By 6 am, breakfast was ready and everyone was ready to roll out after breakfast.

Today, the familiar red and white Gedebe jerseys gave way to personal preference. I usually only carry 2 pairs of cycling attire - simple strategy of "wear one pair, wash one pair". So a final pose and after the doa recital by Jawa Muar (Pak Kamad), we rolled out to today's destination Ke Ga. My POLAR indicated 6:58 as our start time. It would be a 107kms ride and today's ride could be correctly titled RIDING INTO THE WINDS.

The cool breeze on our faces in the early morning was an indication of the wind that we would be facing. The sandbags placed on the roofs of the houses could only mean one thing - roofs get blown away in the winds!

Sand bags placed on roofs

In my tours, this would be the first time that the wind need to be factored into the equation. I have heard about strong winds in travel blogs before. When you experienced it yourself, you understand.

Notwithstanding the strong wind, the ride progressed well. It would also be the first time that most of us were introduced to the unique boat of the fishermen of Vietnam. Called Thung Chai, these are round basket boats made of weaved bamboo. For floatation, the baskets are coated with bitumen making the basket water-proof. It tells a lot about the industriousness of the Viets. They used easily available bamboo and make them into boats.

One can call this round basket boat an oversized basin. It boobs up and down in the waves and does not sink. Just wondering why no entrepreneur saw it fit to introduce it to our fishermen.

As we continued on, it was obvious that resort development is on the upswing along the vast stretches of the coast. We saw several advertising boards displaying proposed projects and we noted several projects, some appeared in progress and quite a number seemed abandoned. There would always be over-enthusiastic businessmen anywhere in the world.

So here we had our ever smiling Pak Wan posing in front of one of the resorts, the Ho Tram Beach resort. Who knows, Pak Wan may have quietly jotted down this address for his next wedding anniversary do. After all, he is a Vietnamese veteran!

Time for another rehydration break, we stopped at a roadside Cafe stall. Under the shady trees and with the winds blowing, and hammocks in the hut I could easily doze off and overstay here. If coffee was on the menu, rest assured our Kamad would still ask for the "impatient coffee"!

Several school children cycled past. Pillion riding are common with the pillion delivering additional pedal power. It would be like an extra engine.

As the sun heated up the road, and the headwinds constantly slowing down our speed, we had another rehydration stop. By this time, Ms Siti Linh bought us bananas for instant energy.

If ever anyone wished for the most accurate milestone, one could never find another one so accurate as the one we discovered on this stretch of the road. Lagi 19 km tiba lah ke destinasi! That was what the milestone was telling us.

So, you kayuh a bit more, lagi 12 km. So when it was LAGI 1 km, it was time for lunch

LAGI is actually the name of a town, spelled as LAGI but pronounced as LA ZI and that was our destination for lunch. Referring back to my POLAR altitude printout, we had a 11 km gradual climb at 52km to the 63km mark and then rewarded with a downhill of 3 kms into La Zi.

The greatest reward of the climb was this fantastic sea-food (what else) lunch in this restaurant

As usual, Vietnamese Tea was free flowing and the seafood was great. It did not take long (as usual) to wipe the plates clean.

We moved on after a good rest, often stopping as usual either for short breaks or when subjects caught our sight for photography.

Dragon fruit, which I believed originates from Vietnam were in abundance. We noted several farms along the road to our destination.

Another local industry that caught everyone's attention was the salt harvested from the sea. Salt water got pumped in into man-made catchment fields and left to dry. Once dried, it was a matter of collecting the salt crystals. I noted the wheel-barrows were of stainless steel to withstand the corrosiveness of salt water.

We continued our cycling into the winds and arrived at the day's destination, at another resort by the sea, the Bau Mai resort.

Hj Khailani posing at the entrance

Hamdan and Hj Khailani within the resort complex

Dinner was again sea-food, this time, by the sea.

If you are a member of PGM (Persatuan Gout Malaysia), you better watch what you eat. For us cyclists who burned all the toxins away, these plates of prawns and squids are the rewards we earned.

Thus, another successful ride day. We covered a distance of 107 kms. My POLAR recorded a total ride time of 6 hrs 37 mins. Except for the climbs into LAGI, the terrain was generally flat. The challenge was the wind

A TOUR OF SOUTH VIETNAM - DAY 1

2011-03-13T17:14:00.004+08:00

27th FEBRUARY 2011 - BIEN HOA TO DAT DO

Vietnam is 1 hour earlier, hence dawn breaks early. So wake up call was at 5 a.m. and ride-off time scheduled at 6 a.m. Day 1 would certainly be a day to look forward for. We came so far to see a fraction of Vietnam on our bicycles. For the next 5 days, we would be kids enjoying what adults sometimes referred to us as "unconscious old men", aka "orang tua tak sedar diri".

This day's ride from BIEN HOA would see us heading south towards the coast. We would pass a town BA RIA along the way and end it somewhere along a beachfront. On subsequent days ahead, it would be a coastal ride for most of the way.

Original planning indicated a distance of 76 kms but we actually covered 92 kms, additional kms to burn additional calories.

Here is the GEDEBE team, proudly displaying themselves in red jerseys. Ride in style I suppose is their motto, and why not. I pray that none of them would bump into any angry buffalo that would immediately raised the heart-beats and cadence of these "unconscious old men" in red! Ha...ha....

What about the non-GEDEBEs? Well, the three of us were a motley of non-uniformed cyclists but we sure blend very well with this fun-loving GEDEBES.

Minus 1 Gedebe who was busy searching for his Heart Rate Monitor

We had Hj Khailani to recite the doa for our safe journey today

and soon we headed out into the cool early morning joining the traffic that was already building up rather quickly.

The moment we hit the road, we had to make very quick adjustments. For a start, the Viets drive in the opposite direction. We got to get used to riding on the right side of the road. So, right is right and left is wrong! Confused??

Next, Viets love to horn - loud and musical. For no apparent reason, the horn would blare, often long and wavy sound that continuously rattles the ear drums. It was certainly not music to our ears. As if that was not enough, we had to deal with the dusts. Parts of the road were under construction. So it was a combo of dust & sound.

And soon, most of us became masked

Olmo with mask brought from home

Ride Leader Pak Wan also all masked up

Next, I termed this ride as the dash of the brave. Motorcycles would appear in all directions. They came from the front, they came from the left and they came from the right. Extra caution was the order. But in all fairness, I did not come across any accidents and there were no Mat Rempits.

Anyway, this is what cycle-touring is all about. One gets to experience the reality of the moment, sharing with the locals, though just for fleeting seconds, their daily routines and their laughter and smiles. These are experiences that money cannot buy.

Breakfast was not part of the package for the night stay. Ms "Siti" Linh, our guide, ever so efficient was already scouting for a good place for breakfast and at 7:21 am, we had our first stop for breakfast.

The colonization of Vietnam by the French made the Vietnamese loaf-loving people. Vietnamese love baguettes and everywhere you find them selling baguettes. That was no surprise. But what surprised us was the small serving of coffee.

One miserly serving of coffee

And there was also what one of the cyclists, Kamat termed as "patient coffee". It was brewed coffee, served in a special container where you wait for the concentrated coffee to drip down to into the cup. The wait, at least to Kamat, was agonizing. Hence Kamat always ordered the "impatient coffee".

Noise, as I said earlier is something the Viets had grown accustomed to. At this breakfast stop, there was a mobile Karaoke, and a gentleman was crooning away and moved within the crowds for donations - one simple Viet earning an honest living.

And unfortunately there was no Jeffry Din's minus one in his collection. Otherwise I would gladly volunteer and bring some rain to wet off the dust from the road!

Mobile Karaoke

We moved on and as the sun hots up, it was time for another break. No karaoke this time but coconuts to quench our thirst.

Another surprise awaited us. We discovered that hammocks are standard fittings in way-side stalls, big or small. Viets love to relax in hammocks.

Well....actually Malaysians loved it too

Oh...what a feeling

When we clocked 60 kms, we were already in the town of BA RIA and ready for lunch. BA RIA is quite a big town, clean and well maintained.

Entrance to the town of Ba Ria

Again Siti Linh did not disappoint us. She brought us to a seafood restaurant situated besides a river. With an outdoor setting plus the cool breeze coming from the river, the seafood galore we were about to have would be a near climax of the day.

Though it was seafood, Viets love vegetables. I have never seen nor ate so much veges in a week. I am generally not a vege guy. However, with the varieties of sambals and pastes that came with the assortments of veges, I actually enjoyed the veges.

Veges, Veges everywhere.
Vietnamese Tea as standard menu, free flowing

The seafood was lovely and fresh. Vietnamese iced tea is standard on the menu, free-flow. The ambience was right, so was the company and the stomachs were ready. So everything got wiped-clean very fast. Cost was VND 800,000, roughly RM120.00 for 9 pax (RM13 per head). What a bargain.

When the stomach is full, every other part of the anatomy became equally heavy. The eye-lids became heavy. The neck sagged down and the bum just refused to get up. But up we must. It was time to hit the road again. We would have another 20 - 30 odd kilometres of pedalling to do.

Meanwhile Siti Linh went first to look for a suitable place to stay for the night. Pak Wan's instruction to Siti was to book a hotel near the beach, about US$30 a room max, twin-sharing. Were we heading for the right direction? Dat Do was our destination and it showed only 9 kms.

That would be easy meat, even on full stomach. As we kept cycling in the direction of the signboard, it was getting obvious that we were not anywhere near our destination. By this time, the wind was noticeably strong, much stronger than what we were accustomed to back home.

A call from Siti Linh confirmed the hotel for the night. It would be THUY DUONG RESORT. Keying in the hotel name in his Blackberry Google Map, Hamdan got the direction corrected and we were soon taking a short cut through the padifields towards the hotel.

Zul, the tourer with an eye for good subjects captured this lady carbo-loading; She was probably amused at 8 unconscious old man in over-dressed attire, in the blistering sun. Well Pak Wan, we have our motto "NO HELMET NO RIDE". This lady too has hers - "NO TUDUNG SAJI, NO RIDE". But she was one ahead - CHICKEN FEET, STILL RIDE!!

"My helmet offers better protection from the sun and who needs shoes "

The wind got stronger and stronger. Cycling became harder and harder. We were obviously heading towards the coast but the coast was still nowhere in sight. Another break for a drink and we continued on. Soon we came to Phuoc Hai town and the welcoming coastline on our left. Our final destination would have been some where in sight but we saw no resort. Language was a major barrier and we soon got a lady talking to our Ms Siti Linh on the phone, telling Ms Siti our location.

Within 10 mins the van came and we were soon cycling to the resort, about 3 kms down the road. What a resort !

At night we would have another sea-food dinner before retiring early for the ride on the following day.

SUMMARY

This day's ride was generally flat. The challenges were at the start of the ride from Bien Hoa where the road was under construction. The vehicles thinned out as we rode further and further away from Ho Chi Minh. Wind was a factor we need to take into consideration for the days ahead.

Max temperature recorded was 36 degree C and my average speed was 17.6 kph. Total Ride time was 5 hours on a distance of 92 kms.

A TOUR OF SOUTH VIETNAM - DAY 0 (Flight to Ho Chi Minh)

2011-03-12T08:22:00.001+08:00

26th Feb 2011

AirAsia have 2 daily flights to Ho Chi Minh. What does that tells you? Now that "everyone can fly", Vietnam is fast becoming a popular destination for Malaysians. Cycling tourism though is very much at its infancy stage.

Having travelled several times with a bike as a primary luggage, I have experienced several pricing policies which had baffled me. We had 6 bike boxes/bags to check in and we were told that the surcharge is RM70 per box up to 20kg in weight. It used to be RM50 with 15kg limit and an additional RM20 per kg after the first 15kg.

The new rate though seems to work in my favor, as my bike usually weighs in at 17kg. That would have cost me RM90 under the old rate

The very first time I flew with my bike to Padang in 2009, I think it was RM40 and NO weight limit. Well, at least that was what the check-in staff told me. So, upon my return a week later, I had stuffed most of my heavy items inside my bike bag. Smart thinking. At the ticketing counter in Padang airport, the ticketing clerk weighed my bike bag and I had to pay in excess of RM200 for additional weight beyond 15kg! I saw no sense in arguing with them.

Our flight was scheduled at 1830 hrs. Time was on our side as we settled in at the waiting lounge. Wan Sabri (known as Pak Wan to his Gedebe team) was decked in the familiar Burberry checkered shirt.

So, was it a coincidence Pak Wan? Well, you are after all a Vietnamese veteran. Ha...ha...

Trust Pak Wan to handle the flight booking and we would be assured of meals on board the flight. Pre-booked, our Nasi Lemak were delivered well before other passengers could place their meal orders. That would be our early dinner as the plane touched down in the early hours of the night.

Hamdan and Suhami arrived several hours earlier on the first flight. They would have a long wait for our arrival. Pre-arranged, Pak Wan's former staff was on hand to receive us and have arranged for transport to take us and our luggage to Bien Hoa, a town outside Ho Chi Minh. Bien Hoa is 30kms outside and we would start our tour from there. It was a wise decision.

The first thing to do upon checking-in at the hotel was to re-assemble the bike, ready for an early ride the following day. Like experienced tourers, every one knew what to do with their respective bikes. With tools at the ready, the bikes were ready within about an hour.

This 5-day ride would be a supported trip. Pak Wan has arranged for a 16-seater van and a lovely tour guide to add some "flowers" to an otherwise male-dominated trip. The guide introduced herself as Ms Linh, but not before long, she became "Siti".

The van carried the luggage and the supplies. The van also acts as the transport to ferry our bikes back to Ho Chi Minh at the end of the trip. Our 5-day ride would end in a famous coastal city of Nha Trang. From there we would fly back to HCM.

So, with all arrangements done, thanks to Pak Wan, the next thing to do was to catch some sleep, ready for the start of the ride tomorrow.

YAWNNNN !!!

A TOUR OF SOUTH VIETNAM - INTRODUCTION

2011-03-10T05:25:00.007+08:00

A chanced informal discussion with a cycling group from the hills of Melawati of KL drew a consensus of touring Vietnam. This cycling group called themselves GEDEBE, a Kelantanese term that could send shivers down the spine in the old days of the infamous Kapok Kecik. Led by Wan Sabri (WS), who hailed from "White Sand" in the Kapok Kecik country, himself a Vietnam veteran, we began planning for the trip. As a Vietnamese veteran, it was pretty easy for him to organize. He has maintained contact with his past cadres, which further assists in planning.

So there we were, 5 GEDEBEs and 3 non-GEDEBEs including yours sincerely. Booked into the AirAsia (what else) flight from LCCT to Ho Chi Minh (Saigon) from 26th Feb - 5th March for a 5-day cycling tour, our preparation was focussed on South Vietnam.

Having done pockets of cycling tours in Thailand and Indonesia, the other Asean countries had been on my radar scree. Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos offers exciting opportunities. For now, it would be South Vietnam. The 5-day ride would see us touring the long coastline of South Vietnam. As coastlines are usually flat, though not necessarily pancake flat, we had expected the ride to be moderate in effort. Little did we know that a different challenge would await us.

The group did our usual ride-training in the hills of Lenggeng and Broga, once alternating with the dragon back of Bukit Cerakah and also reward ourselves on the "light & easy" ride to Nasi Dagang Mok Su in Kuang. Ride to eat at times became a focus.

The GEDEBES were

WAN SABRI
Later known as WASABI
Leader for the trip. A Vietnam veteran

KAMAT
and there will be stories to write about this great gentleman

DZUL
The cyclist with a photographic eye from whom several shots in my blogs will be unashamedly taken from

HAMDAN
who rides as if there is no tomorrow, i.e. fast

SUHAIMI
the baby amongst the veterans who is on a 24-hour link on the GPRS

The NON-GEDEBEs were

DOC OLMO
The techie guy with the lightest body and the lightest bike

HJ KHAILANI
A rookie into cycling (hence touring) who became a veteran cyclist overnight

ARZ
Yours truly, the oldest of the veterans

THE RIDE ROUTE

DAY 1 : BIEN HOA ---- DAT DO (92 kms)

DAY 2 : DAT DO ---- KE GA (107 kms)

DAY 3 : KE GA ---- PHAN RI CUA (119 kms)

DAY 4 : PHAN RI CUA ---- CAM RANH (125 kms)

DAY 5 : CAM RANH ---- NHA TRANG (55 kms)

FAST DOWNHILL AFTER SELO

2011-02-15T18:16:00.000+08:00

DAY 3

Today would be an easy downhill ride to Borobudur, a distance of roughly 50 kms. We were certainly not in a hurry. After the late return last night, everyone was happily snuggled in bed, 3 to a room. I woke up to a very cold day. The tap water was freezing cold. To add to the cold, the shower heating system was gas-fired and I had problem turning it and controlling the intensity.

Merapi oh Merapi

At the break of dawn, I stepped out of the room to gaze at Merapi. What a sight. I decided to walk to the village centre about 2 kms downhill. Donned my wind-cheater and armed with my video, I slowly made my way. Half-way, I stopped at a house, the owner obviously preparing for a wedding. It was an opportunity to film (yet again) a wedding preparation. I had been very lucky in my Indonesian travel, having witnessed several weddings - Minangkabau in Padang, Bugis and Torajan weddings of Sulawesi and one other Javanese wedding on my first solo ride to Jogjakarta.

The host as usual, was very friendly. He invited me in and allowed me to video the preparation. My only regret was not bringing my camera along. He invited me for breakfast which I politely refused and moved on to the village centre. (The video I captured is stored in an external hard-disk which I suspect is now corrupted).

Another lucky moment but yet another regret for not having my camera. It was what Malaysians will call a "pasar tani" day. The market was busy with the arrivals of village folks presumably from outside Selo to sell their harvests.

I captured roughly 30 mins of video footages and I have nothing to show! By the time I got back to our Bungalow Tersenyum, the group was about ready to start the ride. First stop had to be the same market place I explored earlier. It had to be breakfast first.

The smiles tell you that the BJCC Tuarers are a very happy lot. They were all anticipating the Satay Kambing Muda. From the huge banner, the dish appeared to be main menu at this warung. As the first customers, the husband and wife team were just too happy to serve us. And there were extra helping too. The size of the banner therefore equalled the appetite of BJCC Tuarers.

Kambing Muda - breakfast menu

For today's ride down to Borobudur, my down-hiller co-cyclist Hatim would take over my Surly. I would be riding the kub-chai. On this downhill portion, Hatim was like duck to water.

Hatim - my co-cyclist

It was not entirely downhill all the way. There were some small waves of uphill, enough to pump the heart rate to the maxim. But these were just short bursts and we were fast approaching the destination for today.

The first landmark of Borobudur appeared in sight

Just before Borobudur

and we stopped for some shots and souvenirs. But none of us bought any masks. I would be surprised if one of us did!

Have your pick

Souvenirs for the loved ones left behind!

Today's stop would be HOTEL MANOHARA, a 5-star hotel located within the Borobudur Complex. As guests of the hotel, we would be allowed to enter the Borobudur complex for the sunrise without having to pay extra. That would be the following morning and would also be a short walk. That's the price you pay for the comfort and convenience. Occasionally, we would like to spoil ourselves too.

Sham & Effendi - a pose @ Hotel Manohara

The vast expanse of the landscape in the gardens of Manohara . Borobudur is in the background

ONWARDS BOYOLALI TO SELO

2011-01-21T16:26:00.001+08:00

GOOGLE MAP OF BOYOLALI

For visitors arriving to Yogyakarta or Solo in Central Java, one of the "tourism routes" that visitors can explore is this route which the BJCC Tuarers had completed. One can do SOLO - BOYOLALI - SELO - BOROBUDUR which will include Gunung Merapi and the Borobudur heritage. Taking this route will take one from the lowland of Solo to Boyolali and gradually climb to Selo. Then, it will be a descend to Borobudur. In an automobile, those climbs and descends will not be felt. On a bicycle, it's a totally different experience.

If one starts from Jokjakarta, then one can do the opposite direction.

Passing towards Selo, one will gradually experience the cool weather. On a bicycle, one will be profusely sweating in this cool climate, cycling or pushing the bike. The reward however, will be the magnificent view of the two mountains - Mt Merapi (2,911m) and Mt Merbabu (3,141m). On the map above, Mt Merbabu sits on the north and Mt Merapi on the south. The town of Selo sits closer to the foothills of Mt Merbabu

DAY 2

So there we were on Day 2 at the hotel that Shambo booked for our first night. It was a Pondok but of the indah variety - hence called PONDOK INDAH. Tugged 2 to a room, my roomate for the entire trip would obviously be my co-cyclist HATIM. On this Day 2, he would be playing a very prominent role.

Today's destination would be a small town aptly named SELO. No one in our group could agree more with such a name. The ride to SELO was indeed SLOW, very SLOW. It was climbing all the way. To add to the excitement, we even passed GENTING along the way. As if SELO was not tough enough, we had to have GENTING (and not just one Genting) to remind us of the climb.

From the word go at the hotel Pondok Indah, the road started to climb, albeit gradually initially. We tucked in a hearty breakfast, packaged in the night stay. First stop was planned for Cepogo. There were however many rest stops before Cepogo though Cepogo became our first official stop. . We battled against the heart rate and stopped very often to lower down the heart rate. However, for my co-cyclist and on a kubcai, it was just "a twist of the wrist".

The rope brought along for the trip became a life-line for most of us, in perfect combination with Hatim, my co-cyclist. For the first time I learned the art of being "pulled" up by a kubchai. Must confess I enjoyed the opportunity!

Cheers to Hatim

Arriving Cepogo, we were ready for lunch. Pak Karto made a roaring lunch business with the hungry cyclists having a go at the Sate Sapi. The neighboring warung also enjoyed our presence with their mie bakso.

Sapu bersih dish after dish

Mie Bakso never tasted so good

We had a good rest, a well-deserved one at Cepogo. The final ascend to Selo was even much slower. The gradient was much more a killer and having spent a fair bit of energy cycling to Cepogo, Selo became a tough battle of the heart-rate against the mind. We often hear the saying, "mind over matter" - if you do not mind, then it does not matter!

On a uphill cycling, it does matter. The "mind over matter" needs to be weighted carefully. At the age past a century, it would be wise to monitor the heart rate against the personal desire to achieve. In my case, the kubchai became a savior on several occasions. The younger ones however, decided to stretch just a little.

The first climb after Cepogo

The signage FLYING FOX sums up the gradient. The drop from here was good enough for an entrepreneur to set up the flying fox business.

Shambo tackling the slope

Zaba overtaking the kupchai on the treacherous slope (or so it seems)

A well-deserved rest thereafter for Shambo and Zaba

From this stop at the Es Buah 99 warong, Mount Merapi awaits at the background. It signalled another climb and for some of us, the "twist of the wrist" kubchai came handy once again.

The upward meandering road offered some excellent views of the mountain, the valleys and the activities of the village folks that dotted the road. Maize is planted in abundance, along with vegetables, just like in Cameron Highlands.

The stops for breathers also allowed for some photo shoots

Shambo with Merapi in the background covered in mist

I recalled Selo is about 50kms from Boyolali. It was a short distance by cycling distance. However, the ride was tough and I must pay tribute to Affendi who cycled all the way up to SELO. We gladly called the climb up to Selo as doing the "Affendi Way", which only Affendi succesfully completed. Ah, the heart of a younger man!

Affendi

Arriving Selo was pure joy and pure "smiles". The cycling for the day was over. The weather was getting chilly as the mist descended. Mount Merapi appeared on and off with the intermittent mist blanketing the horizon.

I should have asked the caretaker why the chalet is called BUNGALOW TERSENYUM.

An "accidental smile" welcome for the tired muscles

"Smile" - one for the road (Bungalow Tersenyum in Selo)

We had a good (and well-earned) rest in the afternoon but had another program of visiting the famous Ketep Pass. Ketep Pass is off our route to Borobodur, which would be our route the following day. Hence, we had arranged for a van to bring us to Ketep Pass. Googling Ketep Pass one can read numerous articles on this tourist site.

The next itinerary had to be dinner. Cold weather always enhances the appetite and the beautiful setting sun was just the right ambience for a hearty dinner in a bamboo restaurant.

Apart from the roof, everything about the restaurant was bamboo. Err...the toilet and sink were also not bamboo. However, if you expect bamboo shoots as the restaurant's specialty, you would be disappointed.

But the BJ tuarers were certainly not disappointed with the choices of menu, neither with the bills. We gladly paid the dues and after dinner proceeded on to burn the high caloric intake at a Karaoke bar. Tonight, we could sleep late.

Tomorrow's journey would be a downhiller!

THE SMOLDERING ASH OF MERAPI

2011-01-11T21:36:00.001+08:00

The famous Mount Merapi on the island of Java erupted on 25th October 2010 and continued on for several days. Mount Merapi sent hot air and rocks high into the sky, causing thousands to flee their homes.

Three months earlier in July 2010, a group of us was somewhere in its vicinity, admiring the majesty of Merapi. Then, I saw a trail of smoke at its peak but thought nothing of what lies ahead. So did the countless villagers dotting the foothills and its surrounding.

The cool weather and fresh air were just the right tonics for us city dwellers from Malaysia. The lush green vegetation along its foothills and the plains in the valley, was a by-product of the fertile soil that Merapi spewed out in series of eruptions, latest being 2006 prior to this eruption.

We started on this tour some 6 months ago, precisely on July 13, 2010. Six of us from Bkt Jelutong Cycling Club flew in to Jogjakarta for a 6 day tour. We had the experience of Shambo (in black in the middle) who made frequent trips to Jogjakarta and could easily passed as "one of them". Shambo made all the ground arrangements. Razak (on extreme left) goes wherever Shambo goes, almost classified as non-identical twins. Then we had Affendi, sandwiched between the two non-identical twins. Affendi is a strong cyclist who can proudly claim that "there ain't no mountain high enough". Third from right is Rambo Zaba, a real photogenic guy that gets photographed with SYT's. To Zaba's left is Hatim, a buddy we could not leave behind. He doubles as my co-cyclist, a role he played very efficiently on the fast downhills. Last but not least, and the oldest of the lot, would be yours sincerely on extreme right.

The planned route would take us direct from the airport to Boyolali, passing through the historic site of Prambanan, onto Klaten into Boyolali on the day of arrival. Day 2 would have us cycling to Selo, the mountainous region where Mount Merapi would welcome us. Day 3 is a downhill to Borobudur, much loved by several of us in the entourage. We called these buddies "the downhillers". I can be counted as one of them but did not have a chance to experience much downhill on this trip.

Day 4 would have us cycling the village routes into Jogjakarta. Day 5 is the touristy part of visiting the Kraton and shopping for souvenirs to bring home. We flew back on Day 6.

Back in July 2008, I had made a solo cycling trip to Jogjakarta, covering the coastal areas towards Cilacap. With a day free prior to heading for home, a local boy I befriended at Borobudur offered to bring me to the foothills of Merapi. Then, the mist of the foothill was too thick and I left disappointed without capturing the majesty of Merapi.

This time around, Merapi was in its full splendor offering itself to be photographed, visited and climbed if one has the appetite to do so. It was indeed a perfect period to visit. If only we knew what would happen three months later, we would probably spent half a day hiking up Mount Merapi.

Fast forwarding to the present, this is therefore a much overdue blog. One can call this write-up as history. My other cycling colleagues who went with me on this trip rightly had given up, not on me, but on this blog. Even Merapi has returned to its slumber.

DAY 1 - AIRPORT TO BOYOLALI

I always looked forward to begin any cycling trip at the point of arrival, literally speaking. The point of arrival would be the airport. Upon claiming the panniers (bags) and the bicycle, we proceeded to assemble the bicycles, choosing a space and corner with the least disruption to other passengers and visitors. Usually, the activity will draw attention and questions from curious but always friendly onlookers. I can predict the usual question of "mau ke mana Pak dengan speda?" and have my ready made answer of "jalan jalan jelajah ....... (depending where my destination would be).

As I said earlier, this is a supported trip, arranged by the veteran Jogja visitor, Shambo. A van would follow us on parts of the trip and my co-cyclist Hatim would be on a motorbike. Hatim would take over my bike on the difficult section, the downhill rides. Hatim would proudly claim such rides as his all time favorite :-))).

Several kilometres out of the airport, Zaba had to abruptly stop. His bike's rear derailleur broke. It could have happened during the air transportation. I had never experienced this mishap in all my previous air travels with my bike. Bike shops along this route are very small and would not carry spare derailleurs.

Zaba thus had to get a taxi to find a bike shop in Jogjakarta while we waited for him at Prambanan. Visitors visit Prambanan to look at the Hindu relics that abounds in its vicinity. Even as we cycled passed Prambanan, we would occasionally see temple relics in the lush padi-fields of the villages.

From Prambanan we cycled through Klaten. My mind raced back during my trip to the Minangkabau region where I passed a village called Kota Baru. Now I almost passed through my own birth state of "KLATEN". Pray there is no Desa Dalam Ru along this route, or I will faint! (Dalam Ru is my birthplace in Kelantan)

We would also pass the locals of both gender, carrying bales of cut grass presumably to feed their cows. Such are the livelihood of the less fortunate. We remained thankful for what we have.

At one stretch along the village road, Mount Merapi was on our left away in the far horizon. We captured Merapi in the failing lights, with the knowledge that we would be quite close to Merapi the next day.

We cycled in the early part of the night to reach Boyolali, stopping over for dinner at a warong before proceeding to the hotel Shambo had pre-booked prior to the trip. Boyolali is 50kms from the airport and the journey was mainly on flat land.

Tomorrow would be a different story as we head for Selo, at the foot of Mount Merapi. We expect to climb and therefore, a good night rest would be the order of the day

IT IS DIFFICULT ONLY THE FIRST TIME

2010-12-28T12:25:00.001+08:00

"IT IS DIFFICULT ONLY THE FIRST TIME" - That's the affirmation I usually apply whenever I attempt something new. This affirmation has a soothing effect. It frees you from excessive stress. It allows creativity. It encourages experiments. Should you fail, you know that the failure is because it is the first time you do it, hence it is difficult only the first time.

17th Dec 2010 was a special day for the family. It was the day, more specifically the night that my wife and I, and the family hosted a WEDDING RECEPTION. It was a wedding reception for our eldest son, RAFEQ who took NURUL AFRAH as his life-partner. And IT WAS THE FIRST TIME for us.

A concerned gentleman called me up a week before the wedding reception. He was a silent follower of my blog. Seeing no entry for more than a month, he called. I sensed his call was to "check" on my status, if you know what I mean. I appreciated his call. I told him I was just too focussed on preparing a wedding reception. Hence my silence.

We did not employ any wedding planner. We decided that we should be the best planner. Mistakes? Sure there were, but I can accept that. After all, "it is difficult the first time".

What was the biggest mistake? Well, I did not send a card to a very close friend. I chose to SMS him an invitation. He came for the wedding with his beautiful wife, all "dressed up to kill" (I assume). But he came one week earlier!! I gave him the wrong date.

So, Lesson # 1 - SEND the wedding invitation card.

As for the other mistakes, the family will do a post-mortem over dinner tomorrow night.

A few pantuns I gave during my speech.

To the newly wed on their new roles

Memberi menantu kepada ibu-bapa

Menjadi abang & kakak kepada adik-adik yang muda

Menjadi penyeri dalam rumah-tangga

Memberi cucu kepada saya

To my guests I said this

Lafaz akad hanya sekali

Cincin perkahwinan tersorong dijari

Kedatangan tuan-puan kami abadi

Jemputan masa depan, harap datang lagi

I have 3 more children to be married off before my wife and I can relieve ourselves of this parental responsibility. Now that the first one is over with, it is our hope that the first wedding will trigger an avalanche for the three to follow suit FAST.

Thank you all the friends and neighbors who had graced the occasion. One do not say thank-you to one's blood relations who contribute, both time and effort to make the occasion a success. They were part of the show!

And I end the speech with a reminder

Punya isteri mahu dakap sampai mati

Hilang semua gigi, hanya tinggal gusi

Sepanjang hayat kekali abadi

Hanya pemisah cangkul penggali

So Rafeq & Anne, you are embarking on a new journey. It takes two to Tango, more so in Marriage. Make it permanent!

WITHIN THE ISLANDS

2010-10-02T11:41:00.001+08:00

This was the homestay we had booked in. The lady to my right is the houseowner. The lady to her left is the daughter, Kak Lah who I called to confirm the booking, and her husband in red.

A simple house with two rooms, one converted for homestay. Dining is in the kitchen, as expected from a typical kampong house. Lunch was "ike singge", "ike goreng" plus BUDU and no veges. By the way, I do not necessarily crave for Budu but once served, and with the right mix of ikan tawar, all hell may broke loose. I grew up with such menus, occassionally with chicken as a delicacy. Fish used to be my staple food, what else if you were a fisherman's son. So, no veges is no problem

Back home in Subang Jaya, my wife has to coax me to take veges, as if I was her kid! And I am not kidding.

After a fulfilling lunch (indeed I was full), we took a short rest by the verandah. The occasional breeze cooled us from the heat generated by the asbestos roof. We decided to let the sun dipped a little before we continued our exploration.

3 main islands are inter-connected - Pulau Suri, Pulau Beluru and Pulau Teluk Renjuna. These are the islands that we cycled through. From Pulau Suri, we had to cross to Pulau Beluru, which is a short distance of under 3kms.

I retained my statement that these islands are still unspoilt, except for 2 spoilers. This was the first. A birds nest building, jutting out of nowhere like a sore thumb - sore thumb to me but cash for the owner. It is my fervent hope that this will be the first and the last, wishful thinking on my part.

Pulau Beluru housed the biggest school with hostel facilities and a fully dedicated jetty for the school children.

Turning left from the school, a bridge connects Pulau Beluru with Pulau Teluk Renjuna.

Pulau Teluk Renjuna houses the mosque to cater for the surrounding islands.

An arch welcomed us to this kampong. I posed here, not really knowing the significance of the arch. It appeared rustic enough for a shot.

Children, as always, are my favorite subjects, whenever I come across them. No computer games for these kids. They improvised whatever they found.

One boy was proud to display a pet musang. Back in KL, pets are sold in hundreds and even thousands of ringgit. I bet this boy got his for free. And when asked what the musang eats, the boy casually says :"muse make pise". Hm...it rhymes very well. Hj Khailani and I smiled at him. I don't think he understood our smile.

World cup fever is everywhere. Hj Khailani caught this action shot of the island's Ronaldo in blue. His pose and style certainly had the making of a pro footballer. Playing football in this "stadium" certainly requires much more skill than the international pros. Apart from the opponents, these players had also to contend with the coconut trees, the lamp post and the concrete path. A much greater skill certainly required.

I spent several minutes videoing their actions. Somehow, their actions and bravery doubled when they realized they were on video.

Then, we came the second "spoiler". Out of nowhere, we came across a Taman, something one expects to find only on the mainland of Kota Bharu.

A signboard showed that it was a resettlement, proceeds from the zakat of MAIK. A bank logo indicates probably the source of this zakat funding. With some thought for preservation, the resettlement could have been tastefully done to retain the charms of the village.

We backtracked from Teluk Renjuna to continue to Pulau Seratus. Pulau Seratus is a misnomer. Unlike Pulau Beluru and Pulau Teluk Renjuna where these islands are seperated by a river, there is no distinct seperation. Secondly, why seratus? It is only one kampong.

I shot this lady who was jokingly disproving me taking her shot. "Wat gapo ambek gamba oghe tuo, tok comel" (why take an old lady's picture, not beautiful). I replied "takpo, asa hati comel" (it's ok, as long as the heart is beautiful). I guessed my reply caught her by surprise.

She peeled the lidi for satay sticks for sale. I suggested to her why not sell satay as well. She just smiled and we moved on, heading back to Pulau Suri.

By about 5pm, we had completed our ride around the islands. While sipping our drinks at the warong near the jetty, we realized we had completed our assignments.

Do we need to experience the homestay? We are after all, kampong folks too. We decided to forego our stay but paid the owner the RM100 for 2 pax (a night stay, lunch, dinner and breakfast).

We took the boat back to Kota Bharu. The nice couple of Kak Lah and husband sent us off at the Pantai Suri jetty.

THE ISLANDS OFF TUMPAT - Part 3

2010-10-01T16:30:00.000+08:00

So, where are these islands? Well, if you look at the green patch on the google map above (top most) that's where the islands are. Unfortunately I cannot magnify the google map any nearer to show these islands at closer view. Doing so blurs the view.

The green color tells you that these islands are...well...still green. Compare that with the mainland, you get an idea why you should visit these islands. I must admit though the "blue" of the rivers in the map are misleading. But the greens are real.

Sadly, one can scoop a teh tarek from the river. But that's no fault of the islanders. Development upstream, as far up as Gua Musang have brought the silt down to the Kelantan river mouth.

THE ISLANDS OFF TUMPAT - Part 2

2010-09-30T07:31:00.000+08:00

Pulau Suri is quite serene, something one could expect from a kampong with very limited development. There is a feeling of quietness and silence. The only motorised vehicles are the motorcycles and they are few in number. Occasionally one will hear the sound of the motorboat engines from a distance. You really feel you are in a kampong.

The roads, more accurately, the paths meanders through the villages. At several stretches, the paths are wide concrete which makes cycling easier. At several older stretches, potholes can be expected.

Surprisingly there are several changes in vegetation too, making the ride quite pleasant. We came across narrow paths, both sides flanked with overgrown bushes.

We also rode through a "keladi" route

And there were bridges to cross, some were in good condition

and one require acrobatic skill which neither of us possessed. This one below actually led to a abandoned settlement, hence it was just rotting away.

Overall it was a cool and breezy ride. We could feel the cool breeze on our faces as we stopped for some pose and pictures.

At most places, tall coconut trees provided us shade. These same coconut trees provide sustenance for the villagers.

We were hoping to observe monkeys plucking coconuts, but there wasn't any. I would be recommending this as an attraction for tourists.

We cycled to our first destination, Kg Pantai Bharu which is relatively a new settlement and sparsely populated. From Kak Moh's house, it was roughly 3 kms. We timed our ride very slowly to return for lunch at Kak Moh's house.

While we were exploring, Kak Moh was checking with another homestay nearby. Upon our return, she informed us that we were booked with another homestay roughly 50 metres away. We thanked the couple for the free drinks, picked our bags and headed for the homestay, looking forward for lunch.

THE ISLANDS OFF TUMPAT - Part 1

2010-09-28T12:40:00.003+08:00

There are several islands off my birthplace in Tumpat. When I was a kid, Pulau Rulah was one island mentioned very often at home. Ustazah Hj Cik Nab hailed from Pulau Rulah. She came to our house weekly to teach the womenfolks of my kampong. My late mother looked forward to her visit. I looked forward to her visit too. I look forward to the food my mother prepared for her Ustazah, something special which I got to enjoy thereafter!

Then there was also Pulau Kundor. As kids, my father did bring us in his fishing boat to visit my mother's relatives. There were many other islands, including "Teluk Jjuno", as spoken in local dialect for Pulau Teluk Renjuna. There is also Pulau Beluru and Pulau "Toke" (Tokang). All in, there are 13 islands, big and small within the Tumpat district, a fact I recently discovered.

This discovery was as recent as 3 days ago. My co-author Hj Khailani and I flew in to Kota Bharu to discover some of these islands. As part of our book project, we plan to cycle within the islands off Malaysia and write about the journeys. We did Crab Island (Pulau Ketam) last month. I was looking forward to this trip as I had harbored the thought of visiting these islands for quite sometimes.

So, with borrowed bikes from my brother and his wife (also two ardent cyclists), we rode the short distance from Kg Baung in Pengkalan Chepa, passing through Kg Banggol to Kuala Besar where we took the passenger boat across to the first destination, Pulau Suri.

Kuala Besar, branches off from the main road heading for Pantai Cahaya Bulan (formerly Pantai Cinta Berahi). Kuala Besar is a big rivermouth and is the take-off point to the islands. The other take-off point to the islands is Pengkalan Kok Majid in Sungai Pinang.

The fare is RM1 one way. I paid RM5 for both of us plus 2 bikes. It was a short boat ride of under 15mins to the jetty at Pulau Suri. We chose Pulau Suri as it is connected to several other islands by bridge. Pulau Suri also provides homestay facilities, something we also recently discovered.

Houses offering homestay facilities have this logo displayed.

The lady passenger in the boat was quite chatty. When asked, she was quick to tell us about the islands and the routes we can take on our bicycles. Disembarking, we headed towards the direction pointed out to us. We were not sure which homestay we were supposed to stay the night though we had the mobile number of the contact person - Kak Lah.

When we chanced upon the first house displaying the logo, we stopped to enquire whether we have arrived at our booked homestay. The owner, known as Abe Li (abang Ramli - and what a coincidence) and his wife Kak Moh welcomed us in. Actually I should be calling him adek Li and his wife adek Moh. A bit "ke'kok" though.

Very hospitable couple. They casually said it did not matter whether we have booking and invited us into the house. A laptop caught my attention, with internet connection.

Over several glasses of cold iced orange drink, we discovered there are more than 20 homestays. The couple are the designated leaders. I found Kak Moh quite forward thinking for someone staying in a village, so deserving of the leadership role she played. She talked about the challenges in this homestay ventures amongst the fishing folks. She talked about the subsidy mentality and the desire for immediate gains. She said it was initially challenging to get the participating houseowners to spruce up their homes, their facilities and their compounds. They expected streams of visitors and to see money rolling in first. She therefore took the lead to invest in their assets and arranged for gotong-royong to make the island hospitable.

The laptop belonged to the daughter, who managed the operations. She had set up a blogsite at www.homestaynelayan.blogspot.com . I checked out the site upon my return. A good start.

The 20 homestay facilities are mostly one-bedroom, owner occupied and have basic facilities. I see potential in the venture for foreign tourists.

Apart from Pulau Suri, we planned to explore the other islands connected by bridges. These are Pulau Beluru and Pulau Teluk Renjuna. Abe Li suggested we explore Pantai Bharu first and then return for lunch. Meantime Kak Moh will check which homestay we were booked in, otherwise we could check in at their homes. That was fine with us.

MERDEKA ON CRAB ISLAND

2010-09-02T18:12:00.232+08:00

I had always wanted to do the Crab Island, just off Pt Klang. My co-author (we are writing a book) suggested we do Crab Island on Merdeka day. Sounds like an excellent idea. The saddle had been under-utilized during Ramadan and a short ride before buka puasa sounds like the right thing to do. Sacrificing the afternoon nap, we agreed to be at the ferry point in Pt Klang at 3pm on Merdeka Day. On the KESAS highway, the sky poured and we wondered whether it would be a wet ride. But the sun smiled back as we arrived the south port and boarded the ferry, RM7 one way in air-cond comfort, in a boat found mostly in the Rejang waters of Sarawak. Our two bikes were tightly secured to the side of the boat.

While it was comfy in the air-cond enclosure, I was wondering of the possible dangers if the boat capsized. No, I was not being negative. Being cooped in also meant that we would miss the opportunity to capture the sceneries as the boat sped through the port area, the kelongs, the wetlands and the stilt houses by the river's edge.

The boat was full, more than half I guessed were local tourists taking advantage of the Merdeka holidays. An Indian family seated across the aisle was making their first visit there too. So were many others. 45mins in the boat, we reached Crab Island. It was low-tide.

Malaysians love to double-park, whether on land or at sea! I had some jittery moments carrying my bike from the bullet boat across onto another boat before I reached solid ground. The small waves created rocked the boat and I almost lost my balance. AND I WAS A SON OF A FISHERMAN!

Man, Crab Island is cycling country....I mean a cycling island. That's the mode of transport, apart from walking.

Little wonder I saw no fat Crab Islanders, in spite of the numerous Fatty Crab restaurants! So, its clean living, no cars and no motorcycles. But trash, hmm...it's still aplenty. I caught one boatman throwing the styrofoam lunchbox in the water, biasa-biasa aje! Just like those on the mainland, we often left the dirty job to Alam Flora. It was similar here. Instead of garbage trucks, Alam Flora used garbage boats.

For RM5, one can rent a bike for a whole day. For those who come "bikeless", this would be an excellent idea to tour the island.

A hotel and a sea-food restaurant (what else) greeted our arrival. We were there for neither the hotel nor the sea-food. It would be a "before buka puasa" ride and no accommodation was required. And we would only "see food". So off we cycled, passing by the main area where you see more hotels and more sea-food outlets and numerous kedai-runcit and stalls selling anything from dried fish to souvenirs.

I was expecting a "classic" Crab Island, with wooden planks as the walk-cum-cycling paths with rows and rows of wooden houses. The wooden houses are still there. The wooden paths were remnants of days gone by. Concrete replaced timber, for obvious reason.

We cycled on, often carefully negotiating the narrow paths with other oncoming cyclists. If you accidentally got your wheel off the path, you and your bike will plunge down a metre (at least) on the muddy ground below. You would hope that the bike would not land on you. Either way and both ways, it would hurt - both the ego and the body!

An elderly couple caught my attention as I made my way past rows of dwellings. They could probably be the first generation of this island. The houses are generally small but enjoyed piped water and electricity. Bicycles are common fixtures of every house but Astro disks are not yet common.

A pink house also caught my attention. Most houses are not gaily painted though and the design is simple. Every house has a terrace before the main hall. The terrace acts as the socialising point as it is open and airy. The main hall comprises the living rooms with the kitchen at the rear.

Since the bicycle is the main mode of transport, I could not help noticing the ingenious ways the locals used discarded items as the "bakul basikal". Very practical and very cheap!

Within about 5 minutes in any direction we took, we would reach the end of the path. So it was almost like a zig-zag ride, a u-turning ride and the occasional stop-for-picture ride. For photographers, there are many excellent photographic opportunities.

Boats (obviously) are pretty good subjects. Here are some samples. Pictures would have been more dramatic in the fading sunlight or early morning. Serious photographers should spend the night on the island to get the best of the scenes.

My cycling buddy, Hj Khailani, being a principal of a school must surely pose in front of a school. Kira tak sah lah kalau tak bergambar depan sekolah. So, for me what will be "sah"? An old folks home????? NO MEH!!!!!

We posed at the Balai Polis. We posed everywhere. Kira posing aje lah. We completed our tour within about an hour and headed back to the jetty. We had decided we would take the open-air boat back to the mainland, scheduled to leave at 5pm to be in time to rush home for breaking fast. This is a disguised tour boat, I supposed as a way to bend the rule and compete with the fast passenger boats. The fare is similar at RM7 and you will enjoy fresh air and enjoy the sceneries as the boat chugged its way to the mainland.

We got a good deal. An excellent view of the river and what it had to offer. Numerous kelongs dotted the river. That by itself is worth an experience, if one is a keen angler.

There were also the anglers who sat patiently on a fishing boat waiting for their big bites. We often hear stories from them about "the big one that got away". Though son of a fisherman, fishing is never my hobby. I cannot play the waiting game too long. But I suppose every hobby has its attraction.

We could capture the bakau wetlands on both sides of the river. Pray that the bakaus will not fall prey to development.

Time was getting a little wee late as we approached the port. The sun was fading fast as we bade farewell to the Crab Island and its populace.

Selamat menyambut Hari Kemerdekaan!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY

2010-08-25T12:31:00.002+08:00

I did not forget. I relied too much on my PDA to alert me. It was there, glaring at me yesterday. Then I charged the PDA, the alert was not discharged, but it was momentarily out of my sight. Perhaps I need a new PDA (hint...hint), something that begins with a letter "i"

No matter how old you are now, and how old you will be, no matter who you will be, no matter what you will be, no matter what, you will REMAIN MY BABY.

So, HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY

We always make a great pair!

IN THE SPIRIT OF SISTERHOOD

2010-07-12T11:11:00.000+08:00

It's normal when one talks about friendship and bonding, one will say "brotherhood". Being a man myself, I beg to differ this time around. How else can you classify it if you have 6 sisters bullying one brother on our 1st SIBLING GET-TOGETHER trip. So, "sisterhood" it will be.

No thanks to one younger brother who could not make the trip, I was the only rose amongst the thorns who made the trip to Bandung for this memorable get-away. Get-away here literally mean just that --- get-away from husbands and in my case, from my wife. Huh?

These are my sisters, 2 elder ones and 4 younger ones. Donned in the red and blue uniform, people at the KLIA thought we were from a company going on a company-sponsored trip. Indeed we were, a company of a brother and sisters!

My immediate elder sister Kamariah @ Ibu G was the prime mover of this project. With her extensive contacts in Jakarta and Bandung, we had Ibu G's friends waiting for us on arrival at Jakarta airport, feast us for dinner and put us in a 8 seater van to Bandung. Terima kasih Bapak Freddy dan Ibu Irma

In Bandung, we were housed in a nice bungalow, courtesy of Bapak Joesril and Ibu Yulia. Every morning over breakfast, we reminisced the carefree childhood days of yesteryears. We drew hilarous laughters. We hope we did not wake up the residents of this peaceful neighborhood. We were one, the family of our late Hj Zakaria and Hajjah Halimah.

In Bandung, what will the ladies do? They left me to fend for myself while they put holes in their pockets. I prefered the independence or else I would be bullied again to carry the loads of spoils that they spent hours and hours buying.

With my trusty Nikon and Sony Videocam, I was capturing moments in the street. One that caught my attention was a young man, earning an honest living with his monkey.

When it was time to return home, we were many kgs heavier.

I was earlier worried that the 8-seater may not be able to take the load and we would have excess baggages. None of these were a cause for worry.

Back in KLIA, we were already for next year's trip. For now, it remains a secret!

Thank you sisters for such a memorable trip - one that money cannot buy. Thanks husbands and wife for letting us go. If you so desire, you husbands are most welcomed to organise your own in-law trips...heh...heh..

WHEN THE FINGER RECEIVES THE RING

2010-06-14T13:17:00.003+08:00

Saturday 12th Jun 2010 marks another milestone in the family circle. Fresh from a "siblings only" outing in Indonesia, we came home for another family get-together. This time, Insyallah, will see the bind of 2 families together in December.

As parents, my wife and I have waited for this day. And I must add, so did the uncles, aunties, nephews and nieces. Not that it's long overdue. This day, our son RAFEQ will be engaged to our future daughter-in-law NURUL AFRAH.

Saturday 2:30 pm was the appointed time. And we were on the dot! Having 2 retired army officers as brothers-in-law and yours sincerely grilled from young in RMC to be on time, we did not disappoint our future "biras". Hope they do not think we were just too eager!

We got the young men to carry the "hantaran". Right in front is the potential candidate for next year's hantaran. That's our second son Raqim, not overdue but also due! True to correct management principle, we will focus on one thing at a time.

After the usual pleasantries, the merisek was over in less than 5 minutes.

Ingin memetik bunga yang kembang

Untuk hiasan dalam jambangan
Apakah daya nasibku malang
Bungaku puja dipetik orang

Too bad la Datuk Ahmad Jais

Ingin memetik bunga yang kembang

Untuk hiasan dalam jambangan
Alhamudlillah nasibku tidak malang
Bunga Rafeq puja, belum dipetik orang

So our spokesman Lt Kol (R) Hj Hamzah (my brother-in-law) offered the symbolic rings, passed one circle to the future mother-in-law for acknowledgement and acceptance and back into the bekas hantaran for the symbolic "adat menyarung cincin" - a first for my wife. (Wahai isteri ku, one more chance next year)

Formalities over, time for some digitial memories

My Side

Future Biras side

BOTH SIDES

(Rafeq & Nurul Afrah)

SIBLINGS...AND ONLY SIBLINGS

2010-06-04T08:21:00.000+08:00

How often do you get a group of siblings going on a holiday? Happens all the time.

Well, how often do you get a group of siblings, MINUS THEIR SPOUSES, going on a holiday?

That's exactly what the Zakaria family will do today. 7 girls and 1 boy will do just that.

The one sitting, the eldest, can't make the trip. The boy sitting can't make the trip either. So that leaves all the 6 girls (behind the one sitting) making the trip. of course the boy relaxing in front will also make the trip.

Will the only boy going be bullied by all the girls? Hmmm.....maybe.

But we know that we will have a wonderful time together for this once in a lifetime activity.

To the unlucky spouses who have to be left behind, take heart. We will bring some "ole-ole" back for you all.

TERATAK MINANG

2010-05-05T06:48:00.001+08:00

Having explored the original land of the Minangs not just once, but twice, the musical theatre "TERATAK MINANG" is a show not to be missed. Istana Budaya, designed for performing arts is just the place to showcase this latest musical.

Somehow, I do feel a little bit out of place as my wife and I queue up to enter the theatre. There are obviously a lot of the Minang descendants in the queue. Some proudly branding their Minang lingo. Well, pure Kelantanese as I am, I consoled myself that my wife is of Bugis descendant. Kira orang dari seberang juga lah! I bump into a friend's wife who had an entourage of her Minang sisters with her. Everybody is proud of their origins.

The casts are a mix of veterans and up and coming artistes, all displaying great professionalism.

Who would not remember the evergreen Ely Kassim. Her rendition of "Ayam den Lopeh" at the beginning of the show is just crispy, as crispy as the chicken fried ala-Padang. Ah...nostalgia untuk seorang yang bakal menjangkau 60!

And there is also Eddy Silitonga rendering songs made popular by Tiar Ramon. Tiar Ramon is a pure Minang but he has passed away many years ago. I am sure if Tiar Ramon is alive, he would be here with Ely Kassim. But Edy is a great replacement.

There is another local guest artiste Aishah Wahid. I must admit I do not know the younger singers but she too had a very sweet voice.

Music director is none other than Datuk Suhaimi Mohd Zain, better known as Pak Ngah. An ensemble of gamelans and other classical musical instruments blend very well with the modern musical instruments.

The story-line is simple. A kampong scene, two young men, one planning to merantau. Ujang, played by our very own Ebby Yus about to journey to seek a better life, to cross the straits to where the Minangs abound - Nogori Sombilan in Tanah Melayu.

Bidding farewell to Ujang is Buyung, the main cast. Buyung is played by Hengky Zubir, an original from Padang.

And there is Siti Nurba'yah played by a Minang lass Nadia Putri Rosadi. Siti Nurba'yah is Buyung's sweetheart. She too appears into the scene carrying some "bekalan" and to bid farewell to Ujang.

More kampong scenes and more renditions of Minang songs by both Elly Kassim and Eddy Silitonga, supported by dancers from Istana Budaya and Sofyani Dance Group from Padang.

The call to "merantau" is also strong in the blood of Buyung. He too must "merantau" to seek a better fortune for he later wants to ask for the hands of Siti Nurba'yah. So off he goes following the footstep of his friend Ujang. Siti Nurba'yah is very sad to let Buyung go, but go he must! Eddy Silitonga rendered "Bapisah bukan barcarai" as the goodbye scene is acted out.

The prop is great. An actual Ojek, the passenger van found in Padang is driven in to the stage to pick up Buyung. The famous Jam Gadang of Bukit Tinggi is also featured. Hats off to the prop crews!

So Buyung too landed in Nogori Sombilan, precisely in Seremban. A busy scene in a market place and Buyung was seeking directions to meet his uncle Pak Wahab, who had "merantaued" earlier and found his small fortune as a clothes merchant.

Pak Wahab is played by Ally Noor and his wife Mas is played by Mastura. Both of them Ally Noor (Pak Wahab) and Mastura (Mas) are famous for their songs "Apo Kono Eh Jang", "Alahai Anak Omak", "Apo Nak Buek Jang" and many others. If you think they both hailed from Negeri Sembilan, you are wrong! I too thought they are pure Minangs. They were both born in Pahang and Ally Noor is a cousin brother of Mastura.

So Buyung also met Ujang who is now married to Yong. Buyung thinks Yong is also a Minang lass but the bubbly Yong says she is from Perak. And in her Perak slang, jests that she thought abang Ujang is a Bangla, emphasising his dark skin and is a little "disappointed" that he is a Minang. The audience had a great laugh with the bantering and Ujang was quick to act that "sobonar nyo, Yong ingat sayo ni Shah Rukh Khan". Again a good laugh.

Yong is played by Siti Rokhaida, better known as "Rock Terjah". And Rock Terjah certainly "rocks".

Another scene have Buyung reading a letter from Siti Nurba'yah who misses Buyung. But not long after, Buyung received a shocker. Siti Nurba'yah's father has matched-make her to another lad in the village. So there we see Buyung "frust menunggeng" as his sweetheart is taken away from him. Several sad Minang songs follow as Buyung wonders aimlessly in the kampong.

Overcoming his remorse, Buyung soon took over the business of Pak Wahab and concentrate on working hard. Another busy scene in the market. In come a new lass, Siti Nurhalisa with her mom on a shopping spree. A little commotion when she forbids her mum from buying cheap perfumes from a group of young men. One of them has a heart for Siti Nurhalisa and when Siti gets a free gift from Buyung, Buyung is challenged to a fight. Buyung, known as a gentleman shows his true color, true to his Minang blood!

The story obviously ends on a happy note. The musical ends with the merisek and Buyung finally marries Siti Nurhalisa

and they lived happily ever after