Mersing holy week ride

twas still dark wen we left for the town of Mersing in Malaysia
about 150km up north from Singapore


daybreak wen we cleared the customs and immigration


and away we go
our legs was still fresh at this point


the guys enjoying the big draft from the tandem
tsarap daw eh :)


the sum got hot and the traffic became worse due to an accident down the road


funny landscape


signboards to nowhere


luckily before my legs blewout
we stopped for a short break at km ~70


our trusty rented tandem bike


a scary cat


so we continued enduring the rolling country


and sumtimes the long false flats


laspag na ako grabe


but my sore masels flew away wen i read this sign (pervert)


passing by a marker on a road


then had a stop at km 114
lunchtime!!! problem in this side of MY is that the foods are very spicy
the guys were already near Mersing this time


so we continued our penance


more rolling roads


sumhow nice scenery


and ununderstandable signs


a radio tower on top of a hill


a denuded hill caused by deforestation
which is very prevalent here


had a tube change in the middle of nowhere
Jas the malay guide who doesn't know the way had a slow leak
and was running almost flat


passing by a chinese cemetery on top of the hill after replacing the tube


the sun was baking us
and so did the hot road


but we are very near due to telltale landmarks


atlast we are here!!! @154km
ako laspag... autistic


so tired i wanted to go for napping


before going for a nap,
i took some pics of the homestay


quite OK
if not considering the rocky beach that you need a helmet wen swimming


woke up and it was already dark


then saw an apparition outside my window.
WHITE LADY!!!
got scared and went back to sleep.


wokeup late the next morning
and the guys and gals were already having some breakfast


rushed down but took time to get a shot


then scampered to have the tandem ready.
a quick check show that i had a rear brake rub.
no wonder na laspag ako!!!


the ride today was a scenic coastal ride daw


the roads are flat so quite easy for the tandem


but the headwind was not merciful
view at the back...
paceline not good (need to do some scolding)


pics at the beach


more pics


now the headwind was bugging me.


then my Michel and Francis offered to break the wind for me


an island a few clicks from the shore


sumhow shaped like an elephant daw


the coastal scenic route ended and now came the hill pass


they warned that i conserve some strength for a steep incline ahead


then it came...
why did i bring a tandem!!!


after the hill pass...
some chalets were there indicating another shoreline


the sandbars was quite nice. hmmmm


then after a few clicks...
disaster struck!!!


then we had an unintended stop


closer view...


so two of the guys went back
5 of us still continued


a green chinese temple


then had a lunch at exactly lunchtime


i was so laspag (bonk)
that my eyes were almost bloodshot


the destination Rompin town was another 20+km away and I said that I can not continue.


So me and wifey took the shortest route via the highway


I was warned that it will be quite hilly and it was...


Another Chinese cemetery along the way


enjoying the downhill


i hope all roads at downhills :harhar:


a courageous snake crossing the highway (potential roadkill)


not enjoying the uphills


my monitors telling me that I am still alive.


another downhill. TSARAP


patiently conquering the small incline


then after two hours of mindless pedalling...
we came to a town after crossing a bridge


YES!!! this is it


traced the route back we had this morning
and it was a long uphill battle (it was downhill earlier)


some nice views when climbing


came back to the homestay
distance ~100km


woke up early on the next morning (easter sunday)
and walked around for some snapshots


view of the rooms


during breakfast I suggested to have a headstart
the tandem was alotted 50minutes
and away we went


dark sky looms ahead after 20km


then it rained...
had a short break at km40 for our Malay friend wanted to smoke


he then went to the pump his tires
and blew off the tube due to overpressure. :(


no pics during the rain.
here the guys caught up at around km90


now the roads are dry.
the group can go faster because of a more solid paceline.


then the highway became a little congested due to road works


looking back...
our Malay guide was weaving in and out of the paceline.


which caused a crash 10km down the road. stuped guy!


bandaged all the injuries and proceed our way home.
the malay guide after getting some scolding didnt join the paceline anymore.


and disappeared during our last stop for some Dunkin Donuts


Crossing back to Singapore


Back to Singapore. The land full of traffic lights.


The Garmin battery died halfway of our journey back home.
So my pacer is only the trusty Polar HRM.


Enjoyed watching some guy do some wakeboarding? when passing the dam.


And enjoyed even more seeing him flop in the oily water


Squatters in Singapore.
I think I will move here if the rent will increase again this year.


Got home @155km due to a dam excursion detour.
The trusty tandem survived so did we :D

more pics