April 1, 2007
Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Next Location: North of here
Estimated time of departure: Apr. 3, 2007

3) Batu Pahat, Malaysia > Muar, Malaysia 47km
Muar
Mar. 27, 2007 - Mar. 28, 2007

47km from Batu Pahat. A short ride today 8am-11am. Most of the riverfront is taken up by religious buildings.

4) Muar, Malaysia > Melaka, Malaysia 45km
Melaka
Mar. 28, 2007 - Mar. 30, 2007

45km from Muar. Stayed at the Klebang Beach Resort. Should've only stayed one day, the 29th was cloudy/rainy, would've been nice to be out of the sun during the long ride to Port Dickson. Hopefully the 30th will be similar.

5) Melaka, Malaysia > Port Dickson, Malaysia 116km
Port Dickson
Mar. 30, 2007 – Mar. 31, 2007

116km to Port Dickson from Melaka, should've been 90km but I wanted to stay in the town center rather than a resort. Had to ride back to the resort because Port Dickson is hardly a town.

6) Port Dickson, Malaysia > Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 127km
Kuala Lumpur
Mar. 31, 2007 - Apr. 3, 2007

127km from Port Dickson and 1 flat tube. While replacing the tube I noticed an unrelated problem with my tire, worn and rusted. Staying at the Corona Inn, plenty of restaurants near by.

Total bicycle km = 507km

The Perfect Beach

I never found the perfect beach in India, a place where you can put up a hammock, sip mango juice, and just relax in peace. Finding a beach with shade that wasn't crowded with tourists, merchants or school children was difficult. Not that I don't like tourists, merchants, or school children, but there's a time and a place. Malaysia has been way too hot to enjoy the beaches, but that's what I should expect so close to the equator. Perhaps it's better later in the year. I'm expecting 10 degrees north of the equator will be more pleasant.

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The Highways of Malaysia

I've mentioned that the highways in Malaysia are very nice, but I should make note of the speed bumps. Only large enough to make a sound and remind you to slow down and pay attention. A stark contrast of Indian speed bumps that were like hitting a curb. One time in India, while going down a steep hill and around a sharp turn, I was wondering why the car that sped by me had slowed down. I looked ahead for cows or foot traffic, and was almost caught off-guard by the unmarked speed bumps that jolted my bicycle. About 6 high bumps in quick succession going down hill around a corner. I'm sure their bumps cause more accidents then they prevent. Normally India paints the speed bumps, but not always. The speed bumps in Malaysia work perfectly fine.

The drivers in Malaysia are very patient. They don't cut you off pulling out from or turning in to a side street. They'll actually pull back from the side street, even though they aren't in your way, just to be respectful. Again, a stark contrast to India, where, cutting you off is the norm. Drivers speeding up to pull in front of you, just to stop quickly and make a left turn, when, if they had waited half a second, could've avoided cutting me off. I don't think that Indian people are trying to be rude, its just how people drive in India. The amount of traffic in India is probably 10 times more than Malaysia, so you either take every advantage you can or end up waiting forever to make your turns.

Mmmm, Corn Sweet Corn

The Malaysians love sweet corn. It's a desert, which makes sense considering how much sugar is in corn. It's served very buttery. The other day, I picked up a pint of ice cream without reading the label. It looked like Mango, or some other fruity flavor, which was what I wanted. The label was in both Malay and English, so it was my own fault when it turned out to be sweet corn ice cream. I tried to eat it, but could only stomach 10 spoonfuls, and I regretted those. Now, I can't stand the smell of corn.

Karioke Night

Several times a day mosques have singing over loud speakers calling people to prayer. This is commong in India, as well as other Muslim countries, including Malaysia. Yes, India is a Hindu/Muslim/Christian country, they had mosques every 500 meters. The other night in Melaka (of the Melaka straights), the mosque next to my resort must've had karioke night because, in addition to the evening call to prayer, they had several hours of individuals singing over the loud speakers. It sounded like a few drunks who found a Mr. Microphone. "Hey baby, I'll be back to pick you up later." Rember that?

130km/day...no problem

I wish Malaysia had hotels everywhere like India. How Indian hotels made a profit in the middle of nowhere is beyond me, but good or bad hotels, at least they were there. I'd prefer to just ride 30km/day, and spend the rest of the day enjoying the town, however I've had to ride all day just to find a hotel. Yesterday I rode 130km, the day before 116km. I expect to have to ride 75-90km/day through Malaysia. I'll probably reach a port in northern Malaysia in 4-6 days after leaving Kuala Lumpur, and then take a ferry to an Island in North Malaysia, then take a ferry to Thailand. I'm hoping Thailand will be better, but expect Vietnam to not have many hotels.