Bicycle Touring to Australia: Malaysia, Gemas To Simpang Renggam
My latest bicycle touring to Australia update: cycling through Malaysia on Thursday, the 16th February 2012. Gemas to Simpang Renggam. 88 miles. I’ve found it pretty hard going today and have spent most of the day being chased along the road by a rain cloud. I was lucky enough to stay ahead of it, right up until the end of the day. But by then, I was checking into a hotel.
Lovely little hotel tonight, although I did have a little difficulty checking in. The girl on reception was struggling to understand me. I asked her if there was somewhere safe I could leave my bike. But she just couldn’t understand me, and she was trying so hard to understand. In the end, she went to get her manager. I liked the manager! She was a beautiful Malaysian girl who spoke near-perfect English. I might ask to talk to the manager more often if they all look like this! After explaining to her what I was trying to say, she directed me to an empty shop in the hotel and let me secure it in there.
People Are So Nice
I was given some chopsticks at last night’s restaurant. They were promotional items sponsored by Guinness! As much as I’m grateful for gifts, I am a little limited on space! I got talking to a Malay couple in the restaurant. They told me that both of their children were in the UK, going to university. One was in Liverpool and the other in Aberdeen, and they’d driven from Aberdeen to London and back whilst they were there! A lovely couple, who even paid for my meal, which was totally unexpected, but much appreciated! After they’d left, I stayed to have another drink (only Coke, unfortunately), and when I went to pay for that, they told me it was on the house! A very cheap evening indeed, I feel pretty guilty! I’m not very good at accepting free hospitality!
Tour Information
It’s been years since I took this ride, but the memories (and the data) are all archived:
- Photos: See my photos on Flickr
- The route: View my journey around the world
- Videos: Check out my YouTube videos
- Tour page: Ride overview
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