First week in Malaysia

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From Johor Bahru, I mainly stayed on highway 5 all the way to Klang passing through World Heritage town of Melaka (or Malacca) on the way. Melaka was one of the largest ports in the world back in the 15th century. It was occupied by the Dutch, English and Portugese giving this city a unique mix of culture and architecture. Chinatown was a great place to hang out.

Road to Klang

Road to Klang

The road was busy during the afternoon and quiet in the mornings. There was often a wide enough shoulder for bikes and cycles which made my life easy for most of the way. Drivers were behaving very well too, leaving me enough space when passing or simply waiting for the car coming from the opposite direction to pass.

Church in Melaka

Church in Melaka

Chinatown building in Melaka

Chinatown building in Melaka

Scenery wasn’t particularly impressive; there were a lot of small towns along the way so the road was dotted with food stalls, residential and commercial buildings. The funniest section to ride was through the palm plantation towards Klang. The undulating road, the green grass and the palm trees everywhere was a good change.

Resting for a coconut drink

Resting for a coconut drink

The weather is very humid – up to 95% humidity – and it’s around 30 degrees Celsius. This often means short showers of heavy rain towards the end of the day. Luckily, I wasn’t caught in one yet!

The food is great. For about $3 Australian dollar I have a huge portion of rice with 3-4 choices of curries (with or without meat or fish), veggies, eggs and a drink. Plenty of carbs and protein to choose from!

Lunch - rice, veggies, chicken and coca-cola

Lunch – rice, veggies, chicken and coca-cola

I haven’t ridden for the last 2 weeks as I attended my friend’s wedding in India. It was an absolutely incredible experience which I’ll remember all my life. I’m so glad I went and caught up with friends over there. But now, it’s time to get back on the bike. I’m getting ready to leave Kuala Lumpur on the 17th, direction Penang then ultimately reaching Thailand in before NYE.

Fishing village close to Pontian

Fishing village close to Pontian

 

View from the bridge crossing in Banting

View from the bridge crossing in Banting

Author: Pascal Lachance

I'm Pascal, cyclist, travel lover, software developer by trade and an enthusiastic photographer. I'm now cycling around the world, take the time to visit as many places as I can!