Day 12 - Sat 23 Nov: Raub to Kuala Lumpur

Fine but cloudy while we were riding 24 to 33 deg with 95 % humidity.
Ride: 65km; total: 508km

Breakfast was nowhere near as fancy as yesterday’s gourmet affair, but it did the job. It was down for 7:30 am with an 8:15 am ride away time so not a lot of time to sit about and chat. The guide knows how we enjoy riding so is trying to fit in as much as he can.

The ride today was either uphill or downhill, no flat bits at all. A little like being on a roller coaster. Not a great deal of anything interesting to see on the ride, thousands of acres of palm oil or cleared land waiting for palm oil to be planted. We finished the 65km ride just after midday, when it was getting particularly hot and humid, on the top of a hill within a privately-owned Chinese cemetery. Don’t know why though? Quickly packed the bikes up and drove to a waterfall for a swim. As the water was very cold, relatively speaking, only three brave souls, Ken, Baz and Sean went in.

Back on the bus and headed towards Kuala Lumpur, via a lunch stop. Lunch was Malay, cold again- chicken in a sweet spicy sauce, whole small fish in a chili sauce, steamed bok choy, fried cabbage, and rice. It was good but it would have been much better heated up.

On the bus and kept heading towards KL, this time stopping at a very famous Hindu temple, with (of course) the biggest statue of some god dude, 45 m high. The most “interesting” part was climbing the 240 odd steps to the Batu Limestone Caves which is now the home of numerous very tacky souvenir shops. It was fun to watch the monkeys go about scavenging and playing. Within minutes we were all back on the bus and heading for the hotel when the sky opened, and a few feet of rain fell in no time at all. What’s it with hotels over here none of them seem to have any shelter over the driveway in front of reception. It would be nice particularly when it often rains buckets. Anyway, we got checked in quickly and our bags, which were on the truck stuck in traffic, or more likely lost, came later. It was good to be in a nice dry, cool room and out of that cramped minibus. We’d left the spot where we stopped cycling four hours ago.

I just did my chores, vegged out in my room, and waited for the crew to take us to dinner. It was Indian, ten minutes’ walk up the road. It was probably one of the best feeds I’d had (besides Wens’ home cooking) I’d had in years. The dishes were mutton, beef, a spicy scrambled egg and crab served with stacks of roti and naan. Talk about as full as a fat tick!!

A short walk (waddle) around and then home to bed. Another great day on tour.

Early morning walk around the resort

Why are all the Asian countries full of rubbish

Breakfast

On the road again

Countryside

Drink stop every 20km

A swim at the waterfall

Lunch

Lunch venue

Batu Caves Temple

Now that is rain

The best Indian food I've had for many years

There was not much left over


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