We were back in Ipoh sooner than expected but at least it was all familiar. The Station 18 Hotel, the McDonalds, and the Aeon Mall right there where we left them. Exploring new places is exciting but familiar surroundings are a welcomed site when one is constantly on the move. Leigh and I have both been battling some illness lately which, along with the rain, has put a bit of a damper on our overall enthusiasm. Our weather forecasting has thus far relied on the Accuweather app on our phone but fortunately for this area around this time of year it isn't very accurate and the weather took a turn for the better. After a few rainy days of nothing but rest and hanging out in the mall we woke to a mix of sun and cloud so we ventured out of our cave to explore Ipoh.
First thing was to find a decent bicycle store to get Toro fixed up, which was only a few minutes away. I had stretched my chain waaaaaaay beyond usefulness as it rolled over top of the larger cogs rather than mesh with the teeth. As it turns out, my cassette was also worn out so now I basically have a brand-new drive train. If you're a gardener it's hard to 'not buy' whenever near a garden center. If you're a woodworker 'just looking around' in Lee Valley Tools you’re not leaving empty handed. We're avid cyclists in a Giant bicycle store (that's actually the name of the store but it is quite large) and we are now stocked up, although what we bought were necessities, after all, we have to carry anything we buy! Next stop was a must-do while in Ipoh. Nasi Kandar is a popular rice dish with chicken, nothing fancy really but you have to have it at this one particular place and before long we were in the ever-present queue waiting our turn to order. This little restaurant has been going since the fifties and is ranked 4/5 by TripAdvisor. Like most Malay food it was very spicy, but tasty!
Moving on to our next stop of the day, a geocache! There are some impressive geological formations in the area so not surprising, I got my Malaysia Earthcache button here. We were on our way to get a second and were asking guards at the entrance of a gated community for permission to enter when a car pulled up and the passenger popped out to ask – in English - if we needed help. Before we knew it we were in the living room of Albert and Samantha Cheah, a retired couple from Kuala Lumpur and Ipoh respectively that live in Calgary and winter as "snowbirds" in Ipoh. Out came the refreshments, beer was offered, water was served and a date was made to have them show us the city. They picked us up in the morning and we spent the day together, exploring and talking. Our highlight of Ipoh was a visit to Gua Kek Look Tong, an immense cave that was majestic in every sense of the word. Marble floor, statues, multiple levels and it opened through the other side of the mound of rock. We were there for at least an hour in awe of the whole experience, something we would have otherwise missed if not for a chance encounter with a couple of friendly fellow Canadians.
We weren't convinced the weather was going to be at all favourable for riding to Kuala Lumpur so another train ride fast-tracked us to the capital. Big cities are naturally not prime destinations for touring by bicycle but we figured KL would be a good place to go if the rains continued as predicted. Well the rains subsided but the illness was hangin' around like a bad drunk at a good party. We were once again only able to drag our butts to the nearest mall for an extended stay at a coffee shop (Did I just hear someone say mallrat?). It was a really nice mall and there were a few coffee shops to choose from but, yeah, we both needed to get back on those bikes. There were a couple of short rides in as many days to a beautiful park right downtown with a bird sanctuary and a family or two of monkeys, but getting to and from the park proved quite challenging in a city designed to keep motorized vehicles moving. So we rode like we owned the town and that seems to be the best approach. In SE Asia if you can afford a car then you have a car, even if it is much easier to manoeuvre through the traffic on a scooter. If you are riding a bike you obviously can't afford a scooter, poor you. But many people here give us a friendly 'toot toot' of the horn, a thumbs up, or at least a big smile. When we stop for a red light or at a convenience store all eyes are on us. Bystanders and those on scooters or with open car windows are eager to start a conversation "Where you from? What's your name? Where you go?” and our favorite “Welcome to Malaysia!". They seem utterly fascinated by the idea of cyclotouring. We're not sure whether they are impressed or think we're just nuts. Either way we both leave smiling. Slowly but surely, we nursed ourselves back to health and decided to head south by bike to Singapore for our flight to New Zealand. The weather held and with the amazing Leigh in charge of navigation and accommodation we sailed through southern Malaysia stopping off at a few small cities along the way. Nothing much to report on as we simply got it done and arrived in Singapore some 500 km later.