East Coast Ride (19-31 March 2018), Day 2 : Mersing to Kuala Rompin

Air Papan rice fields

Dimsum breakfast

Jenny, thanking the kind stall owner who gave each of us 2 pau for the road

Mural at Mersing

Dabbing in the middle of the rice fields

Long walk

Picnic at Pulau Mawar

Picnic at Pulau Mawar

Bak Kut Teh lunch at Endau

Dinner

Born the same year???

After yesterday’s hard labour of slogging under the hot sun, we were in no hurry to rush off. Besides, the expected 80 km distance to Kuala Rompin will be a far cry in comparison to the previous day’s feat.

Starting the day on a right note with old school dimsum dished out by the handsome stall owner of Kedai Makanan Thai, we returned to Embassy hotel to collect our bikes and bags. A bike friendly enterprise, the staff had allowed us to park in their empty store at the old wing which also comes with a water cooler on the first floor.

Making our way up the mosaic stairs from the 1950’s one could understand the haunted stories that plagues the place. Word of mouth is shared that one particular room remain vacant no matter what. Looking on as we filled our water bottles, non of the housekeeping staff looked the wee bit worried as they pottered away in the dingy rooms.

Riding out of town, we circled the town’s busy roundabout, rode across the bridge that traversed the Mersing river and connected with J80. A quiet coastal road with a beachfront, it was strategically planted with trees that offer the much needed shade on a hot morning! 

Soon, we crossed yet another river and turned right for Air Papan. Here, golden rice fields greeted us. A breathtaking sight, we could not resist a photo stop, hence upsetting a flock of geese that could very well have honked till they were hoarse!

Leaving the rice fields, we turned left and followed J78, cutting through the hills. After a good 8-10 km climb, we came across a lone monkey, an alpha male that might have been cast off by its troop!

Not long after, we began cruising downhill. Approaching the junction ahead, Claudine wrinkled her nose at the sight of a bus stop filled with goat droppings! In fact, all bus stops along the beach front were filled with animal droppings!

Hoping to have a picnic by the beach, KC had already made plans for us. Familiar with the route, he called for a stop at the first gerai on Teluk Resang as drink stops are far to come by as we venture further down.

Chatting with the village folks we gained knowledge of the various meat farms in the area. Sheep, goats and cows are reared primarily for their meat, hence grooming takes a back seat! This explains the dirty, raggedy looks of the sheep in the area.

Our much anticipated picnic took place in the most unassuming place. Turning off the main road and heading for Zul Penyabung Chalet, we rode to the edge of the sea. A tidal isle stood proudly from the waters, connected to the mainland by a tiny strip of sandbank.

At 11 am, the sun was almost at its zenith. The calm sea and white sands acted as mirrors, reflecting the sun’s ray! We were double baked as we made our way to our picnic spot. 

Walking along the soft sand was tough work. Pushing our bikes made it worse!

Look, Ma! I am walking on water!!!

Soon we “disappeared” off the grid altogether! As this tiny strip of land is submerged during high tide, it is not visible on any maps.

View of the tidal isle from the bridge

View of the old bridge

After our nice little picnic, we made our way back to the coastal road. Crossing the bridge that traverse Sungai Mawar, we could not help but stop to take a second glance of our little enclave.

Soon, we left the coastal road as well, for a short respite from the sun. Joining J69 which runs parallel to the coast, it was embowered in trees. Quaint kampung houses decked with floral gardens tantalized our senses.

Emerging out of Kampung Teriang and back on course later, again we suffered the afternoon sun. Far from the beachfront with only shrubs and bushes as vegetation, we were doomed to a hot and boring time.

Thus, when we spotted a roadside stall much later, we behaved like castaways on a desert island. Almost akin to discovering an oasis, we rushed in to take cover from the sun.

Supposedly, an ais kacang stall, they were out of this shaved ice concoction. Nevertheless, we were happy with their 100 Plus and Revive to which 100 Plus gets the full score after a taste test!

Dousing our clothes with water, we braved the sun and heat for Endau. Some went to the extremes of using iced water! Unfortunately, this cooling ritual did not last the whole 7 km journey and within 10 minutes, we were back to square one!

Arriving in Endau, we headed for a Bak Kut Teh lunch despite the terrible heat. Located on Jalan Besar, this famous outlet drew in a large crowd, even on a weekday!

Armed with a great recipe, their business model was even better! Treating weary cyclists to a bunch of bananas almost guarantee a good review!

After lunch, we crossed the Endau River and entered the State of Pahang. Fishing boats from each respective state were parked on their respective embankments with the river acting as a border.

On Pahang’s side of Tanjung Gemok, the marina saw a number of passenger ferries heading for famous dive islands. An alternative ferry terminal to Tioman Island, it is fast gaining popularity as its sailing times are not subjected to the tides, unlike Mersing.

Beyond the river mouth, the rest of the journey to Kuala Rompin was a boring one. Traveling on the trunk road, buses and lorries were aplenty. There was nothing much to see besides the occasional road side stall.

Not motivated to ride, we made a stop after a mere 15 km. Taking a break at a bus stop which seems to be in the middle of nowhere, it actually caters to the students of SMK Pontian Jaya which was tucked away behind the trees.

Rolling into Hotel Vogue at Kuala Rompin after our final 8 clicks, we were delighted to find it almost brand new! Only slightly more than one month old, the towels and beddings were still plush. Making up for the lack of room space, the young owners allowed us to park our bikes in the lobby!

In fact, we received the highest hospitality from these folks when they offered to drive us to town for dinner and back, not in one but two cars! In order not to take advantage of their kindness, we squeezed ourselves into one car and chose to walk back so as not to trouble them.

That night, we had dinner in a restaurant recommended by them. While the hot plate squid received tremendous ratings, the rest of the dinner soon fell apart. The tipping point was the gigantic fish head which arrived late and was not quite what we had expected! We had wanted a whole sea bass and not a monster head at that!

Looking over our table, a threesome were enjoying the meat from our same fish. After a friendly conversation with them, we discovered a homecoming of sorts for a school principal who has been teaching in Brunei for almost 20 years. Much to our surprise, we learnt from these avid anglers that the more coveted part of the fish is actually the HEAD!!!

After dinner, we took a slow walk back to our hotel. A small town famous for Marlin fishing, Claudine discovered the town’s pharmacy was all ready to dispense motion sickness pills. Choosing Veloxin, a non sleepy medication over the other pills on the shelf, she was all ready for her up and coming boat trip to Pulau Perhentian.

Our 2 km walk back to the hotel turned out to be longer than anticipated. An unpleasant walk in pitch darkness except for the occasional lorries screaming past, we regretted our decision.

Finally arriving at the hotel, the desire to compensate for a bad dinner made us make a beeline to the opposite roadside stall. Well, let’s just say our dreams that night were fueled by mee hailam and keropok lekor!!! 


Photo Credit :
KC

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Hotel Vogue, Kuala Rompin