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| The best way to end a ride is a cold dip @ Lata Keding |
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| Right after the left turn for Route 261. Somewhere in the background is Cindy's toilet ! |
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| Kedai Kopi Poksop is a home cum convenience store cum coffee shop! |
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| Kak Long Batu 8 serves authentic Malay dishes |
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| Akok cooking in charcoal fire at Kak Long |
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| Akok cooking in charcoal fire at Kak Long |
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| Ikan Baung is a must try dish in Kelantan. They remain crispy even when the fish is cold |
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| On the way to Lata Keding |
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| Lush forest closing in on the river |
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| Down river |
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| Appreciation dinner at Miena Cafe |
Staying at the top level of Diamond Hotel with the roof just right above her head, Claudine could hear the rain drops hammering down the zinc sheets as early as 5.30 am. Audibly loud, it stirred her from her slumber even before her alarm rang. Thankfully, AccuWeather's forecast was as accurate as its name and the sky miraculously dried up at roll out time.
Congregating downstairs, everyone were present including Jasmine and Simon who had been assigned to drive the support cars....all except 2 "bros" !!! When we could wait no more, Mr Lim was sent to get them, knocking on their door to see 2 disheveled men.
The men's misconduct coupled by Mindy's and Amy's tardiness over last night's dinner, did not go down well with Mr Liew who snorted we should never wait for latecomers! His rationale was with GPS, everyone could find their way!
Departing Wakaf Baru alone, LC met us at Restoran Nasi Lemak Bersinar, our breakfast rendezvous. The nasi lemak and roti canai was as good as its 4 stars ratings on google reviews though requests for additional sambal comes with added costs. Possibly a popular outlet, the shop looks more like a dispensary. Whilst the waiter happily serves the dine in customers seated outside the shoplot, takeaway customers enter the shoplot, walk through the vacant floor space to the end of the counter, guided by the red arrows on the floor. Once orders are collected through the wee opening of the glass partition, they then proceed to the cashier to make their payments.
When the most important order of the day was sorted out, we began our long ride to Jeli, passing through heavy city traffic. Overtaking us at Salor were 2 convoys; the first on 2 wheelers high cc engines and the other on 4 wheelers high cc engines. Comparatively, we appeared the poor cousins in strange ensembles but held our heads up high for our zero carbon emissions.
Notably, the 4WD convoy was the largest with each car sporting a number. While not every car was travelling in numerical sequence, nobody overtook car No 1 and car No 21 was a good half an hour behind the bigger convoy, possibly delayed by a stomachache???
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| On Route 130, crossing the Kelantan River |
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| Kelantan River |
After crossing the Kelantan River at Pasir Mas, we came across Dodol & Serunding Hajah Wan Sabariah. A home industry located in a large bungalow, the building's colours of gaudy green and gold takes on the theme of the food it produces!
Traffic was initially heavy on Route 3 but tapered down as we were approaching Lubok Jong. Glimpses of paddy fields and quaint stalls on wooden stilts, suspended over canals greeted us.
Right after the turn off for Route 261, we made our second regrouping stop. Despite her ability to catch up, LC complained we were riding too fast! The brief stop over the Kelantan River was also not recognized as a "stop every 15 to 20 km"!
Acknowledging her, we reduced our speed but she was clearly tired out. Arriving at Route 261's one and only food stall, she threw in the towel, requesting to go up the support car.
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| The meal that never was ! |
Now, the one and only food stall along this route seemingly offers a choice between Nasi Kerabu and Nasi Berlauk, non of which we tasted despite the good following. Overwhelmed, by their dine ins and takeaway orders, our large group was taking a toll on the 2 men team. When Mindy started her incessant harping of "Mana Order? Mana Order?" the male proprietor rudely told her he is not serving, short of asking us to leave!
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| On Route 261 and missing the right turn to Route 181, we had to back track! Note the zero road shoulders and VT wielding the handphone for reference. |
Not wanting to overstay our welcome, we proceeded to leave when the few buns purchased from the stall were already eaten and the biscuits shared by Cindy were dusted from our lips. Hoping to wait out the support car, they were still a good distance away hence LC was forced to ride on with the group.
Opposite SK Banggol Petai is Kedai Kopi Poksop. This venue is where we stopped the longest while waiting for our support car. We were very lucky for the weather took a turn not long after our arrival. The sun which was initially beating into the shop was soon shrouded by heavy clouds!
It was not easy communicating with our 2 support cars as the phone signals were intermittent. When our GPS location was finally shared successfully, they had a hard time finding us as well!
Once LC was safely packed into the support car, we took the single lane kampung road next to SK Banggol Petai. This route mainly runs along Sungai Jegor and is generally hilly.
When we ran out of kampung roads to trod on, we turned right onto Route 4 and thus, began our East West Highway journey. Mooted by Malaysia's first Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman in 1964, the terminus points changed to present day's Phase 1, Gerik to Jeli (1970 - 1982) and in the later years, Phase 2 Kulim to Gerik (1993 - 2005).
Even though the highway was constructed for the purpose of defense during the Communist Insurgency (1968 - 1989) in Malaysia, it became one of the most talked about scenic routes in Peninsula Malaysia. Running through 2 mountain ranges, namely Titiwangsa Range and Bintang Range, the route is packed with breathtaking views of rolling hills and valleys, of rivers, rainforests, and lakes!
As lovely as the route is, it comes with its fair share of bloodshed. During its construction, it was often sabotaged and ambushed by the Communists. Many workers were killed and machineries destroyed with the worst incidences recorded in 1974. Due to its secluded location, military presence were deployed every kilometer distance while motorists were only allowed to use the highway during the day. The military control over the highway was lifted when the insurgency war ended in 1989.
Arriving at Sarina Cafe and Hotel earlier than expected, we proceeded to Lata Keding for a cold dip. Just 2 km away from our hotel, the route takes us through single lane tarmac all the way to the picnic spot. We were really spoiled by Simon and Cindy who treated us to hot coffee or tea accompanied by a huge array of snacks from their car...a mobile home and kedai runcit!
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| Miena Cafe, adjacent to D'Jeli Hotel was where Mr Lim and Mr Liew stayed for the night as they had not made any bookings with Sarina Hotel. Their walk in rate was cheaper than Sarina Hotel. |
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| 10 km shy of Sarina Hotel, we made a waterstop at Restoran Bintang. Mr Liew who was in a hurry to secure a room decided to leave the pack and ride ahead. He overshot Sarina Hotel and ended up in Jeli town. He arrived at D'Jeli just as we were getting ready to roll out to Lata Keding! |
In the evening, we walked across the street to Mr Lim and Mr Liew's hotel for dinner. Miena Cafe which is adjacent to D'Jeli Hotel offers reasonably priced fusion fares in a cosy set up. Almost habitual by Day 3, we continued our night of merriment at the food court right below our hotel.
Photo credits :
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Sarina Hotel and Cafe, Jeli
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