Gravel Galore - NOT FOR THE FAINT HEARTED (3 June 2018)

World Bicycle Day

Breakfast at Restaurant Xing Ho

Metal truss bridge

New highway to Forest City

At Forest City

Enroute to Kg Simpang Arang

Vincent with his brand new bike

Forest City Golf Resort was in sight but there's no path leading to it!

Jimmy tested out the waters and suggested a detour!

Walking on soft sand

Sinking!!!

Definitely a few hundred grams heavier!

Giants!

Closing in on the resort

Deer by the resort

Train tracks

“Eeeeeeeekkkkkk!!!” squealed Claudine as soon as her left foot sank into the soft sand. Ankle deep, she tried to reverse but got her other foot in as well. Bursting with laughter, she thought she was the only one in trouble as she had tried to pave her way, refusing to follow the others.

Almost in synchrony, Jimmy was in trouble as well. Unlike a woman, all he said was, “I need help” as his leg went into the sand.....knee deep!!!

Earlier, we had rattled our way through a 5 km stretch of gravels and pot holes which also saw Vincent’s water bottle jumping out of its cage in an escape attempt! The vibrations on the road were so intense for Claudine, she suffered a short bout of itchiness caused by Vibratory urticaria. Topping her discomfort was the bowl of noodles with generous helpings of bird eye chilies from Restaurant Xing Ho!!!

Thankfully, our ordeal ended at the “quicksands” and Forest City Golf Resort was just right ahead. Coming up to the posh resort, the gardeners at work were kind enough to give us a good hose down!

Feeling lighter after shedding off the few hundred grams of sand and mud, we found ourselves riding out on brand new roads. Surrounded by mangrove swamps, we crossed the 2 metal truss bridges that traversed the river tributaries of Pulai before connecting with the grand highway to Forest City.

The ride into Forest City was interesting as the highway was decorated with mock figurines and playhouses. Sometimes, we caught familiar landmarks of Kampung Pendas. Once, Bernie almost turned into the North-South Highway!

Getting into the Complex was a breeze this time unlike our previous encounters. Just a short salute and before we knew it, we had arrived at the reception area.

As usual, we were not greeted by the sound play of kompang unlike the bus loads of investors that thronged in after us. No offense taken as we merely wanted the free drinks by the showroom and the possible use of toilet. Above all, we had not brought our cheque books with us!

While we were ecstatic with our freebies, the guards were not too happy our bikes had remained at the reception area. It was not our fault they had waved us into the reception area instead of the carpark which was a clear miscommunication on their side. Anyways, we were not to stay longer than a cup of tea which soon had us bidding our farewells.

Realizing we must have missed a turn in our earlier plotted route, our return trip had to be improvised by using the drain stairs on the flyover to Jalan Tanjung Kupang. Thereon, we made our way past Forest City’s site office and Warong Poyot.

Connecting with Jalan Kampung Ladang Darat, we met Joseph, a Forest City employee. A cyclist himself, he was heading back to Forest City where he now resides.

School was in session as we weaved our way through the staff’s residences of Kompleks Sultan Abu Bakar. Thereafter, we made our way through a small hamlet, cut through a small segment of palm oil estate before arriving at Sunway Iskandar.

Then, it was home run!

Not quite what it seems as Vincent came to an abrupt stop once in Horizon Hills. It was his maiden ride on his new bike and the last slope was too daunting for a newbie. Pushing his bike up, he finally went back on the saddle when we hit flat ground. Garnering the respect from all, he finally touched base at Pan Kobo, clocking 58 km!


Photo courtesy :
KC

Ad Hoc Ride to Charcoal Factory (19 May 2018)

Happy to arrive safely with only screams from Eva and Claudine when they flew over a hole while Jolin merely dropped his bottle!

Philip was all smiles even though he was suffering from stomach upset

Peter "inviting" everyone to his new home!

TH's cunning grin is wider than his 700c wheelset as he gave the small wheelers a good chase!

Rina flying in her high profile wheels

Frankie opted for Dura ace, a lighter groupset

The route

The steam wafting out from the kiln

Burning logs to smoke the wood

A kiln going through a cooling down process

An empty kiln waiting to be loaded with logs

Logs that are debarked are ready to be stacked inside the kiln

The early morning shower had stopped long before our ride began. Unlike the main roads, the narrow passageways to the kampung were still wet with the occasional puddles. Droplets of moisture gathered on leaves gave an ethereal feel against the sunlight.

It was all rustic and beautiful at the charcoal kilns except for the wet, soggy ground. The tide has gone out, grounding the 2 boats filled with logs. Evidently, without a bobbing boat, unloading the logs becomes an easier task.

While we breathed in the air reeking in vinegar, the occasional sound of chainsaw biting into wood muffled our small talk. Nearer to us, the random thudding sound of a rubber mallet coming into contact with wood saw a primitive way of debarking a log.

As we ogled over the activities before us, a strange creature had followed us all the way from Gelang Patah. Falling from an angsana tree near KFC, it had landed on Claudine’s shoulder before taking refuge in her helmet.

The praying mantis had stayed on Claudine's helmet throughout the journey!

The praying mantis had deftly crawled up Henry's neck before it was released onto the grass

Assuming it to be crow’s droppings, she had come face to face with the insect before brushing it aside with a shriek, startling Henry at the same time. Perhaps it was good to have harboured it, for its incessant “prayers” must have helped us escape the huge hole in the palm oil estate with only screams and a fallen water bottle!

Convinced that we will bump into Philip, Peter and Richard as we head out of the Charcoal Factory, we left the little village. The trio were caught in an unusually long queue at the Woodlands CIQ this morning, a probable indirect cause to Malaysia’s GE14. Quipped as the mother of all elections which saw Pakatan Harapan coming into power, many Singaporeans had avoided coming into Malaysia in fear of unrest during the transition period. Perhaps, after lying in wait for 10 days, they are now, back with a vengeance!

We did meet them midway out of the palm oil estate. By then, we were hungry and decided to rendezvous at Restaurant Xing Ho, Gelang Patah for seafood noodles instead.

When our Singapore friends were finally seated down for breakfast with us, Richard was all excited over his little Malaysian souvenir. Picking up a blue Barisan National flag left unwanted in the kampung, he could very well be holding on to a little piece of fortune. Just as modern scales had replaced beam scales, the party logo could be a piece of heritage one day and the flag’s value will surely sky rocket!

Photo credits :
1. Ang Yee Ling
2. Richard Toh

For more information on how charcoal is made, please read :

http://amoithekampunggirl.blogspot.my/2017/01/recce-ride-to-charcoal-factories-31.html

JB Heritage Trail and Car Free Day (7 April 2018)

Thank you, Hiap Joo Bakery for hosting us!

Johor Art Gallery, 1910

Post Office

GE14 fever with Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin

Jalan Tan Hiok Nee's old prewar shophouses

Jalan Tan Hiok Nee's old prewar shophouses

Jalan Tan Hiok Nee's old prewar shophouses

Onn Kitchen

Onn Kitchen

Onn Kitchen

Some sights and sound at JB Car Free Day

Some sights and sound at JB Car Free Day

Boy, she had almost messed out this morning. Getting up extra early, she had thought she had all the time in the world to get to the city....until she forgot her helmet and had to turn the car around! Playing dress up on a gentleman’s dress code was no help either. It took her awhile to zero in on what is appropriate and then....the hair had refused to cooperate !!!

Flooring the accelerator, she managed to get to Kin Wah kopitiam with 15 minutes to spare. Thank goodness, Paul Eddie had responded to her phone call, making a pre order of tea and toasts for her. Her luck doubled when SK Lai paid for her meal, a genuine treat, refusing any repayments at all.

Meanwhile, James was like a true gentleman, waiting patiently at Hiap Joo Bakery. So gorgeous and generous, he had almost made her swoon when he handed her the banana cakes, compliments of Hiap Joo for all cyclists today! 

As the wood fire oven at Hiap Joo was slowly lit up, we embarked on our heritage trail, promising to return for more action later. Leaving Jalan Tan Hiok Nee’s pre war shophouses, we connected with Jalan Wong Ah Fook and Sg Segget’s promenade walk. Along the way, we marveled at the narrow canal and the water level which is governed by the tides. Once a natural river, tongkangs and bumboats could ply this waterway, all the way to where Tropical Inn Hotel stands today!

Turning onto Jalan Trus, we immersed ourselves in different House of Gods. It was amazing how diverging faiths could come together in such close proximity. Such is the religious harmony practiced in this country.

While The Vicar of Immaculate Conception Church, a catholic church built in 1927 stood on Jalan Gereja, not far away is the Chinese temple which lay diagonal to Gurdwara Sahib; both on Jalan Trus. Considered the oldest Chinese temple in Johor, this tiny place of worship has since been dwarfed by modern sky scrappers. It plays a vital role in JB’s annual Chingay festival.

Across the street, Gurdwara Sahib, one of the few Sikh temples in the country has its history dating back to 1921. When the Sikhs were granted a muddy and swampy land for a temple reserve, they defied all odds by filling it up with sand and stones. Today, the temple stood as a testament to their faith and determination to have a place of worship.

Tucked away, around the corner at Jalan Ungku Puan is Arulmigu Rajamariamman Devasthanam temple. Built in 1911, this Hindu temple is filled with ornate carvings and devotional artwork. Like most Hindu temples, this one sports a tall and brightly painted gopuram as well.

Connecting with Jalan Dhoby, we had to pass through JB’s “Little India”. Shops selling garlands and sarees were just opening their doors while the few goldsmiths are still with their shutters down.

Jalan Dhoby has of course lost its origins. Left with a single dhoby shop, it is now a favourite haunt with cafe hoppers. 

Joining the car free day next, we were welcomed by Stephen, Daisy and Razak. Familiar faces were aplenty while friends came forward to exchange greetings.

Quite overwhelmed with the crowd, we decided to wait out the flag off from the post office. After all, the British era post boxes are always a good backdrop for group photos.

Bernard sharing the tale of how Singapore was invaded by bicycle trotting Japanese soldiers, a huge miscalculation by the British Army!

When the car free day still refused to flag off officially, we decided to try out the route on our own, making our first stop at Sultan Ibrahim Building. The Singaporeans' interest piqued when told the structure of Moorish designs from 1940 has a role to play with the Japanese invasion of Singapore. Following the historical facts, it was turned into a Japanese Imperial Army's headquarters during WW2 where most of the military planning was done!

Still on the topic of military, we made our way to Royal Johor Military Force. A state army and the oldest military force in Malaysia, it was formed by Sultan Abu Bakar in 1886 to protect the interests of the crown. Until today, it still comes under the command of the Sultan of Johor.

After checking out the old prison from 1883, we rode past the palace gardens and made a stop at the high court. Greeting us outside the whitewashed colonial architecture was a student group using recycled instruments to make music. These young boys entertained us with contemporary malay songs while drumming away on overturned pails. Charmed; what melted our hearts most were their sincere handshakes...a “salam” from the hand to the heart!

Returning to Hiap Joo to catch the artisans at work, we were intercepted by Swiss Inn Hotel

staffs who were handing out drinking water to all cyclists. What a simple but thoughtful gesture from a bike friendly hotel that is also equipped with a Rider Corner as well!

Less than 50 m away from Hiap Joo, the smell of burning wood began to permeate the air. Arriving at its premise, their 100 year old oven was glowing red hot embers. While the old artisan sat by the work table, deftly shaping the buns, trays of coconut buns, were left to rise on the rack.

Strangely today, Hiap Joo was packed with staff, some as young as primary school kids! As it was not very conducive to conduct a tour in the tight settings, our curious few weaved their way in to take some photos before leaving.

Done and dusted, we worked ourselves to Mahmoodiah Royal Mausoleum bumping into some royal staff on duty. Thereafter, Yew Loong let us to the former art gallery, housed in a bungalow, rich in Malay-Chinese influences.

Ending the heritage trail at Onn’s Kitchen, we dined on authentic malay fare. Disappointingly, their famous lontong kering was already sold out, hence we had to content ourselves to roti canai and mee Soto.

As it was too early for the Singapore team to return home, they rode on to Kampung Bakar Batu and Bukit Indah, enjoying durians and Korean bingsu along the way. As for the JB hosts, they rode back to the city to collect their cars, some even collecting summons as well!!!

Photo Credits :

1. KC

2. Janet

3. Yew Loong

4. Richard Toh

5. Singapore Team