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| Emerging out of the first estate... |
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| First estate |
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| Only hills to tackle |
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| Easy terrain |
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| Good tree covers |
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| Easy peasy |
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| The worst has yet to come! |
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| With our new friend |
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| The farm |
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| Fresh harvest |
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| Fresh harvest |
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| ...the route became tougher! |
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| Our bikes became significantly heavier with thick mud stuck on wheels and turnip stash! |
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| Mossy ground |
Prior to our “new exploration” we have always relied on the paved estate road to get from Sedenak to Layang-Layang. This “new route” was discovered by chance while plotting the course for the recent B&B ride. Back then, TH had read the plotaroute meticulously and highlighted the coincidental error!
Itching to explore this new frontier, we met at Hua Guo Shan temple a little later than usual as there was no necessity to hide from the sun. We had expected good tree covers, considering the whole area is surrounded by palm oil estates.
Hence our surprise, when we emerged out from dense palm fronds to an open area, a quarter way into our journey! Surrounding us were newly replanted palm trees with a vegetable farm not far away.
As we continued our journey after a brief photo stop, there was the unmistakeable calls of “Syabas” and cheers of encouragement from the workers. Waving back and returning their calls, we had not expected what stood ahead! So far, it had been an easy ride, but only for the rolling hills....
Entering another palm oil estate, the tracks worsened with strewn pebbles and sharp rocks. In some areas, the rain had corroded the tracks so much, natural drainage appeared!
All of us gasped, when we came out to another clearing. Right before us were pools of muddy water that hogs the whole pathway!! There was no choice but to roll over the orangey-brown water.
Treading after Bernie, Claudine followed his chartered course, feeling a slight wobble as her slick tyres spun without grip on the muddy bottom. Before that, VT had tested the edge of the pathway and called out warnings!!! Suzie who came in last, swept water up her bright pink shoes, much to her dismay.
Drawing our attention away from Susie’s pink shoes, were rows of bush trees with tiny white flowers. Similar to jasmine, we discovered they were calamansi flowers upon a closer look.
Right across the dirt tracks were lower bushes with even tinier white flowers. This we soon learnt were chili plants.
It seems, while we were busy ogling over the flowering trees, a farmer was quietly watching over us!!! Caught unaware, Claudine made a loud declaration on her intent to steal, falling short of theft over the underdeveloped calamansi.
Perhaps, on a preventive measure or triggered by Henry’s enquiry, he started introducing himself and his organic farm to us. Demonstrating how safe his vegetables were, he plucked a ladies finger and ate it straight without washing!
It seems our friendly farmer from Kulai had inherited the farm from his father. Educated in KL, he had returned to take over the plot, preferring a more holistic lifestyle.
Zenned out by our farmer, we soon bid him farewell only to find a path strewn with uprooted turnips. Initially a few, we found more and more thrown out in place of lemon grass instead! Following the trail, we came upon baskets of freshly harvested lemon grass, self-explaining the economic viability of the crop versus the unfavorable turnips!
As Bernie had forewarned, picking things that is not yours was a bad idea. Charmed by the mystic turnips, we soon lost our way! We were going in circles looking for a path that never seemed to exist!
Finding ourselves amongst old palm trees that has grown tall over the years, not much sunlight penetrated through , making the ground wet and mossy! We were slipping and skidding many times!! Mr Lim was first to hit the ground!!!
Arriving at the non existing junction the first round, Claudine was using her phone as a compass, turning it around and around to get the right direction. The tracks were leading to the left while the map had an imaginary route to the right. VT and Henry were so sure to follow the tracks while Bernie had gone ahead on his own.
Following behind, the rest of us tried riding but gave up after a mere 100 m. Without skills and the correct tyre thread, we were skidding all the time. Only Henry was able to ride ahead to join Bernie.
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| Centipede |
Unconvinced, Claudine was sure this was not the route to Layang-Layang. Her instincts told her the path was just too wild! A popular route will not be overgrown with moss and ferns. It would have been treaded over often enough with occasional tyre tracks!
True enough, her GPS location had gone off course! Calling for Bernie and Henry to return, they appeared after a long wait, on top of a slope, right above them! The rest had to push their way through the trees as this was the shortest way to get to them.
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| MTB...mari tolak basikal |
Once again, Bernie dispensed his joke on MTB....mari tolak basikal!!! Once again, we went in a circle, returning to the same concrete pipe culvert used for collecting rain water. Once again, we tried to reassure ourselves...there were at least 3 kilos of turnips amongst us and raw water for survival. Should we hunger for meat, there’s a wild rooster somewhere within as we had heard its crowing much earlier!
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| We were moving in circles! |
As Claudine went on to consult google maps, Bernie and Henry had started another round of recce. Watching Bernie roll down the tracks, she called out to him that the invisible path turns right at the point where he stood. He tried as told, going across shrubs and disappearing amongst grass that grew taller than a 6 feet tall man! After a few seconds, he called out through the thick veil that he had found the connecting trail. Hurrah!!!
It was a crazy experience beating our way through the vegetations. Claudine felt herself slapped, caned and even molested by the long grass. Her only consolation came when she saw the train passing through as it was proof that we had nailed the route, knowing that it follows the railway tracks.
The rest of the way was more manageable. The dirt tracks continued all the way to J25 with the usual soil erosions and occasional sharp rocks.
Along the way, we passed a telecommunications tower that was humming so loudly, Claudine thought another train was approaching! A few estate workers, trimming palm fronds affirmed we were on the right path.
When we reached the boom gates leading out to J25, we broke into smiles....but not for long. Rolling at high speed, the caked mud started falling off our bikes, hitting the road and bouncing back at us. We were like sitting duck with no chance of escape!
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| RM 2 bike wash |
After Guang Fatt wantan mee, we headed back to our cars but not before making a pit stop at Bao Bao car wash to get our bikes cleaned. Bernie though, headed back on his own as his bike was too precious to go under high pressure sprays. Besides, he had to return to Layang-Layang for Suzie who had called it quits. He could be the wiser one, as bumping into him midway, his bike was cleaned in the rain that caught on with us; and ours, non the cleaner!!!
Photo Credits :
Suzie
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Turnip 101 :
Photo Credits :
Suzie
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Turnip 101 :
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| Enjoying the fruits of our labour at Guang Fatt wantan mee shop |
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| Claudine's stash |
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| Old school's |
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| Mang Kwang Char |
