February 22, 2005
Day 7
Kilometer counter - 630 km
Did 85km on a sore ass knee. Kuala Terrengganu is allright, there are 2 great banana leaf Indian restaurants here. I will finally take a rest day tomorrow.
Posted by tyler at 03:34 AM
February 20, 2005
Guns Guns Guns
Toal KM 485
I found a nice hidden, or so I thought, campsite in an oil palm plantation last night. I was laying (or is that lying?) in my tent trying to ignore the 30 degree celcius heat and fall asleep when I hear a car pull up and park 10 feet away from me on the other side of some bushes that I was up against. "Damm" I thought - you sure know how to pick the "hidden" campsites. So I roll over put on my glasses and watch from someone. Two Minuites later 2 men walk by, not taking any notice to the halk naked white boy in a tent. Did I mention one of them was holding a nice, shiny rifle? Well, one of them was.
As they walk by I'm thinkink "Please don't be the landowner looking for trespassers."
I can imagine them thinking "Please don't be the landowner camping out to catch poachers."
So when they walked by and pretended not to notice me I laughed, took off my glasses and fell asleep. Hunters. That wasn't the first time my campsite has been infiltrated by hunters in Asia and I'm sure it won't be the last.
This all just goes to support my theory that "Everything in life can relate to the Simpsons."
It was just like that episode when Bart was skipping school and Homer was skipping work (the Freddie Quimby trial).
They bump into each other on the street and it goes like this.
"I can't let dad see me skipping school."
"I can't let the boy see me skipping work."
The hunters work me up again when their car pulled away 45 minutes later and headed further down the dead end road that I was on. Around 3:00 they woke me up with a gunshot. Nothing big, not like the wake-the-dead sound of my fathers Weatherby .300 Magnun. This was a quieter, gentler sound. More like the popping of a containter or Pringles. The trigger was pulled, the firing pin hit the primer which ignited the gun powder, launched the bullet off the casing, down the barrel and into the monkey. I can only assume they were hunting monekys because of the massive amounts of them that I've been seeing.
Posted by tyler at 02:58 AM
February 19, 2005
Fully acclimatized
Total KM 385kmCamped on the beach last night. Good sleep, slept it. My knee is killing me. I was in Pekan last night and I got talking to the owner of this restaurant where I was eating at and he told me quite matter-of-factly that "If a Malaysian wanted to do what you are doing he would need sponsors." I didn't know what to say, so I just pulled out the front of my jersey and said "Yeah, I have some!"
WTF was I supposed to say?
#1 "This is very sad, the world we live in, where I have opportunities that your countrymen don't."
#2 "Judging from all the Mercedes and BMW's that almost hit me today I'd say that Malaysia is doing fine."
Malaysia's estimated 2003 GDP was $9000. Less than half of it's southern neighbour, Singapore, but better than it's neighbour to the north, Thailand. Not rich yet not dirt poor.
Yes, yes I know there is a large gap between the rich and the poor, as is the case everywhere.
#3 "Would a US dollar shut you up?"
The point being that I'm not a walking bank, I worked hard to make this trip happen. Everyone has different priorites and responsibilities. I am very lucky in these matters, I know I am and it's constantly being pointed out to me. Sometimes for the better and sometimes almost in spite - kind of like feeling sorry for oneselves. So I guess I should have said...
#4 "So if a Malaysian "needs" sponsors, a Malaysian should get off his ass and find some." I am living proof that anyone can get sponsors.
Enough of this- I am fortunate and I know I am and I am grateful for all the opportunities that I have. Case closed.
Posted by tyler at 02:33 AM
February 18, 2005
What's with the heat?
Day 3 (in my hammock at the beach) Total KM 280
I started off very early because I wanted to get a jump on the weather. I had an amazing Roti w/egg breakfast and I met a ton of people from the Malaysia National Service. I don't quite understand what it's all about but I guess they were waiting for test results for something so for 3 months they were slaves of the government. Learning navigation, canoeing and doing forestry work. Not bad work for a slave eh? We took alot of pictures and I was bombarded with the usual barrage of questions.
Man #1- Where are you from?
Woman #1- Do you have a girlfriend?
Man #2- How much is your bike worth?
Woman #2- Do you like Malaysian girls?
Me- (holding my sore neck and looking back and forth, trying to converse with everyone at once) Canada; No, I don't have time; about $1000; Yes, they are very beautiful.
A professional photographer was "mentoring" the young, soon-to-be students and he took all my pictures for me. I'll try my best to get them up here. I met a really strange German cyclist today. He wasn't really having a good time in Malaysia. Maybe if you didn't wear the cock-hugging spandex biker shorts in a predominantly Muslim country you would get treated a little better...But what do I know? I'm still a kid...
I did 130 km today. I'm getting used to the heat (actually that's a lie, it was overcast today.)
Posted by tyler at 01:22 PM
February 17, 2005
Day 2
(sleeping on the side of the road in Malaysia) Total KM 150km
The road was almost immediately better today. I stopped after a puny 25km for a 5 hour lunch. This heat is killing me, I feel like giving up and it's only the second day. I was very slow even after the long lunch break, stopping every 5km for a nap. It's f'in hot out.
I did 75km and then camped in the jungle. Did I mention it's hot out? mid 30's...
Posted by tyler at 01:17 PM