Lazy day in Baling. Planned to work on updating the blog, but the WiFi café lets me down. Get my laundry back. Visually nothing has happened to it, but it smells and feels clean, so I settle with this score of 2 out of 3. From various people I hear there is a place with a hot spring and a water fall (with cool water) around. It is a popular place in the evening. I first hear it from Aswan who stays with his family at the same place as me, and with whom I chat quite a bit … about religion, travelling, family. A stranger to this town himself, Aswan doesn’t know the place.

The second time I hear about it, it is from a complete stranger, who even offers to take me there. He tells me it is only 5 Km from town. The Internet says it’s more like 20 Km and just know I’m told 35 Km … strange how this place is constantly moving further away. Well,  in either case, with my light on the bicycle not working it seems I’m not going. – Damn those folk who made my Lumotech crap!

I feel that is stretching the generosity a bit to accept his offer. Originally, he approaches my for a chat, because he saw me take a picture of a tiny baby monkey (?) in front of the Hindu temple. The other monkeys didn’t like this at all, and one came to pick up the infant to carry it in safety. I continue my walk, and find a small road that takes me by one of the bat caves I read about. So at least I saw the inspiration for the legend. More monkeys here as well.

In the morning I make the final decision, contrary to what I had in mind the evening before: I have to skip Cameron Highlands. It would mean at least 10 days extra in Malaysia and at least 6 long days of cycling. It’s a tough call, since I would love to see it and I don’t know if I ever will come back to Malaysia again. It would probably have to be soon too, because The Rough Guide on the Internet reports that the not very environmentally conscious Malays are messing the place up, by levelling the ground and cutting trees down.

So, instead it will be Penang and Georgetown with a stop over at Baling – a small town close to the Thai border. I know next to nothing about Baling, but the ride to get there turns out to be some of the most pleasant yet – on quiet, winding roads. For once there are not really any villages in between, so for 30 Km I don’t come across a single place to buy water or anything. This was the first time I got a little worried when and where I could get something to drink.

The Lonely Planet crowd would never know of Baling’s existence and the hotel owners here don’t really know what to do about me, but in the end I find a place to stay. Since today’s ride was only about 60 easy Km I decide to have a look around on my bicycle and I have to say the place pleases me. The town itself is not spectacular but it is situated next to a huge limestone cliff, that towers over the city. Hindu people have carved a temple into the hill side. Furthermore, I discover a number of small paths excellent for cycling with good views of the city and leading into the countryside with rice fields. So in fact I like Baling enough that I decide to hang out for one more day. A good opportunity to have my overdue laundry done, sort my pictures and update this blog.

Limestone caves are also popular with bats and a quick look on the Internet tells me that bats a certainly present and an important part of the ecosystem here. They seem also to have inspired a rather Dracula like legend about a king with a liking for drinking human blood. I have just had a encounter with leeches, now do I have to deal with another blood sucking creature?

View of small town Baling, Malysia

I am not as quick getting out of the door of my almost posh place, as I would have liked to be. The other rider was an early bird, and has already left, though, so I never got a chance to say hello to him. Instead, I begin by checking mails while having breakfast served (rice, what did you think?) As was the case yesterday everybody is jumping at my requests and being chatty. But today, I enjoy myself and I have to say the place and the people working there was very nice. I’m presented with the bill for the food and drinks I consumed and to my surprise the amount is rather symbolic. This fact further raises my mood, so I happily comply to stand up for a photo session and uses this as an opportunity do a bit of advertising for my blog wile we’re at it.

Then I leave the place with good spirit – and just a little bit excited what today’s cycling will bring. Remember that sign about elephants I posted a while ago? Well, I asked a Malays couple I talked to in Cherating and it IS a warning about the possibility of elephants on the road. And I have also heard that the road I’m riding at today is frequently visited by elephants. So what do I do if I suddenly see an elephant at the roadside while I’m climbing with 10 Km/h?

1. Keep going with a poker smile on my face and perhaps a respectful nod?
2. Turn around and hope that I’m faster downhill than a running elephant?
3. Do as any proper adventure photograhper would do: Stop still and discreetly bring out the camera?

You please tell me, for I don’t know!

With these thoughts going though my mind I head into the unknown. My eyes catches sight of something in the woods a few times, but it turns out to be rustling palm leaves or the like. So no elephants for this cyclist.

In Gerik I opt for the first hotel I see, not sure if there will be others. It is cheap, but also rather depressing – a fan and a light, that makes a constant noise, squat toilet in the hall. Gerik has a reputation for being a transit town and a stop over for cyclists that comes this way – the point is, there is no other good reason to come to this place. It turns of it does have a rather bustling market with lots of foods exotica where I spend most afternoon. And in the evening the birds moves in – the part of town where I stay is completely occupied with thousands of birds. I pay a visit to an Internet café to research where I should go next. The Cameron Highlands is tempting me, but that means mowing in the “wrong” direction. The beaches and old town of Georgetown on the island of Penang is my other option.

Nice morning view from the hotels restaurant.

... and the restaurant itself.

I wake up before dawn and considers if I should accept Willy’s offer or not. It’s very tempting, but I’m also looking forward to the climbing on bicycle so a tough decision. In the end  it turns out the decision has been made for me, since he has already left. So in the early morning light I jump on my bicycle and start riding along the rolling hills towards the mountains.

Half way up the mountain, who is waiting for me but Willy. His machinery has broken down so he had to go back to town for a spare part and noticed me on the road. We have a chat, but as he doesn’t extend his offer of taking me to the mining area and I don’t bring up the subject, I stay determined on going along on my bicycle. Really interesting and friendly fella, this Willy, thought and a shame it didn’t have the chance to go digging for gold.

Back on the bicycle, the first climb is long and hard but not overly steep, so it is another good day of cycling in spectacular surroundings. It’s elephant territory and they are frequently spotted but I don’t see any. Actually, there are also tigers in the area, but they are hardly ever seen by anyone.

On a personal note I am for once a bit tired of all the attention I am met with. At the top of the hill in 1050 m above sea level there is a restaurent where I stop for food, and I just can’t believe how people are watching every step I make. So when I later that day check in at the hotel of Pulau Banding and find myself constantly surrounded by staff or family members of the staff, who all wants to chat or bring me something it’s a bit too much.

Oh, somewhere on this hotel there is another cyclist. I know, because my bicycle is now parked next to his.

One from the East-West highway of Malaysia. It's hilly!

Leaving for Jeli in the morning, getting out of the city is smooth and trouble free. After about an hour on the bicycle I have the first serving of rice for breakfast – this day’s first but I know it won’t be the last! As I head inland the traffic thins out a bit and it is another day of splendid cycling through the tropical countryside. I feel that some form is finally showing, so when I reach Jeli after some 100 Km I feel fresh and actually consider to go further, but decides to settle down as I know that the mountains lies just ahead of me. I spend 10 minutes taking a shower and then making a complete mess out of the (used to be) white towel before I decide that I now have nothing better to do than to explore the small town of Jeli. This, I soon discover, could have been done from the window from my hotel. Jeli is not exactly a big place!

The countryside is nice, though, so I decide to explore that. In the process I manage to pick up company of two leaches … one for each foot. I make sure it’s a brief encounter, but the buggers still gut a fair deal of blood from me.

Eating dinner at night, I’m approached by a German guy, who now lives in Malaysia. He is puzzled what a tourist is doing in a place like Jeli. He then spends a good quite some time trying to make me give up the idea of going further on a bicycle. If I won’t be hit by a car, then an elephant is likely to get in my way. And if I manage to avoid these as well, there might be Thai bandits waiting for me. But most likely the climb will just make it impossible. There are tigers as well, but those I don’t have to worry about. I take it all in with the proverbial grain of salt. Eventually, the conversation turns to him and it turns out he is a miner who is now doing his own searching for gold in some secret spot deep in the jungle. As he actually stays in the room next to mine I end up watching video footage of the process, that still looks like something from a wild west film. Oh, and yes, he had found gold all right! He offers me a ride the next day, where I even might get to see the place where they are digging.

From the roadside of Jeli, Malaysia

Bananas in front of small house. Jeli, Malaysia