Blog start: Kupang, Perak

Blog end: Padang Besar, Perlis

Days in this blog: Day 25 - 34

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Full steam ahead, we are westward bound!

This cycling journey is much more than just getting from one point to another. I think, and many of you would agree, that the most precious things in life are the moments spent with family and friends, sharing a small slice of life with the people you know and cherish. For me (Tash), these moments and people are sprawled over vast distances, dotted around the world, coming from many different 'slices' of my life. Growing up as a pilot's child I always had to say goodbye to friends I made and family I would get close to. We moved around so much I did grade 2 three times and learnt five languages before I could master one. As an adult, I owe it to myself to revisit friends, family and the places I once knew and cherished. For Huy, although he was born and raised in Australia, he has family in Vietnam whom he has visited but hasn't spent much time with and, friends he has met along the way who now live abroad. So, this becomes another reason why we are so excited to live out Lestari Cycle. We could have continued up the east coast into Thailand but we had more people to visit and food to taste on the west before leaving Malaysia.

We had a clear wish list of what we had wanted to do. Firstly, discover what makes Georgetown a melting pot of flavours and a historical gem. Then, secondly, visit long time family friends whom I spent a lot of time with during high school in Australia. They had just retired and moved to Malaysia, and lucky for us they were on our way up and into Thailand. And last but not least, we had to make Huy's cycling experience more comfortable by finding a reliable bike mechanic. He had been complaining of a sore butt, wrist and lower back, and we later find out his brakes were rubbing due to a bent disc rotor.

We embark from our 'Rose' room hotel at Kupang, a packed town at the base of the humble Mt Baling (564m), and were so excited to reach Georgetown we didn't stop for lunch. Before 1pm we had covered 76km in four hours (previously 4 hours got us 50kms, but just remember this is Huy's first ever big bike ride, having done a maximum of 40kms before this!). Taking a ferry across to Georgetown was easy and relaxing compared to our last ferry crossing experience from Singapore to Malaysia. We zip to our hotel, The Georgetown Green Gates, situated right in the old town in a beautifully restored cultural heritage building. It was adorned with porcelain vases and each wall fitted with contemporary paintings in heavy wooden frames. We felt in total luxury, but the hotel was not that much more expensive than the 'Rose' room on the highway in Kupang (ripper deal on Agoda). Riding around, we realised it was perfect timing to visit Georgetown as it was low season; cheaper accommodation and less-packed streets.

We sat down for two hours and created a plan for what we were going to eat. It was necessary as all the top-rated foods were spread out across the place, and stalls would specialise in one or two different things so you'd need to know what you want to eat and where. Plus, most of these restaurants are family-owned businesses and after a jam packed weekend they take their weekend during midweek, some on Monday and some on Thursday. Okay, now we are ready, let's set set off on our 3-day eating tour in Georgetown!

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Sloppy deliciousness in a crispy omelette

We decided to head down towards Kimberly Street night markets at 4:30pm. It was too early to see any action on the streets but we were hungry and needed sustenance so we nestled into this little restaurant promising crispy sloppy deliciousness (oyster) omelette. Huy and I had never had it before, but damn it was a solid omelette, highly recommended.

The inanimate brought to life

We round the corner and accidentally bump into world-famous street art, which I am sure all of you have seen before. In real life, it is quite subtle, blending into the concrete with non-contrasting colours and if you had blinked you would have missed it. And yes you could look at it and admire it for what it is, or, in my mind, I jumbled up a beautiful story of its relevance to my life, embodied by its shapes and shadows telling the story of Lestari Cycle. To me, the artwork symbolises trust between the girl and the boy, just as Lestari Cycle functions upon the trust of Huy and I. As cycling brings us both back to our happy childhood days, I imagine the little girl as myself (the bike as my happy confident place) and the little boy as Huy (absolutely entrenched in excitement, fear, nerves, bewilderment, anxiety, exhilaration and everything in between). I smiled at the thought.

Best samosas ever?

We keep walking past more street art until we get to a tiny cart selling samosas. It looks like every other normal food cart so we buy three samosas to share between us. We grab some drinks and walk to Huy's favourite chill spot: coastal parks where the ocean water laps the city's protective walls and you can dangle your legs just above it. The park was bustling with people flying kites, walking and playing football whilst the skies were painted a decadent soft rose pink and gentle orange. Biting into the samosa, our senses were raised sky high and all prior expectations of food went out the door, food in Georgetown was just on another level. Huy wishes we had bought 6 more.

Best yum cha ever?

The next morning we set off to have breakfast at a renowned yum cha place. Entering in we are gifted with the smells of brewing green tea and freshly baked egg tarts. We excitedly sit and order what sings out to us. We over ordered of course, but our tummies thanked us. Every bite just melted in our mouths entirely. You could tell they handmade each and every dish. And I think I found a new obsession for custard salted egg golden buns, it's one of the most satisfying flavours in the world, sweet and graciously salty (I ate all three, Huy insisted). Huy found his new found passion for mixed mushroom siu mai, it was unforgettable.

Noodle fest

Okay, now here come the noodles; boiled, charred, fried, stewed - whatever way they make it, it all tasted bloody amazing. We walk on over to a restaurant serving assam laksa and char kuey teow. Assam laksa is a noodle dish with this divine sour yet salty flavour. The fish broth layered on top of a deliciously addictive sour base is topped with fresh vegetables and chunks of fish. Next, the dish that brought me here in the first place: char kuey teow (also, char keow tiau). It was good, but not exactly what I was looking for, it didn't have the charred factor. Another noodle dish that we enjoyed was more plain and subtle, koay teow th'ng is a clear flat noodle soup with meatballs and chicken pieces. It is perfect for mornings when you've just woken up and don't want anything heavy. A level inbetween the sour and plain is the white curry mee. A seafood noodle soup in a light coconut broth that is topped with crunchy fresh tauge and chilli sambal.

Snacks that are worth the bloat

I had another mission: egg tarts. Everyone knows the typical egg tart you can get from your shopping centre Breadtop, soft to bite into and delightful. But because we are in Georgetown, I knew they'd take it another level. We visited the 'Ming Xiang Tai pastry' shop and bought a medley of crispy egg tarts, pandan salted egg tarts and durian pastries. The pastry was so flaky and crispy and the flavours were divine. We made another stop for snacks, chasing roti bakar and roti canai. Roti bakar is superior to your average toast. It is toasted on charcoal fire, thickly spread with salted butter and an egg spread (kaya) then torched to allow for a heavenly crunchy sweet bite. Oh then there is ABC (ais batu kacang) which is pretty much  shaved ice with jellies, red bean, corn coated in sweet rose syrup. Yes, corn. Weird, but I loved it as a kid. Huy enjoyed it but he still thinks the Vietnamese 'Che' is superior. I guess we can all have our favourites. What I like even better than ABC is chendol, a three ingredient supernova. The sweetness comes from brown palm sugar syrup, whilst the liquid itself is a rich coconut cream which is topped with pandan flavoured green jelly.

Before we can't fit our clothes anymore..

Our time up was nearing and it was for a good reason, meal times had become obsolete and cycling long distances (for fun) became a distant memory. On our last day in Georgetown we met up with a long-time friend, Jules, someone I had spent time with in Hanoi when I was there for my gap year in 2018. Even though life drifted us apart and we didn't catch up in between, it just felt like old times and we filled each other in and told one another of the dreams we were chasing (her dream of summiting peaks as a mountaineer means she's training up Georgetown's steep hills nearly everyday, you go girl!). She uncovers more of Georgetown's goodies for us that I didn't really think of, from stir-fried blood clams to fruit topped in a spicy, tangy and sweet black sauce (rojak buah).

Haunting notes of jazz

Our bellies craved that sugar smacking goodness before we left each other for the evening, so off we went in search of dessert. But before that, we had to uncover a secret bar, Cocktails and Shots, only known by locals, the shop front being a makeshift living door with large black bookcases behind it. Little did we know pushing one bookcase open would reveal the secret bar. Though, none of us drink so we just popped in for a very quick cheeky moment and left. Then, we begin our search for China House, an ecclectic and perfectly preserved cultural heritage shophouse cafe stretching time and dimension. Whizzing through them all, we were immersed into a low light atmosphere that brewed with a sense of collectively cool energy. Art filled every corner of the wall, from fine art to sketches made by normal people like you and me. Whizzing down the corridor, we pass people dining, eating cake, sipping on wine, and water rippling through a koi fish pond and, it almost felt endless, like you were falling through Alice in Wonderland's black hole, with the haunting notes of jazz summoning you to venture all the way to the end.

That's when we discovered a secret underworld of world class jazz music tucked away at the edge of China House. We couldn't help but to order some (also) world class cake and sit to listen. I don't know about you but I have never seen a chocolate coconut meringue pie before but wow, the meringue was textured perfectly with smooth notes of coconut whilst the pie housed moist chocolate filling that just hit us with the right amount of dopamine and goodness. We had to try another chocolate cake loaded with a dollop of earl grey frosting, and if you're an earl grey tea fan (and I know at least one out there!) you'd looove this cake.

The music filled my senses, my eyes darting from the pianist, bassist, saxophonist and drummer, all of the musicians seeming like retired professionals who have been dreaming of this time where they could perform their lifelong hobbies every Wednesday. My mouth was  busy understanding the diverse palette of cakes, my hand tapping to the beat and nose untangling the mix of old red wine and sweet cakes, whilst, my ears flooding with nostalgia. They were playing songs my mum usually sings. That's when the beautifully composed singer, Mable Ooi, asked the question; does anyone want to jam with us? Before my heart could talk me out of it from my fear of singing in public, my head already decided that I would go up and sing a song with the master musicians. Why? Well, maybe because I was far away from home and facing my fear didn't seem so scary anymore. Apart from Jules and Huy there was no one here that knew me so their judgement wouldn't follow me through life and, two, I missed my mum and singing was a way to get closer to her. So, well, I guess you'll just have to wait for the episode to come out to hear it, but it was fun!

Day 29: Leaving the King of Foods

Well I don't know about Huy but I was ready to fast for three days upon leaving Penang's capital. We reversed our route to get back to the mainland and this time we knew exactly where we were headed, my Aunty and Uncle's house. Although they're not technically family, they're about as family as it gets. My sister and I spent my teenagehood growing up with their kids, Niko and Andy. Our adventures consisted of backflipping into creeks, camping and road tripping through Australia's national parks, and going through the evolutions of faith, curiously questioning our existence and our makers up and into adulthood. Truly a shape-shifting time together. I was excited to see my Aunty and Uncle as our lives had drifted apart as usual but timed perfectly, we were put onto each other's paths again! They had just moved permanently to Malaysia and it was on our way up. Pleasant coincidences are extra special. Though that extra special time was kickstarted with an extra special route- through Malaysia's characteristic ultra weathered laterite red mud. Huy only muttered inaudible conspicuous atrocities under his breath once or twice... and it only took us 2 days to clean our bikes... but well it was worth it! (Actually it wasn't really, it was only another 10km if we took the tarmac but my spirit longed for adventure >.<).

Attaining comfort on our moving house

As they were building their house, we roamed around with them, seeing and feeling what their permanent home would be like. At sunset, we'd walk around the perimeter and witness the sun dip down underneath the mountain ranges of Gunung Jerai (Mt Jerai), a 1,2000 landmark for sailors at the peak of Malaysia's trading century. As they tinkered with the comfort of their house, we seriously questioned the comfort of our moving house too. I was doing alright but Huy's bike needed some work. After four days together, we left northwards with enough energy to conquer our last mission.

It was in Alor Setar that our last mission would be accomplished. Spending around an hour and a half at the Giant bike shop, the bike mechanic, Khon, shortened both ends of Huy's handlebar's with a hand saw (they were too wide), installed a handlebar extension (so he wouldn't need to slouch down to reach them) and installed a tubeless tyre setup for the front and back tyre (reduces puncture risk and less weight). We also chose narrower tyres, so instead of 2.4 inches, they were now 2.1 inches (less friction, faster on the road). Khon also straightened the disc rotor as it was bent. As soon as Huy test rode his bike you could see a large smile beaming from his face, we had hit the sweet spot. Now we could continue up without complaints.

Day 32: amongst rice paddy fields

The landscape changed immensely, from forested areas and plantations of oil palm and rubber trees to now open flat rice fields with karst limestone hills jutting out. Migratory birds flew high above and we would witness dozens of egrets congregating near tractors, eagerly awaiting delicious snacks from the churning of the soil. We stop for two days in Arau in a little room stay amongst the rice paddies for RM80 (AUD 30) a night. We were given another taste of scrumptiousness with the best nasi kandar and a taste of home with laksa from Sarawak.

Day 34: into Thailand from Padang Besar

Well the border crossing was a total breeze. We exited Malaysia via Padang Besar and entered Thailand with a free tourist visa for 60 days. We had been reading that we would only be granted 30 days if we entered Thailand via a land border, but luckily the immigration officers don't adhere to that and just stamp us in for 2 whole months.

Lasting notes...

Travelling far from home makes you miss those you love, but also reconnects you with those you lost along the life. It also makes you strongly orientated to face your fears rather than shy away from them. These are my favourite parts of travelling and I can't wait to see what comes next! Thank you for your patience with our journals and, catch you in the next one!

Lots of love, Tash & Huy

^{(This journal was handwritten, Dr. GPT was not consulted ;))}