SRT Day 2, Kuala Perlis to Satun. How 90km became 9km!

Pic KC

Pic KC - The Gleam Resort

Coffee and bicycles - a lovely combination.

So much to give thanks for!

Crossing international borders have always been exciting for me and one of the highlights of this adventure trip is to see if it was possible to cross from Kuala Perlis to Tammalang Pier, Satun in Thailand via a local fisherman's boat. Failing to do so, it would mean a 90km road trip through the quieter border crossing of Wang Kelian which is also very welcomed as it involves scaling a mountain pass. But that would take a whole day's of riding and these trips are all about cycling. But honestly, I was hoping in my heart that the boat ride miracle would somehow happen. 

Wikipedia as at Dec 2016 states,

"Update April 2014 - Due to tougher Malaysian immigration, tourists are no longer enter/exit Malaysia with fisherman's boat. To reach Kuala Perlis (and southwards), there is a minivan service at 9am. Guesthouses in Satun will make arrangement for you. It is also possible to take ferry to Kuala Perlis or Penang via Langkawi but is a costly option."

We met for breakfast at 0800 and was spoilt for choice. There were at least 3 places just outside our hotel selling a good variety of food and we decided on the quietest one to try help give them some business.

That proved to be a mistake as we found out that the reason why the locals shun this eatery was because the Roti Canais, or Indian pancakes, they served were rather stale. YC was very disappointed and rightly so. I fortunately had the Nasi Lemak which was acceptable. 

Good old Siew Yung had woken up earlier to recce the fishing boat option and she came back all smiles at the breakfast table. She had the best news ever! Somehow, she managed to negotiate with a Thai fishing crew and they gave her 2 options. RM $240 (bargained from RM$300) if we wanted to leave in the morning, or half that price if we could wait till afternoon as they had to sell off their catch first.  The thought of spending half a day in Kuala Perlis did not appeal and we all unanimously voted to take the morning ride. After all at only S$13 each for a beautiful cruise along the Andaman Sea, including our bicycles, this is truly the deal of the century. 

So immediately after breakfast, we checked out of T Hotel, loaded our bicycles and rode 5 mins to the local jetty which is about 400m from the Langkawi Jetty. It was a bit of a confusion sorting out where to clear immigration but once we figured out where the immigration office was, it was smooth sailing literally. The immi officers were very friendly and asked if we had secured our boat before stamping "out" our passports. 

We loaded our bikes happily onto our chartered fishing boat and it was a magical feeling that we were actually leaving Kuala Perlis by sea. Everyone helped, forming a human chain and indeed, more hands resulted in less work. 

The boat ride made all of us very happy indeed and we were in the highest spirits. With the fresh breeze in our faces, blue skies, amazing views of the many islands around us and the rhythmatic chugging of the engine, days like these are special blessings from God.

The 45 mins boat ride ended all too soon and in no time, we were docking at Tammalang Pier, Thailand. A ferry from Langkawi had just landed before us so there was a queue of about 30 people in front of us. But we didn't mind one bit as it was only 11am and we had only 10km to ride into Satun town. It was nice to just take it easy and just go with the flow.

The Thai immigration officers were friendly as ever and asked about our plans in Thailand. When I told him that we were cycling onwards to Hatyai, he exclaimed that it was quite a distance and wished me well. Thailand is always very welcoming and truly, we were delighted to be here.

After we all cleared immigration, KC insisted that we all had to take a group pic under the famous crab statue and we obediently obliged, with ice cream popsicles in our hands. 

Pic KC

The ride to Satun was done under heavy rains 2 years ago but today, it was all blue skies and sunny. It was an easy ride into town with excellent roads and almost zero traffic. We enjoyed the short journey and had great conversations on the saddle!

Pic KC

Siew Yung has a friend who knows the owner of Gleam Resort and it turned out to be one of the most impressive hotels I have ever been in the whole of Thailand. The owner who is a retired lawyer from Bangkok had build her retirement paradise recently and this place is so tastefully done. A small resort of only about 8 villas or so with an inviting pool, set in such tranquil surroundings with modern design, we were all so excited and happy to be here. 

It describes itself as a "small relaxation resort hideaway in the heart of Satun City" and that captures this gleaming resort so beautifully.

Pic KC

As we checked in, we noticed the owner was wearing a black ribbon to remember the recent passing away of the revered King. It was a privilege to wear one as well to honour such a great person who is so well loved by his people.

We rode out to have coffee at the recommended Keith's Bakery and we were delighted at how warm and inviting this cafe is. We enjoyed our Lattes and Cappuccinos, in the company of a whole bunch of spirited school kids who were so friendly.

Very impressed too with their spoken English and we ordered exactly what they ordered - a lovely bread/ice cream/fruit creation and that was delicious.

We did a short ride through Satun in search of Thai Traditional Massage, which is not everyone's cup of tea understandably. Thai massage is not for the faint hearted as it involves a lot of pulling and stretching and can be quite painful at first. It is akin to eating Kimchi as it gets better after a few tries but the question is, can you get over the initial first try? Khun Oh told us where they were and we found it easily after a mere 6 mins bicycle ride. However, we all wanted lunch first and were not ready to be tortured yet.

Lunch was at a simple local eatery which had a hot flaming wok. We enjoyed dishes of Rad Na (fried flat noodles in gravy), fried rice and at 40B each, they were not only unbeatable value for $ but aroy (delicious) as well.

Pic KC

After lunch, we went back to Gleam Resort where the gals had an afternoon siesta in the aircon comfort of their villa. The boys went in for a dip and enjoyed great conversations with Khun Oh who was an extremely interesting and nice person. We learned about how she turned her dream of having a resort into reality and that was truly inspiring!

Pic KC

Dinner was to be a belated birthday celebration for Christoph and what better place to have it in than Ti Baan, a French-Thai restaurant that we have come to love at our last visit to Satun. The owners Chris and Pooh outdid themselves and put together a lovely 4 course French dinner for us. What impressed was the amazing attention to detail and tremendous effort put in to ensure we felt welcome and made to feel so special.

Indeed, if you are ever in Satun please visit Ti-Baan. Chris will certainly take very good care of you and their food is absolutely amazing. Literally the best of both worlds - France and Thailand! Cannot think of a better place to have a meal.

We retired feeling very upbeat and rested. Thanks to Siew Yung's great research and negotiating skills, we came here the fun and easy way, turning 90km of hard cycle into a mere 9km. Everyone was happy but the birthday boy who wanted to ride, and ride as befits his nickname, Christoph the Crank! That he did after we all ended in Hatyai, but that is a story for another time.

Short Ride to Thailand, 16-21 Dec 2016. Day 1 - Sgp to Kuala Perlis 850km.

Berenda on her trusty Brompton!

Muscles ready to explode to.....Krabi, says CW of our Chief Navigator Ying Chang!

Having been impressed by the ease of long distance bus travel at our last trip from Penang to Spore in Aug, I wanted to do a short ride into Thailand using coaches instead of flying. The plan was to bus up 800km to Alor Setar, then cycle 50km to Kuala Perlis. Plan A was to cycle up 100km into Thailand using the quiet border of Wang Kerlian. Plan B was to take a fishing boat from K Perlis into Satun if that was possible. From Satun, we were to cycle 100km to Hatyai, spend 2 days there and return back by coach again.

The journey up far north began as 5 of us met at Golden Mile, Beach Rd Spore to board our 9pm Grassland bus to Alor Setar. It was nice of Chris and Coleen to send us off. This was a 12 hour overnight bus which was very comfortable, offering seats that had electrical adjustments and wide bodied business class comfort. One key advantage of this was the ease that our foldies could store in the spacious holding bay of the bus.

Bikes a bit thrown around in the belly of the bus.

The long bus ride was made short by the excellent company of my good ride buddies Christoph, KC and YC, who we had too much laughs on board the bus. Poor Berenda was seated all alone at the back but she slept happily.



Arriving at about 9am in Alor Setar, we assembled our bikes to curious audience. Unfortunately, Christoph's Bike Friday had a brake caliper problem which was easily fixed by KC's expertise with a pair of pliers.

First order of the day was breakfast and we found a lovely old style kopitiam in town. We enjoyed Wanton Mee and a truly amazing Fried Kway Teow. It had a "wok hei" flavour! What made this experience different was the warm hospitality of the elderly Chinese owner. He told us to park our bikes properly so that they wont be stolen, gave us tasting portions of his excellent kaya (coconut jam) as well as poured his special home brew drinks for us, at no charge. Indeed, there is something to be said about nice country folks.



The ride to Kuala Perlis was flat and easy, and we chose to cycle along the coastline. Though the initial part of the journey was on fairly mediocre roads, the quiet traffic and amazing scenery more than made up for this. Beautiful open expanse of green rice fields were really pleasing to our eye, and with clear blue skies, this area deserves a more thorough visit.



The journey then skirted closer to the coast and we could see the ocean which was beautiful. We rode through laid back fishing villages where life could very well be in 1960s, so quiet and peaceful. As it was getting hot, we had a very nice stop at the drink store and enjoyed ice desserts. ABC, which stands for Air Batu Champor. This is shaved ice with goodies inside, laced with sweet syrup!

Christoph ever the jetsetter on the other hand, who just flew in from Bangkok and then joined us, took this opportunity to catch a few Zzzzs. 

Pushing on, the scenery improved significantly as we rode close to the sea but the skies were getting darker. The weather forecast did predict rain at about 4pm but the rain seemed to come a bit earlier. We continued cycling until the first drop of rains hit us.

Pic Berenda

Actually, I didnt mind the rain one bit as it meant riding in much cooler conditions but I regretted not bringing my Da Brim helmet visor. Nevertheless, it was not a heavy monsoon but light rains and that suited me fine. We tried to take a short cut going through a closed flyover, ignoring the no entry signs. However, the reason why it was closed was because other half was damaged and we found out the hard way!

As we entered Kuala Perlis, the rains have subsided somewhat and we made our way to T Hotel. It was so good to see Siew Yung, wheeling her Brompton in our direction just in front of the hotel. She had an earlier sojorn in Langkawi with her friend Sandra and planned to meet us here. Siew Yung is an avid Brompton tourer who has been on so many solo trips and it is such a great privilege to have her join the LTF Team.

T Hotel was a newish RM99 per night hotel and for its price, we could not complain. Christoph had a few bones to pick with regards to its peeling laminate on the dresser but I have learned not to have high expectations of Malaysian hotels.

After a well deserved shower and laundry, we strolled to the food court for some amazing satay and to catch the sunset. 

At the park, we were blessed with a local band belting out some groovy music and it was a joy to see a couple of boys "jogek", encouraged by their moms. The locals were out to enjoy the sunset and fresh cool breezes and we lamented how good they have it compared to us who live in such stressed and crowded cities.

Dinner was at a lovely Chinese seafood restaurant called Hai Tien which we would highly recommend. Not only was the food fresh and tasty, the prices too were most reasonable and most importantly, they sell beer. This is not to be taken forgranted here in Malaysia as it is not displayed due to religious reasons. Needless to say, our German friend was elated!

We slept that night feeling very glad to be at the most northern town in the west coast of Malaysia after a very long journey here by bus and bicycle. The first day is always the best because there are so many wonderful and exciting days ahead and I felt a deep sense of gratitude to God for the privilege to do this with such great friends!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A friendly "race" in dusty Cambodia.

It is always my joy to visit Phnom Penh Cambodia to see our wonderful children from COSI Orphanage. We have been there since 2002 and to walk with them till now, where they have grown into beautiful young adults, simply fills my heart with great joy and thanksgiving to God. Among them are an engineer, physiotherapists, a business executive, a physio student and a medical student.

On my last trip, we organised an overnight stay at the White Elephant Resort some 13km out of Phnom Penh. So it was near enough for everyone to go there on their small scooters and there was room for 3 of my team as well riding with them, one scooter even taking 3 on board.

I decided to take this opportunity to use my trusty Brompton and cycle there. Rex who knew the poor dusty road conditions and heavy traffic well, predicted that I would be faster than them on motorised scooters but I was skeptical. Anyway, it was to be a friendly race and I was excited. Could my small 16" wheeled foldy actually arrive faster than scooters that can hit 100km/h?

The kids came to our hotel at 1030 and we gathered as planned. We managed to get 9 people onboard 8 scooters with luggage including a guitar and watermelon!



Riding through the chaotic traffic of Phnom Penh may seem very dangerous but once you understand the order of things, it is actually a lot of fun and safer than you think. There is a certain understanding and courtesy between motorists and it works. We decided to ride via Sisowath Quay riverside area to give our overseas visitors a bit of a sightseeing tour of this beautiful city and yes, being a Saturday and a public holiday, traffic was thick and slow.

The bottle neck was at the bridge crossing the Tonle Sap River. It was stuck and stuck thick with all sorts of vehicles, trucks, cars, tuk tuks, motorcycles/scooters and even hand pulled carriages. I took the opportunity to carry my Brompton onto the pedestrian embankment so that I could get out of the traffic but alas, so did some scooters but at least our lane was moving. We were actually held up by 2 pedestrians walking but nobody honked them, and we followed them behind patiently. At least we were moving while the traffic was at an unpleasant standstill.



When I reached the end of the bridge, the heavy traffic continued as there were road works and we were all hardly moving, inching bumper to bumper.  Even the scooters were stuck as there was absolutely no room. I have not been in such a tight situation! But the advantage of the compact Brompton was that I could find gaps to push my way through whether into traffic or the footways of shops, squeezing and carrying at times until we finally got out of the mayhem.

By this time, we were all separated. I saw Sophorn earlier but she asked me to go ahead and when I finally got out of traffic, I could enjoy a good 25km/h cruise along fairly good roads. Still, the dust and the pot holes made for a challenging ride and I enjoyed myself thoroughly!

I decided to stop and wait for the rest but they were nowhere to be found. After sending a GPS location to the group on Whats App, I received a call to say that they had decided to stop at a restaurant for lunch some 4 km behind me. With the heat and dust, turning back was not appealing and I decided to press on towards the resort. Passed by a bicycle shop and got my tires pumped up to 70psi for a 20 cent tip and I was really flying after that.

I was surprised to arrive at the White Elephant Resort in a shorter time than expected. Seems like Rex was right that indeed, the bicycle is faster than even the motorcycle when it comes to the clogged and dusty road conditions of Cambodia. I folded my Brompton much to the amazement of the staff and a nice security guard pushed my bike into the resort for me and I settled in the restaurant by the beautiful pools.

While the kids were enjoying their lunch which they generously bought, I savoured a lovely Thai basil minced pork lunch with a fried egg that I wolf down very gratefully, washed down with iced winter melon drink. All the cycling in the heat got me hungry! 

I had time to check into my spacious room and unpacked before the girls streamed in, followed by the boys. It was great to have "won" our friendly race and we had a most memorable time with our kids whom we love dearly.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Our special time together ...

We spend the afternoon in the swimming pool and that was a most perfect way to cool off. Cil and I gave swimming lessons and we were so impressed with Sophorn, Kimthan and esp Chet who learned so quickly.

It was great to also have a beautiful time of worship where Henry led us on his guitar and there is absolutely nothing more worthwhile than giving praise and thanks to our Creator.

I took the opportunity to teach a session on Biblical Financial Management as well looking at topics like risk and rewards, needs and wants, saving and investment strategies and lessons from the Parable of the Talents in Luke 19:12-27.

The White Elephant Resort is a lovely resort that I can recommend highly if you are ever in Phnom Penh!

Wishing everyone a very blessed Christmas! Thank you for reading Lovethefold.

For unto us a child is born; unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder. These will be his royal titles: “Wonderful,” “Counselor,” “The Mighty God,” “The Everlasting Father,” “The Prince of Peace.” 7 His ever-expanding, peaceful government will never end. He will rule with perfect fairness and justice from the throne of his father David. He will bring true justice and peace to all the nations of the world.

Isaiah 9:6-7  TLB