Pangkor Ride

Had a blast last week (29th - 30th August) in Pangkor with Groupe De Cycle. We attempted to conquer Pangkor by cycling around the island, roughly 16 km of tarred road. However out 9 MTBikers (and 1 marshal on a motorbike) only 1 made it around the island.

My equipment:
1. Raleigh Enduro Pro with upgraded Wellgo clipless pedals (RM 95)
2. Shimano MTB shoes with cleats (RM 195 from Wancycles.com)
3. Deuter hydration bag (fake)
4. Cheap riding gloves (RM 50)

Day 1
Everyone gathered at Marina Island, near Teluk Batik at 11 am. Parking there cost a RM5 per day (very reasonable). The facilities there are very new but looks under utilized. Ferry tickets cost RM 10 for a return journey (additional RM1 for bikes). However to buy tickets from the counter, you will need to be a member for RM 10. A member can take up to 20 guests (but still have to pay RM 10 for the tickets)...weird rule. Another rip off was upon boarding each one of us has to pay RM 3 per bike to pay the crew members.
As soon as we arrive, it was cycling time! It was just a 6 km ride to our dorm at Pangkor Rimba Kem Resort near Teluk Nipah. But the terrain was bad. Plenty of steep hills. I had to push my MTB a few times up the hills. My cleats malfunctioned and the screws came off while on the way up. Had to ditch the cleats and changed to normal pedals. We arrived at the resort after slightly less than 1 hour.

Lunch was some fresh fried fish and 'ikan sardin'. And then some lazing around in the sea. We started to cycle again at around 5 pm. Teluk Nipah to Teluk Dalam was a breeze. The worst and steepest hill was after Teluk Dalam. Even with the lightest gear the bike was barely moving. Instead of moving forward, I was doing wheelies instead!

Night time was mainly spent on dinner. Spaghetti, ikan bakar and sotong bakar was on the menu. The night ended with some karaoke til late night.

Day 2
Breakfast was served at 11 am. A very delicious meal of Nasi Lemak. The ride back home (to the jetty) began at 3 pm. It was scorching hot. Along the way a pack of dogs managed to get our hearts racing....we cycled so fast, it took only 45 minutes instead of 1 hour. The hills heading back wasn't as steep though. We fared better this time. Didn't have to stop to push the bike.

Hours later, I was back home. Fortunately, I didn't suffer from any cramps this time.
Back home, this little baby girl greeted me...... :)

Magical firefly moments...

We had decided to celebrate our very belated 3rd year anniversary in Kuantan. This year's anniversary celebration included a baby so we had to plan everything way in advance. No more spontaneously checking into budget hotels or backpacking. Even a few quiet minutes of romantic candle-lit dinner by the beach seemed impossible wit darling Alyssa being our center of universe 90% of the time. So we decided to explore nature and see it at its best.

I have always been fascinated with fireflies, and ever since we got married, i have occasionally been giving hints to Papa how wonderful it would be to watch a bunch of them up close. But my dreams were shattered when i read the frustrated reviews of those who have travelled all the way to Kuala Selangor to experience the magical wonder of fireflies, only to find that civilization has taken its toll on the firefly habitat, rendering them near-extinct.

Luckily, Papa did some research, and before we knew it, we were cruising on a boat along the Cherating River together with a very knowlegable tour guide and about 15 other tourist hopefuls. Keeping our fingers crossed, we held our breath as we hit the darkness of the mangrove swamp which lined the river, and kept our eyes fixed to the trees as directed by our tour guide. Sure enough, seconds later, the blinking lights started making its debut appearance, followed by thousand others following suit. Subhanallah, the sight was so breathtaking that i literally forgot to breathe! And the best part was yet to come. Our tour guide did something way beyond our imagination. He signalled to the crowd of fireflies, and the creatures just literally flew in our direction and sorrounded our boats!! We were able to catch the tiny fireflies and watch it lit up in our palms...they look like tiny flying fairies, so magically breathtaking. It was the most magical thing I could imagine.

           That night, we all went back feeling mesmerized and in awe. Thank you Papa, for arranging this wonderful trip :).We're definitely coming here again in future!

We checked ourselves into Swiss-Garden Resort&Spa..it was a pleasant stay

 During briefing....

 On board the boat for our firefly adventure :)

 Alyssa in her cute little life jacket

 After the ride...

...& back in our cozy hotel room