I got Blisters on me @*$# 7/02/2011: Tanah Rata to Kuala Kangsar 144.54km

When i did stop the views were
choice as bro!!!

Slow start to the day didn’t get going till 9am then I stopped at water fill up station, 20c (or aprox 4p) a liter wasn’t something I was going to miss out on.  I knew I was to be repaid in a good downhill stretch today, it’s the eventual reward for a hard uphill, however it took a while coming, for the first 25km I was up down up down. I also got to see the ugly side of the Cameron Highlands, where the land has been overworked and destroyed, there is preservation for the future, just money grabbers (or people making a living depends on your point of view) just consuming this beautiful place until one day mother nature wont be able to take anymore.

Carrying on, I did get my reward of a magnificent downhill, it was full of twists and turns, it wasn’t completely downhill there were a few flat areas and slight uphills but nothing to be concerned with, I managed to cover 40km’s in under one hour. The scenery was beautiful untouched, unspoilt  green hills for acres around, unfortunately I didn’t stop to take any pictures as I was enjoying the amazing downhill. I kept trying to see how fast I could get, the best I could managed was 65kmph, isn’t quite a record, my record is just over 70kmph done in New Zealand.

The road did flatten out, the sun was out in force today and after I had completed the decent it was roasting, about 10kms before Ipoh, the major town where I planned to have lunch,  I sat in the shade beneath an overpass for 10mintutes. When I got to Ipoh I was delighted to find a tourist information place, it was closed for lunch but no bother I got some myself. I had a bit of saddle sore coming on but I was hoping it didn’t get any worse else tomorrow would be very uncomfortable. The tourist information opened and basically I just wanted directions to put me on the right road ( and I wanted to sit in the air conditioned room for half an hour, it was bliss). It was 50km to Kuala Kansgar and my informant had told me there was some budget hotels. I considered camping but your never far from anybody here, I would see somewhere that looks hidden and after cycling few meters down the road I would see people hanging around or workman working, plus I had no food with me really so I’d have to get supplies. All in all I was having an expensive day and had already convinced myself to stay in a cheap hotel. 25km after Ipoh I stopped for a cuppa tea, an ice tea and a fizzy drink, the heat was incredible, when its this hot I don’t really feel like eating I just want to get as much in the way of liquids inside of me as possible, eating seems more bearable at night. 

Instead of showing my saddle sore

Anyway on my way again and for some reason my saddle sore was killing me now, it was worse on my left cheek and I was doing anything to try and get some relief, any bump or pothole would be torture but I soldiered on. Getting to Kuala Kansgar I went in search of a hotel, the first was RM88 too expensive for what I had in mind, pointing me down the road to a cheaper one I headed off and soon found it, RM188!!! Way too expensive, asking if there was anything for less than RM50 she pointed me in the way I just came. Knowing there was only RM88 per night hotel I carried on down the road till I came to the end of town, not a hotel, heading back I noticed I dingy looking rundown building that said hotel on it, if its still running it must be cheap I thought. It was still running and for a steal price of RM35 I had a huge room with two shabby looking double beds, toilet, shower I was in, bargin for the win.

Taking my bags to the room was embarrassing, my saddle sore was terrible, I was walking like somebody had shoved my seat post up my backside after they’d dipped it in acid and left it there. Showering was so painful again it almost brought me to tears. My gluteus maximus has always been a tender area for me, when I use to play paintball the worse place for me to be shot was my Gluteus. Things only got worse when I applied some first aid cream to it, I wanted to scream and took some painkillers it was that bad. Dinner only inflictited more pain, asking the very helpful waitress to recommend something not very spicy she did, she told me its normally spicy but its what the place specializes in and she’ll tell the chef to make it as non spicy as possible. It tasted great but was like a hand grenade going off in my mouth, on the Brightside it took the focus off my sore backside. I stopped at the supermarket to pick up a few supplies and as I was paying the security guy said he had to escort me out as you’re not allowed to bring bags into supermarkets in Malaysia. Being escorted after I’d bought my things I did my best to get a laugh out of the guy which I did so to the people watching the ‘English scum bag’ being thrown out may think a little bit lightly of it. Tomorrow I will find out if Vaseline is a cure or prevention of saddle sore!