My curious friends on their motorbikes didn’t come back to execute whatever deed my paranoid mind was building up however sleeping next to a main road didn’t give me a great sleep, every car seemed to be roaring by.
I got up early in the morning and was on my way by 8am, my left knee again wasn’t feeling good so I decided slow and steady was the way forward, also I had a bad dose of saddle sore which I haven’t had since I was pedicabbing back in New Zealand.
After a cup of tea in Tapah I took the turn off to the Cameron Highlands, the sun was out, perfect day for riding. I was expecting a bit of a hill climb today, but I drastically made a mistake in my map reading, instead of reading 1500m (5000ft) I had read 1500ft. Of an 80km day, 60km were up a fairly steep gradient and I didn’t move anywhere fast. For the whole day I averaged around 10kmph!
The Cameron Highlands is absolutely beautiful, the further up I got there were little stalls selling honey for RM 40 but the scenery was up there with New Zealand! As the day wore on I increasingly tired and really had to did in deep. When I am having a hard day like this, I have to think of anything that will give me the resolve to carry on. I often think back to times when for example at rugby when training whoever was coaching has demanded more from me and pushed me that little bit harder, I try to imagine they are there pushing me demanding that little bit more out of me and it helps. By the end I was absolutely shattered, with 13km to go I stopped again for a tea, I was feeling weak and sick I could barely keep my head up. Another little challenge I have been facing in Asia is the squat toilet, peeing is no problem but the number 2 just isn’t happening, what makes it worse is you then have to wash your backside out with a hose pipe! I’d rather find a quiet spot and dig a ditch than use a squat toilet but luckily I have been able to track down enough normal toilets on my travels to prevent too major a buildup. I carry a packet of tissues so I can wipe the normal way but it has meant some days I’m withholding as I hold on to find a suitable dunny.
Back to the day, I finally made it to Tanah Rata and for RM12 I got my own room, in what is probably one of the better set up backpackers I have stayed at in Asia. After I shower during which my saddle sore was almost bringing me to tears, I went through the normal routine of searching for a pile of food t satisfy my monstrous hunger which I found in a thai restaurant in the form of rice wrapped in an omelet with other things.
I’m still undecided whether or not to stay here another day to give the saddle sore and my knee an extra day to recover.
Lost Key
6/02/2011: Tanah Rata (Cameron Highlands):
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| Impressed with my RM12 room |
I awoke for the first time in ages feeling a bit cold, being at 5000ft puts a chill in the air, I was loving the freshness of it all. I decided to stay an extra day, this decision made all the easier as I lost the key for my bike lock, which currently was doing a job on securing my bike to a pole, also I was in no rush, i`m meeting Russell in Bangkok on the 25th of this month so im in no big haste and it gives my saddle sore an extra day of firming up. After searching high and low for the key I opted to look in town for a hardware shop where I’d buy a hacksaw to cut through the lock, this began after breakfast of course. The search for a hardware shop only led me onto my next meal of pineapple pancakes over which I spent about an hour chatting to an older English lady. Continuing the search I stopped to ask at the information centre where the hardware shop is, ‘the next town’ was the reply. It was only 5km away but I was too fussed on walking. I then headed back to the hostel for a final search which proved successful as upon turning the chairs over in the TV room the girl from reception handed me my key, delighted I spent the rest of the day not doing much at all. I visited a Buddhist temple and spent the rest of the evening feeding the little monster inside of me that wanted to be fed.
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