Day 11: Kuala Rompin to Pekan
Pekan is 94km away and we don't think we'll make it. There's a small village called Nemasi halfway which we thought might be a viable option for a bed for the night, but when we get there, it's a dusty shambles of a place and we decide to try and make the full ride to Pekan. No cycling between 11am and 3pm means we didn't get to Pekan until 6.00pm, Apparently the Prime Minister of Malaysia, who hails from Pekan, is visiting tomorrow and the only digs available are above a Chinese restaurant for 20RM per night (about $7.50), and it is disgusting. Back to nasty, with cockroaches, squat toilets and no running water. In the middle of the night, Lee awakens to find a Malaysian fellow poking his head through our window.
Kilometres: 97
Total kilometres: 410
Day 12: Pekan to Kuantan
Leave early am. In anticipation of the PM's visit to Pekan, all the roads have been tarred overnight and it stinks. Everyone is out in force, with Malaysians lining the street, waving flags, to greet the politician. Lee and I decide to pretend that they're seeing us off instead. A very kind man and his daughter riding a moped hand us cans of soft drinks while we're cycling. It's extremely hot, but at times overcast, which means we were able to get to Kuantan early ish, bar a puncture on Lee's back tyre, 5 km from our destination. Kate loses her cycle pedometer (dammit). As the tourist info centre has closed, it's up to us to find a hostel, and we're directed to the Oriental Evergreen by a policeman, who checks on us later to make sure we found it. We book for 2 nights at 35RM per night, unpack, rest and head off to the shopping centre for supplies and find the Pizza Hut offers free Wifi. Pizza for dinner then.
Kilometres: 51
Total Kilometres: 461
Day 13: Kuantan
Like any good Sunday, today is a day of rest for Kate and Lee Lee.
Kilometres: 0
Total Kilometres: 461
Day 14: Kuantan to Cherating
We haven't got a pedometre anymore (sob) so we have to rely on road signs for distance. We leave Kuantan at about 11.30am after Kate refuses to get out of bed at 7.00am. Very hot weather today, sweating our knackers off from the start. It's about 41 km to Cherating and it's a flat ride all the way, bar three big hills out of Kuantan. Cue numerous stops along the way for Kopi Sejuk (Iced Coffee), about every 10km and we reach Cherating around 2.30pm. Time to check out the digs. First place close to the beach at 70RM, but we come across Tanjung Villas' a little further down the beach, which has beautiful chalets for 120RM per night. I reminded Lee that my dad had told us that the were getting a rebate on our Council Tax and we decide to splash out. Barter down to 100RM per night for 5 nights, and we're set to sunbathe. (Kerry, as requested; tonight we ate chinese food; chicken fried rice, tidak pedas (no spice) lovely!)
Kilometres: 41
Total Kilometres: 502
Day 15: Cherating
No cycling today, bar 4km up and down Cherating's main street checking out restaurants and places with wifi.
Highlight of the day: fresh BBQ'd fish loaded with garlic, fried rice and fried mixed vegetables. Yummy.
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