My solo bicycle tour to Betong (Thailand)-Day 2 : Sekincan-Sri Iskandar

Harbor View Hotel-Back from dinner

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Sg Bernam-Border between Selangor and Perak

Friday, November 26, 2010. The second day of my tour started at Harbor View hotel Sekincan at 8.00 am. I headed north on the coastal road towards Sungai Besar and Sabak Bernam.The feeling was good probably because I had enough rest and mentally I was in high spirit. Since it was still morning and on flat road, it was a smooth riding and cruising at 23 km/hr was not a problem. I passes Sg Besar town without even stopped for breather. For information, Sg Besar are inhabits by mainly people of Java, Banjar and Bugis origin, they are mainly farmers and live on rice fields, the chinese are traders and fishemongers. There are some malay immigrants from Kedah who settled as rice growers too. The first time I came to know about this town was in 1980. I stopped for lunch with my late brother, father and mother while traveling to Kuala Lumpur as I was pursuing my engineering course at UTM. Back to my cycling affair, I passes two traffic lights junction before heading to Sabak Bernam, the sun starts burning my arms and my legs, it was burning 'like' pain though I applied sun block all over bare skin. It reminds me the song by the Beatles 'Here comes the sun', the song is about how grateful the people in Europe to see the sun when gloomy winter season was over. But for me the sun means I have a harsh and hot ride and counting hours to predict how long I can carry on cycling. I kept pedaling till I reached Sabak Bernam town and decided to recharge my energy. I cycled to  the downtown and stopped at malay restaurant. The town have not change much since I was there for the first time 30 years ago. Same goes to Sg Besar, nothing was really developed. I was greeted by two young guys and was invited to join their table. One of the guy was eagerly telling me that he owns a 'giant' bicycle and has been to few jamborees. He was kind of impressed with the marque that I took for tour and talked about some local offroad trails. Again he came up with standard questions, ...where, when , how and so on and so forth. He even ask my age, I proudly told him my age and deep inside me was saying 'you young guys not even have half ball to do like what I did'. After paying the bill, I continued pedaling to Hutan Melintang.

Bridge-Sg Bernam

I stopped by the bridge after about twenty minutes of cycling to take few shots.It is Sg Bernam, the other side is Perak, my home state.Getting into my home state was really a boost to my moral, my mood and my spirit seems to be recharged. BTW, my late dad told me that before they built the bridge, the commuters that went across the river were taken on ferry and towed by tugboat,the bridge was built in the early 70s. Even a 2 tonne truck was towed on the ferry. After the bridge, I kept cycling till I hit a signboard showing 500m to Hutan Melintang and Bagan Datoh junction. Actually, the town of Hutan Melintang sits on this T-junction, one is going to Telok Intan, the other is Bagan Datoh and another is to the village. I took a right turn to Telok Intan, I used to pass through this junction 34 years ago during my first bike touring, read my previous post. Not far from the town, I saw a stall selling coconut, I stopped and quenched my thirst with young 'pandan' coconut juice. After chilling my body, I pedaled north till I hit a signboard showing direction to Manjung. I took Manjung direction and again I went across the bridge and this time was crossing Perak river and the length is nothing less than 1km and the sun was exactly straight on top of my head. It used to have ferry services operated by Sime Darby before the bridge was built, read my earlier post ' My first bicycle tour'.

Sungai Perak

About 4 km after the bridge I stopped again at a stall that sells 'Nira'.For those who have not heard about 'nira' its a wine tapped from wild palm tree (nipah) . This palm only grew in brackish water environment. Alcohol content is more than 5% in fresh. If kept tighten for a week, it may get nasty than champagne, as the alcohol content can be as high as 60%. In fresh condition it taste so sweet and when chilled, its marvelous. I had 2 glasses and almost felt asleep at the stall. I continued my journey though it was at 1.00 in the afternoon, I took the road heading to Ulu Dedap, it was a small road. The area are surrounded by rice field. I hardly saw a car passes by, probably it was time of Friday prayer. I cycled until I saw a junction that led me to a village road which is along the river. It was  very nice ride as the route is covered by tall trees and the place was surrounded by malay village and fruit orchard. I seldom met anyone passes by though at that time the prayer was over.

Rice field at Ulu Dedap

I cycled against the river flow and I hit a signboard showing 'Pasir Salak Historical Complex'. I have been here before. I saw nice chalet too, but it was too early for me to put up a night here. This complex was built exactly at the bank of the river where JWW Birch was killed about 120 years ago. Birch was the British Resident who upset the local warlords for many reasons and at the same time having an affair with malay woman. It is an untold offence for foreigner to have an affair with malay woman in this village. The rules carries until today. He was killed by a guy named Puntong with a long spear pierced through his tummy while taking a bath. The killing of Birch marks the first revolt against the British colonial since Pangkor Treaty ( signed in 1874 by Sir Andrew Clarke and Perak Ruler, Raja Abdullah). He was buried  not far from there. Naturally, the people in this area are brave and short tempered, just like their ancestors. In the 50s and 60s most disputes were resolved by dueled. It may not be safe for outsider or stranger to show machoness or disturb local woman or accidently ran over chicken or goat by car, it would be wise to run  away from the scene if the animal get killed. For information, they are my tribe. Back to Birch, 30 years after his death his grandson came to Kuala Kangsar (120km north) and set up a school called Malay College (MCKK). The school produces many prominent leaders, statesman, corporate players, professionals and nevertherless many assholes too (knew a few personally).

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Historical Complex

River banks

Produce many asses too

Old village road

I cycled north on the village road till  I get back to the main road at a place called Pasir Garam. The main road was also peaceful to cycle, the traffic was really low. I kept north passes through malay villages, Pulau Tiga Kiri, Pasir Kubu, Selat Pulau, Telok Sena, Lambor Kiri, Kuchai till I stop at surau in Kg Telok Kepayang, a hometown of our PujMac Chief. After performing my prayer I had chat with the local folks at the surau, I felt no stranger as I spoke local dialect fluently. I took few shots of their photos on my Cannon, I was amazed with their comment when I show them the shots ' Uuualloh jelahhhnye' which means 'oh my god its so clear'. I left the surau after shaking hand with everyone and continued heading north passes through kg Serikaya (Ekor Bota) and approaching Bota Kiri. I am very familiar with this area as I spent there 4 years during high school. I stopped at a goreng pisang stall in Kg Aji Bota Kiri, since it was raining and I talked to a lady who runs the stall (the local term for stall by the roadside is 'Jumbo'), asking about the chalet in Bota Kanan, she wasnt sure and asked the old guy with 'kopiah' who sat next to me about the chalet. They guy told us the chalet was not operating anymore, immediately after that the guy left. I was telling the lady that I used to live in this village 30 years ago, among my friends were a guy name Hamzah as his father work in the same office with my sister. She responded by saying, the guy who just left was Hamzah. I was stunt because he looks old and very holy. I was still thinking where to stay for the night and later I called up my friend Kema Bako better known as Fakaruzi from SIT team, he live in Sri Iskandar. I need to find chalet or hotel to put up a night. He called another friend,Wan, who was currently at Kg Aji to pick me up and load my S- Works in his car and drive me 10km away to Sri Iskandar to check in the hotel. The total mileage from Sekincan to Bota Kiri is 135 km.No wonder I felt so tired.