Pengerang Redux Ride

It's really amazing what cycling can do. It helps you make new friends and it also helps you keep in contact with old friends. Last Saturday was one fine example. We visited Pengerang with a group of my ex-colleagues. Gwyn got to know them, they got to know Gwyn and I caught up with them.

For Gwyn and myself, we didn't seem to get enough of Pengerang the first time round (actually it was because we didn't buy enough Heong Piahs), so last Saturday, we went back for more.

The weather was perfect. It was cloudy but there was no rain.

We arrived in Pengerang at about 930am, cleared customs, unfolded our bikes and got going...

Pengerang is generally a really nice place to cycle. There is little traffic and vehicles usually look out for riders. They actually share the road with cyclists.

We stopped by the kopitiam at Kampong Jawa, 6km from the ferry terminal.

We were there specially for the kampong (happy) eggs...

...but got distracted along the way (btw, it was great nasi lemak)

Food was high up (or the only thing) on our to do list.

Juicy lobsters for lunch followed shortly at SG Rengit...

accompanied by an awesome steamed fish...

Some toufu, vegetables and boneless chicken salad (yeah I know it sounds/looks wierd) to go along with...

Heong Piah! Just as you enter the town of SG Rengit, you'll see this particular stall on your right. This is where you'll find the good stuff. So good, we'll return to Pengerang again just for them.

We also came to realise that one of our riders used to grow up in Pengerang. Her relatives still live there and they were kind enough to show us around their home, an original kampong house.

Here is the kitchen. Notice the simplicity behind the layout.

Came across this huge bucket. Retro! Have you ever showered from such a bucket before?

A classic kampong washroom...

...and a traditional kampong bed setting with mosquito netting...

...Stairway to the upper level that led to the other bedrooms...

Sea view kampong house!

Some run down shophouses along the stretch which used to be busy...

Time flies when you're having fun and before we knew it, it was time to head back towards the ferry terminal.

If there is one thing that we've learned from cycling, it's never to be complacent. Just 2km away from the ferry terminal, one of the tyres went flat. Thank God for the bike mechanic within our midst (definitely not me, I merely pumped air into the tyre), we managed to change tube for a Dahon that none of us had any sort of experience with.

Our total mileage clocked was 42km and it went by like the wind. It was considerably less taxing on our bodies compared with our first Pengerang riding experience 3 months ago. A sign of improvement in fitness we hope.

Maybe next time we can go a bit further up north towards Desaru?