July 9, 2017
Muar to Melaka: Another easy ride
The rain was pelting down when we woke up this morning so all we could do was wait for the storm to exhuast itself. By nine o'clock the rain had stopped and we found ourselves at a little eatery around the corner from the hotel tucking into some satays (RM6.40). I'm not sure what the little blocks of rice were for but they were probably the most bland thing we have tasted in Malaysia. The bowl of currie sauce helped.
The satays didn't quite satisfy us so we hoped to find a roti stall along the way on which to top up. Unfortunately, with the late start, all the stalls seemed to have closed, so we decided to cycle on and see what we could find along the way. As with the preceding days, the route was very flat but this time there was no food available that we could find. Maybe Sunday isn't a good day for picking up food along the way in Malaysia.
After some time, probably about twenty kilometers or so, we saw a sign indicating a Portuguese well (the Portuguese held sway over this area in the sixteenth century, followed by the Dutch and eventually the British) so we turned off to see if it was anything of any interest. It took a bit of scouting but we eventually found it. Of more interest was the birdlife which included a small flock of Blue-fronted Bee-Eaters.
Once back on the road, which was a quite and enjoyable back road running parallel to route 5, we started looking for something to eat with a bit more urgency than before but still with little luck. When we turned back onto route 5 after a few kilometers we found a stall that also looked closed up but the gentleman was able to sell us some samosas and pisang goreng (RM3.00), so samoses and fried bananas it was, just what the doctor ordered.
About two kilometers later we came upon a whole lot of open restaurants. Make hay was our approach so we stopped and had a bowl of mee kari (noodles in a curry sauce) for RM3.50 a bowl. It seems as if it is de rigueur to have something to drink with your meal so, as per usual, we settled for a glass of plain water. Strangely enough, we got hot water this time.
It was now only about seven kilometers to our destination in Melaka but we didn't quite make it there before we stopped for an ice-cream (chocolate cornetto at only RM2.30 each) and a long chat to a local guy (another Nelson Mandela fan).
The OYO Rooms is the old Melaka Straits Hotel and has seen better days. However, the room is enormous - even with our bicycles in the room we have more space than to what we are accustomed. Plus it has a swimming pool, so that was our first port of call.
Today's ride: 48 km (30 miles)
Total: 2,738 km (1,700 miles)
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