Lata Lembik - Part 1

Time to get back on the saddle...

One of Raub's natural attraction: Lata Lembik

I took the first opportunity to link up with a husband and wife adventure cyclists who made an invitation to follow them on a cycling trip to Lata Lembik in Raub, Pahang.
My mission was to scout the place and see if it's suitable to host a cyclocamping workshop.
So, I hooked up with En Jaa Suzali and his wife including two of his close friends in Raub.
The plan was to meet a local mosque and set out from there. Suzali also invited two other cyclists to join in the camping trip.

My plan..

It takes about two and a-half hours to drive to Raub from Subang Jaya.
To overcome sleep deprivation, I took the cue to spend a night in Raub before the ride.
I booked a stay at the town's rest house and invited my trusted touring kaki Mohd Radzi Md Noor who gladly came along.
We set out from Kuala Lumpur after work and made our way to the rest house.
It was a long drive as traffic was heavy.
By the time we reached Raub, it was past midnight.
There was a water disruption in the district and parts of the town area was affected. Despite being told not to bunk at the rest house, we pushed on.

You have to be sure, even when there's uncertainties ahead.. 

Lata Lembik is roughly about 45km away from Raub and it will take about three or four hours to get there on a bicycle with a full load.
I haven't been cycling much of late, so, making it there and back is purely a guessing-game.
And for the record, I've done two event rides in Raub previously and from experience, the roads leading into and out of town is undulating in terms of terrain.
So, brace for pain!

A fellowship of cyclists: Suzali and company in Raub town

New friends and a little kindness..

It's just amazing that you can make so many friends through a common interest.
Cycling has its perks other than the health aspects, and over the years, I have met people who have come and gone.
From a person who is merely hitching a ride, the perspective is rather different. In my case, I tagged along with Suzali's ride and experienced his generous hospitality.
The man, who is approaching his 50s this year, is a jolly guy who is more than willing to share his experiences.
Two other older dudes joined in the ride. They were En Ghani, who is new to riding a folding bike and En Harun, who took on the road with his Surly Troll, fitted with a Rholoff-14 internal hub gear. 
Suzali was joined by his spouse and two other guys: En Nazim, a school teacher and En Khairul, an adventurer who took up bicycle touring also rode with the group.
After the brief introductions, we set out towards the Raub - Kuala Lipis road.

En Ghani setting up his bike

Suzali: a happy camper

 Catching up..

Just barely out of town, the ride leader signaled to pull over at a stall by the road side.
We did some carbo-loading and this was the perfect opportunity to catch up with the rest of the group.
I sat with Suzali, Ghani and En Harun, a film maker who specialises in producing documentaries.
Based on vibes and body language, this guy seemed to be a worldly person.
En Ghani, on the other hand, is taking a jab at cycling after being encouraged by Suzali.
I came to know about the couple through their social media postings.
They have been traveling extensively around the region with their bikes.
After a good meal, we made our way towards Lata Lembik..