Jetstream Adventures Series 04: Taiping - Part 3

Riding back to Taiping..

We checked out Port Weld and it was a brief affair.
After taking some photos at the famous train station, we rode off.
The afternoon sun began to strain our progress, but we gained ground by moving forward to Simpang Empat...

The famous signboard in Port Weld..

Workers sorting out dried shrimps

Salted fish left to dry under the hot sun

We rode back to Matang and connected to the flyover that crosses the North-South highway.
From there, Simpang Empat was not too far in the distance.
In this small town, there are some really interesting fast food joints.
There's a McDonald's and Kentucky Fried Chicken drive-through and dine-in facility.
With the dark clouds looming over the horizon, I can see that Maxwell Hill was fully covered in mist.
That was when I told Michelle to pull over at a roadside coffee shop.
By the time we got fully settled-in, it started to rain..

Matang

Crossing over to Simpang Empat

A bareback cyclist

Hawker food, the best in Taiping!

We entered town after the rain had stopped.
The landmark was a hawker centre near the Larut-Matang area.
It wasn't hard to find it as I've been there before.
And as soon as we found the makan place, it was packed to the brim.
Lucky for us, there was a table and I wasted no time ordering the food.
I had a plate of char koay teow while Michelle settled for some nyonya kuih.
For RM3 a plate and the excellent taste, I can't complain.
We had ice-kacang and some pork satay before heading back to the hotel where the car was parked.

Entering Taiping

Pork satay 

Char koay teow and ice-kacang

The lovely pork satay

Happy camper! Michelle and the ice-kacang

The hawker centre

After a good fill, we cycled back to the hotel, packed up our bikes and gear.
By 3:30pm, we were on the road.
The journey lasted about four hours straight.
We reached the Subang Jaya toll about 07:30pm and the traffic jam was really bad.
I decided to head to Chitta Mall and had our dinner there.
Michelle and I celebrated our successful outing with some beers and burgers.

Summary

Taiping - Port Weld is definitely an easy ride.
For bikepacking, plan your trip in advance. Avoid public and school holidays.
If you love adventure, take the train. The experience is well-worth it.
You can also ride from Ipoh and stay in Taiping.
If you don't have time, drive straight to Taiping, book a hotel for your night stop and ride out early in the morning..

Jetstream Adventures Series 04: Taiping - Part 2

The Charcoal factory...

Kuala Sepetang is well-known as a charcoal producing hub.
There are several family-owned kilns that supplies charcoal for domestic needs.
As a matter of fact, the charcoal producers of Kuala Sepetang are the few remaining cottage industry that specializes in producing the fuel.
And the Matang Forest is also Malaysia's most efficient and sustainable mangrove forest.
As a result, the area is rich with marine life, particularly shrimps.
It has a healthy shrimping industry and the offset businesses are small eateries around the area.
In short, Kuala Sepetang is known for their Mee Udang (shrimp noodles).
Our aim was to sample the noodles and visit Port Weld where a signboard of its old railway station once stood.

At a wood storage area in Port Weld

Free-for-all, visitors are welcomed at the charcoal kilns

An inshore vessel used for the transportation of mangrove logs

The Matang Forest

A worker preparing the logs for smoking

Charcoal blocks ready to be used as fuel

We rode the Ngah Ibrahim fort which is a national heritage site and took some photos.
It was closed, so, we proceeded some 6km down the road.
The charcoal kiln is located outside Port Weld and when we got there, there was a handful of tourists visiting the the area.
A busload of USM students from Penang alighted and were led to the kilns by their lecturers.
One of them asked if we were foreign tourists and was surprised to find out that we came all the way from Subang Jaya.
And just as we were about to leave, Michelle's Jetstream experience a flat.
The front tire was completely deflated.
Upon close inspection, I found a hole facing the rim tape. But there were no foreign objects on the Maxxis DTH tires.
It took me a while to replace and fit a new inner tube and after inflating it, we were on our way to a fishing village near Kampung Mentri.

Mangrove logs are smoked for 90 days before it becomes charcoal

A worker removing the smoked charcoal from the kiln

Off they go! 

Shrimping time!

We rode to the jetty where fishermen land their catch.
There were no shrimp boats in sight and by the time we reached the area, it was already mid-day.
So, the only thing left to do, is to head down for some makan.
I led Michelle to a Malay coffee shop and ordered a bowl of mee udang.
And at RM9.50 a bowl, one cannot ask for more!
It was good and there's plenty of shrimps to savour..

Fixing the flat tire..

Mee udang Warisan, one of the best around..

Riding along the fishing village in Kuala Sepetang

After a good fill, we rode towards the Malay fishing village again and found our way to the edge of Port Weld town.
Basically, its a real small village dominated by deep-sea fishermen who are mostly of Chinese origin.
We rode around the area and noticed that there were some Brahminy Kites circling above.
It's strange to see so many birds of prey in a single area. 

Jetstream Adventures Series 04: Taiping - Part 1

Some sort of spontaneity..

We haven't been cycling for a month.
And Michelle's got her clean bill of health from her surgeon to cycle.
She had a mole removed from her thigh and the effort to keep the stitches clean and dressing it everyday drove her nuts.
I thought that a weekend excursion to Taiping would be good.
So, I booked a room at West Inn, a motel I once stayed during my solo-ride from Taiping to Port Weld.
The plan was to pack everything into the car and drive out of town on a Friday night.

And so it begins..

I wrapped up at work around 06:30pm and an hour later, I was out of the office. I left without looking back.
My eight-hour/day commitment was done.
On the highway, I braved the traffic jam to get home and as soon as I got back, the plan of action went into full-swing. Pack the bikes, gear and clothes, load them into the car, feed the dogs and get the hell out!
We drove out to the Elite Highway and turned into the Guthrie corridor.
Then, took a dinner break at the Rawang R&R which was packed to the brim.
And the horror stories about stale food and dirty stalls in R&Rs are true as claimed.
We had nasi campur and shared a can of Coca-Cola before pushing on towards Taiping.
The traffic was unbelievable. 
From Ipoh, we endured the traffic jam until Bukit Gantang until we exited the Taiping Utara toll. 
It was a smooth drive as we rolled into Kamunting and found our way to town.
Eventually, the motel was within sight and we checked-in. By the time we got there, it was already 2am in the morning.
The man behind the counter was Pak Najib, the same guy who manned the night watch.
We paid RM78 for the room and called it a day..

Up and about after setting up the bikes at West Inn

Hardcore is an understatement...

How many adventure cyclists would deprive themselves of sleep and drive a few hundred kilometres just to cycle around the countryside?
People think we are mad.
And we're just happy to get out there and cycle instead of talking about it.
Taiping was a good example.
It's a small town, historical and the food is really cheap!
I woke up at 06:00am, got into the shower and freshened up.
We checked out of the motel and collected the deposit of RM52 to splurge it on food.
After setting up the bikes, we rode out towards town and headed straight to Tai Chen coffee shop in town and ordered a plate of Char Koay Teow.
Here in Taiping, it's done right! 
And for RM3 a plate, one cannot complain. Even the Kopi-O peng costs RM1 a glass.

Michelle admiring her breakfast..

Rolling into town

Cheap and good!

Taiping: A charming little town..

If you love Colonial architecture, Taiping is the place to be.
The town's Lake Garden is deemed as one of the best in the country.
There are a lot of old buildings that you can explore in the town square and sadly, many of these structures are slowly fading away.
We rode towards the Taiping Railway Station where its wooden structure is still standing.
I don't know how long the railway company is going to keep it, but I am glad to have seen and experienced the train ride to Taiping from KL Sentral..

The old railway station

Yut Sun coffee shop, famous around the country

The facade of an old building in town..

We rode past Jalan Stesen and worked our way towards Kampung Boyan.
The Garmin EDGE800 cycling GPS had drawn a route to Kuala Sepetang, which is formerly known as Port Weld.
The oldest railway track in the country was laid in 1885.
But what remains now, is just as straight line from Kampung Au Lang to Port Weld..

Rogue Rider : Project Taiping - Port Weld, Part 4

Chasing storms
The weather in Taiping is unforgiving.
I managed to get back to the hotel in time to experience a heavy afternoon downpour.
Only this time round, I was dry and in the comfort of a hot cuppa coffee.
As I waited out the storm, there was room to reflect.
The ride from Taiping to Port Weld, short in terms of distance as it seems, was very educational.
In a single sweep, I managed to see so many things.
Even Taiping per say, is a town that is worth visiting during the different time of the year..

Ngah Ibrahim's fort near Matang

A last sweep and meeting the Taiping Foldie Fans
I made arrangements with Coach Jamell and his gang to meet up for a cup of coffee in town.
He mention Yut Sun coffee shop and told me to ask for directions on how get there.
I did a Google search and nailed the location.
Back at the hotel, I took an afternoon nap.
At 06:00pm sharp, I set up the bike and rode out towards town..

Taiping Lake Gardens

A HDR capture of the lakeside

What I like about Taiping is the fact that cyclists are accepted here.
And its also a great place to see on a bicycle, I shit you not!
With two hours to burn, I made my way to the Taiping Lake Gardens. There, I rode up to the War Memorial, which turned out to be a row of headstones.
At the same time, lots of cyclists rode past including joggers on the well-laid path.
Cycling along the Lake Gardens, I found myself on the path towards town.
That was where I met Coach Jamell who shouted out my name.
He was with a group of cyclists and we kinda indulged in small talk.
Later, Jamell led me to a bicycle shop who deals with Dahon Folding Bikes
The owner told me that he had four bikes and are selling the folding bikes really well.

Taiping's Colonial architecture is in dire need of conservation..

From the bike shop, I rode towards Yut Sun coffee shop.
This is one place that opens at night and is known for its Hainanese food.
There as a write-up by Sunny Foong, an ex-colleague of mine and also my guru who taught me on how to set-up the pages for Star's Metro Southeast edition.
I ordered a plate of chicken chop which is just average. Cost me about RM9 including a cup of coffee. The brew is pretty decent, but I think the chicken chop could be better.

The chicken chop

Later, Cikgu Azis came. 
I met the man in person at the CFAL4 in Penang last month.
He is a nice guy and very accommodating.
Azis knew that a solo rider wants and told me that Taiping had lots to offer.
He was joined by Coach Jamell and his family, Adib Chevy and Tok Chiru.
These are the guys who started the folding bike movement in Taiping.
We chat until it was que for me to leave.
I set my Sigma Powerled Pro to high beam and rode towards the hotel.
It was already 10:30pm and since the chicken chop really didn't do squat, I decided to ride towards Kamunting for supper. 
After a filling meal, I made my way back to the hotel and spoke to the elderly Malay man who helped me in visiting the places of interest in Kuala Sepetang.

All good things must come to an end..
My alarm rang at 06:30am.
I have to ride out towards town to take another route towards the train station.
When I rolled down the bike, I met the caretaker and thanked him again.
The Sun was already out in its full glory and it was a wonderful morning
My goal was to score a plate of char koay teow in town..

Breakfast in Taiping

An awesome treat: char koay teow

The aim is to get to the Taiping train station by 09:15am and wait to board the Butterworth - Singapore express train to KL Sentral.
That was not an issue since I had plenty of time to spare.
After a good meal, I rode down Jalan Stesen which leads to the Rail terminal..

Historic: with a new and modern station nearby, this wooden shack will fade away..

I found out that I had ample time to pack my bike, re-set my gear and hunker-in for the ride home.
Took me a couple of minutes to organise things and before I knew it, the train came. 
Only a handful of passengers boarded the express train to Kuala Lumpur.

Mission accomplished!

I endured the ride till the train had reached KL Sentral.
On my mind, I was too lazy to cycle home from the transit terminal. So, I paid for a cab to take me home so I could rest.
The ride to KL Sentral costs RM37 one-way and the other way round was RM39. The bikepacking journey was complete with these factored-in.
A return ticket to Taiping costs RM56, while the hotel was RM106 for two nights. Meals came up to RM30 in total, incidental expenses were kept at bay around RM30 throughout the trip.
I think the most expensive thing was the cab ride.
The train was okay and you have to be really patient throughout the journey.
On the whole, I clocked-in a total of 77.8km in Taiping and Port Weld.
To sum it up, it was a great experience and from the knowledge gained, I can't wait to ride again in Taiping with Michelle.
My most likely recce ride is Kuala Kangsar in the months to come..

Rogue Rider - Project Taiping - Port Weld, Part 3

Destination: Port Weld

I've been fascinate with Kuala Sepetang - the present name of Port Weld where one of the earliest railway line in Malaysia was built.

There's nothing left of the steam engine railway but a marker stone with the numbers '1885' inscribed on it.

After a good night's sleep, I woke up ahead of the alarm bell.

On my mind, the thought was to pack as light as possible and not miss out all the essential items for the ride.

This is also a short ride covering about 12.5km.

With the bike all set up, I made my way to town and had my breakfast.

It was a piece of tai pau (large Chinese dumpling), a plate of siew mai and a cup of Kopi-O kau.

While I was having my meal, I can hear some old-timers talking in the background. 

They were gossiping about the size of my bike.

Then, after I got up to strap on my helmet, another old-timer had asked some question in Hokkien. 

I don't have a clue what he was talking about and rode off.

Hallelujah for the GPS!

Having a Garmin EDGE 800 strapped on my handlebar, I was confident of carrying out the solo ride to Port Weld.

My mind was focussed on two things: keep on going and stay safe.

I keyed in 'attractions' and the Port Weld Railway Station came on-screen.

After pressing 'Go', the GPS led me towards the outskirts of town and to a flyover leading into a village.

It was a safe and smooth ride - literally on a straight line towards Port Weld.

I rode past two other villages, an oil plam plantation, underneath a bypass on the North-South Highway.

The route joins with the Taiping - Port Weld road and later, I learned that I had cycled on the actual railway line. The tracks of course, were long gone...

The road to Port Weld

Taking a break off the Taiping - Butterworth route

The oldest trade in the village
Port Weld is know for its charcoal kilns.
Generations of people here had worked on producing charcoal for local consumption and export.
I made a detour into the area's famous charcoal kilns and found one at the edge of the industrial area.
A middle-aged couple, who were really friendly had strucked a conversation with me. We talked a bit and they gave me permission to photograph mangrove lumber being processed into charcoal. What a trip!

At the charcoal factory

A worker preparing mangrove timber for smoking

The earthen kiln where the wood is processed into fuel

Big shrimpin!
Kuala Sepetang is well-known as a seafood production centre.
The symbiosis between mangrove and the marine life is obvious here.
Shrimps thrive in the muddy coastal area which also serves as a buffer during violent storm.
In short, this is truly the 'river of life'.
Port Weld, on the other hand, is a just a small town with many commercial fishing landing site.
I found a shrimp processing centre owned by a Malay family and spoke to them.
They were nice enough to allow me to capture the activity on camera and as we were talking, I was told that the Mee Udang shops are usually closed on Fridays. What a bummer!
But, as a saving grace, one of the ladies pointed out to me a stall off the main road that serves a killer shrimp noodle dish.

Shrimping is a big income earner for this village

A man sorting out his catch

Port Weld at last..
It took me somewhere between two to two and a-half hours to ride to Port Weld.
When I got there, there was a hive of activities.
I cycled past some of the seafood processing centre and found that this is an excellent place to just hangout and take pictures.
My intention was to find the a stone marker that says: "Port Weld" and snap some shots there before pushing off.
With the GPS, it was no sweat.
I set my camera, took some shots and was on my way.
Before heading back to Taiping, I wanted to try the Mee Udang and did just that.

Historic: The remnants of the railway station

Sumptous: The prawn noodles

A simple meal
I found the stall and ordered a bowl of noodles.
The owner was just happy to oblige.
Now, I am not a big fan of prawns. But having tasted this simple dish, I must say that the ingredients are fresh.
The shrimps are sweet and crunchy: an indication that it was a fresh haul.
And my bill came up to RM9 including a drink. This was really a treat and I hope to patronise the stall again in a follow-up trip.

The way back..

After a meal, I rode towards the Matang forest reserve.
There, I met a forest ranger and spoke to him about the accommodation facility.
Seems that a chalet costs RM80 per night (for three guests) and bookings have to be made in writing a month in advance. I'll pass on that and perhaps organize a day trip to walk on the planks on this facility.
Satisfied with my findings, I rode back towards Taiping on the busy Port Weld - Taiping road..