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..

Rogue Rider : Project Taiping - Port Weld, Part 2

When it rains, it pours..
The next station after Kuala Kangsar is Taiping.
It bypasses Padang Rengit and you can actually see the train climbing as it slowly ascends up Changkat Jering towards Taiping.
My trip was delayed for a least one hour.
Right about 02:45pm, the train arrived.
I got off and started making my way to to the main terminal which is basically, a wooden shack.
Its rapidly 'morphing' into a modern train station with remnants of the old Colonial structure in the background.
Only a few people got off at Taiping as the train continues its journey towards Butterworth.

Arrival in Taiping

Made it so far..

Track controls at the station

Taiping's predictable afternoon weather.. 
It took me a few minutes to set up the bike under the watchful eyes of the KTM people.
They didn't ask much and looked in amazement as I uncovered the Curve SL and fold it into a small bike.
When I set out towards Jalan Regat Muzaffar Shah, it started to drizzle.
The trip is roughly about 15-minutes from the train station.
Then, it poured.
By the time I reached the motel, I was totally drenched.
Good thing I had the Ortliebs where most of the content stored inside the backpack and waist pouch were dry.
I made my way to the reception where a friendly Malay girl greeted me.
"You came with a bicycle?," she asked.
I checked-in and paid the full amount.
After settling-in, I walked towards Taiping Sentral, a shopping mall located on the edge of town.
This is a fully-fledged retail area with some surprises.
I was really amazed to see a cinema and some familiar retail outlets in this mall.
There was also a Starbucks coffee shop here where most of the customers are Taiping's elite.
Tesco hypermart is just next to the mall.
I need to get supplies like drinking water for the trip to Port Weld.

Settling-in: The bike and a cosy little room

A short ride to town..

I had my Sigma Powerled Pro light mounted on the Curve's Minoura Space Bar.

Its been a while since I rode the bike, so, the last thing I did, was to change the brake shoes which was totally worn-out.

With everything set-up, I made my way towards Jalan Istana Larut that leads straight into town.

This means I don't have to utilise the flyover on Rengat Muzaffar Shah.

It took about 15-minutes to reach the town area.

By the time I got there, it was starting to get dark.

I had my Garmin Fenix GPS watch which tells the time as well as the remaining daylight.

Sunset was at 06:59pm.

This time of the year, it gets dark really fast.

Packed rice at a tea stall near the old market square

Taiping's street at dusk

My dinner: Chicken rice and beansprouts

I found a tea stall and ordered a piece of toasted bread and iced coffee. The bill came up to RM2.30 which was relatively cheap compared to what I get in the Klang Valley.

Later, I rode around town and came across Hotel Warisan, a new accommodation facility.

The asking price was too high for bikepackers like me, but the information gathered was useful for future references.

As I was cycling around town,, I noticed a group of cyclists at a mamak restaurant. 

I waved at them and continued to ride and search for a suitable place for dinner.

In my quest for a decent meal, I found a makan place at the edge of town.

There, I ate Chicken rice with beansprouts. The pricing here is kinda similar to what I eat in KL.

But what made up for it is the good taste. No complaints.

After hours..

I rode back to the hotel with the lights and blinkers on.

The Sigma performed as expected and my Cateye Reflex auto did its job.

At the hotel lobby, I talked to an elderly Malay man who takes care of the guests.

He clocks in from 8pm - 8am and told me a bit about what to expect in Port Weld.

Feeling that it was too early to call it a day, I took a walk down Jalan Kamunting.

About 1.5km away, there was another Hypermarket called 'The Store'.

I checked this place out and found a lot of cheap stuff.

Bought myself a bottle of fruit juice and drank it. I kept on walking and went back to the hotel.

I look forward to the ride to Port Weld after a good rest..

Rogue Rider : Project Taiping - Port Weld, Part 1

A viable plan..
I've always wanted to cycle around Taiping in Perak.
And I've been planning this for more than a year.
Prior to this, I made a brief stopover in Taiping after returning from Penang last year.
Michelle and I did a walkabout around the town area and found several good places to eat.
Since I had a couple of days off including clearing my annual leave, I made some phone calls.
One was to West Inn, a motel situated about 2.3km away from the Taiping train station.
I managed to book a room for two nights (RM48 for the first day and RM50 for the second night) and before that, secured a return ticket via KTM's intercity train service from KL Sentral to Taiping.
Now, the plan was to take a cab to the train station, then board the 08:45am ride to Taiping.
That's really simple!

My 2008 Dahon Curve SL

Weapon of choice...
My 2008 Dahon Curve SL is one of the most underutilised bike in my keeps.
For the Taiping recce ride, I plan to use it.
This is the perfect short-middle distance ride machine.
And since its also very lightweight, I can actually lug it into the train.

It's a solo affair!
For this trip, I did pass the word around.
But the response was na-da.
This did not deter me from doing what I want.
Riding solo means I don't have to take care of people.
I enjoy what I do and riding solo is what I really do best!
During my gig in Taiping, I contact Coach Jamell of the Taiping Foldies Fan.
The plan was to meet up with him and several other riders for tea.

The trouble with cabbies..
To get to KL Sentral, I made prior arrangements with Ahmad, a cab driver.
He agreed to pick me up and drop me off at KL Sentral.
But before he could do so, the man rang me up to tell me he couldn't make it.
I told him it was okay and booked a cab from a taxi company.
Now, the morning that I was supposed to leave, I receive a call that there were no cabs available.
Sensing that I have a narrow window of opportunity, I rang up a few other cab companies.
Lucky for me, one responded and told me that the cabbie was on the way.. Yaaayyy!!!

Waiting to board at KL Sentral

And so, the journey begins..
Yeah, there I was, my Curve SL and Ortlieb Flight 27 backpack in the rear seat.
I struck a conversation with the cabbie that took me all the way from USJ26 to KL Sentral.
Pick-up time was 06:58am and I arrived at my destination at 08:15.
The taxi ride was epic as we joined-in the morning rush hour.
I was relieved that I had a 30-minute advantage.
The train to Taiping was also delayed for 15-minutes.
And when the boarding call was made, I went down to the platform and boarded coach M5.
There, I was greeted by an elderly Indian man.
He was glad to have met me and indulged in a conversation.
We talked a bit until another elderly Malay man joined in.
There were three of us and later, a Japanese couple also made their way to the coach.
With all the chatter, I got really tired, plugged in my ipod to listen to some music and dozed off..

Enduring the smelly seat on the train

 There were some really interesting places that I came across from the window's view.
First, there was Sungai Siput and later, the train passed by Kuala Kangsar.
These towns will be transformed with the double-tracking electric rail project.
There were some massive work being done on the railway track and this is expected to bring in some progress to the towns up North...