Journey to Land's End II - Part 1

What about the 'other' end???

I had a couple of days off and the desire to explore Southeastern Johor.
The destination: Pengerang district which is on the Eastern side of the Tebrau straits.
This is practically about 100km away from Johor Baru and is accessible via the new Senai - Desaru Highway.
But my journey starts from another town.

Creating the route

Initially, I wanted to cycle from Kulai which is located along the train route towards Kota Tinggi.
In the past, I've traveled to the area to cover Court and Crime cases when I was based as a reporter in Johor Baru.
So, the plan was simple, set out to Kulai, get off the train and ride towards Kota Tinggi and stage the ride from there to Sungai Rengit in the Pengerang district.
I've been to these towns once when I was covering a baby-smuggling syndicate in Pengerang.
But, after much thought, I don't have the luxury of time.
So, it has to be cut short and by using the best possible way to stage the ride.
I ended up driving to Kota Tinggi where I booked a night's stay at a local hotel.
The plan was cut short to a day trip to Sungai Rengit and see what happens.

Rounding up the Usual Suspects

Since we were heading into the unknown, I stayed away from inviting joyriders to avoid doing baby-sitting work.
Co-incidentally, there was a weekend ride organised by a teacher from Rawang to Serendah.
Most of the joyriders were involved in it, so, that gave me plenty of room to pick and choose the "right stuff".
So, I emailed my regular kakis Roger Teoh and Patric Yee including newcomer Mohd Radzi Mohd Noor.
Both Roger and Patric are seasoned touring and bikepacking riders.
I have issues with them as they have earned my trust over a few long rides.
Unfortunately, both had to decline the ride due to personal commitments.
I ended up doing the ride with Radzi, who is untested on extended stay and rides.
The only time I hooked up with him on an overnight trip was to Raub last year.
Radzi, it seems, is a strong rider who owns a basic folding bike: the Dahon ECO7.
That is just enough to cover the 90km-plus distance that we were about to try out from Kota Tinggi to Pengerang...

Mohd Radzi in Parit Jawa, near Muar, Johor

Keeping it original...

I never try to replicate what other people do.
And I think its utterly shameful to rip off a fellow cyclist's planned route.
That's why I am never interested in the glamour and publicity one seeks to make a name for himself.
I stay away from the bright lights and limelight.
I won't be surprised if some wise guy will use my route in Hulu Geroh to turn it into a "Rafflesia Ride".
This ride to Pengerang is as good as it gets on a folding bike which places us on the lead when it comes to long-rides with a folding bike.
People have done Tanjung Piai which is officially the Land's End of the Asian continent.
I think Sungai Rengit is worth a try.
And so it begins.. 
We drove to Kota Tinggi and checked-in at a hotel called Rest-Inn.
The weekend rates were rather high, but we had no choice.
We needed the rest go get a head start early in the morning.

The route to Kota Tinggi's waterfalls...

The night market in town

A street scene

The town's bridge

How time flies..

We went around town to pick up some supplies after checking into our room.
Radzi and I had agreed to share the cost which covers fuel, food and lodging.
After a short break we had dinner at a famous Chinese-muslim restaurant called Hassan Ong.
The quality of the dishes served at this place is just average and for a small town's standards, its pretty pricey.
We had steamed fish, shrimp omelette and kung-po squid..

Radzi the shutterbug

After a good fill, we walked to a wholesale market which is roughly about a kilometre away and bought some bananas.
This will be our fuel for the next morning.
We went back to the hotel and discussed about our ride options.
The plan was to either do a round-trip on the bike, or terminate the ride in Sungai Rengit.
I used the time I had at night to pack up my Ortlieb trunk bag.
The idea I had was to carry all my essentials including a First Aid Kit, rain jacket, recovery kit and my personal belongings like ID card, money and credit card.
This was not an issue since the trunk bag is able to accommodate the important cargo..
As for the ride, much lies ahead in the day to come..

First impressions: Go Ruck Radio Ruck

The quest for a high-end backpack...

Tactical backpacks are the best there is if you are in search of a 'bomb-proof' gear hauler.
I've cycled through a few packs and found that there are not many out there which are built to last.
My preferred packs came from Kirafu (a company dedicated to hunting and military luggage) and I have at least four different packs.
But the humidity here had worn down the nylon, especially its polyurethane coating.
My favourite are the Scout and Tailgunner. These packs are used very frequently and are pretty worn-down.

The Kifarus

I don't want to go down the path of the Mystery Ranch backpacks (a company headed by the dude who founded Dana Designs) as they are getting really common here. 
Also due to its high price point and unattractive design, I stay away from Mystery Ranch.
The options are limited and I've narrowed down to packs from Kifaru, Gregory Designs and Hill People Gear.

Retiring the Camelbak HAWG 500

Admittedly, I've had a good run with the Camelback HAWG 500.
Its capacity of 26 litres enables me to haul a tonne of junk for every day carry.
One thing is for sure, the HAWG is not that well built and I don't really need a hydration bladder.
I bought the pack so that I could use the hydration pack with my Kifaru Scout.

Officially retired: The HAWG 500

And Eureka!

I read a post on the Usual Suspect Network by a user on his GoRuck GR-1 rucksack. 
It was pretty impressive, which led me to checking out GoRuck's website.
Now, there is a pretty good selection of backpacks and the one that caught my attention was the Radio Ruck.
This is a pack that I would consider in the 'nice' size range at 24-litres.
By looking at pictures, I can't really base my first impressions.
So, after much thinking, I pulled the trigger by ordering the GoRuck Radio Ruck from the company.
For the uninitiated, GoRuck is founded by a former soldier. So, most of his designs were based on his personal knowledge and field experience.

The Radio Ruck with my boy in the background

Winning hearts and minds: Excellent customer service...

I placed an order for a GoRuck Radio Ruck and a pocket organizer and it took about five days for the pack to arrive from Seattle, Washington.
The duty and sales tax came to RM70, so, not a big issue.
I guess that the guys at GoRuck are experienced enough to expedite foreign orders and I am very happy with what I get...

Gallery

Even with its small cargo compartment, this pack did not disappoint

Built like a tank: The tough components on the pack

Crafted with pride: Made in the USA

No Sir, that ain't a Mystery Ranch pack..

Hahahah!!! Speak about breaking away from the main flock, this GoRuck really impressed me.
The layout in the pack's interior is the secret to why its gaining popularity and respect among ruck users all over the world.
I found it to be really neat with zippered organizers to put all my gear and junk.
Unlike the HAWG, I need to be particular on what I carry to shed the unnecessary weight and bulk.
The pocket organizer integrated nicely with the pack using a MOLLE attachment system.
Its enough to carry some of my essential gears and gadgets and I'm pretty happy with that it can provide in terms of space.
Now, on the whole, the Radio Ruck is one pack that doesn't shout "TACTICAL!".
Beneath its low-profile appearance, you will find a really humble pack which is well-built.
For the price, I'd say that its money well-spent.
I love the padding on the pack's webbing and it really hugs on to my body when I haul it.
That said, there are potential to acquire the GR-1 including some really cool accessories from GoRuck in the future..

2013 Raptor Watch

First timers..

Michelle and I had grabbed the opportunity to witness the 2013 Raptor Watch at Port Dickson.
This is an annual bird of prey migration where species like the Oriental Honey Buzzard,  Chinese goshawk, the Black Baza and several other large eagles.
We picked Sunday as our choice day to visit Tanjung Tuan or Cape Rachardo in Alor Gajah, Malacca where its known as a Raptor Watch site.

Happy camper: wrapping up at the end of the session

 This is an annual event organised by the Malaysian Nature Society and is also a crowd-puller. 
There were many visitors at the site which is a critically-acclaimed venue for bird lovers and watchers.
Each year, birds of prey will go on a migration route from Indonesia to Northern China, Mongolia, Russia and Japan before going as far as Northeastern Australia.
Its a spectacle to see hundreds of Raptors circling the air over the skies in Tanjung Tuan. 
And there are at least 25 known migratory species in the area.
After breakfast, Michelle and I took a casual drive from our home in USJ 26 to the Ilham resort in Tanjung Tuan. 
We parked our car there and made our way to the lighthouse which is roughly about a kilometre's hike from the base of the cape.

"Dude, where's your bike?"

I met some cyclists along the way.
Guess they were puzzled as to why we were not cycling on the Raptor Watch day.
To me, its a good break from pedaling our bicycles. 
I swapped my Dahon folding bike for my Canon EOS5DmkIII and EOS7D to capture the Raptors on my trusty Canon EF400mm F5.6L lens.
When I arrived at the lighthouse (which is opened to the public once a year for two days), I met Mr Chan, a folding bike kaki.
He's with the Malaysian Nature Society's birding group and has been watching the Raptors for nearly 45 days.
What dedication! 

Anticipating the arrival of the Oriental Honey-Buzzard

And so they came.. 

Under the stifling heat, the birders made an announcement: "They are here!"
Out there beyond the horizon, the Raptors arrived in flocks.
They soared with the thermal currents high up in the air.
It was a spectacular sight to see these birds taking up the sky...

Buzzards in the sky

An Oriental Honey-Buzzard in flight

The Raptors at the peak of their appearance

A learning experience...

I have never shot a Raptor in flight and the event gave me an opportunity to capture the birds in its full glory.
With my limited resources, I had to make do with a shorter telephoto lens.
And when the buzzards came close, I missed the chance to capture them.
Even with a 1.4x teleconvertor, I couldn't get a close full-body shot.
After waiting for the buzzards to appear again, it was obvious that the wind conditions had pushed them even further away from the lighthouse.
I managed to capture a few shots which I am happy with for my record purposes and am contented with the effort.
It was my first time and with the experience gained, I know what to do and where to wait when these birds arrive again..