Smoke haze in Malaysia

I recall back in 2013 the lush views and the clear skies... when it was not raining. I was expecting much more rain as it is the beginning of the monsoon season, but so far in a week, I have had no rain at all. Maybe I am missing it, but I am sure it would clear some of the haze caused by the fires in Indonesia.

The day of arrival

Second day

Third day

I didn't think much of it until I had a bath one evening and although I am used to the sweat and grime of traveling in a hot country, I was amazed at the black ring I left in the bath due to the accumulation of smoke on my skin. I hope it clears for the people who have to live in it. It really makes me realise how lucky Australia is.

Floating Mosque and Kahaani Melaka

We made it to Melaka after about 3 hours drive, including stops to stretch legs, drink and check the GPS.

The Kahaani Melaka

We had booked a night at a wonderful looking place called the Kahaani Melaka in Ayer Keroh about half an hour out of the town of Melaka. This incredible location was once the home of the Malacca State Governor. If we had realised how amazing the place was, we would have tried to stay longer. We didn't even know it had a pool until the following morning when we were taking breakfast.

The pool

The staircase up to the room

Once we had checked in, we were back on the bike to head into the Melaka town itself, about half an hour away. I found I even remembered most of the way without the GPS.

Floating Mosque at night

I first discovered the Masjid Selat Melaka in 2013 when I was marooned in Melaka for a few days. Off in the distance was an amazing tower (the minaret) but I could not get to it until I replaced the battery in my motorcycle. It certainly was in better condition back then and now the paint is flaking on the outside and it looks as if it might have been the target of vandalism since.

The rear of the mosque

The "Floating" mosque is built on the artificial island of Pulau Melaka on stilts over the sea of Melaka and opened in November 2006. When the water is high, it looks as if the mosque is floating on the water. The mosque mixes cultural building techniques with the Middle Eastern central dome and the four Malaysian turrets around the perimetre.

On sunset

I noticed when I first visited that the mosque was being surrounded by some sort of Arab City and I was hoping to see it populated and vibrant, but it seemed to just be in a more advanced state of building. I am sure when it is completed, it will be a wonderful cultural icon, but it just seems to be taking so long. I will drop back in again to see how it is going when I pass through next time.

Starting in Kuala Lumpur

With a little negotiation, I managed to secure a Kawasaki Versys 650 through Mig from Ride Adventure - Kuala Lumpur. The negotiation was more about the mechanics of how we were going to do it. Mig gave me a call to let me know he would pick me up at 1500. I got my kit ready.

Basic riding gear

I had to leave my wife to enjoy her Swasana day spa at Impiana Hotel to go and talk motorcycles with the guys - it's hard, I know. The smoke in Kuala Lumpur had closed schools for consecutive days and it was very heavy. I could feel the dryness in my throat and the redness in my eyes.

Kuala Lumpur Tower (and smoke)

Petronas Towers (and smoke)

Mig drove me to the back of Batu Caves to take copies of my International Drivers License, my Australian Drivers License, and my passport. Then I signed a copy of the rental agreement outlining the basic rules and liabilities, acknowledging that motorcycling held inherent risks. Finally, I was introduced to the motorcycle. I checked the indicators and break lights, and the bike was in reasonably good condition (although it was clear someone had previously dropped it - I had no intention of contributing). Compared to many of the bikes in Malaysia it is large at 650cc.

Leading me back to the hotel, Mig set off through the Kuala Lumpur traffic and I quickly remembered the key aspects of driving a motorcycle in Malaysia. These include:

• Watching in your mirrors for cars that assume you will get out of their way.
• Riding on the white line between lanes or on footpaths is perfectly normal.
• Horns are often used to let someone know you are there rather than to warn prior to abuse.
• Cars expect you to filter through lanes and are often annoyed if you don't.
• Lane markers and road signs seem optional.

I don't necessarily follow these unwritten rules of the road in Malaysia, but I do try to drive safely for all road users, especially myself and try in all instances to follow the road rules and signs.

Packed and ready to go

The following day we left for Melaka. I managed to get us out of Kuala Lumpur and headed to Melaka without the use of my GPS, something I feel proud of. I certainly needed it later on arriving in Ayer Keroh and navigating Melaka.

Back in Malaysia - 2015

A few years ago, I brought my own bike into Malaysia via Singapore to do some driving around this beautiful and friendly country. Since then, I met my wife from the Philippines and we got married in her country, but that marriage is not recognised in Australia, so we are jumping through the visa hurdles. Recently, we found out she is pregnant, which is wonderful news, but has complicated some of those visa hurdles.

Last week, we got notified that a decision on her Prospective Marriage Visa was about to be made and she would need to leave the country immediately (if not, sooner) before that decision could be made. I have a full time job, and my poor wife is suffering through mid-term pregnancy, so she can feel very ill and have bad headaches, and sometimes be very vague and say and do strange things. It is not just her, many women during pregnancy have these types of symptoms.

As this would be the last time (for a while) we would both get to do a motorcycle tour, and she had always wanted to see Peninsular Malaysia, we thought it might be fun to hire a motorcycle in Singapore or Malaysia and do some sight-seeing.

Easier said than done!

Firstly, a big shout out to the friendly and professional chaps at Big Loud Rides in Singapore. When I contacted them, they came back immediately with a good price on a very nice Harley Davidson. If this is your thing, then you should really give them a go and have a chat. I am not really into Harley's - they are heavy bikes and I am a small guy. The bike they offered me was more than double the wet weight of my BMW GS 650, and that scared the hell out of me with a pregnant wife on the back. But if you are into Harley's and want someone who is really knowledgeable about the area, routes, and challenges, then I highly recommend them.

Also, in planning the trip, the cheapest flights were to Kuala Lumpur, so we took them. Strangely, the flights to KL via Singapore were cheaper than the flights to Singapore. I wasn't sure if I bailed at the Singapore stop over, if I would be branded a terrorist, so we decided the best plan was to follow the plan.

I found out that the MotoGP is being held at Sepang International Circuit the weekend we were going to be in Malaysia. I spoke to a few friends about rental options in Malaysia. These were the options I was given:

1. Ride Adventure- Kuala Lumpur
2. Ride Malaysia
3. KL EZ Harley Davidson Bikes

When I got into contact with KL EZ and Ride Malaysia, they came back within 24 hours to let me know they had all their fleet booked out due to the MotoGP. This was quite understandable... and how I found out the MotoGP was on.

I know, I know... I am an avid motorcyclist and I didn't realise it was on. I didn't even realise it was on in Australia! I am more of a solo motorcyclist. I ride by myself, not in groups. I don't care about the new bikes racing, or who won, or what models performed well. I ride for the experience and the exploration and the fun. But I also understand that a lot of people DO care, so I got a little worried that I might have to resort to public transport.

From a personal perspective, I don't like public transport in foreign countries. I don't like trains; I don't like buses; I don't like taxis; I don't like rickshaws, tricycles, or jeepneys. I am sure my readers will understand. I like motorcycles - preferably my own. It's like other peoples kids. No they are not cute and they are not adorable... but my own are.

Using Facebook, I spoke to a chap called Mig from Ride Adventure - Kuala Lumpur and he told me immediately that his fleet was fully booked in this time period, but that he might be able to figure something out. He has offered me about half a dozen bikes that didn't quite meet my requirements. Most were bigger bikes than I wanted (FJR 1300); others were without any panier supports (FZ1, KTM 850SM), so I would have to choose the backpack or the wife and I am probably going to get in trouble for even suggesting that was a choice.

So, here I sit, in a hotel in Kuala Lumpur, waiting on a call back from Mig about access to a Versys 650. It has a rear top case, but I have asked for the case to be removed so I can use the strut for the backpack. These guys are all very busy organising for the MotoGP this weekend, so I understand I am a little fish in a big f#@%ing pond.

More to come.

This is my first post in a while, and I apologise for that. I have heaps of posts drafted but none posted. If you want more, hit me up in the comments.

Exiting Malaysia and Entering Singapore

I started out from Johor Bahru after a good breakfast for Singapore at about 9.30am with a plan to get to RAM Racing Engineering for crating the bike by about 1pm. I literally only had to travel less than 40 kms, with an estimated drive time of around 45 minutes, but this failed to take into account any potential stops due to the carnet and the Australian motorcycle. I knew it would not take 45 minutes, but I didn't expect it to take as long as it did.

Buddhist temple

I chose to head across the Johor Bahru - Woodlands checkpoint and the Causeway, which is the primary surface transport transit point between Singapore and Malaysia. The previous day, I had undertaken a bus trip across and back to sort my insurance and driving permit with the Automobile Association of Singapore, which took me about three hours, including using the MRT and busses to get myself around.

Finding the correct lanes at the checkpoint out of Malaysia ended up being relatively easy with the icons for trucks, cars and motorcycles. The difference of lane size was also a giveaway. Approaching the causeway, I took the closest window to stamp my passport and asked where the customs place was to get the carnet stamped. Although this took about an hour, the chap in charge simply accepted I knew what I was doing and agreed to follow my instructions, even though he claimed he had never seen anything like it. He even offered me a chocolate while I waited.

Once stopped, I found it difficult to get myself back out into the motorcycle traffic passing through the checkpoint and I would be wary of wider bikes or bikes that were lower to the ground. I scraped the base of my BMW GS650 on the large speed bumps on my way out. At about 11.30am, I joined the other motorcyclists in a steady stream across the bridge.

The trip across the causeway only took about five minutes, crossing the Johor Strait. It is certainly nowhere near as pretty as the Tuas-Johor checkpoint crossing, which is a graceful bridge and took quite some time to cross. At first there were motorcycle only lanes on the far left of the road, but about half way these lanes merge into the common traffic. Or I should say, the common traffic lanes merge into the motorcycle lane. A short distance later, the motorcycle lane starts again on entry into the Woodlands Checkpoint.

Singapore's bay

Here, I found complete madness when I expected Singapore authorities to be far more organised and less officious. How wrong I was!

It started with my autopass card failing at the immigration point, which caused no end of grief. Then I found out I needed to fill out a card on entry because I was not Malaysian. I should have remembered this because exactly the same thing happened to me the previous day when I entered on foot.

Meanwhile, a steadily growing irate line of Malaysian and Singaporean motorcyclists were patiently waiting for me to move on as I had effectively blocked the first bay. As the line grew, I started to block all the bays and no one could move. That is when they started to yell at me from behind and I cannot blame them. I would probably have yelled at the stupid foreigner who had caused such trouble.

Once all my cards had been completed and I had it explained to me where I needed to go to find an official to correct my autopass card failure, the chap who was talking to me was replaced by another guy who needed a brief on what I was doing. This took another fifteen minutes as handover took place and computer logins were re-established. The line behind me grew angry.

Finally, I had a green light to go and I put my helmet back on. I turned to the guys behind me to apologise for the delay, but they yelled at me, "Just go!". I checked my watch - nearly 1pm.

Then I had to stop at customs to declare the bike and sort out the Carnet. After all this time and effort, the sweat dripping off me and sure I had lost a few kilos in the heat of the transit across the causeway, a Singaporean customs officer escorted me into a very well air conditioned office where a rough gentleman knew exactly what a carnet was and finalised it within a few minutes. The other fellows who were being detained were nowhere near as friendly and it dawned on me that some of these guys might have legitimate reasons to have been detained by Singapore Customs.

Singapore's bay

I spent half an hour sorting my autopass card out with various phone calls to relevant authorities to confirm my identity and I was glad I had done everything legitimately. Finally, I was cautioned about driving on the expressway without an In-Vehicle Unit (IVU) because I would be charged significantly if I passed a charge boom.

Waved out of the customs bay my bike had been parked in, the road to RAM Racing Engineering stood only 100 meters beyond a green light and a dozen cars. Approached by one Singaporean police officer, he asked me if I had been seen by Singaporean Customs, which I answered in the positive. I felt relieved that English was common here.

The 100 meters became 50 meters and suddenly, surrounding me, were a dozen Singaporean police, waving me into a car sized garage at the right of the exit road. They asked me to disembark and turn the bike off, which I obeyed. A garage door closed behind me with a clang. They quizzed me on where I had come from and my destination.  Then we walked around the bike as interrogated me about what each section held. After writing all my responses down, they demanded I open all my panniers, and bags, undo my tarpaulin covered backpack and pull all my gear out onto the floor of the garage, filthy clothes and all.

Satisfied I had no contraband, they lightened up and started making jokes as I packed it all back up. I didn't feel particularly friendly after being violated in such a manner, but at least I didn't get a rubber glove and I was under no illusion they could have requested a cavity search if they had a reason. The elderly gentleman in charge, interested in the bike, asked me what speed I had got it up to in Malaysia. My response, "I did not exceed the speed limit" raised some eyebrows and even got some laughs. They wished me all the best on my trip and opened the garage door, stopping the traffic to give me clear passage out to the green light and the freedom of Singapore.

My GPS gave me directions along the freeway and although I had been warned of the cost I might incur if I were to travel down the freeway without appropriate vehicle mounted systems, I chose to take the risk. I was fairly sure, given it was now after 2pm, that I would not be going under any of the operational gangways. It took about another thirty minutes to make the haven of RAM Racing Engineering, where I was welcomed and given food and drink and wonderful company.

I had finally made it to Singapore. The 45 minute trip had taken me about five hours and I felt wrecked.

Toy Museum - Penang

A place that claimed to be the largest toy museum in the world caught my eye on the tourist maps while I tried to identify places I would visit while I stayed on Penang in George Town. I think the place has moved since many of the tourist maps were printed as I managed to get myself to the exact location depicted on the maps and described by various tourist publications only to find that the giant Ninja Turtle expected to be welcoming me had been removed.

The local swimming club guys were nice enough to give me fresh directions for another 10-15kms north. An adventure followed with many loops before I managed to find it only 30 minutes before it closed, through Batu Feringgi to the village of Teluk Bahang. If you get to the Telok Bahang Dam, you have gone too far, although the drive is wonderful. The museum is roughly a few hundred meters east of the mosque near the school, but up a dirt driveway and behind some buildings. It was not easy to find, but well worth it.

On arrival, a school group were departing, so I had a bunch of munchkins flocking around for a few minutes while I purchased my ticket. On seeing the Australian number plate, the managers told me they were staying open an extra half an hour to let me view the display. Take photos, the told me. So, I did. Here are just a few of the life-sized statues housed in perspex display cases - walls and walls and walls of them.

It looked to me as if the place had been transported from an original location and remained in the shipping crates. On discussion with one of the staff, it seems I could have been correct as some of these were going to be removed and set up around the place. They even had plans to allow people to be able to play with some of the toys once they were set up. If it wasn't already heaven for a geek like me, that would have sold it.

Not only were there life-sized statues of many icons of comics and games, but there were many shelves with heaps of different toys from various themes and television shows. Some I had never even dreamed could exist, like Mars Attacks or Nightmare Before Christmas toys. There were racks and racks of Doctor Who, Star Trek, Star Wars, and other collections. Here is a very small taste of what I found.

George Town

The drive from Kuala Lumpur to the Island of Pinang took me past the incredible landscape and mountains of Ipoh, with a plan to get into the Cameron Highlands at some point. I only saw Ipoh from a distance as the highway swept around the city and continued northward.

Kota (Fort) Cornwallis entrance, George Town, Penang

I passed through dozens of toll plaza while driving but had only needed to pay a toll for the motorcycle as I entered Malaysia from Singapore at the Tuas-Johor checkpoint. However, pulling across to the left as I started onto the Jambatan Pulau Pinang bridge across to George Town, I needed to pay my second toll using my little card.

Fort Cornwallis, cannon facing North East toward the Malaysian Peninsula

Due to the size of my motorcycle (and the panniers making the rear width larger than my handlebars) I have often remained out of the motorcycle lanes because they were too difficult to navigate and the car lanes provided much more space for me... more comfort and safety. On the bridge across to Pinang Island, the traffic edged forward, bumper to bumper.

Fort Cornwallis, main cannon facing roughly North into the Malacca Strait

A friend had warned me about the traffic on the bridge, but I had underestimated the length of the bridge and the amount of traffic, filling all the lanes for as far as I could see. The massive spires in the centre of the bridge were cloaked in the haze of distance, curving off to my right.

Fort Cornwallis and Wren, taken from a gun emplacement

Although the speed limit on the bridge remained at 80kph, the motorcycle lane travelled the fastest, at times reaching 60kph. There were some occasional tight squeezes as I pushed past fat trucks with my fat motorcycle. I even had locals on motorcycles and scooters overtake me, pushing me up against the edge of the bridge to get around me in gaps in the traffic or taking advantage of thin cars. Even at this speed, it took about 45 minutes to get across the bridge and must have taken the cars more than an hour and probably two to make the crossing. Note that this was around midday, so I can't imagine what it would be like during peak hours.

Roundabout on the South-East corner of Fort Cornwallis

As soon as I arrived at my hotel, with the approaching storm clouds building the oppressive humidity, I took the opportunity to grab lunch and head out to see some of the sights. The Char Kway Teo in George Town is the best I have ever eaten. In fact, the food in George Town is the best I ate on my entire trip, except perhaps for Lau Pa Sat in Singapore. I managed to get myself lost in Little India and wondered around Fort Cornwallis for a few hours as the temperature hit 36 degrees.