The 4-year itch

It has been four years since my last motorbike adventure. If you missed the last one do check out my adventure in my blog "To the Red Centre and back" from Day 1 of my 7,000 km solo ride across the Australian outback from Brisbane to the Red Centre and back in 2010.

I have been itching to get back on my saddle and hit the open road again but many factors held me back. One of the major one was being hospitalized for 3 months due to a spine surgery (3 surgeries actually!) in early 2013. It was some kind of an "adventure" too and perhaps I did learn and experience as much as, if not more, than in one of my motorbike rides. Full story here at my other blog "The Unexpected Journey" about my hospital adventure.

I have been secretly making plans. Zarina caught me a few times with paper maps in hand, Google Maps on the PC and a grin on my face. Now I can't resist the calling any longer. My bike has been through a major repair after being abandoned for almost a year last year and now should be in a good condition to be on the road again. It took a bit of convincing on Zarina's part that I am now fit to go for long rides again. But she has to. Even my rehab doctor has certified me as having gone through a "remarkable" improvement since she last saw me. I'm now super-busy at work too but hey, my work will never end anyway. Sometimes, you just had to drop everything and do something you really like, just for yourself. I have a very understanding spouse, almost-grown-up and almost-independent kids and the best team ever assembled to work with me. There is no excuse. I have to go.

I settled for something small for now. Let's just take a short and easy ride around my own neighborhood. Let's not go for distance, or speed or harsh conditions this time round. Just let me get to know my country better and let me enjoy the little secrets and treasures it has along the way...

So, here's my 7-day plan of a solo tour around the back roads of Peninsular Malaysia:
(You can click [ ] to enlarge the map)



7 days of rides covering approximately 2,500 km in total, mostly along trunk roads and minor roads only - highways will be avoided at all costs! The route is designed around the edges of the peninsular and the stops are mostly places of my childhood (in the Northern part) or places I had always wanted to see (in the East and South). I will also be making a few stops to meet some old friends but mostly it's actually about riding, riding and riding. I can almost picture myself stopping by the dusty roadside in the blazing sun, quenching my thirst on some fresh young coconut, or parked near a beachside stall enjoying "sotong celup tepung" (deep fried battered squid) while watching the sunset, or perhaps taking a dip in the cool mountain stream surrounded by nature (yup, it's not always about food okay...) and breathing the fresh countryside air... Imagine that...

So, here we go - I would welcome any input and suggestions - where to stay, what to see, where to visit, which is the best route to take etc.

Let's ride...!!!