From Les

Kuala Lumpur, 29th August 2008  (Quick update)

   Well we made it to Kuala Lumpur in one piece and took a taxi to our pre-booked hotel. The view from our hotel window is stunning and rich in vivid contrasts. In the distance we can see the famous Petronas twin towers and a beautiful domed mosque. In the foreground just under our window are squalid slums with washing draped all over the garbage-littered streets.

We have arrived in a monsoon storm and as we walked across the tarmac we huddled under the little bit of protection from umbrellas. I was wet up to my knees but it was warm rain and within minutes we were steaming. The taxi whizzed us the 75-km to the city and the edge of Little India, our home for the next couple of days. There has been a lot of building work along the way, brand-new posh housing estates which appear to be empty with grass growing on their roofs. Some of the high risers in the city are magnificent but the noise from the tatty open-fronted shops is almost deafening with loud "Bollywood" music.

The smells and dress code is muddled as there are so many nationalities all living together in this jumble of humanity; Malaysians, Chinese, Indian are all living in this area on the edge of Little India and China Town. A huge concrete monorail transports bullet-shaped torpedoes of mankind above our heads amid a constant stream of small bikes, taxis, busses and cars. So far I haven't heard too much honking and hooting though the taxi ride here was a bit of a white knuckle ride as he quickly switched lanes for no apparent reason.

We haven't been able to trace the bike which is a real problem. We were given false info by the shipper in OZ and, as we have changed the clocks again, putting ours back 1½ hrs, the offices are closed so we can't kick butt!

It's a bit of a culture shock after the familiarity of NZ and OZ and for a while we though "what the heck are we doing here?" but were very tired. We were up 7am on Weds morning and haven’t slept since flying overnight with a 6-hr stopover in Singapore with uncomfortable seats. It’s now 5.30pm on Thurs, 8pm OZ time, so we are feeling a bit sensitive. The staff at our hotel are very helpful though and the room basic but clean.

Will keep you posted

Love to all, Les.

 

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; September 2nd 2008.

   Here we are in a hot and humid Malaysia, a new continent and our 21st country, if we count Singapore were we had a 5-hour stopover and actually left the terminal building! Today is my birthday and the third one I’ve had on the road so we really pushed the boat out and bought two silk shirts for £4 at the market!

The Australian leg of our trek was an endurance test to say the least. In the 2½ months we covered 11,844 miles and chewed up two rear bevel drive bearings! But it was a blessing in disguise really as we finished the Aussie leg nicely by meeting Cam, Kath, Vicky and Snapper. My final Australian treat, or should I say challenge, was to ride Cam’s Triumph Rocket 3 trike! Our bike had already been dispatched to the freight handlers and I needed to get back to the airport to collect our air waybill from Hellemann’s, the logistics company who were handling the flight of the bike to Kuala Lumpur. Cam, my new best friend, stepped in and let me take his beautiful Triumph trike. How many people would you lend you’re their bike? And to a virtual stranger who’s never ridden on three wheels before, well just once, but that was a works car! It was an experience to say the least. There I was riding along with an open-face helmet, shorts and a T-shirt, the only things missing were the `Cam` beard and tattoos up my arms to complete the, “bad ass, mother f***er” image I’ve been striving to achieve for years! Anyway, I returned the bike in one piece but couldn’t get rid of the grin on my face for ages but I still prefer my two wheels, mainly because I haven’t got the beard and tattoos! -- Thanks Cam.

At Darwin airport I made a big mistake and forgot to take the puncture repair kit out of the tank bag I was carrying onboard the plane. It contained compressed air cylinders and a metal spike to push the rubber plugs in with. I also forgot to remove my sewing kit scissors and a bottle opener; they were all seized and disposed of - my own stupid fault! The magnets built into the base of the tank bag also created some interest once again!

Our 0055hrs flight left on time and in 4½ hours we landed in a hot and humid Singapore. Here we had a five hour stopover before catching our connection to Kuala Lumpur. This consisted of a short walk outside the terminal building and a couple of quick catnaps The terminal building in Singapore is one of the most beautiful in the world and is beautifully decorated with several different types of orchid lending it that classy touch.

After whiling away the hours, in what felt like a night-shift, we boarded our nearly-new Air Asia Airbus 320 and fell into its comfortable leather seats in Economy Class. A short time later we took to the sky for a short 50-minute flight to Kuala Lumpur. As we came in to land at KL all we could see for miles was innumerable hues of green. Not the red and brown of the outback we’d come to know of late but lush green vegetation, the reason for such lush growth was soon apparent. As we left the aircraft and stepped out onto the tarmac we were handed an umbrella because it was throwing it down with rain! We had landed in the middle of a hot, wet and humid tropical monsoon - what a fantastic welcome to Malaysia.

We took a taxi with its very chatty driver for the 50-mile ride to the city; we were well pleased as the fare only cost £10! On the way we passed the famous Sepang race track which hosts not only the Moto GP but also the FI as well. Our journey continued along a beautiful motorway through forests of palm-oil trees, rolling hills and eventually into the city. We made our way through the suburbs of neat new housing complexes in close proximity to a few run-down places and into the center with its skyscrapers and “state of the art” architecture. In the ‘Little India’ district we found our hotel, the ‘Cititel Express’ and were made most welcome by the friendly staff. We enjoyed a comfortable twin economy room with en-suit with breakfast for only £27 - a real bargain if you ask me. www.cititelexpress.com From our window we had a fantastic view. In the distance we could see the famous ‘Petronas Twin Towers’ and other amazing skyscrapers which dominate the downtown scene. In the foreground we could see mosques and hear the wailing of the calls to prayer echoing around the city several times a day. We could also see street markets and slums, it was surreal – we were observing the complete spectrum of human existence through just one window! Later we had the first of many hot and spicy meals in the hotel restaurant invariably followed by a short walk. Stepping out of the air conditioned hotel and onto the street we were immediately hit by the heat and humidity. The Indian people of the neighbourhood look at us and smile when you make eye contact, and if you stand still long enough, you’ll be asked, “and where is it you’ll be coming from sir”? The ladies wear beautiful coloured saris and head scarfs. We walked straight into the hustle and bustle of a street market and the call of its vendors selling their wares. The acrid smell of decaying vegetation mix with the intoxicating smell of curry and spices and the odd beggar just completes the scene - I love this place already.

The following morning, after a great night’s sleep, we take a taxi back to the airport to collect the bike. The driver dropped us at the Malaysian Airlines, ‘Mas Kargo’ terminal, which like every other airport is separate to the passenger terminal. At the security office we hand in our passports in return for an ID badge and a wristband, I didn’t know there was a gig involved!

In the stifling heat we walk to the `Mas Kargo` central processing office, CPO where I explain what I’ve come for and hand over my air waybill, in return I get a few more pieces of paper. I guess it must have been the blank expression on my face that made the charming woman hand over the “Idiots guide” to claiming back your cargo!

I then backtracked several hundred metres to the Customs main office and hand over my wad of papers and get a few stamps and signatures, then it was back to the 3rd floor of ‘Mas Kargo’ for a personal declaration form. Next it was back to the Customs office with my Carnet duly filled in and stamped, the final signature coming from the customs boss on the sixth floor, a beautiful woman in uniform and scarf. Then it was back to Mas Kargo CPO and pay the handling fee of £13.57, the only payment made this end. From here I made my way to the Import Release counter where I pick up a delivery order for the bike!

Like an expectant father I once again anxiously awaited delivery of my child, and then she arrived hidden in a curtain-sided aluminium box. The curtain is undone and there she is, just as I had left her a couple of days before. I sign yet another form then suddenly remember that I’d left Les sitting in a waiting room somewhere in the complex, now where was it? Twenty minutes later I find her patiently waiting. I don’t think she realised she’d nearly been lost in the bowels of `Mas Kargo` never to be seen again!

Anyway, I push the bike out of the box and, with several people watching my every move; I reconnect the battery, fix the mirrors back on and fire her up - what a beautiful sound. But the paper chase isn’t quite over yet. We ride to another Customs office where the officer compares the carnet details with the bike and endorses the form. I’m then told we can’t leave as everyone’s at prays for an hour, but at least I can wait in the customs building where they’ve got air con. Fortunately for me I find another customs officer who must have been giving prays a miss today and he tears off their section of the carnet and at last we’re free to go and we ride out into the traffic.

Riding appears to be easy here as we’re now on the left-hand side of the road and the roads seem in good repair. We stopped for fuel and find that petrol only costs 40 pence a litre for premium unleaded - happy days!

Using our Garmin Etrex, (thanks boys), we find our way through the city in the rush hour where little motorcycles and scooters overtake everywhere; I really have to work the mirrors! We head back to the hotel where the bike is safe in the underground car park for the time being.

We’ve arrived in KL during their Independence celebrations, and as such, a lot of businesses are closed until Tuesday. We also had to move from our economy room to a superior one at £23 per night but we’re now on the 8th floor with an even better view of the city - see the pictures.

We were here for five days and during that time we intended to fully explore this amazing city, using the mono-rail to whisk us into the glitzy city centre and explore China Town with its noisy, bustling markets and colourful people.

We got up early to watch the Independence Day parade with several thousands people jostling for a look as marching bands, soldiers and tanks rumble down the street. Emergency services and several civilian organisations in colourful uniforms march by, the whole display must have lasted for about an hour. Hundreds of Malaysian flags flutter proudly as several F18 or F16-looking jets scream down the high street followed by helicopters dangling flags beneath them. All in all it was a very impressive display by a proud nation.

In the afternoon we signed up for a tour from the hotel stopping at several touristy souvenir outlets. But the interesting stops were to the Batu Cave Hindu Temple with a huge golden figure at the entrance and over 200 steps for us to climb in the humid heat. This was followed by a visit to the KL tower and a lift to the observation platform, at 421 metres it’s the world’s fourth tallest and wow what a view!

With everyone back to work on Tuesday we venture to ‘Sunny Cycles’, a motorcycle shop used by travellers where we meet the Sunny, the owner, who unfortunately can’t help us with insurance but will sell us a pair of Bridgestone Trailwings cheaper than we can get them back home - we’ll be back! www.malaysia.alloexpat.com Sunny then directed us to the Automobile Association of Malaysia office in the city centre where we get 1-year third party insurance for £20! By way of celebration I then get my birthday treat - a burger at the `Hard Rock Cafe` in Kuala Lumpur.

The final stop is to Auto Bavaria, the BMW dealer in town where we meet Sahran, the bike salesman. He was another very friendly and helpful chap who will sell me another bevel drive bearing for only £46, I paid over £100 in Darwin! www.autobavaria.com. After a coffee and a chat we caught the mono-rail back to our hotel.

Tomorrow we are back on the road again. The plan is to explore south and central Malaysia, get some beach time on the east coast, then back across the mountains to KL for tyres and a bearing before heading north along the west coast towards Thailand, but as always we remain very flexible!

Until next time, Nick.

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From Les

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; 2nd September 2008

   Suddenly we are right back in the midst of a busy mass of multi-cultural and colourful people.

We said our sad farewells to Cath, Cam, Vicki and Snappa in Darwin and were transported by shuttle bus to the airport. Along with our fellow, mostly Asian travellers, we were shoe-horned onto a budget flight to Kuala Lumpur via Singapore. At Singapore we had to go through customs and received an entry and exit visa stamp that we hadn't expected, that clocked up our 20th country.

We arrived at Sepang National Airport, 75kms from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia's capital city around midday. Fortunately we had booked a hotel room for a couple of days while we arranged the release of the “Old Girl” from customs. We endured yet another white-knuckle ride in a taxi which took us to the ‘Cititel Express Hotel’ with its amazing views of the Petronis Twin towers and the shanty towns with tin shacks housing many families in the area.

Immediately the combination of the humidity, heat, smells, colours and noise surrounded us and I felt that tingle of anticipation and excitement stirring in my belly - this is more like it! We have been leading a fairly sheltered life recently and now we are getting back in the mode for more adventure and new experiences.

The Asian food is also a new experience. It is generally hot and spicy, rice or noodles in chilli fish paste and curry sauce. We have decided to work our way through the menus and, considering a meal with soft drink is about £2.50, we can afford to make a few mistakes along the way. We have visited a few “hole in the wall” eateries and have been greeted like long-lost friends. Everyone has been so friendly and helpful and seem to really appreciate our pathetic attempts at “Terima kasih” or Thank you as they always reply ”Sama-sama”, ”You are welcome”.

Somehow we have timed our arrival with the huge annual (since 1957) Independence Day Parade which is held in the streets surrounding Merdeka Square. The speeches and Air force fly-by began about 8am on Sunday morning but we arrived just after 9am in time for the amazing parade of marching bands and troops. It was a very impressive sight, not just the continuous stream of different uniforms but the huge number of people who turned out to line the streets and wave their flags. Although KL has an eclectic mix of Malays, Indians and Chinese, amongst a host of other nationalities, everyone seemed united in their pride of the Nation.

Doing the “tourist thing” we booked onto a sightseeing tour for the princely sum of £10 each and it was well-worth every penny. First we visited the Royal Selangor Pewter centre where we watched skilled women sculpting goblets by hand and were shown the largest tankard in the world which could hold 615 gallons. Our guide told us that the Malay's, (a tee-total nation), say that BEER means “Before Enjoy, Eventually Regret”!!! Fair comment!!

Next we visited the Batu Caves which house Hindu Temples in the hills just north of the city. To get to the caves you have to pass an enormous golden statue and then climb the 272 steps dodging monkeys and slippery fruit peelings till you reach the cave entrance. The cave itself opens out to a cavern containing dripping water, stalactites, a sacred cow, cat, shrines and temples. The aroma of damp earth, burning incense sticks and rotting vegetables, which I presume have been left for the sacred cow, all mingle in the hot steamy atmosphere which has a tendency to steam our spectacle lenses. The heroes of the day have to be the men who work as a team and carry people in wheel chairs up the steep steps, encouraged by other visitors along the way.

Exhausted after our climb we were then taken to 4, yes 4 factory outlets!! We declined the leather goods, watches, and even passed on the beautiful hand-painted Batik fabrics but when we had been force-fed about 10 different types of chocolates our resistance was low....so we had to make a small purchase.

We were completely surprised when our guide said that there was more to come and that he had kept the best till last just as the skies opened for the daily rainstorms. We were squeezed into another shuttle bus and arrived at the bottom of the KL Tower which was once the tallest building in the world, but at 421mtrs it is still the 4th tallest telecommunications tower in the world. The lifts whiz us up to the dizzy height of 276 mts and opened out to a wonderful 360 deg views of the city. Wow!!! What a view!! My fear of heights was dispelled for a while as I tried to find where we are staying in ‘Little India’ area of the city - I am so much braver than I used to be!

Malaysia has a public holiday on Monday but it seems that the market and street stalls are still open, as are many of the shopping malls. We took a look in the Golden Triangle area where all the expensive shops such as Versace, Prada, and Gucci, to name just a few are located. Encouraged by all this high street fashion, and the fact that today is Nick’s birthday, we have treated him to 3 new shirts costing a total of £7.18p from a local street stall, now that’s what I call a bargain! To celebrate, we had lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe and then felt guilty about spending so much money but you only get one birthday a year and once you are over 50 one is just one too many!!

We now have bike insurance cover for the next year in Malaysia so we are safe to begin our exploration of Malaysia starting first thing tomorrow morning.

Until next time, Lesley

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Kuantan, East Coast Malaysia; Saturday 13th September 2008.

    One of the wonderful things about travelling are the people you meet on the way. There we were minding our own business and having a great time riding through the Malaysian jungle when we had a problem. As a result of that problem we have now made long-lasting friendships and found new best friends! Although the problem upset me at that particular time the resultant friendships soon camouflaged that disappointment. Sometimes good can only to be found on the other side of misfortune and without these problems these friendships would have been very unlikely.

We left Kuala Lumpur on a hot and humid day after battling through the traffic and millions of small motorbikes. I found myself overtaking and undertaking with all the urgency of a race track, and that was them - not me! Finding our way onto Highway E8 east we wound around some beautiful bends on a well-made dual carriageway through the jungle. It was then that we discovered our first hint of a problem as the bike momentarily cut out; but, before I had lost too much speed, she fired up again. My first thought was perhaps the old girl was feeling a bit hot and bothered like me and this was only a mechanical protest. We eventually stopped and had a look but could detect nothing obvious. Well what did I expect, with all the high-tech electronics this bike is fitted with!

We rode off the dual carriageway and onto Route 2 which is a more rural single carriageway. We rode on through several small towns looking for somewhere to stop for lunch which proved difficult as most roadside restaurants were closed for Ramadan; September being the fasting month for Muslims. After stopping at a garage for snacks the two Muslim girl assistants, dressed in beautiful saris and head scarves, must have realised our predicament and gave us a box of dates to bolster our meagre lunchtime supplies of crisps and biscuits!

A little further on we spotted our first roadside wildlife, monkeys were daintily pick up something edible and checked us out as we rode by. The going was slow on the back road due to heavy traffic as it avoids paying tolls on the motorway. Fed up with the slow pace and incessant smoke we found our way back onto the E8 as motorcycles don't pay tolls. We rode the last few miles into Kuantan, a small fishing port on Malaysian east coast.

We've just ridden 194 miles across the peninsula from the straights of Malacca on the west coast to the South China Sea in the east. In Kuantan we found the ‘Mega View Hotel’ beside the river and from our 9th-floor balcony we enjoyed great views of the sea on one side and the beautiful blue and white mosque in the town centre on the other. A double en-suite room with breakfast cost £21.60; www.megaviewhotel.com That night we feasted on some Indian culinary delights, all served on a banana leaf, and for the two of us with soft drinks, it cost just under £4.

After a filling breakfast the following day we loaded the bike and rode off into another hot and humid day; well we tried to! After a few hundred metres the bike cut out and we coasted to a stop in the outside lane at some traffic lights. After several failed attempts to start it we eventually pushed it to the roadside and then to a nearby service station where I carried out the normal breakdown checks. There was plenty of fuel in the tank so I took out the spark plugs and found a hint of a spark on one side of the engine but nothing on the other. Gone are the days of a ‘quick fix’ on this bike due to the modern technology used in its engine management, 8-gauge wire and Duck Tape won't help me here! A friendly Chinese gentleman pointed us in the direction of a BMW car dealership, how lucky was that? Leaving Les to guard the bike I walked the couple of hundred metres to Auto Bavaria, one of a chain of seven BMW car dealerships in Malaysia, and as luck would have it, the only one on the east coast; www.autobavaria.com Here I meet Cyril, the head of after sales and our saviour for the day. James, the branch manager, was also very helpful; he was a kind, deep-thinking man of Chinese decent. After explaining our predicament Cyril checked the store for spark plugs with no success so we jumped into his car and check out a couple of local bike shops. Sadly the plugs proved too much of a challenge so we returned to Les who's sitting in the shade patiently waiting once again, bless her. Cyril drove Les back to the shop and I had the joy pushing the fully loaded bike against the traffic flow across traffic lights. Thankfully there was no drama; pushing a fully-laden bike must be a pretty usual sight here and everyone gave me plenty of space and time but I was soaked to the skin due to the humid heat by the time I arrived back at the shop. The mechanics went through everything I'd previously checked, I also checked the notorious side-stand cut-out switch but with no diagnostic equipment for the engine we ground to a halt. Cyril apologetically stated that the bike will have to go back to KL where the Motorad, (BMW bike service department) have the specialist diagnostic gear. With that he arranges a pickup truck for the next morning and kindly invites us to stay with him for the night, what a gentleman! That night, in an effort to drown my sorrows, Cyril plies me with beer and kebabs at a beach-side bar which possibly wasn't a good idea as I hadn't had an alcoholic beverage since we landed in Malaysia - enough said!

The following morning, after a breakfast of pancakes and curry sauces, (Roti Canai), we loaded the bike onto the back of the pick up belonging to Calvin and headed back across the country to KL. I promised Cyril we would keep in touch. This little glitch in our plan cost us £144 and took a hot and sticky 4½hours.

We arrived at Auto Bavaria's Motorad dealership at Glenmarie on the outskirts of KL and met Gary, the head of motorcycle after sales. He suspected right away that it was the ignition pulse generator; basically the electronic ignition which apparently is a regular fault here due to the tropical humidity. Fortunately they had one in stock, but unfortunately as the weekends was upon us, they can't do anything until Monday so we had to find somewhere to stay. In an incredible turn of fortune I was approached by Nazri, a customer and friend of Gary’s who had been listening to our predicament. In an unbelievable act of generosity he tells us “You can stay in my apartment, I'm not using it at the moment”.  That’s 2 saviours in as many days; it bodes well for the rest of our trip through Asia. While we unload some clothes from the bike, Nazri goes to collect his daughter Sabrina from school. We then all drive in his convertible BMW car to his apartment with pool and great views of KL on the eighth floor. Nazri also has a couple of BMW bikes so we're one big happy BMW family, some working and some not!

Nazri is Malaysian, a devoted, kind and generous Muslim who also happens to be an `Airbus 319` pilot. Sabrina is a cleaver ten year old who speaks perfect English and, if she takes after her dad, is also destined to be successful in life. We spent a pleasant weekend at the apartment being collected by Nazri and Sabrina and shown the sights of KL and meeting some of their friends.

On Monday we got a very pleasant phone call from Gary; the bike is fixed and it was the ignition pulse generator after all so we arranged to pick it up on Tuesday and resume our tour with Nazri & Sabrina.

Our final treat with Nazri was to have dinner with his parents who live 1-hour away in the country. Mr and Mrs Elias greeted us dressed in beautiful traditional Malay dress and were very kind and generous in welcoming us into their home. We sampled some delicious traditional Malay food as Mr Elias related tales of living through the Japanese occupation and the days of the British Empire. We listened intently to his stories for hours and fortunately he had nothing but praise for the British colonial days. At about midnight we took our leave and headed back to the city.

Next day I wake to find I have picked up a cold and sore throat which in this climate could take some time to shake off but I must soldier on. We picked up the bike which is now running sweetly again. The bike workshop here at Auto Bavaria Glenmarie is well equipped which makes it strange that it doesn't feature on the BMW website as a Motorad dealer? Gary tells me that it was the ignition pulse generator as suspected, parts and labour cost £252.72 and I also picked up another spare bevel drive bearing - just in case!

We had a great three-day stay in KL and met some fantastic people but it was time to explore this beautiful country which has already gone to the top of my list of favourites.

After a short ‘shake-down’ ride southeast down the coast we stopped at Melaka and found the Hotel Tropicavlle where we stayed a day in an effort at shaking off this cold which is dragging me down a bit! Our exploration of the town revealed its exciting history being governed by the Dutch, Portuguese and the British in the past, mainly due no doubt to the prominent position of its trading port. Here, as everywhere in Malaysia, a very cosmopolitan mix of Indian, Chinese and Malay exist, they are all friendly, helpful and always have a smile.

As we load the bike the next morning the hotel staff came out to chat and wave us off. We headed southeast again along a new dual-carriageway which took us to Muar and Batu Pahat where we headed inland through jungle and forests of palm-oil trees to Kluang. It’s exciting observing the varied wildlife here in the tropics, I just missed hitting a 2-foot lizard crossing the road and monkeys nonchalantly sit and watch us ride by. We stopped for a drink and took shelter from the hot sun in a bus shelter. In the silence we listened to the dense jungle talking to us with so many animals and insects all making their presence heard.

We stopped the night at Mersing, a touristy seaside town and departure point for several island tourist locations. The ‘Hotel Seri Malaysia’ enjoys a nice location close to the beach and must have been a beautiful building in its heyday but sadly it seems a bit run down now.

Next day we followed Route 3 northeast along the coast and rode through small rural villages with wooden houses on stilts and passed beaches of light sand and palm trees until we returned to Kuantan and the Hotel Mega View. As it was the weekend we decided to stay a couple of days. I phoned Cyril at Auto Bavaria BMW and used their workshops to do an oil change. Unfortunately the cold is still with me but now with an added problem of an attack of `Bombay Belly` and have had to spend a day in the room and very close to the toilet. By way of compensation I listen to the magic of Malaysia from our 9th floor balcony with the calling to prays, the hustle & bustle of the markets and fishing boats. Hopefully I'll be better tomorrow.

Oops, excuse me - I've got to go - AGAIN!!!!!   Nick.

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From Les

Kuantan, Malaysia; 13th Sept 2008

   Already Malaysia has become a very special place for us ... or maybe it's the wonderful people we have met in our very short time here? Nothing seems to be too much trouble and everything is dealt with in such a calm, gentle and patient way.

We made it to Kuantan on the east coast using both the highway and the old main road routes through small towns and villages. The sharp rugged hills covered in palm trees and other tropical plants are so fresh and vibrant with shiny leaves which are frequent washed clean by the warm rain. We are now seeing monkeys at the side of the road instead of Kangaroos.

We stayed in the ‘Mega View Hotel’ on the riverside with balconies which gave us our first sighting of the South China Sea and the beautiful spires and turrets of the Masjid Negeri Mosque in the town centre. The plan was to ride north along the coast until we found a nice spot on a beach for a few days R&R time but the “Old girl” had other ideas!

So there we were sitting in the middle of a 4-lane traffic light junction with no spark in the engine! The old girl had failed us! It was a bit embarrassing really, all loaded up and looking as though we meant business and having to push her the wrong way down the busiest road in town to a nearby garage. It was either the embarrassment or the heat that gave us our red faces – I’m not sure! Cyril from the nearby BMW garage came to our rescue, taking us to lunch, arranging an appointment with BMW in KL, transport for us and the bike to KL, somewhere to stay and then took us out to relax in the evening.

The following morning, after Cyril had taken us for breakfast of Roti Canai, Malaysian pancake with curried sauces, I stood back and watched the men, (8 at one point) loading the old girl onto the back of a car transporter belonging to Calvin. He then drove us the 4½ hr trip to KL whilst juggling 3 mobile phones at the same time! Some of the trip gave me flash backs to the “Chicken busses” in Mexico, however I am happy to report we arrived safe and sound.

Garry had been warned of our arrival at the incredibly plush BMW HQ and, with the aide of Geoffrey the mechanic, the old girl was whizzed into the lift to the 2nd floor bike hospital. While discussing the problem with Garry we got chatting to another customer who offered us a bed for the night as it was by then 5:30pm on Friday evening. Our knight in shining armour turned out to be Nazri, a single father of the lovely 10-yr old Sabrina. Nazri took us to his apartment which was undergoing renovation but was perfect for us. He then took us to meet Garry and friends for the Break-fast meal as Muslims fast between 05.15am and 7.19pm or sunrise to sunset. Once again we were introduced to a vast array of culinary delicacies, but better still, more insight into the Muslim and Malay culture.

As the bike could not be worked on till Monday, Nazri said that we could stay until then and offered to take us out to see some of the sights of Kuala Lumpur. We visited the National Monument with its beautiful statues and gardens, then the Museum before heading out to the most amazing shopping plaza, all decorated with Pyramids, sphinxes, elephants, deer and tigers. The lights all around the area were so vibrant and colourful. We then took a ride out to the purpose-built Government Office complex with its wide roads, magnificent Mosque and parliamentary buildings.

We got the call from Garry on Monday afternoon that the bike was running and we could collect it in the morning. Nazri once again offered to be our chauffer although he is rather more used to piloting an Airbus carrying V.I.P's than conducting guided tours. Nazri invited us to dinner at his parent’s home an hour or so from KL as his father would be very interested in meeting us. His father, Mr Elias spoke wonderful Queen’s English, putting us to shame. He told us many wonderful stories about his life in Malaysia. Nazri's mother is a quiet, gentle, smiling lady who provided us with some real home cooking Malaysian style and I believe Nazri when he says his Mum is the best cook in the world.

I was really sad when we said our farewells to Sabrina and Nazri. Over the weekend we had spent quite a lot of time with them and were becoming good friends, we were often overwhelmed by their generosity and kindness towards us, a heartfelt thank you to all who have helped us and given us their friendship.

The ‘old girl’ runs like a dream once again so we headed south to Melaka, a port with a chequered history since the 14th century. Because of its ideal position for re-supplying trade ships it has changed hands many times from Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch and British. The ‘China Town’ area has narrow streets with ancient buildings and as you walk by the tiny shops and houses a huge range of intoxicating aromas envelope you. We visited the Maritime museum housed in a replica Portuguese ship, the Flora de le Mar, and for a few seconds wondered why we had been issued with a plastic bag with our 50p entrance fee. In Malaysia it is customary to remove your shoes before entering a house, temple, mosque and now - museums. The sight of a mass of sandals and shoes by the front door doesn't mean a “shoe sale” it is a sign of respect.

It has become warmer in the 100-miles further south we have ridden so we are glad to be on the move with the natural air conditioning. Unfortunately Nick is under the weather with a sore throat, swollen glands and fever but the urge to continue to the east coast takes over and we find ourselves in Mersing where we walked along the beach into town. At lunchtime we stopped off at a busy stall for rice and chicken and it was obvious that they were not used to visitors like us. The customers tried very hard not to stare and if you did catch them looking they flashed a quick smile. Just as we were leaving the nominated spokeswoman asked us where we were from as all the customers were interested. When she told them heads began to nod and smiles became wider ... these people are so friendly.

We are now in Kuantan again, staying in the same hotel room where, hopefully, Nick will begin to feel better. The coastal villages on the way reminded me of the Costa Rica Caribbean villages with all the houses on stilts. There have been several sightings of monkeys, large lizards, goats, cows and a rat, unfortunately monkey seems to be the main “road-kill” animal in the tree-lined areas here.

Since we have been in Malaysia we have had a bit of a roller coaster ride, the “highs” of experiencing new cultures, experiences, sights and meeting new people and the “lows” with bike problems and Nick being unwell. The one consistent thing has been the incredible kindness, generosity and beauty of the Malaysian people - I am really looking forward to discovering more.

Until next time, Lesley.