the nights are usually cold and lonely but this night seemed a little warm. in fact, kenny came down and started loading me up with the panniers fully loaded. Then I felt a cool evening chill…it was like Northern Thailand all over again..
Oh what the memories that great ride brought me. I can literally feel the oil lubricating in my innards and chugging along ever so smoothly. When can I ever feel like that again…
By the time that thought exited my headlamps, I felt that little drag on my butt. The panniers are really loaded this time round. I wonder where we’re going for the weekend for him so many things. It’s also a little unusual for him to come down early to prepare me for the ride. Heck, I didn’t even visit my doctor, Rosli for my usual pre-ride checkup.
Just as the night started to turn chilly, I got woken up. The weight is really adding by now and there are even tents this time round! Ken and Rach aren’t wearing their heavily armoured jackets this time round, so i’m pretty sure we’re not going to ride around much. I wonder if we going through the mess we did last month at Tangkak. That’ll be really cool and with all these weight, Ken got to hoping the ground’s dry! Oh boy oh boy, the excitement is keeping me purring. Ken must be happy with the purrs too because I can see his grin as he pulls his throttle on the AYE. On to GP!
We were a little late and the bunch of guys are there already. My bros, the TDMers and AT, were all grinning while the STs were looking nervous. There are also 2 Rav4s there, one is a familiar hot car while the other is a macho sleek black one. Looks like we’re preparing to rough it out today!
Being well placed to hear the brief, we finally confirm the destination! We’ll be camping beside the summit road. I remember it all too well for the rain and low temperatures the last time we were there in August! It will be great to go back and get all dirty again!
The ride there was fast and we wasted no time in reaching Tangkak. As the humans have loaded up on their fuel, we all have a great chat. After hearing what some of us went through last month, the AT (we call him ah pek – for obvious reasons) was especially excited as all his previous owners have never done this before. Shogun (the grey TDM with Jap looking stickers) was also pumped up. He’s one of the lightest this time round and expecting a frolicking good time. As for me, I really don’t know whether I want the rains to come or not. 🙂
After the humans loaded up on their fuel, it was our turn and off we headed for the tracks! It’s so much simpler now after we have gained experience points riding these roads. The dry tracks also helped a great deal. They didn’t seem so soaked that I wonder if it ever rained the few days before.
We got up early and after a few unsteady scares, we were up at our camp site. The morning mist had cleared but the tranquility of the place still clouded the place with mystery. After some planning and movements of how we are to spend our night, the riders started picking their spot and pitching their shelter. It is quite amusing watching them going around, busy as ants, just to make themselves comfortable.
But once the tents, hammocks, chairs and even tables are out, everyone plonked down and enjoyed the fruits of their labour. So far, everyone is great…except Chowy, the white ST. His nervousness finally took hold of him and he tilted to the right while parking. He was so stiff when he fell that his box broke a brick into 2! His mirror ain’t too lucky though…
As the afternoon sun came out, there still wasn’t any signs of extreme heat. The chilly weather up here just feels too good to be true and there isn’t any hint of rain even. By now, some of the humans are readying themselves as they prepare to head up to the summit. According to them, with such clear weather, there’s a good possiblity the view up there would be good! damn, wish there was a road leading up there!
I bet they must be wishing the same thing because when they finally re-appeared a couple of hours later, the faces were hanging like dogs. I wonder what made them so tired…maybe something like this:
The dinner must have been the highlight of the night as the preparations for it seem so elaborate and bags of food keep coming out from the cars. You can sense the cars are also having a relaxing time, dragging in the clean, unpolluted air when they were chugging their way up and now nestled in a cool spot.
As the sun set, the smoke went up as the bbq pit crackled to life. The strong aroma of roasted chicken filled the chilly air of Gunung Ledang as mushroom soup were served and the salad rice was tossed. There was even an air of festivities as paper lanterns were lit in the dark!
The next morning brought about a nice warmth and a beautiful sunrise. Peeking through the mist, the sunrays added a golden glow to the campsite.
With much time on our hands, the humans started cooking whatever they had and you could tell they were having a good time.
With just about half an hour before we were scheduled to leave, everyone took their time to keep the tents and clear up the rubbish and it was just as well! That’s because a few moments before we were to leave, the heavens poured and heavy mist started moving in!
By now, the STs were feeling really nervous again but I had a sneaky suspicion that the TDMs and AT were rubbing their hands in glee! I certainly was!
But the route down was a little disappointing compared to the thrills and spills of the previous month. (See this) Back then, the ground was flooded with torrential rains from morning to the late afternoon when we left. The result was a sliding mud track. Heck, my wheels were so heavy with gunk, I couldn’t feel them, let alone kenny.
But today’s ride was more relaxing. Maybe the weight of my butt made sure the contact with the ground was good, but we were all able to make it out good. So good that the TDMs were flying on the trails. The STs didn’t fare too well though, Chowy went vegetarian for a while while Archie (blue ST) went rock climbing and lost his balance. They really look relieved at the sight of tarmac!
Back to the usual feel of the oh so sweet tarmac, we had a good time flicking mud all over the road while we headed to Pagoh for a well deserved lunch. Chowy was struggling with his “ear” that broke but otherwise, it was all fine as we finished a trip that ended before the sun had even set!
Now, I wonder if kenny is going to wash me up soon or let the rains in Singapore wash me up…..
Till the next ride,
bluey
P.S: Refer to our forums for the whole list of photos! there’re just too many to show here!
Oh yes, tks Ken for e write up that bring bck e shiok feeling
Wondering when m I trailing there again?? 🙁
Very interesting perspective! Makes me think of the animation Cars! .. 🙂
I think the pictures too will tell a thousand words so its nice to see it from a different perspective. Thanks for the write-up!