Fri 12 Nov: Opposites attract
To Tanjung Piai, Johore, Malaysia, 225 km. What a strange ride it is today, when what happens is the opposite of what I expect. I have to head north to head south, find out about a big town that's smaller in name than its neighbour, and spend only RM23 for the entire 200+ km ride.

• Day ride for long weekend: I'm off work for five whole days, thanks to the Deepavali and Hari Raya weekend. I'd intended to ride to Malacca and back over four days, but my Malaysian advisors say it's really dangerous on the roads due to the balik kampung phenomenon when people return to their villages. So I ride to the uttermost end of mainland Asia - Tanjung Piai. (Even so, the sole resort there is booked solid till end Nov, hence the day trip.)

• Heading north to head south: Tanjung Piai is the southernmost tip of Johore, but I have to head north to head south since the 2nd Link at Tuas is closed to bicycles. How inefficient for supposedly efficient Singapore.

• Car jam at causeway: I'm at the causeway before 7am. Usually, it's packed with motorcyclists. Today, it's smooth riding; instead, the place is jammed with cars heading up north. Traffic jams the way into Singapore too; it's a working day today (but I'm on leave). Pedestrians walk into Singapore too via the causeway.

• Dead dog, good dog: I'm 50m away from an open gate when a black monster growls and charges out of the gate. It means business. I step on my pedals so much, stones spin from the wheel. Dogs are rare in Malaysia; it's the first time I'm attacked after thousands of km on the road here. I pass a good dog by the roadside. It looks so peaceful and leaves me alone, until I see entrails spilling out from its behind.

• Noise in nature: Tanjung Piai is a nature reserve. Quiet, with birds chirping, wind rustling, waves lapping the mangroves beneath the boardwalk, and monkeys chattering. Quiet, until a family descends with kids screeching louder than any living thing. I wonder who's worse - the kids or the parents.

• When small is big: There's an interesting write-up in English about Pontian. I finally understand why Pontian Kechil is way bigger than Pontian Besar. The latter is called "big" simply because, once upon a time, only big chiefs were allowed to live there. And pirates used to ply off Kukup; now, it is a seafood town where plunder is from mahjong.

• Baking, then freezing: It's a hot, sunny day. I'm applying sunblock in mid-afternoon. Minutes later, I ride into dark clouds. Buckets pour from the sky. I wait. Normally, I'd feel frustrated. Now, I feel grateful. After riding over 120 km, I'd wanted to rest a while after lunch in the coffeeshop. I reach there just in time to be served the last meal before closing time. I'm there for barely half an hour when the doors start closing. The rain gives me a chance to chill out and fortunately, there's a petrol kiosk handy for me to take refuge. The bus shelter is useless in the driving rain. When the rain subsides, I start riding. My teeth start chattering in the cold. I pedal hard; 28-29 km/h, compared to the sedate 20 km/h before lunch.

• Dangerous driving at police roadblock: The police are out in force during the holiday season to reduce carnage on the roads. One driver who stops for the police sees me and pulls into my path anyway. I shake my head, the policeman looks at the driver and lets him go anyway. This is the second near miss I have today; the other one was also from a driver who failed to give way; at least, he stops in time and apologises twice. Malaysia drivers are leaps ahead of Singapore drivers. The Malaysia near-miss rate on this ride is one per 100 km. The Singapore rate is one per 20 km.

I'm glad I do this ride. Finally, I break my one day distance record. And this ride is sheer value for money, at about 10 sen per km. And Tanjung Piai, at the end of mainland Asia, is the last word for an interesting place to explore, with picturesque roads all over the place.

Riding time is 9.4 hours. Total trip time is about 14 hours, with time to eat and see the sights. Average speed is 23.1 km, with 25-32 km/h on the flats.
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