Hills at last

Distance - 125km, most of it hills
Weather - Hot, muggy, a little rain but just enough to bring out the mosquitoes

The day began a little late, and as we groggily opened our eyes to peer through dusty curtains we realised the sun was already getting high, and it was pretty bloody  hot. Ten minutes later we were on our bikes and the dead cat was gone, replaced with a new, slightly different colored  one standing in the same spot, bizarre I thought, reminds me of the deja-vu scene in The Matrix were Neo sees the two cats... 

Anyway, as we stared at our huge road map of Malaysia we realised that we were going to have to stop a lot today to check directions as the roads wound in squiggly patterns all over the giant sheet. Adding to this we soon realised that unlike the past few days, the hills would be relentless.

And yet despite these new challenges, as the day wore on  we found that we had more to distract us, to challenge us and to engage our senses. Bags of twisties consumed, strange oranges eaten, yoghurt drinks skulled, lunch's of halal prepared rice and hot curry suffered and come midafternoon we had been riding almost non-stop. 

Grinding the pedals with all our energy  and yet still there was no relief from the hills or the heat, when suddenly we came to the crest of another hill and saw and heard in the distance the Malaysian Grand Prix. It was here at the top of the shill that the condition of the roads became beautifully smooth, a stark contrast to some of the rocks and gravelly hills we'd earlier negotiated. The road headed steadily down, the head-winds gradually subsided and the heat began to abate. 

By 7pm we had ridden just over 120kms, our longest day yet and amazingly, if the light had of permitted we felt as though we could have kept going. But we were glad we didn't when Shanna spotted a bargain hotel just off the road, where they carried our bikes up the stairs to a beautifully air-conditioned room.

We found a burger-stall on the street and scoffed down two beef and egg burgers each whilst slurping an entire 2ltr bottle of Kickapoo Joy Juice, before passing out for the night into a deep and delirious sleep.