My motorcycle is already neatly washed outside in the sun, waiting when I arrive at the BMW dealer. Keram Motorrad made sure that a new valve cover was ready, so that the total bill for this major service was a bit less than expected.
Today I'm exactly 6 months on the road, but it feels like much longer when I look back in my photo album. Unbelievable what I've already seen and experienced. The second half of my journey will definitely be different because I don't have an exact plan, route or final destination in this part of the world. The only thing that is certain is the joint tour with my sons during the month of March in Thailand. Then I'll see.
It is half past nine and already 30 degrees when I put my gear on the bike. Today's route takes me to the Cameron Highlands. This is a mountain area in central Malaysia with a lot of rainforest, tea plantations and fruit growing companies.
But first I have to get out of the gigantic city of Kuala Lumpur. I decide to take the motorway for that, but that doesn't really help. It is difficult to navigate because of the large amount of roads that sometimes run next to or over each other. Soon I drive from one traffic jam to the next and it takes almost 2 hours before I can finally drive on and let the wind go through my motorcycle gear.
Around noon I leave the motorway and take the local roads. The surroundings are beautiful, the asphalt is perfect and the traffic is disciplined and calm. I really enjoy the ride. No honking and everyone waiting for each other. I have lunch in an improvised restaurant along the road. All dishes are displayed in large rechauds and you can grab what you want. I leave the fish heads, but the rice, vegetables, lamb curry and white fish taste excellent.
The closer I get to the hills and mountains, the darker the clouds hang above. Just as the road turns into a beautiful winding road to my final destination, it starts to drizzle and the temperature drops. I'm already wet with sweat, but in order not to cool down too much, I put on my rain suit. And that's a good thing, because a little later I'm driving through the rainforest, with thunderstorms and driving rain that turn the road into a river.
When I stop at a beautiful waterfall, a siren goes off. Everyone is requested to leave the place due to large amounts of water coming. I'm the only one on site so it's easy to evacuate.
It continues to rain heavily until I arrive at my hotel, where I step into the shower in my motorcycle underwear to wash off today's sweat. My things have all the next day to dry on the clothesline in my room.
The next morning I take a taxi to a tea plantation. For a small fee I can take a walk among the tea bushes. Fortunately, the weather is fine and the view is breathtaking. Of course I taste the local tea and with a young English couple I share a taxi back to the town. In my hotel room the ceiling fan is running at full speed and my motorcycle gear is almost dry and ready for tomorrow's ride.
