Sandakan Eagle
Me and Jaswant departed from Ipoh on 19 March, 2017 around 7.30am and reached Changlun town in Malaysia at 12pm. We carpooled to Changlun which is about 10km from the Malaysian-Thailand border, as it was the best option for us due to its flexibility to carry our folding bikes while it also helped us share cost. Both our bikes, the Dahon IOS D9 and Java Speed 18 fitted nicely into the car.
We decided to park the car at Changlun for only RM5.00 per night as compared to RM18.00 per night at the Duty Free Zone and helped ourselves with extra water bottles from the money saved.
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| Jaswant all geared up on his trusted Java Speed 18 foldy. |
At the border we got assistance from professionals to fill the white card (to document the entry and departure of our visit to Thailand) with a minimum fee of RM2.00 each. They helped us type it out neatly compared to our sometimes awful handwriting. Once done we were ready to pedal and were confident in making a memorable journey although we were a little nervous in the beginning.
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| Nearing the border. |
The hot sun showed no mercy on us as we felt the sun rays piercing through our clothes. Gloves and sunglasses are a must for trips like this. The roads leading from Changlun to North looks clean and well maintained. We drank plenty of water but I still preferred isotonic drinks as we need our fluids to be replenished fast and needed energy too.
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| Age only a number for some. |
One of the reasons we look forward these cycling trips is we get to meet interesting characters on our journey. While in the queue at the border check-point I met a Malaysian Chinese, 70 year old Mr Ho who was also heading to Hat Yai was with his girlfriend who was 20 years younger than him. We found out he was from Penang and I told him about our planned cycling trip. He was impressed and said “May The Blessings Of Buddha be with both of you”.
The road we traveled is heralded as one of the busiest in the world with lorries sometimes parked for about 2 kilometres in the queue waiting to get their border clearance to enter either country. A strong mental strength is required cycling beside these giant convoy of trucks as it can feel intimidating. To add to the challenges the sunny sky was slowly turning gloomy, as clouds were moving in fast looking like rain was about to pour heavily.
While exploring I noticed quite a number of pet shops in Danok with pet owners taking an evening stroll on its clean streets.
I met a lovely lady by the name of Tini who works at one of the hotels in Danok and owns a Surly Touring Bike. We spoke and exchanged ideas on cycling, she even offered a room at her hotel for a discounted rate since we shared the same passion.
She showed me a cycling route that leads from the outskirts of Danok town to Padang Besar, the two towns at centre point of the Malaysian-Thai border. You can see Malaysia from there all fenced up with plenty of rubber trees along the way It is easy to find once you cross Danok, just a left turn away and a mere 20 km ride.
Priority is given to motorists and cyclist to travel safely with a white border line along the road. Many cyclists and joggers use this road in the mornings and evenings.
There were few hills along the way to Padang Besar but overall it was a good ride and I enjoyed it very much.
While cycling through the route I saw elephants in front of a beautiful Buddhist temple located at the edge of the town. The road then takes you to famous Dinosaur Park which is hard to miss. This new family attraction is one of the city’s most exciting places to spend the day with your family.
CJMY
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