Into Kuala Lumpur (12th - 13th May)

Melaka to Seremban
Distance - 85km
Average - 19.0km/h

Bit hard to get back on the bike today after 6 days off. But the road to Seremban was pretty straight forward and we managed to avoid the expressways.

After our first drink stop Natalie's right knee was playing up so we had to take it easy coming into Seremban.

Once at Seremban the cheapest hotel we could find was 45 ringitt (bout $18nz), which is far more than we have been paying elsewhere. And it was also a dump which we did not want to stay in. I wouldnt have been suprised if a rat ran out from under the bed. So we didnt really know what to do as everywhere else was much more expensive. We managed to find a really nice hotel for 68 ringitt (bout $28nz) a night. This was triple what we normally spend, but given the alternatives we were happy to pay for it.

We found a pasar malam (night market) for dinner and had yummy nasi beriyani (a special type of rice) and malaysian satay.

Seremban to Kuala Lumpur
Distance - 69km
Average - 16.8km/h

We were worried about heading into Kuala Lumpur as it seemed like all the roads that headed in were motorways or expressways. If there were smaller roads, they werent on our map. We were told by a local in Muar that it should be possible to get in without getting on an Expressway, so this gave us a little confidence but didnt provide exact directions.

So we headed along for the first 30km or so with rolling hills along a relatively quite road. Natalie's knee was still a problem today, hence the very low cycling average. It will be good to have a rest in KL for it to repair itself.

Once we got into the outskirts of KL things started to change. We thought we found a small road heading right into the city but it quickly turned into a 8 lane expressway with tolls. We asked a local guy who informed us bicycles were ok on the expressway. With little other options we headed onto the onramp to fast cars and trucks flying past at 100km/h. But we stuck to our little side bar and got off and on again at all the exits, and after about 10km we were at our required exit. Then riding to our backpackers was on par with hectic city riding in Bangkok. But all in all we got here ok and vow not to ride on one of those expressways again.

So now KL for a week before we fly to Macau. Lots to do and see, like organise things for our bikes and check out the sights in KL.