Day 2 : Padang Besar - Changlun - Alor Setar - Kuala Kedah

Date : Wednesday, 4th March 2009
Distance travelled : 91km

Time taken : 4.30 hours

Come morning, Tat came over to meet us at our hotel. The hotel was pretty basic and the room costs us RM54 plus a simple breakfast. Tat told us that he and another 2 of his friends will escort us to Changlun that morning ;o)

Our first hotel in Thailand!!

Ahh...proof that we have crossed the border!!

Tat & me at the immigration border...

A Dutch couple we met in Padang Besar, heading to Taman Negara :o)

We met up with Lim and Ah Huat in Padang Besar and we left about 11am. The weather was starting to be really hot that day! We biked through the semi highway towards Changlun. The scenery was amazing ....there was a sugar factory further ahead and they were growing sugar cane along the highway. The highway was rolling hills and it can be really hot as there are no shades on both sides of the road. Lots of big lorries passing by and one have to be a bit careful on this highway!

Flat road ahead!!

Tat & me....like specks of dust!

Hey guys, look here!!!

While biking, Lim surprised both Mak and me by giving us each a good luck "angpow"!! That was really sweet of him and we were really touched by his kind thoughts! Everywhere we go, we meet beautiful people who just want to help out!!! We truly are very lucky!!

Upon reaching Changlun about 1pm, we said our goodbyes to our kind escorts from Padang Besar. They have to cycle another 30km back in the scorching hot sun!! We decided that it was way too hot to continue our journey to Alor Star yet and rested at the coffeeshop until about 3pm. We had another 60km to go!

Saying our goodbyes...Tat, Mak, me and Lim at the coffeeshop

We took another pit stop in Jitra at a bike shop, the one that organised the Jitra Jamboree in January. (sorry...couldn't remember the bike shop name!!) There, Mak chatted with the owners while resting. It was truly a very hot day!!! When we finally reached Alor Star, it was coming close to 7pm! Crazy traffic!! It was with a sigh of relief that we finally reached my friend's house near Kuala Kedah! By then, I look like a panda bear....sunburnt face with two white circles around my eyes hahaha....

My friend, Cheah and his girlfriend took us for a really yummy dinner to recover!! Did I also mention that while touring, it was also part of our plan to enjoy the good food around!!! Next day...some 120 km away...Penang!!