Seeing the Swiss Alps - Aug 2013

This was a rare trip. Getting to the destination by plane instead of motorbike (Hindu menu on SQ is awesome!); 2 weeks out of Singapore (yay! no work!); going to another continent!

Switzerland never stopped wowing us with its breathtaking scenery, historical buildings and friendly people. In 2 weeks, we visited Zurich city, Berne, Mt Pilatus in Lucerne, Zermatt...

Getting Around
We had Zurich as our base, moving around mostly by train and Google maps. They say the trains and buses were so accurate you could set your watch according to the time they arrived.  The number of facilities for bike commuting also made us drool and wished we could live there.  There were designated bike lanes, bike racks on the back of public buses, special carriage on trains for bikes.

Seung the engineer checking out the super space saving bicycle rack.



Borrow a fixie to ride (outside Freitag shop)

 

Took many trains to get around.  This is the Glacier Express.

Natural beauty

Switzerland is a continuous line of ice caps, mountains, valleys, lakes.  Almost no such thing as a plateau, but a constant canvas of scenery weaving thru the sky.  It unwinds as far as the eye can see, with a dreamy calm that is punctuated by the occasional strolling cow! 



Mt Pilatus, Lucerne

Traditional family restaurant on outskirts of Zurich

On Jungfraujoch, view of the magnificent glacier. We touched snow for the first time.

The 20 min walk from Jon's hut was filled with amazing scenery.

Things we did
The weather was perfect for outdoor activities, the mountainous terrain ideal for skiing and downhill biking, the air fresh and crisp.



Seung rented a mountain bike for some downhill fun in Valbella 



Klettersteig at Zermatt (Via Ferrata climbing) 
Set up by Mammut, free access to the public if you have brought your own gear

Paragliding off Gornergratt in Zermatt



In Zermatt, cycling on the private roads with the Matterhorn in sight

Our Hosts
We're extremely thankful for our lovely hosts who welcomed us into their homes, prepared delicious Swiss food and gave us useful traveling tips insights to their wonderful country. Most of all, spending time with us.  Luckily we remembered some Chinese recipes and duly returned the favour the next night too :) 

Our hosts in Zurich - Urs and Marlene and their daughter Vivien, with family friends

Sonja hosted us in Bern, welcoming us with a pair of Bern bear cakes

 

Home cooked Polenta and veal stew with Jon and Hanni,
 in their private mountain house that is refurbished from a 300 year old barn!
Even more authentic?  He cooked it over a wood stove.  Luckily we brought a pack of bak-kwa, and slabs of that very quickly became the starters for a memorable combination of Asian and Western.

 

Breakfast at Urs' mountain house in Valbella

Overall, a wonderful holiday for us.  We love Switzerland!



Soaking in the Soul of the Forest - Khao Sok

 Our annual motorbike trip began with a bang. Or should we say : began with a splash.  Despite the warnings of monsoon rain and rumours of flooding along the east coast of Malaysia, we decided to make the long haul to Thailand.  Our journey to Taiping saw us cruising through 4 sets of HEAVY torrential downpours.  You know what they say about GoreTex boots keeping the water out?  Well mine also kept the water in after it had rolled down my leg…   so it’s not the boots at fault here!

The next day, we took a shorter ride towards Songkhla province, wanting to stay in somewhere else besides bustling Hatyai.  A bit of mucking around the countryside, and then VoiLa we reached Chanonda Lake View Resort. 

A little slice of manicured paradise, just 8km away from Hatyai City.  Despite the remote location, the chalet was everything a wet & tired biker could want.  Space to hang up the wet gear, dry sheets for a comfy night, peace and quiet in a countryside setting.    

The compound links to a newly opened seafood restaurant, anyone who can decipher the dates, let me know…

Our next day is a half day ride to Khao Sok in total happiness.  Dry skies, dry roads and flowing curves are all a biker could ever want. 

 To stay at Our Jungle House, it is most refreshing because the owner insists of retaining the primary forest around the tree houses. 

This creates the perfect ambience, with outdoor temperatures of 23 degrees C in the morning, birds & crickets happily chirping away in harmony!  

As someone said "Relaxed By Nature"   :)

 Our jungle house clearly believe in using as much of the natural stuff as possible, so the garden furniture was an attempt to re-use a fallen log, while an uprooted tree stump presented itself as a most unique visual sculpture! 

 We spent time lazing in the river, nothing beats the feel of a cool stream flowing across your lap, just before dinner. 

 Christmas Day dinner comprised of a meal that looked western and tasted Thai!  Roast Chicken with the just right succulent texture, with warm glutinous rice and stir-fry vegetables.

All in the middle of primary rainforest! 

Our wish for 2013 is that may all your wishes come true, and may YOU start living your lives in the way that you hope for as well!  Cheers!

Camerons Highlands Revisited

Earlier in Feb this year, we made a trip to Camerons Highlands!  Our mode of transport were the trusty GSX1200 and TDM900  :)  We had work to do, so wound up going only on Day 2 of our friend's planned trip.

Camerons is a sentimental place for us, because our earliest rides were to this very same town.  It now reeks of development with a Starbucks Cafe and KFC along the main streets as well.  And so, this kinda takes away the quiet laid back charm of a hill resort.  Add in the prevalent deforestation by the farmers, the daily temperatures have risen ever so slightly.  Nevertheless, if you look had enough, quaint accomodations off the beaten track are always available!

It was just one night in Camerons and then off to P.J. to see our friend Lydia's business of running a halfway house for dogs.  If there is ever an Asian & feminine version of The Dog Whisperer, she is it!

We get to her home, and almost a dozen dogs rush out to greet her!  She proceeded to greet each one of them, a happy pat and a little word of love... The whole process must have taken her 20 mins to greet each dog but it was clear she enjoyed every minute of it and the dogs even more :)  Lucky them.

In between, it was food good laughter among the crew....  Cameron Highlands... 

When will I see you again?



Of Sunshine, Rocks and Good Friends

Thailand never ceases to amaze.. Just look at the photo (above), it is a road side coffee shop at a petrol kiosk! In there is a full fledged expresso machine and serving cappucino, latte, and mochas as well!

Yep - this ride is all about Thailand. So we skipped Malaysia in 10 hours, next day zipped right into playful Phuket. In more ways than you can count, Phuket is a 'play'ground. Yeah, here are the guys at lunch, immediately when we arrived in Phuket.

The Catch Beach Bar is a trendy place to hang out, with a non-stop flow of trendy music, generous portions of food and also all manners of toursits as you can expect in Phuket. Rounds and rounds of Thai food, followed by rounds and rounds of massage was to prep us for the ONE day we planed to go for Rock Climbing at Krabi... We chose a business affiliate of Climb Asia, these are the good guys at Base Camp Tonsai. Mr Ip (not of Ip Man fame) took fantastic care of us, taking a short hike to Diamond Wall and then kitting us up nicely. Diamond Wall is an excellent choice for outdoor climbing, with a shaded overhanging natural rock roof, and routes ranging from 5A to 6C.... we spent the morning with Ip and found that we could really PUSH our limits :)

The return leg from Phuket to Krabi was a fantastic day. Despite the sore arms from the climb, we rode in fantastic cool weather that invigorated us. An unexpected surprise came in a random photo we took roadside... A RAINBOW!

So it is also our 10th wedding anniversary... an impromptu purchase by the beach, possibly overpriced lantern, but for that moment, it was worth EVERY penny!

Totally shattered and tired by the time we reached Hatyai, but the guys were ahead of us and had gotta a menu prepared! Fresh seafood and aromatic lemon grass!

So what do we reckon is the formula for perfect motorbiking holidays?

- 3 to 6 bikes;

- fabulous adventurous friends;

- a flat & clean bed to sleep on;

- sunny, dry days!

- healthy, good food,

- mind blowing scenery,

If only we could go on travelling forever....

Kemaman, Makan & Lepak

Let there be light to guide us.

The Best way to travel : two silver bikes. One 900cc twin, the other is a 800cc V4. Which is faster? ha ha ha This is our first time trying to bike & drive. Turns out to be a bit of a logistics mess, where the car will be left behind & the bikes shoot off ahead to mark the turns, etc, etc. Yep, bikes are superior animals on the road. Bikes are like gazelles leaping through the urban jungle, while cars are like hippos. wide and always getting held up!

The trip was going to head Cherating and the small town of Kemaman. The famous Ah Peng Coffee and the classic steamed fish & noodle breakfast.

Part of our small convoy is a red Beetle. Look at the happy owner... walked back to her car after breakfast and then there were two!

nothing fab to report in Cherating, but we went out hunting in the evening for a famed seafood store... If u can find this store at night, you will be rewarded with freshest seafood in all styles known to kampung malays :)

Warung Awang Ikan Bakar.

Here is a neat pic of the tree house for rent at Ruby's Resort in Cherating.

Imagine u need to answer the call of nature at night.... how, ah?

Teluk Iskandar 2010

Have you actually thought of Mersing as a destination?

Well, Teluk Iskandar Inn is one of those places that might just change your mind.

We primarily sought out this place because the owners believe in the tropical living concept, with all rooms having excellent natural ventilation. Most peaceful is the simple & spacious garden. Just ideal for lazing underneath the mature mango tree that is 4 storeys tall, the sea breeze from the ocean cools the entire living space.

So this is place totally to chill out, veg out, retreat from the mad urban sprawl that is Singapore!

Modelled after some Aussie style B&B, that place has got 6 guest rooms and totally possible to sit at the Inn's al fresco dining space, just reading a book & helping yourself to unlimited servings of coffee / tea. If the mood strikes you, an assortment of lounging spaces are thoughtfully scattered beneath the guest apartments. This (in effect) creates a basement effect, but is actually breezy and the hammock is the BEST spot for 'leh-pak-ing'.

Up the road is a hawker stall in the classic Malaysian style... the guy set up a satay shop right in front of his house. We had been reliably told that he started off with only 1 table, but now had grown to more than 12 tables! We ordered Chicken satay and it was the most succulent chicken satay ever! just the odd burnt bits on the edges, but otherwise, the chicken chunks were still juicy on the inside. The enterprising owner even included free Wi-Fi connection for his guests!


Malaysia Boleh!

Chill out Ride to Muar 5-7 Nov

Did a short ride to Muar over Deepavali weekend with some old friends back in town & also last ride for Cheong who's leaving Singapore soon....

Enjoyed the ride through the small towns Batu Pahat & Ayer Hitam along the way, not without first getting through a massive jam before Malaysian customs.

Muar has developed quite a bit , nothing like the sleepy town few years back. The food street reminded us about streets in Hatyai or perhaps Melaka's Jonker Street where you can walk a round savouring bits of local fare.

By the Muar River, there's wonderful assam pedas, the best being the stingray! The whole row of assam pedas stall as far as the eyes can see....

Last pic outside Muar Traders Hotel before we left....