April29th-May2nd

We spent another night at our very nice hotel in Paka. After our breakfast we decided to raise Linda's handle bars; a bolt sheared and the handle bars could not be made secure. We tried to fix them up with tape but Jeff was not happy about it and he said" How would I explain to the children that your mum fell off the bike onto the road as the handlebars were loose". Late afternoon we went to two motorbike shops - the first said he could not do it but the second spent half an hour drilling out the sheared bolt and very carefully replaced it with a new one. When we came to pay he refused any payment. This sort of kindness is typical of what we are finding in Malaysia. Yesterday having got lost once we thought we were on the right road. Firstly a chap approached us on his motorbike but he could not make himself understood so we carried on cycling. Then a second chap on his motorbike came up to us and told us we had taken the wrong road and this was a dead end. He then had us follow him and he put us on the right road.
On the morning of the 30th we left at dawn. We were worried that our front light was a bit dim. However we were then overtaken by a motorbike without any lights at all.
Mopeds are the most popular form of transport- so far we have seen two adults and two children on a mpoed, one man and a gibbon, one man carrying a spade and pick axe and a woman driving with one hand and holding her baby in the other. Malaysian men ride with their jackets on back to front.
Having had an early start we got to our intended destination too early so we decided to continue and got as far as Marang where we stayed the night having done 52 miles. The village was dominated by a very large Mosque and when the Iman recited his prayers the whole village had to take note as it was so loud.
One thing that never changes wherever you go is a G and T as when we were in the hotel we saw a couple who had a nanny looking after their young daughter in the restaurant and the nanny handed a flask to the man and he proceeded to pour himself what appeared to be a gin and tonic. This behaviour was noticeable as it is difficult enough getting a beer let alone anything stronger.
Our plan on May 1st was to get up late - 6am and have breakfast and then go to Terrangganu to make some phone calls. All went well until we got to our destination only to find that it was a public holiday - Labour Day and nothing was open.
As we continued along the agriculture is beginning to change and for example we are now seeing paddy fields and more cattle. Finally we got to the "hotel" that had been recommended. The first chalet he offered us - cost 4 pounds was beyond the pale. He then offered us a chalet for 7 pounds which we had to accept as there was nowhere else to stay and we were too nackered to cycle any further. Lets just say it was grim although the setting was very beautiful next to the beach. We survived the night and have arrived at Kuala Besut which is just about 40 miles south of Kotu Bharu our final destination north.
Linda seems to have a problem with eggs as when we stopped for breakfast this morning she had a bread roll and picked up two eggs from the counter. When she sat down one of the women customers said to her that the eggs were salty. Linda replied thats ok I like salt on my eggs. When she started to crack the eggs the waitress came along and just removed the eggs from her plate and then brought two other eggs and gave them to her smiling.