Day 5, Penang, first serious cycling day

Today is a special day to test our ability to ride. We planned to wake up early at 7:00 and to do a 60 kilometre loop around the island. For this first day we don't need our panniers because we are staying at the same crap hotel!

Still jetlagged, we got up at 11:00. There was a lot of heavy rain during the night which kept us awake. Directly on the bike after breakfast. The first 30 kms until Balik Pulau was overall fairly easy to ride. We succesfully climbed a long steep hill, had some awesome views and were followed at one point by some supporters on scooters. At Balik Pulau we decided to stop in a restaurant where we ate some tasty soup made with prawns, pork and coconut milk called "siam laksa". We met a nice local couple who were astonished that we had found the place by accident - they had come from Georgetown specifically to eat at this well known place.

Siam laksa - Great

3 pm, time to get back on the bikes. Despite our strong determination, this part was much harder. I have to recognise that the hot weather doesn't help when climbing another steep hill with a 10 degree gradient. After having a little sunstroke, our objective was to fight our shortage of sugar. So we stopped at a shop at the highest point of the hill and bought some fruit. I made the most of it to test some durian fruit (which smells DISGUSTING), I ate it, but I'm still not really convinced.

After that, thanks to local cyclists we managed to find the quickest way to go back home and arrived at 8 pm. 60 kms done, it was time to fill our stomachs and sleep.

Today taught us a lot. We know more about our fitness levels and what to avoid. It is important to always have some sugar with us and to be aware of the weather because we don't feel the side effects straightaway.

Nevertheless, it is great to be doing this.

Nicolas