Today is a public holiday to celebrate the birthday of the Sultan of Kedah. It was only really noticeable when we arrived in Gurun itself where a lot of shops and restaurants were closed. But we are jumping ahead a little, back to the start of the day.

All roads should be like this

What do you need to start a day well? Fixing a puncture of course, the sooner we can get rid of that tyre the better.

Following the delay it was a 9:30 start and after a short distance on the main road we turned off to a series of small side roads which made lovely cycling.

Our hotel is near the foot of the mountain in the distance (Mt Jerai)

Again everyone was greeting us as we cycled past, it just brings a smile to your face. There were a lot of people fishing in the drainage ditches.

Two women fishermen stop to pose for a picture

Then we moved on to a slightly larger road with more traffic and the rolling hills started as well, nothing steep just up / down, up / down, …..

Janet puzzles over the cucumber looking fruit off a tree given to her as we passed by

There is not the availability of roadside iced drinks like in Thailand which we both really miss.

As we moved inland a small distance, the rice fields gave way to Palm oil plantations, probably more to do with the increased hilliness than anything.

Palm oil plantations

The temperature after lunch blistered it’s way up to 47.5 °C, hottest yet. When we arrived at Hotel Sukaramai we were ready for the cool of an air conditioned room.

We went for the fifth food group, pizza tonight and it was very good indeed, RM 25 for one large and one regular.

The Strava route today.