Let's Cycle 2 - Day 4 Ipoh - Sauk

So far this was the best accommodation we had in the tour and thanks to MH Hotel for their support. MH Hotel Ipoh is located in Ipoh Garden. After a good breakfast in the hotel we were set to roll again and this time to an old folk home at Jelapang.

It was a hot day and the first day of fasting in this month of Ramadan.

We passed by The Church of Our lady of Lourdes as we left Ipoh.

Yes this way, we will follow you Rickman.

Poor Baki no drink for him only chatting on the phone on a super hot day.

Here you are our first visit of the day and we will be spending a couple of hours at this home.

After 15km under the hot sun we reached Jelapang Old Folk Home.

Peter Choi, the main man at this home was waiting for us.

The folks at this home with their own stories as how they ended up at this place. A place where we might be here if our loved ones isn't around to take care of us.

No gas cooking is allowed at this home, mostly cooking with charcoal. I was glad to be able my charcoal cooked rice it has been a long time since the last I had one.

Friends from Penang came and performed a couple of oldies for the folks. Thank you young musicians.

The attentive audiences enjoying the performance while waiting for lunch to be served. Uncle Lim, Fenn & Rickman were at the kitchen preparing the food. Uncle Lim not only good in cycling he can cook too!

Of course we have our popular hosts entertaining at the stage.

Peter Choi, the Secretary is doing a good job and I believe he can provide the best for this place, till then Peter we will see you in Penang. The time was about 4.00pm when we left this Old Folk Home and the journey was not going to be easy to Sauk.

Slowly and steadily we pedalled under the hot condition, Sauk is on the way to Gerik and is a detour from our journey to Penang. We shall be there.

It was a tough day for Baki with the scorching heat and he was fasting, we could see how he fight through this day. My salute to him.

Leaving the neighbourhood of Sungai Siput.

At our 49th kilometre we took this overhead  ramp over the railway lines.

And after 58km of cycling to we reached this bridge. Victoria Bridge is a single track railway truss bridge located in Karai, in the state of Perak, Malaysia. It is one of the oldest railway bridges in the country, having been constructed between December 1897 and March 1900 by the Perak Government Railway as a crossing over the Perak River to serve the local tin mining industry. The bridge was officially opened by the late Almarhum SultanIdris Shah I of Perak and the British's Federated Malay States Residents-General Sir Frank Swettenham.

The Victoria Bridge remained in use until 2002, when a wider concrete girder bridge built parallel to the old bridge was completed to take over the role of handling rail traffic. The new bridge is significantly wider, with room to support a second track, but in its early life it was only required to handle a single track until double tracking and electrification was conducted between the Ipoh-Padang Besar line during the late-2000s and early-2010s.

While the old bridge is closed to rail traffic, its adjoining footbridge is still publicly open to motorcycles and pedestrians. Attempts have been made to retain the structure, with occasional maintenance having been conducted on it.

This was the longest day of the tour it was already dark when we were on Baling - Kuala Kangsar road. I just couldn't wait to see any sign showing Suak and it took a long while to see it.

At last after pedalling 76km we finally reached Kamo Home 容县七号 at Sauk. This place reminded me of my grandfather home in Karangan, Kedah, deep in a rubber plantation there was this wooden house where my late dad and his siblings once stayed.

A brief chat with Kamo and a quick cold shower before we went over to a restaurant before it is closed. Everyone was hungry and dinner was on everyone's mind.

The dinner was delicious especially the steamed fish, apparently one must try the fresh water fish in this region.

The four male riders were put on the attic and there was only natural ventilation available, fortunately it got cooler as the night passes by.

Good night and sleep tight there wouldn't be any uploading of photos as the internet is weak at Sauk.

The longest day covering a distance of 76km with one of the most difficult elevations in this tour.