Downhill

Day 4 (10th Dec 2012)

I went to a local roti prata shop for breakfast and mistakenly ordered 2 roti pratas as one is never enough in Singapore due to their small size. However, the roti prata here are huge and one almost filled me up. I had to stuff myself to finish both.

After breakfast, I checked out of Elements Hotel and headed for Ipoh. The ride down from Gohtong Jaya towards Batang Kali was probably the most fun and enjoyable yet. The meandering at no acute angles and humpless road indeed lifted my spirits for the ride towards Ipoh.

However, my good spirits ended when I accidentally drop my bike, leaked half my petrol and broke the left mirror while taking a photo along the highway.


The photo that caused me to drop my bike.


The broken left mirror.

In Ipoh, I checked into the YMCA Ipoh which was recommended by one of the couchsurfers in Ipoh, Wen. I chose to stay in the dormitory at only RM18 per night. The dormitory is pretty old and basic. The room that I stayed in has 5 beds and the rest remained empty for the duration I stayed in Ipoh so the whole room is practically mine. There is no where in the room to lock your belongings and no hot water in the toilet. I guess what you pay is what you get. But it is good enough for me for the short duration of 2 nights I planned to stay in Ipoh.


YMCA Ipoh


YMCA Dormitory Room

By the time I was done unpacking, it was pouring already so I took this opportunity to update my blog. It was 3pm then. The rain stopped at 6pm and I could leave YMCA for the dish Ipoh is famous for, Bean Sprout Chicken (Nga Chio Gai). I went to supposedly the best in Ipoh, Lou Wong (49, Jalan Yau Tet Shin, Ipoh). I paid RM9.50 for 1 person's share. Opposite Lou Wong is their rival, Ong Kee. There are also other bean sprout chicken shops nearby.

Little did I know then that the bean sprout chicken is actually the same as Singapore's Hainanese Chicken Rice served bean sprouts as the side dish. The bean sprouts and the chicken were prepared and served separately. Nothing really new to me. However, it is still pretty good. The bean sprout is tasty and crunchy yet doesn't taste raw. I was given half breast meat, half thigh so the taste was quite all rounded. Together with the drink I order, sour plum lemon juice, made me a satisfied customer.


Lou Wong Restoran


Lou Wong Bean Sprout Chicken

After dinner, I went to meet the couchsurfer, Wen, at her workplace, French Hotel, as planned where she advised me on where to go and eat in Ipoh. With the information, I formulated my schedule for the rest of my time in Ipoh. Before calling it a night, I went to Jusco Kinta City for a walkabout.


French Hotel

Uphill

Day 3 (9th Dec 2012)

In the morning, I left Alfred's place at 8am.


Couchsurfer Alfred and I

After parting with him, I headed for Klang for my long awaited and long dued Klang Bak Kut Teh. There are countless of Bak Kut Teh shops in Klang but I decided to try the famous Teluk Pulai Bak Kut Teh. It exceeded my expectation except for the fatty parts which was kind of my fault because they did ask if I wanted lean meat or half fatty. I chose half fatty because I didn't think it was literately half meat, half fats and some fat on the meat is tastier. The meat was tender and the soup was fragrant. All in all, it was a perfect breakfast to start the day.


Teluk Pulai Bak Kut Teh Restaurant


Teluk Pulai Bak Kut Teh

After my tummy was satisfied, I headed towards Genting Highlands. It was definitely not easy to go up Genting Highlands with all the baggages I carried on my bike. But slowly and steadily, I managed to reached the First World Hotel. What was I thinking when I didn't want to pre-book the Genting's accommodation during the holiday seasons? When I reached the lobby, it was packed. It was as if half of Malaysia and the whole of Singapore were here. It's been a long time since I last was in Genting. It was the first time I see that you need a queue number to even check in. There was a notice board that showed the availability of all the hotels in Genting and all of them read full. So I wasted no time and headed for Gohtong Jaya to look for my accommodation.


Genting Highlands


First World Hotel

I found a room in the newly renovated Elements Hotel in Gohtong Jaya for only RM130. For that price, I got a queen size bed room with my own toilet and no windows which I believe could be the cheapest of all of Genting Highlands and Gohtong Jaya. The toilet has hot water, the room has aircon and wifi. What more could I ask for? I also believed that Elements Hotel used to be known as the Gohtong Jaya Hotel until recent renovation or maybe a new owner.


Gohtong Jaya


Elements Hotel in Gohtong Jaya


Elements Hotel Room

After dropping all my stuff into the room, I went back up to explore Genting Highlands. I had to return back to my hotel after I dropped one of my contact lenses. I initially wanted to return in the night but didn't, due to the rain and me falling asleep from a hearty dinner and Mao Shan Wang durian.