Day 33 Nov 17 Alor Setar - Kangar Part 1

Distance: 51.37 km
Max Speed: 27.3 km/h
Average while moving: 18.5 km/h


The Regent tried its best to get me to dislike it. Being stuck on the top floor when you have 20kgs of bags to haul up is one thing - even when one of the hotel staff helps.

When he opens the room door and tries to switch on the air con only to find that the remote fails to work, it adds to the overall image and mood just a tad.

Then when he comes back with fresh batteries and the air con starts up, you look around the room and realise two things - it fronts the street and you get traffic noise (though in reality it isn't too noisy) and you also realise that only 2 of the 6 lights in the room actually works. No bedside lamps, no entrance light, no side light...

Still, there was a feeling of lived-in comfort. Like an old pair of shoes that feels just right, despite looking a little worn and tired, the hotel just seemed to fit around me invitingly and warmly.

And it did get warm... but don't let me get ahead of myself.

The staff at the hotel were extremely friendly - not in a false, instructed or trained manner, but in a sincere straight-from-the-heart flow that just added to the aura of the place.

Now, I'm not saying that the Regent is the best place to stay in Alor Setar. Not by any means. However, just like how I've found such warmth and friendliness in so many people I've met along the way, the Regent was that little kampung gerai compared to some other newer hotels. You forgive the gerai for its torn table cloths, or its grubby walls, for you know you'll have some decent grub, a good chat, maybe a memory or two to take with you.

I went to the Railway station to book my ticket back. The station master confirmed that if I booked the entire first class cabin, and if I wrapped the bike up and made it as small a package as possible, I should have no problems taking it on board. Happy to have finally made progress on the matter, I went up to the ticket counter and found all the tickets sold out for my intended date of travel...

I had wanted to be back in Singapore on Wednesday the 21st, for a number of reasons. The only tickets I could get would land me in KL on the 21st morning. I bought the tickets anyway, with all sorts of scenarios running through my head...

1st class train from Arau to KL arriving 21st. Bike dismantled and boxed.
Then express bus to Singapore - will they let me take the bike? Could it fit in the luggage compartment?
If not, what about train to Singapore? Hmmmm... got to heave everything through customs - no fun that. Anyway, it would be too late to arrive on 21st evening.
What other choices? Other stations? What about getting to Butterworth and getting the train straight through to Singapore?
Or I could leave the bike in KL and bus down immediately...

I got back to the hotel just before 11, quite hot from the walk. I had requested a late checkout so went upstairs to think things through. As I sat there, the lights suddenly went off and the air con main switch flicked off loudly. Hmmmm... the room was still plenty bright due to the large windows so I waited a little while.

5 minutes passed and I decided to pop downstairs to find out what was going on - they couldn't have thought I was checking out and flicked off my power could they?

The entire hotel was dark save for the emergency lights and the natural light that came in through the clear roof panels over the atrium. It seems there was a power blackout - I found the staff having lunch in the cafe and joked that they should pay their electricity bill promptly next time. They laughed and invited me to join them for lunch but I declined and headed out to find me something to eat.

True enough, most of the shops were in darkness, the owners sitting around calmly reading papers or talking. I gather blackouts are not uncommon here, in Mahathir's birthplace.

When I came back, hot once again (it was a very hot day), the residual cool air in my room was welcome though after a few minutes I was getting a trifle warm, though not uncomfortably so. I made some telephone enquiries about buses and it all didn't look good.

Still, Not something to dwell over, so I decided to check out and head out to Kangar. I waited in the lobby (the electricity supply had resumed) until about 3, chatting with the staff for a bit. When I eventually set off, I turned around and 3 of the staff were at the hotel doors waving at me.

I like the Regent... even when the air con or lights don't work!