Happy Lunar New Year 2012 from Hilltop Garden

Kpg Masjid, Kuala Baram Ride 02nd Jan 2012

A quiet avenue lined with mature trees, however of late there've been some clearing and planting activities by Shin Yang. The native swamp would definitely be replaced by some cash crop such as palm oil and those fast growing, thirsty non-native trees for the pulp industries (as in other locations around Kuala Baram). Hopefully they'll keep the trees along this road intact.

We love this place because there's not much traffic, lots of birds and on most days cool from the sea breeze.

Our first rest stop, we started quite late having finished breakfast only at about 1030hrs. Another half hour drive from home to get here, so we didn't till it was well past 1100hrs. Thankfully for the clouds, though it was warm, it was positively pleasant. It could've been much hotter without the sea breeze and big shades rolling by every so often.

We reached out favorite spot along the old Kuala Baram ferry point just past noon. With plenty of water, rambutan and good cycling, we all arrived in good spirits and lots of smiley faces. We rested to the max, to recharge with idle chatter, listening to the birds and just enjoying the breeze along the mighty Sg Baram.

The ride back, it was harder now that it's in the middle of the afternoon. We made several stops to replenish our energy.

The little shack where we rested to enjoy the afternoon breeze.

Fruit from the nearby mangrove.

A bird's nest at one of our rest stop, looks to be that of a fantail of sorts.

A Lesser Coucal, another unfortunate roadkill victim. This bird has a suicidal tendency to lurch across the road whenever there's passing traffic inadvertently hitting passing cars to sometimes tragic end.

Family ride to Kuala Baram on New Year 2012

It's the New Year and we decided to cycle together to Kuala Baram for 2012. Bikes loaded, we set out after a hefty breakfast of dimsum and noodles at Ming-Xin. Though we left rather late in the morning, with the landas and all, the skies were gloomy and full of clouds providing us with ample shade for our intended ride.

We started at Shell offices, our first stop was at Kpg Batu Satu.

Due to very heavy winds blowing against us from the opposite direction, our second stop was three minutes away from the first stop when Aisya yelled, " Papa, I need a rest!"

Resting at our second longest stop when the wind raised up and the rains started to come down, it almost blew the hut away.

The bikes resting in the rain as we stopped at our longest stop for the trip on account of the initial drizzle that turned ambitious and become a full downpour. The stop was a good one with plenty of sheltered dry space by a small estuary just before Toh Pottery. We observed fiddler crabs, Great Egret, Little Egret and Common Sandpiper while waiting out the rain. We pushed on ahead in the wet anyway when the rain didn't look like it was aiming to let up.

When we left Toh Pottery heading back, the sun was almost shining and the rain clouds parted. On the way back we rode all the way to Kpg Batu Satu, the wind was still, so the ride was effortless and smooth ... Ali and Aisya were flying on the tarmac continuously spraying rainwater on their backs as they cut through the puddles collecting by the road verge. I haven't had this much fun cycling since my first romp on my Halo back in 1990 in a downpour.

Ali executing the Wounded Crane on a Little Rock Move as the tides rushed in.

The Walk on Water Move was a bit tricky when Aisya kept running away everytime the tides rushed in.