DAY 25 Slim River to Sungkai (Malaysia)

I started late in the morning.

Today, I continued north along Highway 1.

For a while, there were no shops or settlements.

There were only Hindu temples and Islamic cemeteries.

Malaysia is a country where people of various ethnicities and religions coexist.

Cemeteries, temples, and churches are all separated by religion.

Today's distance was 22.7 kilometers. The first bus stop for a rest was 15 kilometers away.

Today was the last day of the Hari Raya holiday, so the southbound lanes were congested.

Tomorrow, it will return to normal.

There was a monkey community, and a large group of monkeys greeted me.

There were dozens of them, and they all looked at me curiously without running away. The baby monkeys were quite cute.

I entered the town of Sungkai just before 1 PM, and finally, there were some shops.

I killed time until hotel check-in, and checked in exactly at 2 PM. 

The stroller is stored in the room on the first floor.

I took a shower, hand-washed the clothes, and hung them to dry indoors.

I wonder when the last time I used the washing machine was?

My right knee is relatively stable. It doesn't hurt when I'm moving, but it starts to hurt if I push myself too hard on downhill slopes.

I seem to be able to manage 20 kilometers or so if I take a rest so often.

The temperature is 34 degrees Celsius again today. It gets hottest around 2 PM.

* Distance traveled today: 22.7 km

* Total distance traveled from Changi International Airport: 504 km

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*PEACE RUN Official Site

DAY 24 Tanjung Malim to Slim River (Malaysia)

After taking a day-off, my right knee feels a little better, but I'm still far from being back to normal.

A mix of brisk walking and running. I still have trouble putting weight on my right leg.

Short distances today and tomorrow.

Started just after 7 AM.

Traffic increased as lunchtime approached.

Yesterday was Hari Raya, the end of Ramadan, so it's holiday season.

There are more passenger cars than large vehicles like trucks.

Highway 1 has some sections without paved shoulders, making it difficult to run.

Many cars show respect to the buggy, slowing down and passing at a safe distance.

By just after 10 AM, the sun was intense. It wasn't just hot; the heat felt like it was piercing my skin, almost painful. Bus stops were perfect resting places. It was quite cool in the shade with a breeze.

After a break at FamilyMart, an elderly woman wearing a hijab gave me a 5 ringgit donation in front of the store. I was very grateful.

Today's run was a short distance, about the length of a half marathon. I finished running a little after 1 PM and was waiting to check into the hotel.

I needed to take precautions against heatstroke and rest my knees, and while I had some leeway in my schedule, it was still a bit disappointing that it ended so quickly.

The hotel reception is on the second floor. Once again, I had to fold up the stroller and carry it upstairs.

The air conditioner in my room was so old that it was only blowing fan air. No matter how low I turned the temperature, the air was still lukewarm.

*Today's distance: 21.3 km

*Total distance from Changi International Airport: 481.3 km

*Today's Photo Albums

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*PEACE RUN Official Site

DAY 23 Tanjung Malim (Malaysia)

To allow my right knee to recover, I only walked around town a little for shopping and a meal.

It's also important to have time to do nothing and just relax.

On days when I don't use my body, I use my mind and body to the fullest. Feeling and thinking.

However, thinking too much tends to lead to negative thoughts.

I hope to create a good state of mind and body by eating delicious food and relaxing.

During the day, I got chicken curry buns to go from a popular shop in town.

In the evening, I ate mee goreng and chicken curry at an Indian restaurant.

It rains heavily with thunder almost every day around 5 PM.

Strangely, it stops after about 20-30 minutes. The cool air and refreshing feeling after the rain is nice.

I wonder if Osaka in August during the Showa era was like this too…

*Today's distance traveled: 0 km

*Total distance traveled from Changi International Airport: 460 km

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*PEACE RUN Official Site

DAY 22 Kuala Kubebar to Tanjung Malim (Malaysia)

 

My hotel room was on the fourth floor, so just getting my luggage down to the first floor was quite a task.

I was impressed by the smiling farewell from the elderly Indian woman at the reception.

Downtown Kuala Kubu Bharu has the atmosphere of a small town in the Midwest in the United States.

There's one main street, and most of the necessary shops and facilities are lined up on both sides.

Everyone walking around the town seems to know each other and calls each other by their first names...that's the kind of town it is.

I returned to Highway 1 and headed north towards Ipoh.

There were several small towns along the way, and there were usually enough shops, so I didn't have any problems.

At small supermarkets, if there's a queue, you'll normally have to wait about 10 minutes.

The shoulder of the road narrows and widens in places, and there are still quite a few cars today, probably a remnant of the holiday rush.

Despite a decrease in large vehicles like trucks, there seems to be an increase in passenger cars.

Many Malaysians are surprisingly shy; I wasn't often approached for conversation, but many people honked their horns in their cars to encourage me.

I witnessed a troop of wild monkeys rummaging through a trash can. I wonder if the stray dogs, cats, and crows here are also comfortable eating the leftovers of spicy food?

I arrived in Tanjung Malim, my final destination, in the early afternoon.

I had lunch at Pizza Hut across from the hotel before check-in time.

It seems there's a public teacher training university in this town.

My right knee hurts when I bend and straighten it. It doesn't hurt too much when I'm running or walking, but I have to be careful of the impact when going downhill. I didn't have any major problems in Vietnam or Taiwan, so why is this happening now? I don't want to think it's due to aging.

I checked in after 2 pm. I folded up the stroller and left it in front of the reception on the second floor.

There are many shops and restaurants nearby, making it a very convenient location. I'll take tomorrow off to rest and recover.

It seems the holiday season after Ramadan begins tomorrow.

* Today's distance traveled: 22.9 km

* Total distance traveled from Changi International Airport: 460 km

*Today's Photo Albums

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*PEACE RUN Official Site

DAY 21 Rawang to Kuala Kubu Bharu (Malaysia)

The hotel I stayed last night had no air conditioning, only a huge fan.

The wind was strong, but the noise was terrible. It cooled down in the early morning, so I turned the fan off.

I was surprised by the state of this provincial hotel, something unthinkable in the city of Kuala Lumpur.

It's unclear whether the sheets and pillowcases had been changed. 

There were also dead insects and garbage left as they were.

I sensed a lack of motivation from the owner.

I found this hotel through Booking.com, but the reviews clearly didn't tell the truth.

The only thing I can appreciate is the low price of under 2000 yen…

After leaving Rawang, there was a long, gradual uphill climb.

There was traffic congestion in places due to the holiday rush.

After running 12 kilometers, I took a break at Antara Gapi.

My right knee was bothering me from yesterday's downhill run.

Bending and straightening my knee felt a little strange.

My knees are stiff and a little painful on the downhill.

I'll take it easy and see how it goes.

I went into a Family Mart in Rasa at lunchtime, but the air conditioning was so strong it was almost too cold.

A father with a family struck up a conversation with me.

He said he'd seen me running with a stroller from his car.

He said he and his family were visiting his parents' home.

With 10 kilometers left, my iPhone shut down several times due to the heat.

Even though it was 33 degrees Celsius, the perceived temperature was much hotter. It felt considerably cooler in the shade.

How glad I am that I managed to finish today's run at 2PM!

The hotel I'm currently at is about 2.8 kilometers northeast of Highway 1, on Highway 55.

This is because there weren't any suitable hotels on Highway 1.

Tomorrow, I'll have to follow the same 2.8 kilometers back to Highway 1.

In the evening, I went into town. I got takeout food from the bazaar.

Fried chicken rice, sausage spring rolls, and douhua (tofu pudding) for a total of RM13 (520 yen).

I feel like I've been eating nothing but chicken every day.

If I want to eat a variety of vegetables, Chinese food is a good choice.

*Today's distance traveled: 30.7 km

*Total distance traveled from Changi International Airport: 437.1 km

*Today's Photo Albums

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*PEACE RUN Official Site

DAY 20 Kuala Lumpur-Rawang (Malaysia)

Departed just after 7 AM.

Stage 3 is approximately 200 kilometers from Kuala Lumpur to Ipoh.

Will I be able to arrive in a week?

Heading northeast from downtown Kuala Lumpur.

Passing Central Market and Merdeka Square, which I visited yesterday.

Mainly running on Highway 1. There were many ramps and intersections, requiring a sprint each time.

While there are many sidewalks in the city, they aren't very reliable because of obstacles and dead ends.

Big cities have many people and shops, but the number of cars and motorcycles is abnormally high. Those in cars might not notice, but the exhaust fumes and noise from running on the highway all day gives me a headache.

Took several breaks at bus stops. Today's distance is short, so there's no need to rush, but I want to avoid the heat as much as possible. There will probably be another thunderstorm late this afternoon.

The last 15 kilometers or so involved a long, drawn-out climb over a mountain pass. At 158 ​​meters above sea level, it wasn't particularly high, but the heat made the several-kilometer ascent quite challenging.

Finally, the skyscrapers disappeared from view, and the familiar Malaysian scenery returned.

Ramadan is almost over, and it seems the rush of people returning home for the holidays is about to begin.

*Today's distance traveled: 30.3 km

*Total distance traveled from Changi International Airport: 406.4 km

*Today's Photo Albums

*YouTube Playlist

*PEACE RUN Official Site

DAY 19 Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)

I woke up suddenly in the middle of the night, it was only around 11 o'clock. I still have strange dreams, but most of them are about the various troubles and incidents that happened at the school where I worked as a teacher.

When will I ever be freed from this curse (lol)?

I had a light breakfast, finished my morning tasks, and headed out into the city.

My destination was Merdeka Square. A historical place where Malaysia gained independence from Britain 69 years ago.

At midnight on August 31, 1957, the Union Jack (British flag) that had been flying in this square was lowered, and the flag of the Federation of Malaya was raised in its place. This was the de facto independence of the Federation of Malaya, the predecessor of Malaysia.

Today, the Malaysian flag was fluttering in the wind at the top of the 95-meter pole.

Many tourists visit this place.

I suddenly found myself thinking about what independence really means.

People and countries that were under some kind of rule win their freedom. Similar situations have likely occurred many times throughout world history.

It's hot outside again today. On my way back, I strolled through Central Market.

Most tourists coming to Malaysia probably enter through Kuala Lumpur.

I entered the country through Johor Bahru. Kuala Lumpur is quite different from the impression I got of Malaysia when I first saw it there.

Skyscrapers tower everywhere. There are also many historical buildings.

Much has changed in Malaysia in the last 70 years or so.

The Malaysia of today exists because of its diverse past history.

For lunch, I ate something called Ghi Garam Tosai at an Indian restaurant near my hotel.

It's a Malaysian version of a pancake, crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside.

It had curry-flavored potatoes inside. There were no spoons or forks, so I ate it with my hands.

It was almost amazing to be able to eat something so delicious for around 200 yen.

Dinner was Chinese food. Sword-shaved noodles with seafood. The light, salty flavor was delicious.

Tomorrow will be the 20th day since the start of my journey.

More than sightseeing, I hope to fully enjoy the various things of each country and place with all my senses.

Tomorrow marks the start of Stage 3. My next destination is Ipoh.

A Facebook friend who lives there will be there to greet me. I'm looking forward to it.

*Today's distance traveled: 0 km

*Total distance traveled from Changi International Airport: 376.1 km

*Today's Photo Albums

*YouTube Playlist

*PEACE RUN Official Site