Dokkodo: Lonesome Road of Running

Finally, I'm leaving George Town and heading to Penang International Airport. Perhaps due to nervousness, I woke up before 3 AM. In the morning, I disassembled and packed the buggy. It served me well again this time. This time, it wasn't the buggy that was the problem, but my right knee. Even so, I'm fortunate to have made it this far. I called a Grab ride-hailing service before 11 AM and arrived at the airport in about 20 minutes (RM24 = 960 yen). The waiting time at the airport is always long. I drink, eat, play on my smartphone, people-watch... Especially in Malaysia, a multi-ethnic country. I almost forget I'm Japanese. My flight to Kuala Lumpur departs at 9 PM. And my flight from Kuala Lumpur to Kansai Airport departs tomorrow morning at 7:30 AM. Self-check-in is available at kiosk terminals, where you print your ticket and baggage tags. I checked in my luggage before 6 PM, and the excess baggage fee was about 16,000 yen. Even with budget airline tickets, baggage f...

  Here I am in Georgetown, but only did a little sightseeing on the first day. Today is essentially my last day in Georgetown. My right knee is neither good nor bad; walking normally is a bit difficult. I went to a local restaurant for lunch and dinner. The noodles were delicious. I wanted to eat so many more things, but I only have a little time left to enjoy Malaysian cuisine. Maybe I'll have a chance to visit again someday… After lunch, I went to a dim sum shop again and got two kinds of egg tarts to take away. Unfortunately, my final run on the 7th was cancelled. With my right knee in its current state, even walking is difficult. Final goal was made in Georgetown on April 3rd. Tomorrow morning, I'll disassemble and pack the buggy. Although there was a broken spoke, I had no other problems with the buggy because I lightened my luggage. There were no flat tyres either. I'll use the Grab ride-hailing app to call a car to the airport. Tomorrow, DAY 40, my Malaysian journey ...

A mosquito got in, and I woke up in the middle of the night due to the itching. Since it's a tropical country, mosquitoes are active  all year round. I gave my right knee a thorough massage and stretch. The pain isn't constant, but it's best to rest it. In the afternoon, I went out into town. It was Sunday, so there were quite a few tourists. I had Chinese food for lunch. Basically, I eat one main dish a day, either at lunch or dinner. On days when I don't run, I don't feel very hungry. My right knee hurts, so I can't walk much. I only go out for shopping or meals around the hotel. Time to reflect on the journey. Now that the journey is nearing its end, it's time to switch from traveler mode to normal mode. The memories of running the highway day after day are slowly becoming a thing of the past. It was tough and painful at times, but it was also an incredibly exhilarating and truly enjoyable time. I have no regrets about my travels or my life. "I ran m...

In the morning, while it was still cool and there were few people, I strolled around Georgetown. I saw street art, visited mosques and temples, bought a tart, and returned to the hotel. As expected, being a tourist destination, there were many tourists here and there. It seems that Kuala Lumpur, Melaka, and George Town are the most popular tourist spots in Malaysia. It felt like a considerable number of tourists were flocking here not only from other Asian countries but also from Western countries. There were also many cafes and restaurants catering to tourists. Nevertheless, thanks to its tourist attractions, the city was vibrant and stimulating. As a UNESCO World Heritage site, there are buildings that exuded a sense of history, as well as many colorful houses and shops that we wouldn't see in Japan. People are everywhere, moving around with smartphones and action cameras in hand. For lunch, I went to Fu Yang, which I visited yesterday, and ate barbecue rice. For dinner, I had be...

Started just after 7 AM. About 3 kilometers to get back to Highway 1. There were several roundabouts, common in cities of British Commonwealth countries. Entering them on the buggy always required a mad dash. The swarms of motorcycles were quite tricky. While not as bad as Vietnam, they can move unexpectedly, so I got to be careful and watch for their action. It's problematic when a swarm of motorcycles on the opposite lane during rush hour comes from the opposite direction while I'm running on the left. Entering Butterworth city, the number of shops increased. The temperature was 31 degrees Celsius at 11 AM. I wanted to catch the ferry as early as possible. To enter the ferry terminal, I followed a spiral path. There was a lane specifically for motorcycles and bicycles. The end of my journey across the Malay Peninsula was here at the ferry terminal. Arrived around 11:30 AM. The ferry fare was only RM2.50 (100 yen). I took the 12:00 ferry. It  took about 15 minutes. The ferry w...

Started at 7 AM. The road was mostly flat again today. The usual heat returned. I frequently poured water over myself: head, back of neck, back, shoulders… It's best to pour water over myself in the shade when there's a breeze. The evaporative cooling effect makes it feel much cooler. 15 kilometers nonstop until the first rest stop.  There are hardly any bus stops on the northbound lane, and even if there are, they offer almost no shade due to the eastern sun. This happens every day when heading north. There's a fairly large town called Palit Buntar at the 15-kilometer mark, but since it's a few kilometers east of Highway 1, I didn't stop. Passed through the towns of Nibong Tebal and Sungai Jawi. Around 11 AM, entered Penang state from Perak state. Traffic increased after crossing the border. There was a large ship monument, but my iPhone overheated and shut down, so I couldn't take the important photo. I'll take frequent breaks when my knee starts to feel u...