DAY 11 Batu Pahat to Muar (Malaysia)

I left Batu Pahat around 7:10 AM. My plan for the day was to cover 50 kilometers to Muar.

I wanted to cover as much distance as possible during the cooler hours.

It was fun to watch the remaining distance on my GPS slowly decrease.

However, the temperature exceeded 30 degrees Celsius just after 10 AM.

It was 33 degrees Celsius by 2 PM.

I skipped a lunch break and instead took many 10-15 minute breaks. I rarely sat down.

Eating ice cream at a convenience store became a daily routine.

I gulped down pop soda (my favorite is A&W), which I rarely drink in Japan.

A little after 5 PM, I thought I'd reached my hotel in Muar, but realized it was the wrong hotel, so I frantically searched Google Maps again.

I arrived at my destination, my private lodging, at 5:30 AM. It was just over 1 km from the city center. I bought some food at a convenience store.

Finished with a total distance of 50.3km. My first distance of over 50km in Malaysia.

Refreshed after a shower.

The afternoon heat of 33°C, constant thirst, and soles of my feet hurt for the first time in a while.

Tomorrow, I have another 45km to run to Melaka. I'm pumped. I'm ready to show my true adventure runner skills.

*Today's distance: 50.3km

*Total distance from Changi Airport: 186.8km

*Today's Photo Albums

*YouTube Playlist

*PEACE RUN Official Site

DAY 10 Batu Pahat (Malaysia)

Day 10, a day off in Batu Pahat.

The high temperature was 33°C again today.

I would rather not walk around town in the scorching sun, but I took a morning stroll around the neighborhood.

I headed south along the Batu Pahat River.

I visited the market and tried out the food court.

Wherever I go, there are stray cats, quite a few of them just hanging around the area without being owned by anyone.

Their fur is messy, and some of them look quite ragged. It is just like the stray cats that are common in Japan in the past.

I am often forced to watch animals that has been hit by cars while running on the road, but while these cats have gained their freedom, they are always walking a fine line between danger and reality.

The markets were all lively and bustling. Being close to the sea meant there was a wide variety of fresh fish available.

For lunch, I had Vietnamese seafood pho at the food court.

I was surprised to find out that pineapple was used as a secret ingredient!

For dinner, I ate Fish Curry at a food court called New Traffic Light Corner.

Whether it's food or something else, it's nice to casually come across something interesting or wonderful while walking around.

*Today's distance: 0km

*Total distance from Changi Airport: 136.5 km

*Today's Photo Albums

*YouTube Playlist

*PEACE RUN Official Site

DAY 9: Pari Raja to Batu Pahat (Malaysia)

Left hotel in Parit Raja at 7:40 AM.

Today will be a short day just 23km to Batu Pahat.

Soon I join Route 5, along the coast, heading towards Muar and Melaka.

The shoulders of the road are now wider and relatively easy to run along, but I need to be careful when crossing the road or turning right.

To turn right, I need the same speed as a car or motorbike and start sprinting as soon as the light in front of me turns green.

It was also nice to see drivers chatting to me from their car windows and road construction workers waving at me.

For an early lunch, I had pork noodles at a Chinese restaurant, 7km from Batu Pahat. It was so delicious that I drank the whole soup.

The heat remained the same today.

Sweating profusely and drinking plenty of fluids stimulates metabolism and actually makes me feel better.

Eating and drinking too many cold foods or drink can make my stomach feel cold.

Checked into the hotel at 2 PM. Enjoy every day to the fullest.

*Today's distance: 22.6km

*Total distance from Changi Airport: 136.5 km

*Today's Photo Albums

*YouTube Playlist

*PEACE RUN Official Site

DAY 8 Simpang Renggam to Parit Raja (Malaysia)

Started at 7:40 AM. Before leaving, I was chatting with the man at the hotel front desk, and he became interested in my trek.

On this trek, I haven't had many opportunities to talk to local people so far, only making small talk with hotel staff and convenience store clerks.

It was going to be hot again today, with temperatures ranging from 23-33 degrees.

My journey on Route 1 ended in Ayer Hitam, and from there I headed north on Route 50.

I covered another 30 kilometers today. By 10 AM, the temperature was over 30 degrees.

While resting at the bus stop, I noticed a wild monkey climbing a tree in the forest behind it. I looked it up and it turns out to be a long-tailed macaque.

I stopped off in Ayer Hitam for ice cream and coffee. No matter how much water I drank, it quickly turned into sweat and was lost.

I also don't forget to replenish my salt intake. I have brought some seaweed salt with me this time.

Every town in Malaysia has monuments with words like "I LOVE (actually a red heart mark) XXX" or "WE LOVE XXX," suggesting a strong sense of community.

Today, as always, many cars and motorbikes honked their horns to encourage me as I ran along.

It was exactly 10 kilometers from Ayer Hitam to Pari Raja. The last 5 kilometers were the toughest.

The water I had with me quickly became hot. Even if I put it in a foldable cooler box, there was no ice, so there was nothing I could do.

With 2 kilometers to go, my iPhone displayed a "High Temperature Warning." This can happen if I charge it in the hot sun.

The first time I saw this was in the mountains of Andalucia, Spain. 

It was when I was trying to find a way out.

I had lost internet and GPS connection, and got lost in the mountains.

What would I have done if I hadn't survived?

I finished at a hotel in Parit Raja at 2 p.m. Today I'd gotten a double room.

I disassembled my buggy and carried it up to the second floor. Climbing the stairs was an ordeal. My room was on the third floor.

For a late lunch (early dinner), I had takeout from a nearby deli and ate it at the hotel.

Tomorrow I'm heading to Batu Pahat. It's about 20 kilometers. I'll have the day after tomorrow off.

*Today's distance: 30.1km

*Total distance from Changi Airport: 113.9 km

*Today's Photo Albums

*YouTube Playlist

*PEACE RUN Official Site

DAY 7: Kulai to Simpang Rengam (Malaysia)

Left hotel in Kulai just after 7:00 AM.

Today's route on Highway 1 was simple. Only a few sections had four lanes, and most were two.

Even though traffic was not so heavy, I needed to watch for traffic due to the large number of large vehicles and narrow shoulders.

The strong, black smell of diesel exhaust fumes seemed unhealthy.

I checked for large vehicles behind me in the mirrors, and when passing a large vehicle from the front, I made sure to move the buggy off the shoulder onto the dirt road.

Safety was my top priority. Fortunately, a motorcycle lane was added in the second half of the trip, widening the shoulder.

Took several breaks at bus stops. Because it was tropical, I was bitten by mosquitoes.

There were quite a few long sections along the way that were surrounded by dense, empty jungle.

A surprising number of cars honked their horns in support.

Temperatures ranged from 24 to 33 degrees. I was feeling a bit exhausted from the heat in the afternoon, so I tried to cool down in the shade as often as possible.

Arrived at hotel in Simpang Renggam just after 2pm, avoiding any evening showers.

I did some shopping and had a light meal. Since it was an odd time, I ate some nuts and fruit.

It took quite a while to replace the spokes.

I had experienced this once before in Taiwan, but the tire bead was stiff and it was difficult to mount the tire.

Afterwards I took a shower and did the laundry (by hand washing). 

Day 7 was completed without a hitch.

I had chicken rice for dinner at the restaurant next door. It was completely different from chicken rice that Japanese people imagine, which made me laugh.

*Today's distance: 30.0km

*Total distance from Changi Airport: 83.8 km

*Today's Photo Albums

*YouTube Playlist

*PEACE RUN Official Site

DAY 6 Johor Bahru to Kulai (Malaysia)

At 7:15 AM, I finally set off just when the sun rose.

Fortunately, it was a cool 24 degrees.

I followed Route 1, but even leaving Johor Bahru was complicated and involved many detours.

There were no crosswalks or anything to get onto the other side of the road. It reminded me of the freeways in Los Angeles.

It was extremely dangerous if I wasn't careful of cars entering and exiting the ramps.

Even if there were sidewalks, many were narrow. Where there were no shoulders, I risked my life.

It felt like a glimpse into the reality of Malaysia's car-oriented society.

I took two breaks at McDonald's and one at a convenience store.

A Chinese-looking man driving a local truck gave me a banana, bread, and two drinks.

Afterwards, a woman offered me mineral water bottle through the window of her car.

There were hardly any pedestrians, let alone bicycles, on the roads, so a traveler pushing a buggy stood out.

A sudden downpour hit just after 2 PM.

With only my luggage covered, I stayed wet, which was actually quite comfortable.

Even so, the number of cars didn't decrease; it only increased. Traffic jams raged in Kulai. The shoulders were narrow, so even my buggy got stuck in the jam.

A little after 3 PM, I ran 30.1 km to the capsule hotel in Kulai.

It was quite tough and hard for the first day, but I was so grateful and moved that I managed to finish safely!

I had Malay-style Chinese Char Kway (RM9.90) at the hotel restaurant.

*Today's distance: 30.1 km

*Total distance from Changi Airport: 53.8 km

*Today's Photo Albums

*PeaceRun Official Site

DAY 5 Johor Bahru (Malaysia)

DAY 5, second day in Malaysia, stuck in Johor Bahru.

In the morning, I did some grocery shopping. It was delicious, but even if I had no idea what I was eating, the AI ​​could help me figure it out.

Around noon, I had mie goreng at the food court inside Larkin Sentral Terminal.

It was similar to Japanese yakisoba(fried noodle) and wasn't too spicy. At 320 yen, it was great value for money.

I also visited the bazaar.

To learn about a place, you need to see it from the locals' perspective.

Even if you don't understand the language, you can often learn more by feeling than by thinking.

A country with cheap and delicious food is a blessing for a traveler. If the people are also warm and friendly, that's even better.

*Today's Photo Albums

*YouTube Movie List

*PEACE RUN Official Site