Chapter 11 – The Return to MalaysiaRetreat to the Coast
After two costly days in Singapore, the road north felt like a release.
We slipped through the suburbs, leaving behind the gleaming towers
and immaculate boulevards, and returned to Malaysia’s more familiar
cadence.
It was Sunday morning, and the roads were alive with cyclists. They
greeted us with easy camaraderie, pedalling alongside for a stretch,
eager to chat. One rider boasted that Melaka—over 250 kilometres
away—could be reached in a single day. Perhaps he underestimated
the weight of a loaded mountain bike, or perhaps he had never
paused to savour the countryside. For us, the journey was not a race
but a rhythm, each kilometre a story.
The border crossing was immense, the largest and busiest we had
encountered. Immigration halls gleamed with efficiency, a
choreography of passports and stamps. In minutes, we were back in
Malaysia, rolling into Johor Bahru, a city swelling with growth along
the Straits of Johor.
The road north traced the coastline, the sea shimmering to our left,
villages unfolding to our right. By evening, Pontian Kecil welcomed us
with its seaside charm. The town was modest yet inviting, a place
where the day’s exertions could dissolve into rest. Here, at the edge
of the water, we found not just shelter but a sense of return—
Malaysia’s warmth embracing us once again.