The trip I was not supposed to go.........

This trip to the East Coast, was meant for someone else. However, we had to wait for most of the orders to come in so that we could save a bit of cash and go there one shot. Then, the customer's Big Boss demanded we go at once and not wait any longer.

In the end, I had to go instead. We were actually waiting for the Kota Bahru order but it did not come in time. So, now, my quest is to go to Temerloh, two Kuantan sites and Kuala Terengganu, all in one day. Yeah, you got it. ONE day. So, there was a lot of planning and this time, I would be going alone instead since passengers would only slow me down.

Its not easy, you know. So, I had to start my journey early in the morning so that I can reach Temerloh by 0830. Remember, the van's speed limit is 90Kmh and not 110 or Speed of Light. So, by 0600 or thereabouts, I was off. Unfortunately, this time, the weather was a bit hot and therefore, the Karak Highway was devoid of those wonderful mists and I had to contend with the normal morning dew. By the time I have solved the problem in Temerloh, it was time to go to Kuantan as I need to start my journey to K. Terengganu before two in the afternoon. It is the last stop and there is a reason why I need to go there before Friday as this state considers Friday as rest day. Not only that, I am planning to use the Coastal route which has a lot of traffic (and more petrol stations).

The first Kuantan site was actually away from the town and therefore, I had to exit at Gambang toll and travel a bit from there. Since the General Elections are coming up, there are a lot of Political flags and posters. And with emotions running high, I have to be very very careful when I am driving up there. By the time I have finished the second Kuantan site at two in the afternoon, I only had enough time to grab some tidbits before starting out. Luckily, this customer has a lot of coffee and Milo which helped me a lot.

By a rough calculation based on the distance of K. Terengganu from Kuantan, I should be able to reach it by 1730. Unfortunately, there were some factors I completely forgottten; mainly heavy traffic (read: slow drivers or lorries), people going home and lastly, getting lost (since the original map was not mine). By the time I reached K. Terengganu, it was 1845 and everyone was about to go home. Luckily, I managed to convince them to stay this time. Its very easy to get lost here because of my reliance on the road maps, which is not really accurate at all. At one junction, it showed a roundabout but in reality, it gave way to a 4-way junction. Then, the road signs are very small. And they're not printed in contrasting colours.

Once I finished my job at about eight in the evening, it was time to go home. And so, starts the long eight hour lonely drive back to KL. By the time I reached home, it was almost four in the morning and high on caffeine and whatnots, I could not sleep until about 6 or seven. So, I SMSed my Boss that I won't be coming in until after 11 in the morning. I was down for the count, man.

What can I say about this trip? Not that I hated it because I could not stop and go visiting shops or have a proper meal or stay one night in a Hotel. A job is a job and that is what I am there for. But the highlight is that it was a full moon and I did managed to get some decent night shots despite the absense of a tripod. Actually, in my heart, I think I wanted to go to Kota Bahru, especially the Rantau Panjang market.......... hee hee hee hee.

Its quite early and Mr. Sun did not rise in a normal way but hid
behind the clouds before jumping out and heating everyone

This is a scene in Kuantan where they tell you whom not
to vote for. Its parodied from the "Tak Nak" ciggie ads

I drove all the way here for this. The autodialer is not
working properly and I can verify this with my patch
(left). So, I bypassed the autiodialer (right) so that the
customers can still make calls.

The remnants of a Lion Dance. After everyone has gone,
and all the confetti. mandarin oranges cleaned up, its
business as usual. Not sure if they're going to cook it

This is the last exit ever on the Highway. Last year this does
not even exist. Depending on the General Election, work might
or might not continue. So, if I still want to head towards places
like Terrengganu or Kota Bahru, I would have to detour here

My Lunch. Some crisps and LongJack! Ha ha ha ha.
I am not sure about the joke but it was funny then.
Yes, it contains Tongkat Ali! But it sure tasted like
shite. Very bitter to the taste. I am tired, that's all

Somewhere on the way to Terengganu is this marvelous bridge. All
the flags are blowing in the wind but once you reach the other end,
its full of Opposition Flags

"Don't go, OK? I just arrived. Please give me some time to do these batteries"

My dinner. More Tongkat Ali, leftover lunch crisps, potato bread and
sugar in the form of F&N softdrink and Mentos sweets. No, I am not
going to dunk the sweets into the softdrink. Its now about 9PM

Four in the morning! I am so tempted rush out there and do
a dance in the hopes of the traffic cameras catching me in the
act before I reach my house.