Friday, February 8, 2013

Kuala Lumpur : Chinese Year-End Reunion Ride

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                          AhPek Biker - Riding Adventures                       
Kuala Lumpur - Chinese Year-End Reunion Ride
Sentul Area, Kuala Lumpur : 6th February 2013
Small Group Ride : Vistana Hotel, Damai Complex>Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Center (KLPAC) & Back
Distance covered : just 5 km. (our shortest ride so far, it was more for fun)
Time : 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Time Taken : 2:00 hrs. (including stops for photos & waiting out the rain)

 Note : for a better mood click here to run a Chinese New Year Song. It will open in another window, click this tab to return here.
It is the Chinese tradition to have a re-union dinner to close of the end of the present Chinese Year and usher in the new year.
With Chinese New Year (CNY) approaching, my biking buddy Sin of hApPy HaPpY blogs organized a ride, a sort of last ride for the Chinese year before we all took our long break to return to our respective home-towns to be with our families.
Pre-CNY is a busy period for many, but those of us who could make it met at the Vistana Hotel at Jalan Lumut.
Seven of us came to ride, others would be joining us later for the "reunion" dinner that we will be having on finishing riding.
We rode along the Gombak River side walkway, heading towards Jalan Ipoh.
At Jalan Ipoh, we pushed our bikes across to the other side towards Sentul.
Cycling along Jalan Ipoh, we had to be careful, it was drizzling slightly and the traffic was bad.
Further along, we stopped at this Indian Temple at Jalan Ipoh.
What looked like a small entrance of the Temple actually led down to the large temple proper inside.
We also passed by this National Electricity Board Sub-station, which was built long ago during colonial days. They just don't build them so nicely anymore.
Making a U-turn here was pretty hazardous, so we had to be careful.
Here's Sin giving Daniella a helping hand.
Passed by this Bak Kut Teh Stall, one of many of which Jalan Ipoh is renown for.
Slightly ahead we made a left into Jalan Strachan, this road will lead us to the Kuala Lumpur Performance Centre (KLPAC).
Riding into this place is riding into the past; the tree lining the streets look old and the buildings nearby looks older still. It's like riding in a rustic British countryside.
This area here was the former offices of the Malayan Railways Maintenance Section, in fact further in are the locomotive workshops.
The building here are of British Edwardian design with red bricks walls.
Much further inside is an old locomotive workshop, notice the larch arch entrance - these were for the locomotives to go in. It is now converted and extended to be the Kuala Lumpur Performance Arts Centre.
But this facade is actually the side of the new building.
Our group photo taken nearby.
The old facade belies the modern glazed structure that lies behind, over here is the actual entrance into the Theater.
The drizzle turned into rain, and we skeltered over to the nearby Samira Thai/Vietnamese Restaurant where we some drinks to wait out the rain.
Fortunately, it was formely a Japanese restaurant, so there was an adjoining Koi Pond for us to view while waiting.
When the rain slowed to a drizzle, we rode back to our start point of Vistana Hotel, by then it was dark.
We packed our bikes ...
... and popped over to the Hokkaido Restaurant, just opposite from the hotel. Do not be misled by the name, it's not a Japanese but a Seafood Restaurant.
Here some other biker friends who could not make it for the ride will be joining us for ...
"Loh Sang" - a Chinese New Year traditional dish that means "Stirring Up Life or Business", i.e. a way of bringing good luck for life and business in the coming year.
Together we stirred and tossed the dish higher and higher, meaning life & business goes up higher!
No worries if it spills; in life if goodness spills over it is even better.
(On more of the food we ate see Pork-Free Seafood @ Hokkaido)
Kookkeong brought over a new biker friend, Alain.
He had got to know Alain through a biking internet community called warmshows.org. It's an internet community for touring bikers and host to get in touch with each other to assist each other out. Kookkeong is hosting Alain the bike tourist.
A good meal and then a toast for good health, good wealth! Cheers! Yam Seng! (that's Chinese) and Sante! (that's French).

 To all my Chinese friends and readers "

 "GONG XI FA CAI"


Related Blogs:
Spicy, delicious Chinese/Thai Seafood without pork - Damai Complex, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

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