Long Drive Home

Took me 9 hours of non-stop driving (save for two toilet breaks in Kuala Krai and Kechau Petronas stations) to get me safe and sound back in Ampang yesterday.

The trip got off to a bad start, the traffic grinded to a halt somewhere after Kota Bharu and crawled towards Kuala Krai at a pace a snail would be ashamed of. The 1-hour stretch became 3, and I contemplated turning back and trying my luck another time.

But I persevered. Soon after Kuala Krai the traffic jam untangled itself and we managed to cruise at around 80 km/h. Of course at some stretches it slowed down to a crawl again and you'll start seeing dimwits using the emergency lanes to overtake on the left side. There's an MPV with multiple stickers and whatnot saying there's a baby on board doing so, funny that the driver doesn't seem to care about the safety of said baby.

Somewhere near Kuala Lipis, Makdik called updating me on the traffic condition (she's got a few hours headstart on me ), the traffic had crawled to a standstill in Raub seemingly. So I took the alternative route via obscure small hamlets of Sg Ruan, Klau, Sertik etc. Pretty soon it started to feel like a bad horror movie.

That stretch was pretty much empty save for a motorcycle now and then, and it was getting dark fast. Darker when the tall palm trees are casting longer and longer shadows. I don't see any streetlight lights, and homes were few and far in between. God don't let my car broke down here, please.

Did I mention I was driving alone?

An hour or so later (and a wrong turn inserted for good measure), I emerged on a small ramp leading to the Karak Highway and I was on the home stretch!

Woke up today with stiff arms, sore back, sore throat (from the heat and uhh singing along to the CDs to keep me company), headache and feeling rather glad I did not turn back and miss out on this mini adventure of sorts.

And oh, Selamat Hari Raya people!