The weather was inviting even as a dark cloud threatened. A bridge and road to a Malaysian beach had just opened. For the first month, it was going to be toll free. Now was the time to ride! One could hope the checkpoint was not going to be backed up. The opportunity was here; the option was to wait a month or two. I reached for my helmet and headed out the door.
The ride was a series of surprises. In contrast to the Woodlands checkpoint where the tailback was longer than the bridge, Tuas was empty. The Singapore checkpoint took two minutes. Malaysia turned out to be equally as good. There were no signs of people queued for hours as it has been reported the day before. As I smiled and chatted with the agent, I realized that I was not going to be finger printed (cause of the earlier delays).
The first petrol stop brought a surprise of two riders I knew. It was a surprising chat that extended itself through forty-five minutes. As we parted ways, I was filled with a renewed sense of wonder that always seems to come after chatting with friends.
The ride into the unknown was filled with more surprises. They included smooth curvy roads, an intense tropical thunderstorm, a massive wreck from those that decided to drive on in the storm, a interesting bridge, and monkeys playfully watching from the trees and the roadside as the road petered out to nothing at a sun-drenched beach. I remembered this kind of Malaysia a long time ago. I did not think it still existed.
I got back wet from the thunderstorm and filled with the sense of possibilities. I had taken Paul’s advice to heart; “As a matter of fact, do everything that way, heartily and freely to God’s glory. At the same time, don’t be callous in your exercise of freedom, thoughtlessly stepping on the toes of those who aren’t as free as you are.” (1 Corinthians 10.32)
Others will enjoy this ride; the invitation is open.
