CONTINUING my folding bicycle adventures, I set out on a Century Ride (cycling above 100km) to Jugra Lama in Selangor.
This historical town is located some 56km away from my home in Subang Jaya and my plan was simple — ride there on my folding bike and get back.
I have done some research about this town on the Internet and very few facts surfaced.
To get there, I must first cycle towards Banting which is the nearest town to this place.
It took me about two-and-a-half hours to get to the Jugra junction and as I slowly made my way towards Permatang Pasir, I noticed that there was a wealth of history about this place.
Firstly, the tomb of Sultan Abdul Samad, the fourth Sultan of Selangor is located here.
Next, there is the Istana Bandar, a beautiful palace located near the riverside which is now in a state of neglect.
Perhaps the most interesting attraction here is the Sultan Alaeddin mosque which was built in 1906.
In a single-sweep, I managed to see all three places at one go.
And when it comes to offering good places to eat, I must say Jugra yielded many surprises.
There are some seafood restaurants here that were made famous by bloggers.
Hot pot: The Sarr Pou Chue Chap thong.One particular makan place which I discovered by accident was a wooden shop (GPS N 02 50 171, E 101 25 677) located near the end of Jalan Permatang Pasir.
One sure indicator that this was a good makan place was the fact that it was packed to the brim for lunch.
I wasted no time in finding a table and a place to park my folding bicycle.
Then a lady came up to me and started taking my order in Mandarin.
I took the risk by accepting her recommendation and ended up with an order of the Sarr Pou Chue Chap (pig spare part soup in claypot).
After working out a good appetite, I was ready to take in whatever they could throw.
Nothing fancy: A simple establishment with plenty to offer.It took a while for the soup dish to arrive and while I was sipping my cup of tea, a group of children were checking out my little folding bicycle.
They were intrigued by the handlebar gadgets — especially the air horn and the cycling GPS.
When my wait ended with the arrival of the Chue Chap, I engaged in the ritualistic lunch with a plate of hot rice.
And I must say that for RM14 a bowl, the Sarr Pou Chue Chap Thong was one of the best I had ever tasted.
Save the cursing men and curious kids, eating in a wooden shop is an experience to relish.
Later, I asked the lady who served me tea about the name of the shop.
She said: “Sarr Bak” which means simmered meat in Hokkien.
With a satisfying meal, I rode off to Banting and back to Subang Jaya to clock-in 113.5km on my bicycle’s GPS.
The Jugra experience was fulfilling and I guess that with so many promising makan places to check out, I will set out again on a food and folding bike cycling adventure soon with my wife.
