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Sunday 15th June, 10:00, Hospital, Kangar, PERLIS

Spokes arrives with Taïs accompanied by Shima. She is a cleaner at IKM campus. She offered, with the director's permission, to take some time off work to take Spokes and Taïs to hospital to visit Nalo and Wheel, who slept over at the hospital. Taïs who also suffers from diarrhoea and a little fever is admitted. She will share the same room as her sister. They are both set on an IV (intravenous) line to assure good rehydration. We need to wait for a few days before all the exams results come back.

Later on, the manager of IKM marine engineering department visits us and insists to pay for our lunch. The director along with his wife also grants us a visit. Iri and Harry, our first Malay friends from the restaurant, come round with a friend. The latter is quite jovial.
"Can I take a picture of you."
"Sure we answer," quite used to this kind of request.
"It's for an interview, I am a journalist"
"Of course," we laugh, taken away by his sense of humour.
"No serious, I am a journalist for a national daily newspaper called News Strait Times."

Like a trail of gunpowder set on fire, the news spreads from one hospital bed to the other one, then from a nurse to the other one in no time. Before we are halfway through the interview, the nurse in charge enters our room. She orders the journalist to stop the interview; he needs a permission to proceed. The journalist argues the interview is not about the hospital, but about our trip by bicycle around the world. This news, like the previous one, travels fast across the ward.

Sunday 15th June, 01:30, IKM Campus, Beseri, PERLIS

We have been asleep for only a short while when Nalo wakes us up. She is restless in bed. We take her temperature. The thermometer shows 39.5 degrees centigrade. Nalo and Taïs have been fighting a bug for now several weeks, since Thailand. We have visited three different hospitals in Thailand, obviously in vain. The symptoms: recurrent high body temperature and diarrhoea. Nalo had vomited profusely on two occasions, which got us quite concerned. The thermometer had never reached 39.5 degrees for neither of them so far. Looking at the reading, we decide reluctantly to take Nalo to the nearest hospital. Wheel makes his way to the Campus' security guard house in an effort to call a taxi that will take him and Nalo to Kangar's hospital, while Spokes stays in the campus with Taïs.

Everybody is asleep at the guards' house. After a short while, Wheel manages to speak to the guard who can articulate only a few words of English; much better though than Wheel's Malay, who can only say Salaam Aleikhum (Hello) and Terima Kasih (thank you). It quickly turns out that no taxis are available. What about an ambulance? The guard does not know the hospital's telephone number. What about the police? Surely the guard knows the police number and the police knows the hospital's, Wheel advises. The guard argues that the guard's house telephone does not have an outside line. Maybe the guard owns a mobile phone, Wheel asks still using sign language and basic broken English. The guard does, unfortunately he does not have any credit on it…
"If you have any problems, do not hesitate to contact me". Those were the words of the campus' director. This sentence had been on Wheel's mind for a while. It seems it is the right time to share this new option with the guard, Wheel thinks to himself.
"Internal line working…Director call…possible?" Suddenly, a deep voice coming from the pitch-dark back office can be heard. It is the guard's colleague. Possibly his superior. In no time, an ambulance is stationed at the campus' entrance gate.

At the hospital.
"Please sir, you need to pay a deposit of 400M$ (Ringgit) before we can admit your daughter."
"Pardon?" Wheel exclaims almost chocking. It is the first time Wheel is asked to pay his hospital bill upfront. Moreover, it usually was very cheap. Completely taken off guard, Wheel cannot stop himself from converting into Thai Baht and comparing with the only reference he has: Thai paediatrics healthcare.
"4,000TBH!! I never had to pay more than 100TBH (10M$) for a registration, see a doctor, and the drugs prescription. I am sorry but I have just paid 50M$ to go through your emergency services and I am only left with 100M$."
After Wheel's long persuasive talk, with Nalo still in his arm, the hospital staff finally agrees.
"We can make an exception. We will take the 100M$. Your daughter can be admitted.
"Do you think they will let me spend the night with my daughter in the paediatric service?
"Must stay with your daughter," the guy in the white blouse exclaims, obviously surprised by Wheel's question.

When Wheel enters the ward, he quickly understand that here, we do business a bit more casually than back in Europe. From Wheel's experience, in France, parents' visits in paediatrics are allowed up to 20:00, 21:00 or 22:00 according to the hospital's policy. In Malaysia, parents are expected to spend the night on site with their sick child.
"Bargain!" Wheel thinks at first.
Some parents are sleeping sat on a chair, with their head resting in their kid's cot. Some parents much shorter than Wheel are 'lucky' enough to fit in the cot with their toddler. Some parents sleep in the cot, under a hammock they have set up for their baby with a bed sheet. We are the latter kind of parents. We will be using this technique in turn, until Taïs and Nalo are discharged from hospital.

Thursday 12 June, 15:00, Border crossing from Thailand, Wang Kelian, PERLIS

On our entry stamp, we can read:
Permitted to enter and remain in West Malaysia and Sabah for ninety (90) days on social visit only from the date shown above.

On social visit… All our previous visas or entry stamp were mentioning Tourist visa. After lacking friends in Thailand, we definitely need to socialise. We will figure out soon enough, we think.

The first Malay state we have to cycle through is the state of Perlis. It is on the northern point of the peninsula. It is very humid and hot. We are about to leave the border post. It is 16:00. We need to hurry because night will be setting at about 19:00 and we have a steady ascent to deal with before we can find food and accommodation. The hill ahead of us is only about eight kilometres, but it is the first time we have to climb several kilometres with Taïs and Nalo strapped in their trailer. Wheel gets on his pedal ready to pull his 110kg load, while Spokes follows dragging her 70kg. A gentle rainfall keeps us from overheating. About two hours later, we reach the top. For the first time, we have actually tested on the road what was only theoretical until today: it is possible to cycle uphill with two toddlers attached to a bicycle. We are now confident that if we have managed to make it through this new challenge, we will be able to make it around the world with our daughters. Obviously, as they grow older and heavier, we will have to reorganize the load, but for now, we enjoy this new achievement and a long downhill…

It is around 8 O'clock when we reach the town of Beseri, but it is already pitch dark six degrees north of the equator. We are dirty, wet, hungry, exhausted and eager to let loose Taïs and Nalo out of the trailer. We have been told, there are no hotels in town. The next one is in Kangar 12km away from here; another hour of cycle. We disagree on the next course of action. The disagreement turns into an argument. It is not long before Wheel attaches the trailer onto Spokes' bicycle and tells her to tow it away. He has had enough for today. After we promise each other never to cycle again together, we press on. Only a few kilometres further, Spokes' stops at the first restaurant she spots on the side of the road. Iri is cooking. When she sees us, she comes immediately. Spokes pleads desperately our situation. We need a place to spend the night, there are no hotels and the road is now too dangerous to carry on to Kangar. Iri tells us to sit down while she fetches her sister Anna and brother-in-law Zamri, who speak better English. Still used to the lack of enthusiasm from Thai people to help, over the past weeks, we are a bit anxious to see how our first Malay family will treat us. When Zamri and Anna instantly offer us to have a drink and eat something, we feel we are safe. Anna & husband Zamri, Iri & husband Harry, but also the sister's mother and brother Didi bring smiles back on our faces. Within minutes, Zamri with the help of Harry have organized our accommodations. They know a customer who can take us somewhere to rest. After we finish our meal, we agree to meet Zamri, Anna and the rest of the family the following day, once we have rested. Harry escorts us with Nisam 'the customer'. Two kilometres later, we are at the gate of IKM campus. It is a huge Technology College complex newly extended and meticulously maintained. Nisam who works here show us our room. It is very spacious, immaculate. Next door, there is a large room with a TV set, an ironing board and much to Spokes' delight: a kettle. Perfect for the four of us. Already Taïs and Nalo love their new house and crawl around to discover it further.

A few minutes later, a knock on the door. Wheel opens. It is the Institute's director. He welcomes us with a bright smile, "It is a pleasure to meet you and to have you as guests. Let me welcome you in the name of the Institute, the town of Beseri and the State of Perlis." He invites Wheel to follow him to his house, on the campus' grounds to take some blankets. Once there, the director will also provide Wheel with some food and drinks.

Only a few hours in Malaysia and we are overwhelmed by the warmth of the people.