PONTIAN: A French couple is touched by the generosity of Malaysia and its people since being stuck in the country for almost two months due to the movement control order (MCO).
The Parisian pair – Rose Sanz and Cyrille Pinaedon, both 50 – have been travelling around the world on bicycles for over three years before the Covid-19 pandemic struck.
“We had just visited Chile and flew into Singapore where we planned to cycle north to Malaysia and other South-East Asian countries.
“After we crossed the Causeway on March 17 night, Malaysia closed its border with Singapore and we stayed one night at a hotel in Johor Baru,” Pinaedon said when met here yesterday.
They met a friend through a non-profit social networking service for people engaging in bicycle touring known as Warm Showers, and she arranged for them to spend a night at her cafe in Benut here.
“The next day she took us to a cabin and that’s where we’ve been staying for free since March, thanks to the cabin owner’s kindness,” he said.
Pinaedon said some of his traveller friends stranded in other countries were not as lucky, with a number of them having to camp outdoors.
Sanz said they were charmed by the friendliness and kind spirit of Malaysians who were all ready to give them a helping hand.
She also raved about the beauty of Benut and its people.
“Benut is a lovely place, the people are kind and generous. Our experience here has been great despite Covid-19 and the MCO.”
The couple said they had travelled to more than 60 countries and were awaiting the Malaysian-Thai border to reopen before continuing with their journey.
“This is the longest break we have had in three years,” Sanz said, adding that they typically cycled for about 60km to 100km a day.
Meanwhile, the cabin owner, Kamsol Warjan, 59, said he was delighted to offer lodging to the couple as he knew all too well the unpredictable nature of travelling.
“I am a traveller myself and know exactly how it feels to be stranded in a foreign country. I met a lot of kind people during my travels who were willing to host me and this is my way of paying it forward,” he said.
The Parisian pair – Rose Sanz and Cyrille Pinaedon, both 50 – have been travelling around the world on bicycles for over three years before the Covid-19 pandemic struck.
“We had just visited Chile and flew into Singapore where we planned to cycle north to Malaysia and other South-East Asian countries.
“After we crossed the Causeway on March 17 night, Malaysia closed its border with Singapore and we stayed one night at a hotel in Johor Baru,” Pinaedon said when met here yesterday.
They met a friend through a non-profit social networking service for people engaging in bicycle touring known as Warm Showers, and she arranged for them to spend a night at her cafe in Benut here.
“The next day she took us to a cabin and that’s where we’ve been staying for free since March, thanks to the cabin owner’s kindness,” he said.
Pinaedon said some of his traveller friends stranded in other countries were not as lucky, with a number of them having to camp outdoors.
Sanz said they were charmed by the friendliness and kind spirit of Malaysians who were all ready to give them a helping hand.
She also raved about the beauty of Benut and its people.
“Benut is a lovely place, the people are kind and generous. Our experience here has been great despite Covid-19 and the MCO.”
The couple said they had travelled to more than 60 countries and were awaiting the Malaysian-Thai border to reopen before continuing with their journey.
“This is the longest break we have had in three years,” Sanz said, adding that they typically cycled for about 60km to 100km a day.
Meanwhile, the cabin owner, Kamsol Warjan, 59, said he was delighted to offer lodging to the couple as he knew all too well the unpredictable nature of travelling.
“I am a traveller myself and know exactly how it feels to be stranded in a foreign country. I met a lot of kind people during my travels who were willing to host me and this is my way of paying it forward,” he said.
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