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The guy stopped his motorbike and waved me down. He pulled out his smart phone and showed me some gay porn videos. He suggested we go to the beach for some fun.
‘Do you do this often?’ I asked.
Yes.
‘Foreigners or Indonesians too?’
Both.
Being gay in Indonesia is not easy, I guess.

Arrival on Sumbawa

Last night Clement and I studied the map. Clement’s friends are flying back to France from Bima on Sumbawa on the 21st. I couldn’t get to the East Timor border from there before our visa expires, and so I left Clement and his friends this morning to get some kilometres done. If I have time, I will try to cycle the less visited islands to the east of Flores before taking a boat (if one exists) to Timor. Back to cycling alone.

Sunrise from the boat from Lombok

Saying goodbye to Clement and his friends

Each island in Indonesia is different, and Sumbawa is no exception. The road started through flat, marshy territory between pointy peaks dotted everywhere. There were lots of horses and carriages too. I even passed a traffic jam of horses and carriages. Super cool.

Sumbawa

Sumbawa

Horse and carriage

I cycled to dusk and was invited to stay by a lovely family who gave me a delicious meal of fish and rice – a Sumbawa specialty. Tomorrow I have to leave before dawn as they are leaving to go to the Ramadhan pre-dawn prayer in the mosque.