Archive for the ‘Cycling’ Category

Day 393. 75km. Labuanbajo – Golo Lajar

Posted: June 18, 2016 in Cycling, Indonesia
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Leaving the tourist hive of Labuanbajo where money talks, and tourism is the people’s livelihood, I returned to normality. I returned to ‘Hello Mister,’ and ‘where you go?’. I returned to thumbs up and people smiling and cheering. Yes, it was steep, but not as bad as I had expected. No pushing the bike today.

First sunrise of Flores

First sunrise of Flores

The road climbed to 1000m, winding its way to amazing views over the island.

The road was steep

The road was steep

View from above

View from above

I had a short break visiting a lovely family for tea. They have hosted cyclists before, and there is a young German guy there teaching English at the local school.

A short break with this family

A short break with this family

After returning to almost sea-level, the next climb was back up to 1000m. This climb was quite gentle (for Flores), and I was able to make it almost to the top before sunset. A lovely family invited me in to their home for dinner and a bed. The people here are so friendly and caring.

The Christian house

The Christian house

My host family

My host family

The boat from Sumbawa was quite uneventful, but beautiful, crossing deep blue water with flying fish everywhere, and beautiful pointed islands on the horizon.

The boat to Flores

The boat to Flores

Day 392. 128km. Soriuto – Sape

Posted: June 15, 2016 in Cycling, Indonesia
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Today was the day of searching for food in the land of Ramadhan. The morning is the most food-free – just a few bready things offered by the apologetic closed restaurant owner. Then, after the next small pass at a small place I found open:
‘Are you muslim?’ I asked.
‘Yes,’ was the reply as they tucked into their rice and sate, with the sun somewhere in the sky behind the rain clouds.

Misty morning

Misty morning

Little shops offer the most meagre of snacks if you’re really hungry. Some restaurants open at lunch, although seem to hide this fact. The Indomaret and Alfa-mart (Indonesian equivalents of 7-eleven) don’t seem present on the eastern side of Sumbawa. I made my way along with what I could find until Bima where I had a lovely big lunch, and had my water bottles cleaned of their thick layer of mould by the friendly owner.

I was all ready for a 900m climb to get to the end of the island. My app was wrong, and had given information on a small mountainous road rather than the main road. After only climbing 450m, I was shooting down to the harbour, all ready to catch the boat to Flores tomorrow.

View from above

View from above

Day 391. 132km. Unter Malang – Soriuto

Posted: June 14, 2016 in Cycling, Indonesia
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Day 2 of my challenge – cross Sumbawa in 3 days – during Ramadhan. With most restaurants closed, it was eat where you can find something – and I needed food. It was a hilly, hot affair with an afternoon one-hour torrential downpour.

Morning view

Morning view

All the restaurants look closed. I have to poke my head in to see if anyone is there, and sometimes there is food – although I am the only one eating it.

The sea

The sea

I decided to have a sleep during the torrential downpour. Before I knew it, I was provided with a nice little mat and pillow.

Downpour

Downpour

My comfortable downpour setup

My comfortable downpour setup

I ended the day with a little pass, and a beautiful sunset view.

Sunset

Sunset

All ready for the final attack on the rest of Sumbawa.

Day 390. 128km. Kayangan – Unter Malang

Posted: June 13, 2016 in Cycling, Indonesia
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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

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

Sunrise from the boat from Lombok

Saying goodbye to Clement and his friends

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

Sumbawa

Sumbawa

Horse and carriage

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.

Day 389. 116km. Lembar – Kayangan

Posted: June 12, 2016 in Cycling, Indonesia
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‘Where did the 4 cyclists go? When did they leave?’
Down the steep hill I had just climbed to get to the last coordinates I had for Clement and his friends.
‘Did you see 4 cyclists?’ I asked at the important cross-road.
‘Yes! Yes!’ They pointed empfatically in one direction.
And so I tracked them down. They weren’t expecting me for another 2 days, apparently.

Beach

Beach

They were lazing in a gazebo on the side of the road – very surpised to see me. Clement had met up with 3 friends in Denpasar, and they had slowly been making their way across Bali and Lombok. We slowly went in search of a beach to sleep at – while my feet were itching.

The road to our meeting point was moderately unspectacular – there were a few nice views in the morning light.

Morning light

Morning light

We saw our first locals that, as far as we can see, are actively destroying their environment (people that live there – not big companies that consume and leave). The people were burning coral to make a white powder like cement for construction. They not only collect the loose coral that washes up on the shore, but blow up big chunks with dynamite and bring it to shore. I don’t know how long this process can be sustained.

Don't destroy the coral

Don’t destroy the coral

Tomorrow Sumbawa – alone once again. I will race on and see Clement again in Timor.

Day 388. 87km. Bondalem – Lembar

Posted: June 11, 2016 in Cycling, Indonesia
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John – an animation guy from New Zealand and David – the manager of the hotel – made it hard to get away (in a nice way). John has done some amazing animation projects with Mauri themes, which stimulated the thinking juices for what my next life will be. I was thinking about how close this next life is as I scaled some minor hills to get to the boat to Lombok. The final island hopping has begun in earnest.

John, David and me

John, David and me

My dawdling has to stop. When I roll out the map, I see the many islands to cross and the many hills to climb. And the many boats to take. Today I cycled with a mission – to reach the boat to Lombok, and take the 4 hour trip. The little climb next to the volcano was pretty.

Going over a small pass

Going over a small pass

Volcano

Volcano

I think I’ve been spoiled by the volcanos of East Java. The views were nice, but, the remoteness was lacking. Westeners were zapping around everywhere on their motorbikes and the divers were out in force. I went to look at a beach and saw the divers stumbling forward to shore – like zombies invading the planet.

Tonight I find myself sleeping in the waiting room at the harbour on Lombok. Tomorrow I might catch up with Clement and his friends.

Day 387. 57km. Panca Sari – Bondalem

Posted: June 10, 2016 in Cycling, Indonesia
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Today was a steep trip down the mountain to the coast. My last night of staying in the lap of luxury before steaming on to Lombok and the further flung islands. It was an afternoon of lazing by the pool, and fixing my broken saddle (again) at the bengkel las.

The sea near the resort

The sea near the resort

View of yesterday's camping spot from above

View of yesterday’s camping spot from above

Bengkel las

Bengkel las

Day 386. 62km. Kuta – Panca Sari

Posted: June 9, 2016 in Cycling, Indonesia
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These motorbike/welding stations are very useful. They are every 500m and this time I used one to weld together a metal bar that supports my saddle. It just snapped in two. My stay of several days of rest and recreation in Kuta has come to an end, and what better way to get back into cycling than to climb a mountain?

Bengkel las

Bengkel las

I realised again in Kuta what I already knew. I am not a disco party person. I went with some guys from the hotel to a big 8-in-1 disco/party complex in the main drag in Kuta. Six euro entry got you all you could eat from a buffet and all you could drink for 4 hours. Then the party started in the multiple rooms with stunning walls of screens and lights, thumping music and (becoming) drunk people gyrating to the music. I sat there just admiring the logistics and planning that made this show run like clockwork. The staff had colour-coded shirts depending on their role – green for the ‘clean team’, white for security, red for servers etc. The glasses were removed the second they were empty. The security swooped within seconds of me taking off my shirt. There will be none of that here! I never feel like drinking more that one or two drinks, and I felt no connection to the people on the dance floor (although the friends from the hotel were cool). I caught a motorbike home at 11 and went to bed.

Sky dome

Sky dome

I saw the site of the Bali bombings in 2002 – the monument where all those people (mostly Australians and Indonesians) were killed. Its already 14 years ago, although it feels like only yesterday.

Bali bomb monument

Bali bomb monument

As my trip continues, more niggling little problems pop up. This time it was my dynamo that stopped working. Thanks to the guys at Rodalink in Denpasar who did amazing work fixing it – quite a bit of hammering done.. ☺ Thanks to Yudi for introducing me to the cycling community and for the new cycling jersey, and to everyone for making my time in Kuta memorable!

Today I passed 34000km, and now find myself enjoying the cool air at 1200m camping next to a lake. Tomorrow down to the hot coast again.

34000km

34000km

Camping spot

Camping spot

Day 385. 107km. Candikusuma – Kuta

Posted: June 8, 2016 in Cycling, Indonesia
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I thought it was a long way, and so got up early. It wasn’t that far, and the hilly landscape was easy after Bromo and Ijen, so I flew all the way to Kuta. Now I can see where all the Australians hang out. ☺

Bali beach

Bali beach

Day 384. 60km. Ijen – Candikusuma

Posted: June 7, 2016 in Cycling, Indonesia
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When we returned from the crater at about 7am, we had another sleep, marking my change of days. I started cycling at 1 careering down the super-steep mountain back to the heat. A slow boat to Bali saw me with only an hour of sunlight to try to eat some of the kilometres to Denpasar. I should make it there tomorrow.

Steep on the way down

Steep on the way down

The road down was mighty steep. I was able to test my new brakes as I hurtled down through the beautiful, green rain forest. I said goodbye to Harry who is going to a little island tonight, and I’m on the bigger island of Bali, camping in a lovely restaurant on a beach.

On the way down

On the way down

On the way down

On the way down

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