Posts Tagged ‘Cycling’

Day 377. 110km. Data – Barru

Posted: May 30, 2016 in Cycling, Indonesia
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The road is a dual carriageway and the cycling is to get the kilometres done. Today I passed 33,333km and we got within 100km of Makassar. The excitement mounted when we discovered a boat going to Surabaya leaving tomorrow evening. My Borneo and Sulawesi detour is coming to an end. It has been amazing.

Shadows

Shadows

Flat road. No music – I had the music of horns and traffic. The cars tried to copy China with their honking (China is much worse, though). The solution – music. Set intermediate goals about 30km apart and then go. Ice stops, food stops, flake out in the midday heat stops, and now we find ourselves on the beach camping out in 2 little gazebos. Sitting in the still water we watched the sun set to a backdrop of amazing clouds. The birds flew in perfect formation ahead. The silence was emcompassing. The beauty was engrossing. And then we had a laugh, making more and more stupid photo ideas for the ‘Bold’ cigarette advertisements. More to follow.

Bold

Bold

Our beach sleeping place

Our beach sleeping place

33,333km

33,333km

Day 376. 120km. Somba – Data

Posted: May 29, 2016 in Cycling, Indonesia
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And here we were, wondering if Clement would make it to Makassar – if he could catch us up – the lightening bolts along the coast. After hurtling along to pass 80km before lunch, I switched on my internet. Clement was already here, perusing the ice-cream concoctions. The three are back together.

Selfie

Selfie

Today was cycle and eat, wait for the torrential downpour, and swap stories. When the three rejoin after a while apart, it’s time for story telling, and I am happy.

Day 375. 111km. Mamuju – Somba

Posted: May 28, 2016 in Cycling, Indonesia
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Kids looked in the doors and in the windows. In the rumah makan (restaurant) were had some space eating, but they were never far away, ready to play zombie and giggle. I think I’ll miss the attention in Australia. It’s fun being a celebrity. ☺

'Hello mister' through the mosquito net

‘Hello mister’ through the mosquito net

Today was long and straight, along the coast, moderately flat. Head down and on – 107km each day, and we can make it to Makassar.

The coastal road

The coastal road

Day 374. 100km. Salumanurung – Mamuju

Posted: May 24, 2016 in Cycling, Indonesia
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We saw a lot of flat Sulawesi today – as flat as a pancake. The flatness was beautiful, from our perch atop the only ridge of hills. We had many such views as the road followed the ridge of hills – up and down and, yes, up again. All a bit much for Will who I think suffered from the heat. As well as flat, Sulawesi is hot.

View over the plains

View over the plains

It was time for a swim today in the bath-warm water. I can never get over how the palm trees just stand there, naturally, on the beach. They don’t know how exotic they are, those palm trees. The 20 kids that watched us get undressed also didn’t realise how exotic the palm trees were. The white tourists were much more exotic and needed to be watched.

The beach

The beach

The road became a bit flatter after lunch, and I couldn’t help myself – I had to sprint, and I scooted along to clock up my 33000km in a blur of adrenaline, listening to Infected Mushroom.

33000km

33000km

Don’t tell Clement, but Will and I are staying in a hotel in a big town. We also went to a western style café and had Italian food. And, it was delicious! ☺

Day 373. 110km. Masimbu – Salumanurung

Posted: May 23, 2016 in Cycling, Indonesia
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‘They can’t do anything wrong with f*ing eggs!’
The boiled eggs were perfect for my friend’s edgy stomach. The shell protects the egg from chilli. Will cannot handle any chilli at all, which is quite a disability in Indonesia where absolutely everything has chilli.

Road

Road

Today was a rather up and down affair, luckily cloudy most of the time. At lunch, the clouds got dark and the wind picked up. It felt like a downpour would come any minute, but the rain never came. Finally we left into the air, pregnant with expectation.

We came to rest in a palm oil plantation village, surrounded by kids everywhere. One family invited us for dinner, and we are sleeping at another family.

Kids

Kids

Day 372. 95km. Kasoluang – Masimbu

Posted: May 22, 2016 in Cycling, Indonesia
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Sulawesi has become flatter, and the beaches a bit less spectacular. We never really got started today. A flat tyre, a long lunch, and Will feeling sick saw us not passing 100km.

The fair is closed

The fair is closed

We’re staying at the local headmaster’s house in a little village on the coast. Will has taken antibiotics, and we will see how he is feeling tomorrow.

Day 371. 66km. Dongala – Kasoluang

Posted: May 21, 2016 in Cycling, Indonesia
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We had two choices – return to the main road or continue around the headland before returning to the main road. Both were a similar distance. Our route (around the headland) may (!) have been a bit steeper. Sulawesi was welcoming me back from sickness with the best it could give – about a kilometre of 20% grade in the blistering heat. Sulawesi.

View of coral

View of coral

We all pushed – Will and I with long breathing breaks between each successive 20 metres.
Will ended with a bit of heat stroke and sat, exhausted in front of the fan in the restaurant as Clement and I ate something. It’s flatter from now on, we’re told. Maybe we can return to 100km per day.. ☺

After a swim and clean in the river, being escorted to a restaurant for dinner, and then waiting an hour for a village head to give his blessing, we are staying in an abandoned house in a small village.

Evening swim

Evening swim

Day 370. 37km. Palu – Dongala

Posted: May 20, 2016 in Cycling, Indonesia
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‘Can we check-out at 2 rather than 12?’
‘No.’
‘Can you fill these bottles with water?’
‘No.’
I knew it was time to drag my ailing body out of bed and recover properly at the beach 37km away. With 1.5 pears and half an ice drink whirling around in my queezy stomach Will and I hit the road to join Clement in paradise.

View from our hut

View from our hut

The road was flat, it was cloudy and not too hot, but I felt like death warmed up. Even the Infected Mushrooms blasting in my ears could not help. In the evening light I parked the bike and sank into the seat on the balcony of our abode for the next 2 nights, not wanting to stand or move as Clement told of the amazing sealife just metres away.

Day 369. 72km. Tompe – Palu

Posted: May 19, 2016 in Cycling, Indonesia
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I didn’t recognize my body today. I woke up feeling weak, like I didn’t sleep well, wasn’t hungry – I only craved fruit. A few bottles of orange juice, together with some high power music saw me fill with energy, and Clement and I scooted along to Palu. In Palu the weariness returned, I found I have a temperature, and checked in to a hotel to recover.

The road to Palu

The road to Palu

My mind goes back to Laos where Mark got dengue fever. That really knocked him out for weeks. There have been dengue fever mosquitos around, and it’s impossible to avoid all bites. After an afternoon of sleep, I’m starting to feel better. Will is staying the night in Palu too, and hopefully we can join up again with Clement tomorrow.

P.S. It is not malaria. It is not dengue fever. It is not a host of other tropical diseases. I don’t know what it was. After a few days in Palu I’m on the road to recovery. I got an interesting look into the Indonesian health service. Professional and efficient.

Palu hospital

Palu hospital

Day 368. 23km. Labuana – Tompe

Posted: May 18, 2016 in Cycling, Indonesia
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I looked over the rock and ten sets of beady eyes were looking back. Then all of a sudden the flying slugs skipped away across the ankle-deep water between the mangrove roots. They were everywhere, and they were so cute. The whole day was fantastic exploring this tropical water paradise. Caves, snorkelling and enjoying the company of our new ‘kaili’ (local Sulawesi people) friends. We didn’t cycle much though.

Sunrise at Paradise beach

Sunrise at Paradise beach

Will left after an initial snorkel to get to the bright lights of Palu for a hotel break. Clement and I were taken to ‘the cave’. We expected to walk along the beach. Actually, we swam around the rocks, waded through mangroves with roots protruding vertically from the shallow, clear water, and scaled small headlands. It was a beautiful stroll in this paradise playground, teeming with life from the sea, the beach and the forest.

Mangrove walk

Mangrove walk

Wading

Wading

When we finally left around 4, after another snorkel and a wonderful lunch, we scaled the steepest sand road of my trip for 5 very hard kilometres in the pounding sun. It was beautiful.

This was steep

This was steep

Coastal road

Coastal road

We didn’t get far today, and are tired from the non-cycling activities. A day in paradise.

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