Posts Tagged ‘Kayangan’

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.