The 10 year-old kid lit another cigarette, his siblings were lying next to him on the mats watching the never-ending television. Outside, visible through the open wall the teenagers were playing pool. It was midnight.
‘Shall we bring the bikes in yet?’ I ask from my corner of the mat, Clement next to me with a blanket over his eyes.
‘Another three hours.’
Last night was a haze of thriller television music, snooker, laughing and.. haze. And this is how the whole family lives – every night.
Our bedroom
Today I left Clement not knowing if we would meet up again before Jakarta. He needed a new hub and was taking a lift to the next town 65km away. All went perfectly. They had a hub, and it was all fitted just before I arrived by bike. Before that, I traversed some very hilly and beautiful terrain, past mountains and beautiful beaches.
Mountain view
Beach
Beach
I like our camping place tonight. My hammock is slung between two palm trees, looking out over the beach, the waves crashing on the shore. And the best thing. We are here alone. All this ‘Hello Mister’ attention has been a bit much. And there is no light above our heads to keep us awake. Bliss.
arctic-cycler.com 