The 41483km bike trip has come to an end, and I have been working on the final video. It’s a long finale to this two year trip. I hope you like it.
Posts Tagged ‘Timor Leste’
Final video: Dilli (Timor Leste) – Adelaide (Australia)
Posted: October 7, 2016 in Australia, Cycling, Timor LesteTags: Australia, Cycling, Timor Leste
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Dili – Darwin. About 400km by sea
Posted: July 21, 2016 in Australia, Timor LesteTags: Australia, Timor, Timor Leste
I sit on the quay in Darwin, my father at my side, taking in the surroundings – the bird calls, the trees, the clear blue skies. The Australian accents, toilet block building with a drinking fountain, the utes with the Australian number plates, the Northern Territory flag. We have only sailed 400km and it is so, so different. I can feel the desert lurking beyond the horizon as the heat of the day mounts, and I feel a welling up of emotion. I have come all this way to be here, through so many places, meeting so many people, and now I am here. I am home.
The crew of the Sue Sea
Dozens of dolphins jumped around as – playing with us – as the boat passed through the calm waters. Amazing sunsets and sunrises were presented before us on the open seas – alone in this beautiful place with only sea and sky. As the sky turned from blue through oranges and pink to black, the full moon rose and lit the seas with a shimmering beam, all through the night. We threw-up as the boat was pummelled by the violent ocean, and then returned to health and to a rhythm of cook, eat, sleep.
Sunrise on the Timor Sea
We have had a real sailing adventure. Thank-you to the crew of the Sue Sea who let us (Clement and myself, together with Romain – a backpacker from France) on board to take the boat back from Dili to Australia after taking part in the Darwin to Dili yacht rally. From the second we met them in Dili, they have welcomed us onboard and to their sailing family, and found a way to transport us, our luggage and our bikes on the 15m yacht.
The bikes, after the most thorough clean they have ever had (for Australian quarantine), were disassembled and stowed in with the sails at the very front of the boat. A little bit wet and jossled, they arrived safe and sound on Australian soil – all the way from Europe without a flight on a plane.
Igor, Gus, Betsy, Fons, Michael and the rest of the sailing family we met in Dili – you are legends!
New Video: Cycling from Tawau (Indonesia) – Dili (Timor Leste)
Posted: July 18, 2016 in Cycling, Indonesia, Timor LesteTags: Bromo, Cycling, Ijen, Indonesia, Kelimutu, Timor Leste
Yes. With a little break, it’s time for another video – probably my second to last one.. Indonesia and Timor Leste are beautiful. A fantastic end to the trip before the last leg in Australia. I hope you like the video!
Day 419. 83km. Lientuto – Dili
Posted: July 17, 2016 in Cycling, Timor LesteTags: Cycling, Dili, Lientuto, Timor, Timor Leste
‘Sure! You can come along!’
The sailors of the Darwin to Dili yacht race were sitting around the table drinking, laughing and telling stories. One of them will be returning to Darwin, and Clement and I are allowed to join them. A dream come true!
Darwin to Dili trophies
Today’s cycling was a dusty affair. I popped over the high pass into a new, much drier valley, and over a second little pass into the dry, Australian-like landscape. Timor has two climates, and the border is the mountains. It is fascinating to see everything change so suddenly. Water is the bringer of life.
The green middle valley
The dry side
Day 418. 70km. Wedauberek – Lientuto
Posted: July 16, 2016 in Cycling, Timor LesteTags: Cycling, Lientuto, Timor, Timor Leste, Wedauberek
Today was a ride up from the beach into the heavens – over the highest mountains in Timor Leste. Its good to climb again – and to climb on a half descent road. Riding in the sun, it was a lovely slow climb to a less hot night at just below 2000m.
On the way up
The road just got better and better. Approaching and leaving the town of Same, I had pristine new road which made climbing a breeze. Even the road in construction about 5km out of Same was pretty good. I spent the climb listening to podcasts and trying not to get my earphones stuck in my ears.
Mountain road
Mountains
My place of residence tonight is with a family in the mountains. I spent the evening talking to the grandpa in Indonesian – one of my last chances to use the language for a while.. Tomorrow Dili again, and then we’ll see how I get to Darwin, Australia.
Day 417. 98km. Beaco – Wedauberek
Posted: July 15, 2016 in Cycling, Timor LesteTags: Beaco, Cycling, Timor, Timor Leste, Wedauberek
‘It’s coming! It’s coming!’
I lie on the bamboo bed structure under the straw roof as the guy pokes the tweezers deep into my ear. I expect the unexpected every day in East Timor. Today it’s not a Tae Kwon Do class on the road deep in the mountains. Today I’m having the rubber piece from my earphones extracted from deep within my ear. It took two hours to get it out.
My ear doctor
Clement has left. His rim on his back wheel is almost dead, and he didn’t want to venture further on the bad road along the coast, and then into the high mountains. He’s returning to the northern coast and on to Dili. I’ll meet him again there.
He might have been better off coming with me. The road got better slowly. It still had it’s fair share of deep road-wide puddles and mud, and the odd river crossing or two, but it also had a stretch of a few kilometres where I could scoot along at over 30 km/h. It was heaven.
River crossing – the bridge is visible on the left
The narrow road
I’m staying with a lovely family on the south coast, getting near to my climb into the mountains. No swimming here though. Big crocodiles apparently.
Day 416. 59km. Pointy House – Beaco
Posted: July 14, 2016 in Cycling, Timor LesteTags: Beaco, Cycling, Pointy House, Timor, Timor Leste
‘Here we are!’
A classic proclamation by Clement as we stood in the mud – the road ending in a quagmire. In the middle of nowhere at the end of a diabolic road we looked from the ankle deep mud down to the uncrossable river. The real road turned off a few hundred metres back, up a rocky scree to cross a pristine bridge. The going is slow on the south coast.
The mud bath (one of many)
The bridges are amusing – in the middle of the scree slopes and mud baths stands a bridge (actually many on this road) with perfect bitumen. At the start of the bridge is a sign – funded by the European Union. There was one bridge only half funded by the European Union. The bridge stopped ubruptly in the middle of the river – a river crossing was necessary.
The bridge half funded by the European Union
We met a Swiss cyclist today – our first in ages – cycling from Switzerland to Australia. He travelled east all the way to Alor Island (what I was trying to do, but ran out of time). Quite an experience. After our meet, we knew more what to expect of the road ahead. The road slowly improved to one that (for brief moments) allowed cycling at speeds of up to 15km/h. My tyre couldn’t handle the road though, and exploded. I expect fewer exploding tyres moving forward.
We were plucked off the street as it got dark this evening, and welcomed into a home, given corn and biscuits as a pre-dinner snack before a lovely, copious meal for the hungry cyclists. Great people!
Day 415. 38km. Cacaven – Pointy House
Posted: July 13, 2016 in Cycling, Timor LesteTags: Cacaven, Cycling, Pointy House, Timor, Timor Leste
About 5km of bad road he said. Another said 100km of bad road or 12 hours by bus. Well, we haven’t left the crappy road yet, and it is spectacularly dreadful. It also bucketed down today as we pushed our bikes up and down a steep, rocky, muddy, riverbed-like surface.
The bumpy road
We also changed our brake pads, and have almost used the new ones. Even walking next to the bike as it bumps and jumps over the rocks and slurps through the thick mud, you have to use the brakes – and they squeak and scream out as they die, killing the rims in the process. Then pushing the bike up the river floes requires stopping (with full brakes) on a rock before mustering energy to scale the next one.
We are staying with a lovely family in a traditional house – I’ll call it a pointy house. A really cool wooden structure on stilts – high above the ground.
They tell us that the crap road ends in 10km. I kind of think the good road that may or may not follow will be of the quality of the roads yesterday. This means cycling may be possible, and reaching speeds of 10km/h is also on the cards.
Our humble abode for the night
Day 414. 56km. Tutuala – Cacaven
Posted: July 12, 2016 in Cycling, Timor LesteTags: Cacaven, Cycling, Timor, Timor Leste, Tutuala
And there we were, on the road in the middle of the jungle in Timor Leste, practicing Tae Kwon Do with 30 students. They held out the pad and I executed a turning roundhouse kick. We did some forms (patterns of movements) together on the road. They did the same style that I had studied 25 years ago – and this in the middle of absolutely nowhere. Timor Leste keeps surprising.
Tae Kwon Do class
‘That road doesn’t go to Lospalos,’ said one guy. Another said it does, but not for cars – only for motorbikes and bicycles. We gave it a try – a beautiful road through grassy plains bordering a lake, dotted with houses here and there. Oh – and there was a challenging bridge.
The tricky bridge
The tricky bridge
The tricky bridge
Grassy plain
Satellite dish
Again today was not rich in kilometres travelled – the road was muddy and bumpy – and peaceful, tranquil and beautiful. After the high altitude plain we passed into the forest exactly on the border between two weather regions. On the right was sunshine. On the left were the darkest of clouds and rain. Tomorrow the road leads south. More rain is in store.
Day 413. 17km. Tutuala – Jaco – Tutuala
Posted: July 11, 2016 in Cycling, Timor LesteTags: Cycling, Jaco, Timor, Timor Leste, Tutuala
How long should I wait? It had been four hours. There was no sign of Clement as I scanned the waves on the stretch of water between Timor and Jaco island. After the bumpy descent to the beautiful pristine white beach with turquoise water, Clement had set out to swim to Jaco island. I had visions of him drowning in the high waves on the way back, and finally paid the $10 to catch a boat there myself.
View out over to Jaco
Clement arrived at the beach just as I was pulling away in the boat. I only spent minutes on Jaco island before returning, after confirmation that Clement was indeed back on the Timor beach.
I did, however, lie on the white sand, swim in the turquoise waters and generally relax. It was amazing to be in this beautiful place, and nothing to do but just enjoy it. I was looking out over a pristine island with sandy white beaches, and behind was Darwin – as close as I can get to it by bike. I’m quite proud of that achievement.
View out over to Jaco
The ride down had one of the worst road surfaces of my trip. It was like bumping down a rocky creek bed – but very steep. Still, it makes getting there all the more satisfying.
The road down
Clement returned over the moon. He swam with a turtle, and explored the island with a real Robinson Crusoe feeling – alone on such a beautiful tropical island.
arctic-cycler.com 