Stage 19: Java

September 9, 2014 Joachim

Malingping to Cimaja
Date:	09-09-2014	Time:	04:56 h	Σ Time:	111:58 h
Distance:	87 km	Σ km:	2329 km	Temp:	20/40 °C
Up:	1365 m	Σ Up:	23787 m	Calories:	2540 kcal
Down:	1365 m	Σ Down:	23679 m	Σ kcal:	51919 kcal
Conditions:	Road bad to very bad. A hot day, 2 steep climbs but very scenic.

I would call it a perfect mix of everything. A tough cycling stage considering the day temperatures, the road conditions and the very steep climbing sections, but awarded with scenic views and similar amount of fast downhills to relax the legs. We had to leave the coast line and climb over two ridges to get back to the sea. The hotel is excellent, both from accommodation and food. Beach is a short walk away, but not for swimming. It is a surfer paradise.

Tweet ##transoceania

Java Jive, Photos, Sections, Trans-Oceania

King of the Mountain

September 9, 2014 Joachim 2 Comments

Mastered today’s last climb back to the coastline. Campsite at the beach, onky a 14 km downhill away.

Tweet ##transoceania

Java Jive, Sections, Stage Details, Trans-Oceania

Stage 18: Java

September 8, 2014 Joachim 1 Comment

Carita to Malinping
Date:	08-09-2014	Time:	05:23 h	Σ Time:	107:02 h
Distance:	112 km	Σ km:	2242 km	Temp:	22/38 °C
Up:	1068 m	Σ Up:	22425 m	Calories:	2471 kcal
Down:	1085 m	Σ Down:	22314 m	Σ kcal:	49379 kcal
Conditions:	Again quick 33 km after leaving campsite. Rather flat with good tailwind. However the smog is still bad – my new mask gave some relief. Turning inland we ‘climbed’ a bit into the green fields. Road mostly good. Turning back to the sea, the wind was blowing strong into our faces.

This was the right starter after the rest day. Time and distance wise short and doable. Very scenic ride after leaving the coast line. The air also turned more consumable after leaving the busy main road. We climbed a bit, but not very steep and long. Ended up in fields of banana and coconut trees and rice. Timber is also a big business. The sawing mills are everywhere and piles of wood waiting to be turned into boards. The people are very friendly but reserved. I stopped at a house with a big satellite dish and was invited to have shade on the veranda with the owner family. The kids were wearing European soccer team jerseys – as so many in the country. So I ended up playing soccer with little Messi and Benzema.

I am still riding with fever and coughing. Temperature control is still not calibrated. I am shivering at 35°C. Hope this will improve within the next few days.

Tweet ##transoceania

Sections, Sumatra Sutra, Video

Fisherman’s Friends

September 7, 2014 Joachim 2 Comments

I met these youngster down on a river, when I left the road before the bridge to get closer to the water. The boy carried his catch of the day in his hands. Besides the usual ‘how are you’, ‘what’s your name’ style of questions, a nice little conversation and a language lesson developed …

Nice conversation

Tweet ##transoceania

Info, Sections, Sumatra Sutra

The Mask

September 7, 2014 Joachim 7 Comments

No, I’m not going to rob a bank, although the millions that I pulled earlier are almost spent. This is my new riding mask, as long as we are in dense traffic and polluted air. It was 8200 rupias, which is equivalent to about 0.60€ and hopefully worth the investment.

Tweet ##transoceania

Photos, Sections, Sumatra Sutra, Trans-Oceania

Ups and Downs

September 7, 2014 Joachim 1 Comment

The Sumatra Sutra section is over. Yesterday late afternoon I arrived at Carita, the first camp location on Java. A fairly large hotel complex at the beach. Whereas Eric – who was already here for some days, to recover from his fall and broken rips – stated that the hotel was deserted, with him as the only guest; it is now over crowded with weekend guests. two dozen busses with students and adults from all over the place are here turning the hotel into a massive entertainment area, with live music, games and all day BBQs.

As with the terrain – with a lot of ups and downs – it goes up and down with the health. Many suffer from sore throats, colds from A/C and pollution. It is not easy to find the right balance between refreshing cool and a comfortable room climate. Sharing the room with another person require compromises, too. Cycling all day in sweaty, wet fabric and temperatures between 20 and 40°C and the entering the hotel room with A/C set to 18°C is of no good. The filters are probably also not well maintained, spreading germs easily. Well, this will all change in Australia, when I am sleeping in my own tent.

I skipped a boat trip to Krakatau in favor to relax and cure my A/C|pollution cold. It would have been a ~4 hours boat ride to and from the volcanic island, but too much if you don’t feel well. Therefore I went to the village, got some medicine for my cold from the hospital (costs me 0.80€), had passport photos made (for my 3rd application for the Timor-Leste visa), and permanent ‘health mask for biker’ to wear when cycling, replacing the disposable surgeons masks.

Hope internet gets better during the day, so I can upload more photos from the past cycling days.

Tweet ##transoceania

Rest Day, Sections, Sumatra Sutra, Trans-Oceania

Public Viewing

September 7, 2014 Joachim

This night I moved out of the room I share with Brett. It became too hot with the A/C switched off (however no way to get over my cold sleeping with A/C) – The bed sheets were kind of plastic causing more sweat. Mosquitos bugging me all night. No way to fix a net in the room. Not comfortable at all. At 3am I grabbed my mattress and moved onto the table in the living room, bedding me raised above the floor. Mosquito net attached to the lamp, hot tea in a cup and eventually I dozed away for a healthier sleep. I should have done this right away.

Now my part of the bedroom serves as a store room for my bags …

Tweet ##transoceania

Sections, Stage Details, Sumatra Sutra

Stage 17: Sumatra & Java

September 6, 2014 Joachim

Kalianda to Carita (Java)
Date:	06-09-2014	Time:	05:51 h	Σ Time:	101:38 h
Distance:	113 km	Σ km:	2130 km	Temp:	21/39 °C
Up:	1559 m	Σ Up:	21357 m	Calories:	2768 kcal
Down:	1697 m	Σ Down:	21229 m	Σ kcal:	46908 kcal
Conditions:	A quick 30 km to the ferry mostly on a nice parallel road to the highway. On Java a complex navigation through the port city of Merak, before we turned into a more rural area.

We had to circumvent Gunung Rajabasa in the morning to get to the ferry port. Boarding was easy; pay 21000 Rupias (1.5€) and get on the large bark. The ride was fast and smooth, unfortunately we had to wait a long time in a park position before we could anchor and unload. So lunch at 45 km was at 12:45h, with still 82 km to go. The ride in Java is mostly unnoticed by the local people. Only rare ‘Hello Mister’ could be heard, unless you started to wave a hello to the people. We had to cycle along the slopes of the first volcanoes on Java. The day finished with a long 25 km downhill to Carita and the large hotel complex at the beach.

I felt better on the bike than yesterday, but now the fever is back, as I am resting in the large bungalow, that I share with 7 other riders. I may skip the day trip to Krakatau in favor to improve my health situation.