My new friend and all day companion keeps on tapping ne in my back, yelling “Faster Joe! Keep on going faster!”
He made friend with Mrs. Wiggley last night in the bike park. No idea how he found her 
However he also slows down my progress: Sponge Bob is siaked so wet, he asks me every 5 minutes to stop for a pee!
One more volcano to tackle today. The French / German Connection eager to conquer it.
Can someone spot the lunch truck already on top??
Tweet ##transoceaniaDo we really want to leave from here?
At least we get some carbs to fill holes in our stomach before we leave for the 2400m ascent to the Bromo volcano.
Tweet ##transoceaniaNo, I will neither give a lecture about the Kama Sutra – we are currently cycling in a part of Java with a Hindu population and some ‘erotic’ temples, nor will I 
talk about the first man on the moon (1969), although it feels like we are preparing to cycle to the moon – 
is Sydney still down under or already behind the moon?
Then why the subject 69?
First time ever below the 70 kg mark in my adult life.
Tweet ##transoceaniaDear Chief Mask Maker (CMM),
I am a cyclist from Germany and enjoying very much your lovely country Indonesia. I am in my 6th week of touring Indonesia on my bicycle. I already finished cycling in Sumatra. Currently I am on Java, advancing east to Bali and the following islands until Timor-Leste. As much as I like your country I am suffering from the polluted air in the denser populated parts. Therefore I have bought a biker mask from a local shop and use to wear it when air gets too bad. It helps me a lot, but it also causes unforeseen extra pain. Let me explain:
”Your masks are not made for a ‘bule‘. It is too tight around my ‘long nose’ and tends to grind it down, if I wear it all day”
I am exposed to the environment for another 4 weeks until I leave for Australia. Therefore I would like to ask you, if it is possible to get a tailored mask version that fits me perfect, as soon as possible. You would make my day!
Terima Kasih / Many thanks in advance
With kind regards
Joachim
Tweet ##transoceaniaToday’s mountain peeks that we had to overrun where exceptional steep and the tips extremely sharp. Besides the need to force the last bit of energy into the legs to turn the cranks and keep on moving, it was also a battle for the tires. Obviously too much, even for an ‘undestroyable’ Schwalbe. Usually I shoulder my bike and lift it over the top, to protect it from tire damages caused by sharp tips. However, today I forgot to get off my
bike on one of the peeks and got my rear tire completely stabbed, down to the fabric. Luckily I had the extra anti-flat plastic layer inside between tire wall and tube, thus I didn’t suffer a puncture and could continue the ride to camp.
After dinner I had to perform an emergency repair, moved my front tire to the rear wheel and mounted the Supreme (which is for smooth tar) to the front. Now I need to hunt for a new offroad tire to replace the damaged one.
Tweet ##transoceaniaI am out for the day to do some serious volcano climbing. Luckily we have ‘only’ one climb today, just a small ‘little’ obstacle in our way. Here is what today’s profile looks like …
Ride the wave
Hope my body could stock up with some energy over night for a day like this. See you later my friends. Safe me a beer!
Tweet ##transoceaniaFinally Mickey is reunited with his all time girl friend Mini.
It is my first cycling day after my sick days. AlfaMart seem to celebrate Mickeys recovery and all shop assistants wear the mouse ears to greet me when I stop and shop for a Coke.
Tweet ##transoceaniaBesides the usual things needed to be done during our rest days, the 2 days in Yogyakarta were actually meant to allow to visit and explore the famous temple sites of Borobudur and Prambanan. However I had to skip this program, as my first priority was to get my health situation under control and myself back in shape to be able to ride my bicycle on the next stages. Therefore I canceled the sightseeing program in favor to more rest and to gain new energy.
A short rickshaw ride together with Eric into the busy center of Yogya was the only escape from my nice ‘Rehab’ Hotel for the past 4 days. Back into the city smog and noise!
Although I lost some kg during my ‘Gastro’ phase, our driver had a hard(er) time to spin the wheels with me and my partner Eric, as Eric obviously overcompensated for my weight loss 
– he is a real good eater 
.
You would be amazed about the number of good sorted bicycle shops you can find in town. In one I found my dream bike; good for the rough conditions we face here. However I was in shock when I was told by the merchant, that I did no longer qualify to own such a vehicle as the name already suggests it is only for a very exclusive client group … 
Everything in Indonesia goes slow(er), however the world fastest mosque builders must be employed in Indonesia. No matter where we stay for the night, we are always surrounded by mosques in the closest distance with their speakers directly facing our hotel. Whereas most mosques are really pretty with a top audio system and superb state-of-the-art HiFi quality, you’ll find others much less picturesque and with a speaker system most probably a last minute secondhand provisionally installation considering the bad 
audio quality.
Henry and Cristiano swear, they always tried to find the best accommodation for us, far away from the early morning prayers, when they were scouting the route earlier this year in March. So, how comes, that within the 6 months since their scouting always new mosques must have been raised in the closest neighborhood, wherever they decided we are going to stay? Coincidence or on purpose? I leave this up to the reader’s judgment 
