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.
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.
Sumatra Highway, all day long. Lungs are fully tarred now – feels like being a chain smoker for a life time. Got a mask now.
After the scenic rides of the past days, this is one to file under ”We don’t need more of these” . Although we were awarded with a long downhill, the ride as such was a ‘dirty’ and ‘hectic’ one. All day between a million trucks and motorcycles, blowing their exhausts into our lungs. I guess the Indonesians are being paid for burning their ‘gas’ (bensin solar) instead of having to pay for the fuel. I don’t know what they are doing on the roads all day?! Sure bringing kids to school in the morning and picking them up in the afternoon and carrying goods from here to there. But there is no rest in between. Roads are always busy. A few traders with goods on the bike, but others just youngsters cruising around … We had a small detour in the first larger town. However these attempts to bypass major traffic routes are often more difficult and dangerous to ride then staying on the main road, as the road conditions can get really bad on the secondary’s. Unfortunately another crash on a downhill of one of the fellow riders. 6 stiches in the local hospital and back on track!
You can sense, that your body is going weird, when you are wearing 3 layers of cycling functional wear (incl. wind stopper), but you still feel cold at air temperature of 40°C. I hope the rest day in Carita (after tomorrow’s 112k m) will get my body back in sync with my riding plans …
Overcast and cool in the morning. The afternoon sun burnt away the clouds and temperatures raised to upper 30th. Roads were good, but busy. Many trucks. The National Park was very scenic. Little time for photos, as time and energy was a constraint.
Another tough one. Longer and with two steep climbs compared to yesterday. The final climb, starting at km 137, was consuming the last energy reserves. I am developing a cold – a result of the temperature changes, riding in sweaty wet clothes all day, A/C in some places, fans in other, cold showers, exhaustion, … therefore I set myself a moderate pace of 22 km/h for the flat parts of the day, targeting a 4 pm arrival. A few photo and Coke stops in the afternoon, after passing the first summit added extra time to my result. The steep uphill (max. 18%) of the first climb through the National Park was followed by an identical steep downhill. Those with normal rim-breaks had problems with overheating the rims and needed to stop several times to cool down the rims again. With my disk breaks I didn’t have overheating problems and could race down the hill. However I stopped for a few photos. The Indomarets (super market) were good on stock with real cold Coke and chocolate, so bottles could be refilled infinitely. Our hotel is on top of the last climb. Temperatures are down to a comfortable level. 3 mosques are surrounding our hotel, and they seem to be competing each other with their prayers and volumes.
Tomorrow is another 140 km day. Establishing my health is first priority now –> early bed time … The next rest day is two days ahead.
Hot & humid (what else?). Steep climbs (20% grade), very scenic. Road good at the beginning at the end lot of gravel and potholes. Lunch again setup in a sort of paradise location at the beach – serving fresh coconuts.
This was one of a tough ride, today. The long big climb after 40 km was announced the night before. However there was no word about how steep some of the sections are going to be. And there was no saying about the many shorter but less steep ascents thereafter were following, adding to the total ascent of more than 1600m. We were mostly cruising along the coast line, except when crossing the national park with the big climb to 500m. The quick increasing temperatures did their part to the game and made cycling a sweaty job. At some point I thought Cristiano must be sitting somewhere at the beach, having a beer or more and a set of voodoo dolls of us all. For some unknown reasons he is punishing us the whole day, setting up more and more obstacles into our way and pushing the needles deeper and deeper. Reception at the camp was exceptional: We got a late lunch and fruits. Dinner was excellent – I added a fish to my diet. I think I gonna need some extra portion of energy for the days to come. Room at the Surfer camp is basic, but has got 2 fans, that are absolutely needed!
Perfect for an enjoyable short ride. Small rollers and very scenic. Lunch at 60 km in paradise – at a lonely beach with fishermen around.
An easy day, just cruise along and enjoy the privilege to be cycling here. Lots of photo stops and interaction with kids waiting at their school yards for ‘strangers’ on bicycles. I can’t simply rush past them. I need to stop for some handshakes and miles. At 42 km I slowed down at a big wedding ceremony. I was immediately surrounded by the party guests and everyone wanted a photo with me. Soon Andreas, todays sweep arrived and we both were invited into the tent, treated with cakes and juice and asked to get on stage to greet the young couple,speak to the crowed and dance. So the time went past and luckily it was a short riding day, so we had all time of the world to stay longer. The lunch site at 60 km was a dream location. Right at the beach under palm trees with lots of shade. Fishermen around and women roasting the catch. No one was in a hurry and almost everyone had a nap at any given spot. Only 15 more km to go after lunch and the beach at Bintuhan was waiting for a swim … (more in additional posts to come)
A fast marathon warm-up in the morning. The 42 km flat out of town would have been a treat, if the air wouldn’t be so polluted from the early morning commute.
It was easy rolling on the first 40 km. Thereafter it became more rural, hilly and the road sometimes a bit broken. The landscape did not change much until we turned back to the coast. Rice fields and palm trees build the scene. Lunch at a police station with a school next to it. This guaranteed spectators and entertainment. After lunch temperatures increased to reach upper 30th.
Today I was stopped by two girls on a motor scooter. They followed me quite a while, then passed, fall back again, passed until finally stopped next to the road and signaled me to stop, too – which I did. The first word of the girl was ‘OMG, I want a photo with you’. So I had a road side photo session and many more “OMG’s” …
The rolling hills continued. Ups and downs all day long. Again a very hot day. Enough opportunities to stop and refresh.
Somehow the ride felt harder than yesterday. This could be due to the facts, that it was the 6th long riding day in a row, there was no warm-up, as the rollers started immediately after camp and the cooler morning temperatures were soon gone by the hot sun rising into a clear sky. Today we cruised along the coastline most of the day. Only a few short deviations into the fields of rubber trees and again palm oil plantations. Empty and fully loaded trucks we passing us all day long. Still, most of the drivers are very careful, when passing us. Only a few maniacs couldn’t wait a few seconds for a safe passage and squeezed themselves through the traffic. Lunch was setup nicely at the beach, and fresh coconuts were served, which let me forget that there were again no mangoes … unfortunately, it is not the right season for my favorite fruit.
The black-red-golden banners vanished today, because we left West Sumatra. Bengkulu is the name of South-West Sumatra province, we entered today and also the name of the province capital city. The Splash Hotel in Bengkulu is great, with the well deserved comfort after a tough week of cycling.
A cool and flat start in the morning. First 20 km along the coast, the 100 km inland through palm oil plantations. Rolling up and down +/- 70m all day, accumulating to 1400m ascent. Road good, some open patches. Many bridges over brown rivers. Until 11 am the temperature was bearable. Thereafter very hot. Steep climb with 13% grade at 136 km.
Today was faster, as I was on a different mission: Don’t stop too often, get more time in camp to write up some stuff from past days. It perfectly fitted the change in the mentality of the locals. Although there is almost no meter of unoccupied land along the whole road through the plantations – you can’t make out borders between villages – there were much fewer ‘Hello Mister’ and ‘Good Morning’ calls during most of the day. This made riding quicker. Only closer to the coast the friendliness popped up again and extra time was added for stops and interaction with locals. Another basic hotel, with cartoon beddings and bucket showers.
A cool and flat start in the morning. First 20 km along the coast, the 100 km inland through palm oil plantations. Rolling up and down +/- 70m all day, accumulating to 1400m ascent. Road good, some open patches. Many bridges over brown rivers. Until 11 am the temperature was bearable. Thereafter very hot. Steep climb with 13% grade at 136 km.
Today was faster, as I was on a different mission: Don’t stop too often, get more time in camp to write up some stuff from past days. It perfectly fitted the change in the mentality of the locals. Although there is almost no meter of unoccupied land along the whole road through the plantations – you can’t make out borders between villages – there were much fewer ‘Hello Mister’ and ‘Good Morning’ calls during most of the day. This made riding quicker. Only closer to the coast the friendliness popped up again and extra time was added for stops and interaction with locals. Another basic hotel, with cartoon beddings and bucket showers.
