A few photos - Cape York & on towards Asia

[McMike]

Great pics!

[George Jung]

Monkey tourism...... why not?

Looking at some of those 'roads' you're riding - that's pretty rugged terrain! Dump the bike much? I'd imagine a significant injury might be difficult to treat in that part of the country.

How are you taking those photos enroute - holding the camera with one hand, and shooting while riding? Mounted on the handlebars (or maybe a helmet cam?)?

[The Bigfella]

Thanks guys...

I don't think I have seen any monkeys in Java. Saw heaps elsewhere, lots on Sumbawa, Lombok and Bali.... but can't specifically recall them here. Certainly none after the first two days here (went through some mountains... which is where you see them).

I haven't dumped the bike since August, on Cape York, when I pulled a groin muscle that caused a lot of pain for weeks, as there was lots of soft sand that would fling the bike sideways and wrench it again. I went close the other day in mud and clay... but wouldn't expect any injuries at slow speed, unless unlucky. I dumped it 5 times on the Creb Track (where Bernadette got hurt))... without any more than a slight headache.... and that included cartwheeling the bike and going flying over the handlebars. That said... I was wearing knee braces then, and I'm not now.

I had some close calls today.... but treatment wouldn't have been an issue. I thought I was going to be the new mascot on the front of a bus. He came around a blind corner on my side of the road. I saw him at about 30 metres, closing fast - and I was towards the centreline - so had to clear most of the bus. I stood the bike up, braked hard, then leaned hard and scraped past his drivers side corner. If instinct hadn't made me brake, I wouldn't be typing this. Other vehicles on your side of the road is a given.... that one was just a nasty set of coincidences... as happens. I have to limit my enjoying nice corners to right handers, not blind left handers (the reverse applies to you mob that drive on the wrong side of the road)

As for treatment.... you see plenty of ambulances on the roads... but I haven't seen any prangs since Flores. I did see one bent up car getting towed. I think there's a few Westerners working in some of the major cities. I spoke to an Aussie nurse who works in Yogyakarta the other day.

As for photos. I'm running a helmet video camera.... but I'm down from 3 batteries to one. (Lost one... almost positive the cleaner snaffled it when I dropped it at Bromo) and one just isn't working.... so that's a bit limited. I should be able to upload a short insane traffic one tonight.

I also run a Nikon P&S camera (a 6100) that is on a lanyard hanging off my body armour. It just dangles there and I grab it and shoot left-handed while on the move - have been known to do that on a dirt road at over 100mph, but not on this trip.... so its quite easy. I even use it sometimes when i stop. I carry the Nikon D7000 in a waterproof bag, with my computer, in my tank bag. There's a couple of layers of Armaflex foam under the computer and another between it and the camera. If I stop at an attraction.... Like today at Borobudur (8th century Hindu temple)... I throw the computer in the backpack and hang the D7000 around the neck. I must admit, I was that knackered today, I handed the camera to the guide to carry

Incidentally, I was thinking today about how the bike handles the conditions. I reckon its been the perfect bike for the trip. I can keep up a reasonable pace on it. I can undertake traffic on the rocky verge... at speed if required.... I can hit major potholes and bumps (got a LOT of air over a railway line a week or so back).... and some of the bumps I hit today would have flung me off a 250. This KTM just soaks it all up. I'd make some minor changes to the carbon fibre bits I made.... I'd re-profile the rear rack so it would hold my big orange packsaddle bag further back and give me more room in the cockpit... and I need to repair a broken epoxy joint on the headlight setup... I don't know why I didn't put some carbon tape it in the first place (I duct taped it today - rather than pull things apart) and I'd change it to better protect the electrics.

The other thing I need to do is start wearing my Buff (woollen neck/face tube) There was SO much smoke today... fires and diesel fumes that it wasn't funny. I think its behind the breathing problems I've had.

Meanwhile.... its probably time to wander down the road and find some grub

[The Bigfella]

Here's a quick video of riding in the more open area of central Java. it gets more interesting in the twisty bits

[Iceboy]

Thanks Ian. I can see why "undertaking" would be the correct term. Great pics and commentary. I am really enjoying this thread.

[Mrleft8]

I think you've got the film in backwards..... It looks like every one is on the wrong side of the road.....

[George Jung]

That last video would fit under 'MadMen'.... but I tink that titles taken. Try 'Death Wish', see how that one flies....

I'm impressed, Ian. I did really 'ill-considered' and dangerous stuff when I was a young guy..... not so much now! I've recognized my own mortality, something you've mentioned before. I'd only admonish you not to rush the process...

[The Bigfella]

It looks worse on video than it really is. Drivers here are used to it..... but not so much me... I still jump when someone rides past underneath my left handlebar unexpectedly. I've only had a few vehicles change direction on me unexpectedly... and that has always been to the right. You can't hear my horn very well on that soundtrack... but I generally use it... as does everyone. If you don't, one of those riders on the left is as likely as not to spear off to the right in front of you. Use the horn and they know to wait. No-one uses their mirrors unless the person behind sounds ther horn..... you have to always be looking forward for some damn bike / car / truck / bus that is going to expect you to see them using your side of the road.

[The Bigfella]

I'm trying hard to catch up... but am falling behind. Big ride today... towards Jakarta. Bandur is on the way and its something like 7 million people, before I get to the big one. Heather, the American woman I met in Flores has invited me to stay, but I won't inflict my snivelling, sniffling self on her or her family.... unless by some miracle it clears up today.

Anyhow... back to Baron. I finally spotted the name Baron on an advertising hoarding and asked directions to my friend's village. It turned out to be a collection of pretty derelict tiny apartments in a concreted enclave

The locals eyes popped when I rode in.... and there were all sorts of "what's going on here looks when I asked directions to Kiky's house.... Kiky being the 9 year old daughter of my friend. Here's her street with the bike outside her place



and the view the other way from that corner





Only a few kilometres from town.

Here's Smile's two kids Kiky and Bintang



I posted a whole album of her kids over on Facestalk and Smile was ecstatic... she doesn't get home to see them anywhere near often enough, being 750km away on another island to earn enough to support the family (Smile works in a shop selling South African wines to tourists in Bali).

Bintang played run away from the big scary man for a while, but soon warmed up



and the cameras became a hit with the local kids. I've got some terrific shots of the kids... many taken by Kiky, that I'll get prints of and send them back for the families from Oz. Believe me.... the locals here don't have any family photos on the walls.... although my ugly mug is now on dozens of phone cameras.



Kiky ended up flattening the battery in my little S6100 P&S

[The Bigfella]

Some of the kids were a bit shy



Others a bit too cool



Here we are, out to dinner. I figured that they'd get to a restaurant about once every fiftieth blue moon, so off we went to town.... Kiky with me and grandma and Bintang on the back of a scooter with one of the local village men... who stayed to dinner. It bucketted down while we ate, but stopped for the trip home.



Granny was dressed to the nines... but she ditched all that within 30 seconds of getting home.



Here's the start of my food allergy attack. That's one of the two Flounder / Sole or whatever fish they were that I had. Lovely, but I shouldn't have had the Chilli (or the BBQ Back Ribs the next night in Jogja). The guy told me he'd ordered beef for me btw..... and I'm thinking I fed his family too. He over-ordered big time and was last seen with a doggie bag. Still, we fed and drank (no alcohol) five of us plus the leftovers for $21 at the best restaurant in town.

Getting home was fun.... we did some shopping (school books, crayons, toy car, etc)... all of which cost a fraction of what it would back home... and I tried an ATM or two and failed.... which worried me a tad. Then, on the way, the other guy ran out of juice and couldn't get it running on the reserve tank - so we loaded both kids on my bike....
no helmets or any safety gear, of course.... but they got going. Anyhow, rather than unload Bintang, the three of us headed off together.... very soft throttle

I suppose I should show off my new $1 Fanni haircut. It isn't the most flattering shot... thanks Kiky, and its me at the dining table, on one of only two chairs in the place - the only one I was game to sit on. The whole house is 15' maybe 16' deep and only a couple of feet wider. Two bedrooms, this dining room and a tiny mandi / squat toilet. Cooking is done under a lean-to outside. It was too low for me to get under.



The kids decorate the walls

[The Bigfella]

One more with Bintang



A Kiky self portrait



Then into the gear and off to Yogyakarta



The ride there was a bit frustrating. It was on the main road, plenty of traffic and no help from the Garmin. I got to Jogja (local slang for Yogyakarta) as rain was threatening. I knew where I wanted to go... but Garmin doesn't show the main tourist suburb (a major part of the city)... and I couldn't pronounce it, so I was asking locals at each red light. I got mainly good directions.... then some not so good and overshot by about 5 minutes.... and the monsoon dump hit for those five minutes back.... and I got drenched.... as did my wallet and everything in it.... and my boots, etc. Five frigging day with wet boots.... shades of Cape York all over again

Anyhow, I rang the place I wanted - the Lonely Planet pick... an art house Losmen which turned out to be terrific, good staff, cute backpackers, beer, great artworks (I should have taken a shot of my room.... it was brilliant)... hell it even had towels, toilet paper (hadn't seen that for several days.... but that might be TMI) and hot(ish) water. All for $22.

Oh yeah... and a tame masseuse... funny short fat woman, who was great. $9 for 90 minutes. Did that two days in a row.

Unpacked and eventually went to move the bike out of the Gang (laneway) down to a restaurant with secure parking, because my KTM was about a foot too wide to get into the Losmen... and I got busted for riding in the Gang by a restaurant owner... much shouting about kids playing (no kids out there in the rain btw)... but anyhow, I pushed it out and he was very friendly after that. The secure restaurant guys had a band going... and damn good one... so I ate there.... next day and the day after they refused to take my money for the parking because they loved having the bike there.

..... and that's where I'll stop for a while. I've not uploaded my Yogya photos yet.... there's hundreds I've got to trawl through and upload a few. I visited the Kraton (Sultans Palace) and both Prambanan and Borobudur Hindu temples. Lonely Planet rates Borobudur with Angkor Wat. I don't.... but it IS very impressive. Angkor Wat stands head and shoulders above these two.

[Mrleft8]

I thought that "Bintang" was beer......
Or is that another word with a similar sound?

[The Bigfella]

You got it.... Bintang is a beer... but the word means Star.

Funny having a Muslim kid named the same as a beer, eh?

I've been naughty.... I posted some updates over on OzPol.... I'll C&P it here

I had a little brush with the law today.... I snuck onto the tollroad to Jakarta. I'd have been OK, I think, but got pinged because I had to stop for juice... and while stopped had lunch. Security spotted me and tried to kick me off it (no bikes allowed)... but I pleaded dumb (some would say that wouldn't be hard).... and headed off again ASAP.

They tried to stop me at one exit.... I heard the siren, but kept at it.... sitting on 140 for a while, then thought better of it and backed off to 125 to let them catch up. I'd been up to 175 a bit earlier. Not sure what the limit was.... there was something with two speed signs... one 80 and one 60 at the same place. Might have been maximum 80, minimum 60 I think.... so I reckon adding them together was about right.

Anyhow, they got a bit excited.... I kept pointing to my GPS and up the tollroad (no I hadn't paid at the tollbooth).... they had an ambulance with them and he said I had to follow the security patrol..... which I did for a while at 60kph.... until about 1 km from the next exit. I pointed to the exit, they nodded.... and I got into it and scarpered.... off the tollway though. I tried to get on again a bit further along... but got busted....

Damn them.... took me about 4 hours longer to get here to central Jakarta as a result.

I actually enjoyed most of the run in to Jakarta in peak hour traffic. Mind blowing traffic, but lots of fun interplay with the locals.... and a few minor hits. Two mirror clips, one very near one with a bus that ran a red about 5 seconds late at 30 kph.... I played chicken with him.... and I chickened. There wouldn't have been an inch in it.... but it wouldn't have hurt... it would've been a glance if it'd happened. I damn near t-boned a guy who came from behind me then cut across my bows at 90 degrees. He must've thought I was stopping. I did... with the front forks bottomed. Damn near went over the bars missing him. I've never seen traffic like it.... but despite the look, most of it is highly civilised... most people steer a gentle line and its easy to predict. If only Aussies drove like it. Not a lot of give... just sensible behaviour that avoids hits.

And.... I just beat a couple of kids down from $5 to $3 for a shoe shine. First one for the shoes this trip.... and sheeet, do they need it. Cheeky buggers.... $5. I've given them a 50c tip because they didn't ask for one.... .

[The Bigfella]

Wow - just downloaded my GPS files for the last two days 311 km and the 298 km. That's pretty good here. No wonder I slept like a baby.... despite the fan sounding like a helicopter about to take off.... oh yeah, and an outside light shining straight into the room. Despite this being the backpacker area, I'm the only westerner in this dive. Everyone else is single Indo men. It sure doesn't rate near my Yogya room. Shared "bathroom"... cold only, which is fine by me... no head on it, but at least it has a "shower"... a pipe coming out of the wall. No power point in the room is what's going to make me pack and move though.... that and the thought of what a night here would be like without the benefit of exhaustion.

Here's a screengrab of me trying to get out of Yogyakarta two days ago. That damn Garmin sent me around in circles... it tried to send me down roads that were not the name it was saying... and so on. I was heading to Borobudur... one of three main tourist destinations (which it didn't recognise... but it did have a Hotel listed at the town, so I had it "aimed" at that).

In the end, I ignored it after I found a road sign.... and I got out of town.

As for Jakarta and its main tourist suburbs.... nah, can't plug them in either. Coming in yesterday, I aimed for a bus station that was several blocks from where I wanted to go.... and sorted it out myself.... I really don't know how they can put their name on such a crappy map.

[The Bigfella]

I suppose if I'm going to bitch about Garmin I should show the track on the map base they sold me... not the global map. There's another bitch, btw... I can only print a pdf off the global map... not off their base. Why?

[The Bigfella]

Hmmm - what that few little circles on a map doesn't show is just how much fun it can be in Indonesian traffic.

That said, I loved Yogyakarta. Back in my undergraduate days, 35 years ago, I used to work Saturdays at a hire service so I could pay the rent. The guy who owned the hire service used to bring groups of boy scouts to Yogya togive them some decent grounding in different cultures. Great choice of a place. Don't see it now though, as with the travel advisory notice about the danger of terrorist attacks in this country (occur at about the same rate as in the USA btw) the insurance companies won't cover anything.... and we all miss out.

I'll digress slightly.... it looks likely that I may see some unrest here. I picked up an English language paper in Jakarta yesterday and there are many demonstrations planned against the April 1 fuel price rise. Its going from 45c litre (call that $1.75 a gallon) to 60c litre. There's fuel hoarding happening and a lot of stations in some regions have run dry. I'll be filling up more often from here on in.

Anyhow... back to Yogya...

I decided to wander down to the Kraton... the Sultan's Palace in the morning, but got to the end of the Gang and got jumped by one of the pedal tricycle guys. Yeah... why not... so he folded the roof down and off we went. I could have jumped one of the many horse carriages, taken a taxi, or walked.... but I reckon I got the pick of them. Here's the view from the seat... nothing in front to impede the view.... and the traffic is all slow



On the way there, I felt a food allergy attack coming on. I should have turned around and got some meds, but didn't. In fact, I should have had the meds with me. Anyhow... I paid the price later.

So, the Kraton is about a square kilometre in size IIRC, built in the mid 1700's and the current Sultan lives there with his wife. This one, unlike his predecessors who had up to 15 wives, has only one.... and five daughters, so the lineage goes to his younger brother next. A guide grabbed me and drove me nuts for the next hour or so. She seemed to have this virtual tape recorder in her head for the English tour version... and it had a playback issue. If there was a date involved, she'd say it at least 4, normally more times before she moved on to the detail. Still, not as bad as the guide I had in Vietnam.... "this rock look like monkey, that rock look like elephant.... that rock look like woman with legs open" (I kid you not)

Here she is... with Sultan Number 7, or 9, or something



Actually, the tour was fabulous... with the Kraton being the focal point of the preservation and demonstration of Javanese culture.





This next one is interesting. This cage is about 5-6' across. It was used for the Sultan's children "filled with toys" apparently. Hmmm - caged kids




There's lots of interesting stuff. Delft pottery abounds, as do items from many other countries

[The Bigfella]

Plenty of elaborate entertaining areas.... crystal chandeliers, fabulous decorations, no walls



Bloody big drums everywhere... huge things



It took about 5 minutes to have all this one explained to me. Um, sorry, something about the numbers being good luck, etc....



I'll spare you photos of the Sultan's circumcision suit from when he was 13 and gifts to Sultan number ? from the Kaiser, and so on... actually, I may not even have taken one of that suit.... but, tour over, I sat down for the dancing. Three very different acts, with me missing most of the last one when I had to bolt for my medicines after my face started to explode ... rapid swelling due to the food allergy - can be fatal, so probably shouldn't have ignored the onset of it.

Check out this lady's fingers

[The Bigfella]

Then the guys came on. Two of them, and it was a developing contest that ended in one being vanquished in a swordfight









Followed by two women with spears.... but I dashed not long into that one and got stuck into the steroids.

[The Bigfella]

Suitably full of pills and with three epipens of adrenaline in tow, I headed off to a temple... I'm a big lad, and having had an anaphylatic reaction that put me in intensive care and needed the equivalent of 5 epipens to keep me breathing.... I guess I should be a tad more careful with my food eh? I wonder how I'd go here with one of those attacks? I'm sticking to the basics for a while. It was the chilli on the seafood and the sauce on the BBQ back ribs that tried to do me in.

So, the temple.... Prambanan is the grandest of the Hindu temples in Java. Built in the 9th century and mysteriously abandoned mnot long after. The largest of the temples, the Shiva Temple is 47m tall... but is currently closed due to damage from the 2006 earthquake.

Just before I got to the temples, I got caught in a mass licence / ID check. All bikes got stopped. One cop was going to wave me through, but I was interested to see what they'd do and I already had my International Licence out (freshly dried out and fortunately undamaged). Of course, I should also have had my motorcycle licence out, but I was just testing the system. The cop I gave it to didn't have a clue. He opened one page, didn't even get to the photo ID, closed it and waved me on. OK... that's what we want.

Crappy weather for taking photos of a temple complex... overcast, threatening rain... but here goes





See... the Gods were watching over me. I did not pass







There's earthquake damage repairs visible in this one. There was a fair bit of damage apparently but they are fixing it

[The Bigfella]

Now, lest you think Prambadan has been standing there like that since the 9th century.... it isn't so. IIRC it was "rediscovered" in the late 19th century and restoration work began in 1937



Hopefully that's readable... that and this next shot are the Shiva Temple



The 2006 quake cracked 479 blocks in this temple alone, many more were displaced and some crumbled entirely. These early complexes predated the use of mortar btw

[The Bigfella]

... and last, but not least, we get to the meaning of life. I saw plenty of these in Cambodia and some in Vietnam... often, the male part had been stolen, but here's the complete set, doing as they are meant to do. Anyone need the instructions?



Oh, OK, not quite last. This little show was really entertaining the locals on the way out, the main actors running around on two dimensional horse charicatures



and I spotted this, a guy bottling honey from the comb among the stalls at the entrance



I mentioned that I stayed at an arthouse guesthouse in Yogyakarta. It was the Losmen Setia Kawan in the Sosrowuayan area (one of the main tourist areas, so my Garmin didn't know about it).... I found it by asking directons to the main train station, Tugu Station and going from there.

Here's a nice piece of hall art, a post war Ariel Red Hunter. I've been meaning to pick up one of these back in Oz, but avoided it for a while, as I need to prune some projects first.



... and here's what I presume was their hire fleet of Vespas and mountain bikes



It was a real "feel good" place to stay.

[The Bigfella]

OK, so no-one needed the instructions. Let's see if we can catch right up to date here. I've had 3 nights in Jakarta... and am staying tonight as well, then its off to Sumatra. I was going to see about Anak Krakatau, but will probably just crack into some riding and get a bit further northwest. I'll double check later, but I've got 11 or 12 days left on my visa.

So... let's go from the Hindu temples at Prambanan, which is about 20km out of Yogya on the Solo side to the Buddhist temples at Borobudur, 45km or so on the Jakarta side of Yogya.


I'm not sure I should call it dueling temples... but this complex was constructed around the same time as Prambanan - early 800's. With the decline of Buddhism here, it was abandoned and covered with volcanic ash from an erup tion in 1006 and was rediscovered when Raffles was ruling Java in 1814.

I headed for the ticket office, but got booted over to the "International VIP" airconditioned ticket office. That's there way of getting $13.50 entry fee out of you, instead of the $3 or so that locals are charged. I grabbed a guide for this one... always happy to oblige if someone asks nicely.... and we set off... with me in my boots, cordura trousers and dorky motorcycle-specialist backpack (in other words it looks triple dorky when used off the bike). Add in a tourist hat, the compuslory sarong.... and, oh, who gives a rat's?



Here's Borobudur



Which does have its added tourist traps



My guide was excellent in explaining the whole setup. This is part of a relief carving setup that told the story of the good, the normal and the bad.

Here's the good, with people ministering to an ill person



the normal... happy family life



and the bad... drunken behaviour, wild dancing, etc

[The Bigfella]

There's 505 Buddha's at the complex. The reason for this number escapes me.... but it is significant



Unfortunately, the Dutch did a fair bit of headhunting.... as did other nations, eg the French knocked off a lot of heads from statues at Angkor Wat in Cambodia... decorations for their gardens back home or for museums.

[The Bigfella]

Head-hunted



More carvings everywhere



During the restoration, where new stone has been used, it is marked like this, so it is easy to see what is old, what isn't



As we climb, we come to a whole heap of stupas. Each has a Buddha inside. Buddha statues have a half dozen or so different poses to demonstrate Buddha's state. This stupa - open to show the statue, also has the stonework spaces in a diamond pattern, which shows that Buddha hasn't yet decided which direction to go



Up here though, the spaces are square... Buddha knows his direction. Again the number of these stupas is significant... IIRC there are 72 plus the big one at the top, which has no spaces, it is solid, with an enlightened Buddha inside

[The Bigfella]

How come the big bloke always gets picked on. These ladies wanted their photo taken with me... the kids weren't so keen



I have to say... that poxy little bottle of water I carried wasn't enough. I go through litres of it every day... but never need to find a place to pee.

Anyhow, on the way out, I spotted a couple of guys making sandals and asked them if they'd have a go at sewing up my boots.



They did a top job, didn't try a rip-off prce, so got rewarded with more than they asked for

How swish is that eh? No more green mould. Hey... that reminds me... time to rip out the helmet liner. It was covered in green mould when I got to Bali... and it only got wiped out... and my Buff (dust mask) - I tried it on the other day and it smelt like what I imagine a pair of panties that've been worn for a few months must smell like.... oops, I digress, but I'm glad I did....



Of course... someone else saw an opportunity while I was getting my boots fixed. I'm not proud... i'll take a neck and shoulder massage anywhere. $3.

[The Bigfella]

OK - well the cheek pads for my helmet just got washed. Ughh. There's an oil ring in the toilet bowl... where I tipped the water out - the damn things turned the water black. The day I toured Borobudur, I went through afterwards to Ciamis. About 300km. My face was black when I got there... from all the diesel smoke. I held my breath a lot on that section. Some of the trucks look like they are using double the fuel they could be using if they got their injector pumps serviced.

I spotted three coppers taking photos of their new patrol car on a bridge, so I chucked a U-turn and rode back up the wrong side of the road and said G'day. They were more than happy for a photo.



I popped a wheelie for them and got back into it.

Met a nice group of guys at a small restaurant in one of the villages. Just the sort of place Agus told me to avoid.



Any trainspotters? This one was hooting along



Yes.... I know how to tighten a chain... but I'm happy to spend 50c and give the locals some work.... besides... I've lost my 10mm spanner somewhere between Sydney and here.



Did I mention that I really, really hate climbing stairs lugging my bags? Its always at least two trips too. This was actually something that my Garmin could find. A hotel. I probably should have taken a photo in the restaurant. It was a 96 seat restaurant.... and I was THE guest. The only one. Made me wonder how fresh the ingredients were.

There was plenty of broken surfaced road between Yogya and Jakarta (a total of just over 600km), I tried to get a shot of some of the really squiggly centre line.... in places it had squiggles about 18" wide where the road surface had moved

[The Bigfella]

I'll post up some random shots from the Yogya - Jakarta ride over 2 days. IIRC it was about 17 hours to do the 600km - including stops

The army guys I've passed have always been friendly



I can't imagine this passing inspection back home



or this



How's this for a hairy chest. Big boy



They love their monuments in Indonesia... I probably should shoot some more



Plenty of plantations on the way

[The Bigfella]

Plenty of volcanoes too. Some big, some little



So... day two of the strike for Jakarta... which, of course, my Garmin doesn't know exists. Seriously... I could not get Jakarta in as a destination. I finally got some satellite city of the Big Durian in, which meant less checking with locals - and suddenly a toll road popped up. As I turned on and came up to the toll booths, it was obvious bikes weren't welcome - there were booths for sedans and others for trucks/buses, so I scooted around the edge and got into it a bit - nothing over 175 kph. Traffic wasn't too heavy and the going was good.... but I hadn't had a break for hours and I didn't think I had 160km of fuel left..... so when a service station came up, I stopped refueled and grabbed a bite to eat.

Big mistake. Security came up... so I played dumb and buggered off in a hurry. Next exit, they were waiting. I was sitting on 140 kph (I'd only spotted speed signs that said something like 80 maximus (or similar word) and another one straight under that said 60 minimus (or similar). Add 80 and 60 together... that's 140... so I figured that was about right.

Like I said, they were waiting.... I heard the siren, but ignored them... but figured maybe it was best to not end up arrested, so I backed off to 125 and let them catch up. Two security guys in this one, got all animated



There was an ambulance with them too. No English.... so I kept saying "Jakarta" and pointing to my GPS - and up the road. Plenty of two way radio yabbering and I figured it was time to play ball.... so I followed them to near the next exit - at 50 kph in the breakdown lane. About a kilometre short of the exit, I pulled alongside - pointed to the exit, they nodded.... and I didn't give them the option to do anything. I got into it - and took the exit. They didn't have a hope in hell of staying with me

Next entry point, I tried again - but got nabbed and thrown off.

It took me an extra four frigging hours to get into Jakarta in peak hour traffic - including a half hour stop for a thunderstorm that I would have missed. I eventually plugged in a bus stop into the garmin that was a couple of km from where I wanted to go, and finally made it.... somewhat muddy from the storm. I damn near t-boned a local on a scooter - entirely his fault - must've missed him by an inch, with my front forks fully compressed under brakes. It would have hurt him more than me. The 'roids I was taking for the food allergy kicked in at one stage.... nothing like a bit of 'roid rage in Jakarta traffic - and I played chicken with a full-sized bus. He ran a red light - by about 5-6 seconds - after I'd taken off into the clear. I had to prop..... again, there wouldn't have been an inch in it. I'm off the steroids now... so all's good.

When I finally got into Jalan Jaksa (oops, crashin 'puter.... back later)

[jsjpd1]

What a trip! Ian thanks for sharing it.

Jim

[The Bigfella]

OK... on wifi at a pub, so will try again...

I got into Jalan Jaksa at about 6pm... horrendous traffic coming into Jakarta. You really can't believe how bad it is... but its all part of the deal.

Anyhow, the Hostel I was looking for wasn't where I was expecting to find it, so I dived into the Hotel that was there. What a dump. I don't mind staying in dives, but this one was hot, with the noisiest fan I've ever encountered. I found the prayer room before I finally found the shared "bathroom"... with its broken off pipe for a "shower" - cold water only, of course, but that isn't a problem here. As it was, I slept like a log - didn't hear the fan.

I moved to Hostel 35 the next morning. Double the price (now paying $25 a night) - nice room, even has some aircon.

After the move, I'd just sat down to lunch and this guy says, "would you please come and be in a video we are making for Indonesia's best reggae band... " I posted this elsewhere, but will bring it over here.....

It turned out to be a (minor) starring role. I had to follow acting directions even... and was the "companion" for a local TV presenter in the bar. She's a cutey too.

Here's the lovely lass who'd tried to entice me into that bar earlier. You can see why I didn't trust her intentions..... and had kept walking.



One of the band.




He's the drummer, I believe. Tiny guy



This is Joko, the main vocalist, quite famous locally I beleve



.... along with an afro'd dude with a surfboard and some cute young things

What its like to face the camera



My co-star, a local TV presenter, and me showing my colour.... which is what they admitted they wanted me for. They made me roll my sleeves up, and they put a smile on my face...



............ and that pretty much meant that I didn't go looking at museums in the Big Durian (Jakarta)

[The Bigfella]

One of the seats at that bar was based on a boat design. I love it



One of the local cars - one that I haven't really warmed to





I asked the waitress if she'd mind me taking this shot. i believe she did it when her husband was killed in a shipping accident in Russia



Ouch

[The Bigfella]

I spotted this in a back lane here.... the kids seem to like it



I caught up with an old workmate from my Coopers & Lybrand days. He keeps a house here and another in Oz... lives with a Sundanese woman (not far from here... lovely lady, not sure how to spell her name, but Eveneasy sounds a bit like it). He invited me to his club for lunch... high up in the World Trade Centre... said I could park in the Club's parking lot.

You reckon?

Here's an early photo.



I decided to see how they'd react - after they'd said "no bikes" and I said "yes, bike.... Club says yes" It didn't happen, of course, but we had some fun.... ended up with 12 security guards, one cop with pistol and submachine gun (he wouldn't let me take his photo or borrow his machine gun for some reason.... locally made thing with a hinged butt.

Anyhow, even after Colin showed up, no go, so I stuck it in the bike parking across the road. It was all done in good fun.... when they wouldn't let me in, I smiled and locked it and said "I stay here till Club member comes"

Here's a lovely photo of Che Guevarra that Colin put in the smoking room to provide some balance to the photo of Winston Churchill on the other wall



The girls turned up to get us as the sun was setting.... after a lovely lunch. The staff, of course, dobbed us in to the women for having had 2 bottles of Chilean red and one South African... and several beers.... so we were in trouble. My Javanese Oxtail soup was brilliant. Loved it.



Before anyone jumps to conclusions... the girls are friends. Anita is married to a rather wealthy local lad from what I an gather.... something to do with mining black gold.

I ended up staying at Chez Colin - and its a lovely apartment. Incrediby luxurious and well appointed. It was funny showering in a marble shower today.

Getting there was fun... it wasn't far, but it took an hour or so in the traffic.... and it dumped on me. I handed all possessions (phone, camera, wallet, etc) through the car window..... and enjoyed a bath. If I'd have lost them it would have been "interesting"

[The Bigfella]

Oops - wrong photo there.... and I can't edit it.

That was some local music guru that the waitress wanted her photo taken with

Here's the kids



Here's this morning's coffee, yep Civet Poo coffee. Damn nice. I must've had five cups. World's best and most exclusive coffee



The other (No 2) brand of the same stuff



I spotted the President's motorcade on the way "home" today.... just caught a shot of his tail. He travels fast



.... and on that note, I'm off to catch up with Heather and her kids and husband. We met Heather in Flores.

[The Bigfella]

I don't think I put this clip of what its like riding over here on this thread, did I? If I did, oops. Sorry.... I find it a bit hard to review, given the bandwidth issues.




I was discussing riding here with some folks over dinner. Its a bit like a video game - its very satisfying, because its all about maintaining absolute concentration within a narrow field. You focus all your attention on a field of view of about 45 degrees either side of straight ahead. Nothing else matters..... that's someone else's problem.

Speaking of dinner... that was with a couple of World Bank executives. One South African, one American. It was interesting to discuss a range of issues, including the mismatch between income and healthcare here... corruption issues and infrastructure priorities. I got a bit of a response on some of the social welfare issues that I'd like to target too, all good input to seeing if something can be done. Time will tell

Tomorrow, I head out of Jakarta for Sumatra.

[The Bigfella]

I'm a tad tired. Rode today from 8am to 8pm.... albeit with 3 hours of that sitting on the bike on the ferry across the Sunda Strait. Im in Bandar Lampung, Sumatra... and I wimped it when I got here and scored a five star room.

8am to 10am had me make no progress thanks to a diabolically bad bit of Garmin software. I knew I was headed in the wrong direction, but assumed it was taking me to a ring road. Nope. Just useless software. I'm getting very sick of Garmin. Seriously, at 10am, I was back where I'd been at 8am. Arghhh.

In between, I met these chaps.



Nice guys... but a bit of the normal cop adrenaline when they first caught me. The previous four cars didn't manage it, but these guys were good. Very good. Unfortunately, my video wasn't working. It would have been good footage. There was even a guy in an unmarked car (might have been an off-duty cop) who tried to swat me with his car. Prick. He wasn't hard to lose though.... just threaded the needle for a while and never saw him again.

While I was pulled over (the cops called a tow truck, and then a tabletop truck.... they wanted to ship me out on a truck, but I convinced them to let me follow them on the breakdown lane.... a convoy of 4 Lamborghini Gallardo's went past... with a police escort, front and back. Money talks.

Anyhow... the cops gave me a bottle of Pokari Sweat and a nice jam roll and things eased up a bit. My sin... I used the tollway (again). Despite being the fastest vehicle... its a sin to only have two wheels on the tollway.

... but we finished with photos all round



Did I mention why I like the tollroads? The other roads are all ribbon development, with blockage after blockage



I can get through it as fast as their best... but f'me... its hard, hard work. 100% concentration. No relaxing.... at all.

I got "picked up" by the guy on the centreline here... and we rode together for about 25km... and at one stage, pulled over and had a coffee and "chat". Nice young guy... rode well and fast. Yes... we made a gap there and both went through it. It looks diabolical if you video it... but it works



When we finally got to his stop... he wheeled me in past his mates for his status boost, and I was off again.

I got picked up again... I thought it was cops at first.... These guys had sirens... but I ignored them, then cottoned on. They are a local touring group... and I ended up with stickers and a badge from them. They opened holes in the traffic... rode like madmen - and we had fun.

The Megapro Motor Club from Banten, IIRC (I have their details)



I had the normal Java moments in the traffic today... a few mirror clashes... a few drongos who pulled out from the side of the road without looking... I banged on one's window and to my surprise, he opened it. We had a discussion.... I'd slithered to a halt beside him. I finally "scored" a bus too. I got the sh!ts with one that just pulled out on me... with my horn blaring... so I just collided with him as he pulled out. Scared the bejesus out of him, rocked the bus on its springs too... No damage to me of course.... I just hit him with my handlebar end.... sort of like a 700lb sledgehammer.

I lost count of how many times I got run off the road tonight in my night run from the ferry... 2 hours. The buses in particular, don't care... they just overtake when they want... and you have to go bush. I'm convinced there's not a better bike than what I've got for this trip.

At one stage the road was so bad, I was back to 1st gear for mile after mile, climbing down into then out of these massive holes in the road. Phew.

Here's the good areas. One handed riding again... tut tut.

[The Bigfella]

Oops. Missed the photo of my first mate... on the centreline



Nice mosque



I didn't wander in.

My mate in the photo above, incidentally, asked me if I was Muslim. "No". He then linked two fingers and said "Muslim, non-Muslim, OK"... and I agreed. There's tons more crap between Muslim and non-Muslim in Australia and America than there is here. Here, everyone is accepted at face value. Everyone. Its time our countries grew up.

A bit of the Sunda Strait shipping.



The Katoom does sort of stand out eh?



A guy and woman came over and were chatting. He had good English.... turned out he's a senior cop. We had a really great chat for a couple of hours.

Arriving in Sumatra. There's a bloody great volcano there, among those clouds, of course

Architecture school here must be a hoot

[The Bigfella]

Nice little fishing boats





Here's a shot from the road down tonight. No rain, just dust, bugs and and tons of diesel smoke


When I checked in at the Marco Polo Hotel (yep, he came here), the guy on the reception desk was looking down his nose at this black-faced bikie. The girls were keen for a photo though



One last time to try and post my riding mate's photo



That's him, on the centreline, making a gap appear

[The Bigfella]

I keep getting a red x... and at this stage... tough

[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

I don't think I put this clip of what its like riding over here on this thread, did I? If I did, oops. Sorry.... I find it a bit hard to review, given the bandwidth issues.




I was discussing riding here with some folks over dinner. Its a bit like a video game - its very satisfying, because its all about maintaining absolute concentration within a narrow field. You focus all your attention on a field of view of about 45 degrees either side of straight ahead. Nothing else matters..... that's someone else's problem.

Speaking of dinner... that was with a couple of World Bank executives. One South African, one American. It was interesting to discuss a range of issues, including the mismatch between income and healthcare here... corruption issues and infrastructure priorities. I got a bit of a response on some of the social welfare issues that I'd like to target too, all good input to seeing if something can be done. Time will tell

Tomorrow, I head out of Jakarta for Sumatra.

Reminds me - very strongly - of my daily commute down Beijing Old Airport Road on my Changjiang in the 1990s except you have a bit more grunt.

[The Bigfella]

The ride last night, from the ferry to Bandan Lampung (Sumatra) made that one look like a preschool training run.... and I guess me outrunning four cops on the toll road would've looked good on video.... but its mostly very predictable. Incidentally, I'd love to know how the fifth cop car actually caught me. It must have been interesting from his perspective, which I guess is why the adrenaline was flowing at first.

Oh yes Andrew - the grunt. There's one each Ferrari, Lamboghini and Audi R8 that have discovered their car isn't as all-conquering as they thought - and my gap-riding skills have improved immensely.... but one does grit one's teeth and squint a bit at times. On the open road, I can pull out with an oncoming vehicle 75 metres away and overtake the big trucks.... but I tend to add a few more metres safety margin most of the time.

I forgot to mention.... I got hit from behind in the traffic yesterday... a rear quarter shot by another bike. I didn't even stop - a glance back to see he wasn't on the ground and I kept going. His fault. It turned out to be the final straw for one of my luggage straps, which was already damaged.

I think I need a quiet day after 12 hours on these roads yesterday. It sure saps the energy. I might enquire about the boat trip to Anak Krakatau. I rang reception late last night and they said its a 1pm departure. I can't afford to lose a day if its overnight..., then again.... maybe I can

[PeterSibley]

Inside passing is the norm there Ian ?

[The Bigfella]

Its not the norm Peter, but its very common. I prefer it, there's no waiting around for everyone else who's trying and failing to overtake. I did more than normal of it last night for a different reason - less diesel fumes. The exhausts shoot towards the centre of the road, so the other side is much better. Its impossible to describe how bad some of these trucks last night were. Some, I couldn't see if there was anyone coming the other way.... it was just a black cloud.

The other reason I like it, it pretty much always gives me a "Plan B" in case something unusual happens. If a local goes around that side, they don't use the footpath... and I use the term footpath lightly.... its normally rocky dirt, puddles, mud etc. I'm more than happy using it if I have to. Its my own private superhighway.... that those without knobby tyres can't use.

Riding last night, half the bikes had no lights..... out in the middle of nowhere, so you had to look real hard for shadows. I was even overtaking a truck last night and suddenly spotted a bus with no lights coming at me. It might be time to replace my blown high beam bulb eh? My spotlights are hanging off (haven't got that size allen key)... but even with one high and two low beams, I'm miles better off than anything here. As much as I love night riding, I think I'll avoid it here though.

I just spoke to a guide. Anak Krakatau is a bit over 3 million Rupiah... which isn't a problem. He isn't running today - which is. I can't give up two days. I think I'll head norwest - aim for Lake Toba.... the world's largest volcanic explosion site. May not get that far before the entry visa evaporates... but time will tell

[ChrisBen]

Thanks for taking the time to do this Bigfoot er I mean Ian. Someplace I'll never get to in this life.

[PeterSibley]

Lake Toba photos will be great !

[The Bigfella]

My pleasure sir. Never say never, btw. Indonesia didn't feature on my list at all until 3 weeks or so before I left on the trip

Incidentally.... I forgot to mention, when I was talking to that cop on the ferry he said that another ferry sank in the Sunda Strait the day before yesterday. He thought seven dead.... which is an unusually low toll around here. "All rescue services gone there".

Not sure how I'll go with wifi for a day or two. My dongle wasn't working here... I'm on the hotel's wifi

Time to pack and go....

[The Bigfella]

Brian and Spinner asked about a map. Here's a screen grap of my GPS track for this leg of the journey. I didn't have the GPS for the Australian leg or the Timor-Leste to Bali bit, because it'd broken on the second day.



The thick bit is today's wimpy run - from Bandan Lampung to the Way Kambas National Park... a paltry 107km.... but I was feeling the effects of yesterday. The next run north is another huge day and it wasn't going to be today.

I'm lazing around at the Satwa Sumatra Elephant Eco Lodge... home of "the best Asian night birding" - shh don't tell my missus. There's 4 species of Frogmouth, 4 Nightjars, 8 Owls, etc.

Oh yeah... its one of the last 3 areas in Sumatra with a decent population of wild Tigers, there's also a few dozen Red Sumatran Rhino's and 500 or so wild elephants... and Malaysian Tapirs and.... so on.

I'm almost tempted to stay another day, but there's some hard miles to do. Sumatra is bigger than you think - world's 6th largest island. A combination of great roads - over 150kph in places today... and then back to first gear for the most horrendous broken bits.

Here's the view from my room



This next one wasn't far from here. All the ladies in their best Sunday gear, heading home. They gave me a great wave and smiles



The traffic is certainly more gentle here than on Java



I passed this guy a bit further back towards Bandar Lampung. He wasn't exactly getting into it... this was at about 80kph... so I left him behind



Leaving the Marco Polo this morning was fun. I gathered a crowd of about a dozen as I loaded up - and even the gardener came over to get a phone camera photo.

I reckon I'm going to be bruised beyond belief by tomorrow. I ordered a massage when I got here. $5 (I think he'd have taken half that, but I didn't barter)... local guy from the village. All pressure point stuff... and he was a wiry old bastard. Had me jumping all over the place. Time will tell if he's loosened the right bits I guess.

OK... I'm off for a look around on an unloaded bike. I promise to not get recycled as tiger poop.

[purri]

Any decent tool shops?

[Larks]

Sounds a bit like you're forgetting to stop and smell the roses Ian!!!!!

[The Bigfella]

Nice boy



Bad boy



Bastard hurt me too - got me in the thigh with his right tusk, but didn't penetrate

Recovery took some effort.

[The Bigfella]

I suppose I should point out... he tossed both me and the bike.... very easily I read his mind, but couldn't clear him - he had me and he wasn't letting me go. He's left a scrape up the left thigh... which hurts. He's a precocious 4 year old. My American vet friend here, who knows him, tells me that 4 year olds like to do head stands on people's chests.... and kill them.

She's politely read me the riot act... and shown me her Tiger scar.

No tool shops, and.... yep, I'm smelling the roses