Day 114 - a few percent out of Sumatra, I hope - Unfinished Business

August 22, 2023

Day 114 - a few percent out of Sumatra, I hope

Indonesia always seems to toss obstacles in your path that other places don't. Today started with a little one: I discovered the bathroom door locked. I entered "my bathroom door is locked" into Google Translator and went to the front desk where they gave me the bathroom key for room 312. I discovered a faulty lock; if I close the door then it will always be locked from the outside. It's sensible to always keep a bathroom door closed in Indonesia! With that solved, I had breakfast. It's cereal and toast, not a patch on yesterday's, but I did enjoy watching a rat hopping around outside. That's worth a nasi goreng.

Another fascinating thing about Indonesia is that you don't see butter knives. I prepared a couple of sandwiches for toasting by spreading jam on bread with a spoon. I placed them in a sandwich toaster, under the watchful eye of a hotel worker. I closed the lid and discovered a broken latch. No worries, an employee holds the lid down until the sandwich is done. That employee told another guest about my ride and that fellow offered me a cigarette. I say "no, no, no" laughing. He flexes an arm and says "strong" and lights a fag in the restaurant. The start of my day seems to offer a snapshot of Indonesia. I hope they fix a few things before they consider space exploration.

With Amrin Amstrong - a perfect name for a smoker who thinks he is strong. He should go into advertising and make a killing for himself and for Indonesia!

I packed my bike and 15 minutes later was on a modern ferry, after pushing up a steep ramp. What's happened? There are lanes on the ferry. I think they even do roll on- roll off with no trucks parked sideways. Motorcycles have designated spots. All of this means that you can load and unload quickly and even have a schedule.

Looking over the stern of the ferry to the chemical metropolis I passed yesterday.

The ferry has art but I can't translate it.

Finally, I remember that ferries are red tie occasions.

It's a couple of hours on this express ferry to Bakauheni on the southern tip of Sumatra. I'll be starting in the heat on Indonesia's largest island.

A small island just off Merak. You can tell from its size that it's not Sumatra.

The air is appalling, a combination of pollution, smokers on this ferry and fires in Kalimantan, is my guess.

Air pollution, like steep hills, is very hard to photograph.

I was off the ferry by 1045 and into the heat of Sumatra. It was roll-off and the only thing that stuffed it up were drivers trying to change lanes to get an advantage. Am I surprised? I let the driver of a luxury car know that cyclists have right of way and they move slowly. I rode up the hill, past the big golden thing and stopped at a convenience store for pseudo-orange juice. It's cold and sweet and good for a bit of 6% climbing.

I was sitting outside this store doing a bit of the blog when I was hit with some public embarrassment. Some of you may have read the lovely comment from Jeff, who reads the blog to his children. I wondered who this fellow was without really thinking. There were many clues but I took the easy way and asked. They're people we know well. I have published several scientific papers with Jeff's partner, Kara, and they get honey from me. So, after making a public fool of myself I am now down on the ground, licking toes. Jeff's children like vendor of the day and roadkill, etc so they will get them in spades today.

But, in Indonesia, garbage will trump everything. I hadn't done 5 km before I saw my first patch.

Apologies, Jackie, but I found what I expected.

This one's easier - southern Sumatran sperm snake

We all know these but I have forgotten their name.

I had done about 40 km when I saw a young fellow on a bike. His face lit up as did mine. I asked his mum if I could make a photo.

Bicycle and cyclist of the day, Astar, with his mum, Armel.

I was hungry after 40 km but all I saw was Masakan Padang. I pushed, but by 50 km, I conceded defeat. I must say that it wasn’t too bad, but a pile of vegetables and tofu smothered in peanut sauce would be better. Of course, I had tea and coffee and got my vendors of the day photo.

From there I pushed on to Bandar Lampung, another 45 km. The going was fine but the road got busy 15 km from town and I can see why. It's a big place.

Along the way, I got my truck of the day but, a little later, could not resist a second.

This got the prize because the load is plastic bottles for recycling.

It was in Bandar Lampung that I struck a few problems. The first was heading down a goat track, where some very rich people live, to discover that Hotel Hartono does not exist. I looked up others and, on my way, spotted another - Hotel Marco Polo and got a very good deal. I was keen for some different food and again turned to the web. I was excited to see a Japanese restaurant a km away, with an attractive menu. Now, walking in Indonesia is outright dangerous due to the state of the footpaths and the volume of traffic.

A good looking footpath that I've made look good.

Even so, I walked, encountered a barrage of "hello misters", typically at high volume and reached a restaurant that had closed down.

I then went to an empty restaurant, with five staff, that offered Asian porridge and spring rolls, etc. As so often happens, my entry reduced the staff to gigling nutjobs and, of course, they wanted their photos with me. I ate badly microwaved food and put up with more "hello misters" in my retreat to Hotel Marco Polo. The clincher is: Bandur Lampang is not some isolated village. It has 1.3 million people. I can't wait to be released from the zoo. Today I knocked off 7% of the Sumatran kms.

There's always things along the way that catch the eye for good or for bad.

I don't like the word so please don't order one.

There's a volcano in the background! This tells us about air quality.

Extracting dried corn cobs on a hot day. It's a reminder that I'm the luckiest person.

I've seen nothing different in Sumatra. They subscribe to the "war on drugs".

Just as the start of my day offered a snapshot of Indonesia, the end did too.

Here's another piece of art that just happens to be in my hotel room. I'll call it "Indonesia in a bedside table".

Today's ride: 99 km (61 miles)
Total: 8,000 km (4,968 miles)

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Graham SmithHi Ian you pedalled it to BL faster than I had time to suggest El’s Coffee Shop.
El is a pioneer of modern coffee shops in Sumatra. He brought cafe ideas back from Melbourne. He’s even taken staff to Japan for customer service training, and invents his own recipes.
Well worth a visit.
Els Cafe
JI. MS Batubara no. 134A, Bandar Lampung 35121 Indonesia
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8 months ago

Jeff AlexanderThanks for the roadkill pics Ian! The girls are impressed and no need for toe licking at all. We are in awe of your efforts. Jeff, Kara, Isla and Luna.
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8 months ago