Day 92 - A red tie day and mushrooms - Unfinished Business

July 31, 2023

Day 92 - A red tie day and mushrooms

I'm feeling a little overwhelmed by all the love I'm getting on the blog, so I'm going to try to curtail it by starting today's entry with a story. It should work, because stories don't seem to get much love. Here you are.

I've cycled 17 km, a mosque is calling the faithful to prayer and I am kneeling on the footpath in a rather ordinary place. There's a good reason for my posture. My bike is leaning against a very high kerb on the edge of a busy road, that's a dangerous place to stand. If I didn't kneel, I would chop off my head in the 7000 km photo and that would hurt.

With camera photos taken, I begin the arduous task of mounting my phone on the tripod. There's a person walking towards me, 100 m away, who I don't think is a local. He stops and says hello, unphased by meeting a cyclist wearing a red tie who was just kneeling on the footpath. It's Lawrence from Italy on his first day of six month's study in wherever we are.

The last time I needed a red tie photo in some random place was in Sumbawa and Artha magically appeared. And now it has happened again. It's not as though I'm at a lookout or any other tourist spot; I'm just at a random spot on a very ordinary road, 7000 km from home. Don't forget the Darwin correction.

Lawrence is an interesting fellow who has traveled a lot by walking. He mentioned a recent walk - London to Rome, a little jaunt, I gather. He wants to walk around the world. He's spent time in Australia too, including managing a takeaway restaurant in Arnhem Land. He's taking portraits of interesting people he meets and he took one of me. That made my day!

Lawrence was short of time but had enough to take my red tie phone photo. He's yet another person I would like to spend time with. We parted with me wondering who would miraculously appear for the 8000 km shot.

If you'd asked me to guess where I would be celebrating 7000 km, I probably would not have said en-route to a mushroom restaurant. That's a first for me.

I've done the celebratory 1000's poorly on this trip. I'm making up for it here.

And for all you Doubting Thomases who seem to be in hiding, here they are with another 1000 km and looking good for the 8000.

Now, let me return to the start of the day. First, I wrote yesterday's blog and then I researched Borobudur, on the www. It was a place I looked forward to visiting, but decided that visiting is now so regulated that it's not for me. I don't want to be herded around in a group at someone else's speed. I want to sit somewhere and just look. Instead, I would hang onto old memories. Thus, my plan for the day was to visit a mushroom restaurant recommended by my friend, Graham, and to cycle in to Yogyakarta.

First I needed breakfast and so sprinted-I had to - across the busy road for a nasi goreng cooked by these fine people.

It was well after 10 that I left my grimy little room in the the grimy RedDoorz Hotel that was not a patch on the other RedDoorz I've stayed at. The navigation was a little tricky and included some right hand turns on very busy roads.

Of course, I stopped after a miserly 17 km for important photos. But from that point it was just 10 km to jeJamuran, the restaurant. I was hungry, on arriving, and so started with lunch. I left ordering to a waiter, who suggested I have a mushroom curry, mushroom sate and a mushroom davet, the type of drink I had in the Solo market.

It was one of the best meals of my trip.

jeJamuran grow their mushrooms and have a good display of various species. It was perfect for me, a keen mushroom forager.

The Friday riders would leap on these pink oysters, although they'd probably have an ambulance waiting.

It was just 12 km and slightly downhill from jeJamuran to the centre of Yogya. It was a fun ride in the thick of the traffic. I was constantly repositioning to guard against the undertaking motorcyclist.

Town Hall? Government Department? Police Headquarters?

No, none of those. It's just another mall but it does have an excellent lion.

I thought that I was already in Yogyakarta but soon found myself entering.

I followed the locals and turned right in front of the roundabout! You will find yourself in trouble going around it.

There was just one more burning hoop before I was in the guts of the place - a railway. It was just a matter of cycling parallel to the tracks, finding the crossing and going back the other way. In no time, I found accommodation in the rather attractive Gang 2, having cycled 39 km.

Gang 2. Fortunately, it's much wider than Gang 3, and you must push your motorcycle with engine off.

I went to a local restaurant that was full but found a seat at a table with another lone traveler. I spent a fine evening chatting with Dutch actress, Jolijn. Otherwise I would have done the blog.

Now, for something quite different because I don't have a "bicycle of the day" - a postscript. Today, on the first of August, Lawrence sent me a beautiful email including a piece that he wrote for his journal. It's quite long and may shake off a few more lovers.

Dear Ian,I just finished reading your entry and looking at your blog, what a wonderful read!I pondered our meeting yesterday too. As you and I have both experienced in our travels, the way sometimes provides in the most unexpected of moments. Although it has happened many a time, it never ceases to amaze me and yesterday as I was walking to university it got me chuckling to myself.I made a post about you and your journey on my social media. Here is what I wrote:

"Ian Wallis. Our paths crossed yesterday on the side of a road. I was on my way to uni whilst Ian - an Australian from Canberra - was in the process of taking a photo. Having cycled from England to Singapore a few years ago, he's now doing the last bit in reverse: Canberra to Singapore. Every 1000km he stops to take a picture of himself with his bicycle, this was his seventh picture on the journey. We connected over our love for long distance travel and the whispers of the way. As many connections passed, it was brief yet beautifully meaningful.
Buon viaggio Ian"

Lawrence follows it with:

"Feel free to share my prose with anyone else. If they'd be interested to see the picture of you and maybe read a few more posts of mine they can find them on the following social media."

Instagram: wildlozz
Facebook: Lawrence Gilardi

Today's ride: 39 km (24 miles)
Total: 6,906 km (4,289 miles)

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John GrantI love Lawrence's reference to "the whispers of the way"
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9 months ago

Ian WallisTo John GrantYes, with English as a second language. Fascinating character! How can he turn up there at that time?
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9 months ago

Jackie LaycockHow lovely! Thanks for sharing
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8 months ago

Ian WallisTo Jackie LaycockJackie, I felt that I met someone special. We both left smiling. Ian
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8 months ago