Monthly Archives: June 2014

Day 212

Today was spent preparing for the next leg of our journey. I washed the dirt off of our bags and trikes, since Australia is pretty strict about bringing in any biological hitchhikers and is known to check for mud on your cycles and camping gear. I also inspected our bamboo pannier frames and found that one piece had rotted and another had a hole that could allow insects into the tube. Using a serrated knife and a folding knife I was able to cut the new pieces to length and drill holes. I have read that Australian immigration is thorough but fair, so I will declare the items on arrival. Take note TSA.

Cher updated the blog in expectation of limited internet access once our tent becomes our primary shelter in Australia. We splurged on a meal that cost more than 4.50 USD person and mentally prepared ourselves for a much different kind of journey. With such an open arid landscape this will be more like unsupported backpacking with water as a major concern. At the last minute I found an application called Wiki Camps Au, which details all caravan parks and roadside rest stops along the way. Most importantly it lets us know where we can find water.

Cher is already dreading the loss of cheap readily available food, while I’m looking forward to doing some of our own cooking. Food in Indonesia has been plentiful, cheap and delicious but I miss the western treats that are comparitively expensive. A can of kidney beans costs the same as two meals and I love beans. Despite our gastronomical differences we are both looking forward to some open space.

Day 211

Indonesia receives regular rainstorms normally in the envening. Ensuring that we had the full experience, we got dumped on today. The rain was  a great release from the heat, but I had just cleaned and oiled our drive train in preparation for our journey in Australia. All the oil was gone and replaced with grit and sand from the road.

We road quickly and were once again rushed on by the surge of vehicles that makes it impossible to stop.

We made our way straight to our favourite warung just as the heat of the day was setting in. Parched and hungry we each drained 2 mugs of home made ice tea and scarfed down two large plates of local delights. We would miss the copious amounts of cheap delicious food, but it will be nice to get out of the heat and crowds.

Marco went in search of his budget hotel and Cher and I went back to our high end bugdet hotel with airconditiiong. We would later meet for dinner and agreed to meet one last time before heading to Australia. We both had contacted a local host from Warm Showers, a cycle hosting network.

It is humbling that there is very little original in this world. If life were a tree we are more like a branch and less like seed. Which is one peculiar aspect of being on this trip. The longer we are away the more we think about being a part. At the risk at getting in too deep in philosophical waters I will stop there. Just know that we do think about life outside of this trip and we realize the importance of fulfillment of being part of something.

Day 210

Knowing we had a short day ahead, we made leisurley start and caught the 9:30am ferry back to Bali. Nothing changed. Same 5-hour ferry ride back to the same hotel we stayed at as we came in. We were to meet Marco as well and we also tried to have him crash on our floor but the hotel owner wasn’t having it.

Marco, whom we met on Gili Meno was flying out from Bali to Darwin on the same day. Surprising that on such a tiny island we would meet some one following the same route. Although we were on the same route and both pedaling, Marco was traveling in a much different style. Even at 25 USD per day as our total budget, we are considered high end budget and Marco is travelling on super low budget. We were impressed with the amount of Indonesian that he had learned and which he utilized to find some impressive bargains, even in some of the most touristy areas. While we stayed for 150,000 IDR, he would find a place for 50,000 IDR, with breakfast. He did confess that he drives a hard bargain and enjoys doing it. He also travels quite fast and made the same trip that we made in two days in one day. But since he is traveling alone, even traveling slow is worth the company and we agreed to head back to Kuta together the following day.

Day 209

We considered taking a speed boat back to Kuta but couldn’t rationalize the price. Either 700,00 IDR total for the speed boat or 150,000 for the slow boats and some peddling. We cut our trip by 3 days and prepared to retrace our steps.

Thanks to the calm sea and a little forsight, departing Gili Meno was much easier than arriving. Since we had our trikes and there were already enough people waiting to fill 2 boats. I asked if I could load our trikes early and they said ok. None of the locals seemed concerned that our trikes occupied the entire width of the boat as they worked there way around the wheels and pedals and took a seat without even showing a hint of annoyance. We are still amazed at the civility of the Indonesians in such crowded and hot conditions.

On our way in we followed the coast and on our way out we decided to go inland through the monkey forest. The inland route is 10 km shorter and much less hilly. Much of the road winds between the hills. Cher and I were grinning all day as we leaned into the sharp turns at the steep downhills.

It’s a beautiful road that cuts right through the jungle with the trees forming an arch over the road filled with shrieking monkeys. Before noon we were back at our original hotel and looking forward to our all you can eat buffet breakfast.

Day 203 to Day 208

We could write a long detailed blog about how we loafed away the days like leaves of grass but all of that lying around would take a lot of pages. That is if we could even seperate the days into distinct periods between sun up and sun down. Our most stressing day involved moving 50 meters down the beach to a bungalow at Amber House that caught the rising sun and the ocean winds.

Following is an incomplete list of the things we did. We ukulelied and sang. We played many games of Chinese checkers, some of which I won. We ate cheap delicious pancakes, noodles, gado gado, urap uraup, and grilled fish at Yaya. We ate even cheaper sweaty lunches inland at a local warung run by a fit martial artist in his 60’s and his portly wife.

We swam in the ocean to cool off. We snorkeled where the steep morning light threw rods into the hard blue of a steep drop off. We snorkeled in the afternoon where the light soft and diffuse illuminated the swirling inhabitants socializing in their coral apartments; until a menancing barracooda brooding in the distance cleared out the city. We snorkeled in choppy waters and accompanied an enormous sea turtle nudging rocks and gliding over grassy plains searching for his evening meal.

We met Marco, a young gentle-souled Italian cyclist living with other down-to-earth travelers in a tent city. We chatted with the locals. We drank rice wine and watched the sun set.  We read in a hammock and watched the sun rise. We drank coffee and green tea. We slept in. We showered to in our salt water shower, when the ocean was too shallow or too far. We read. We sang. We relaxed.

Just a few details. Many of the the cheap places on the sea will soon be replaced by more expensive places. This was Amber house’s last season as a budget hotel, as well as the place next door. Although the higher end places will bring in more money for the locals and better rubbish removal and sanitation. We hear a desalination plant in on the way. Most budget places have salt water showers. Hopefully the quiet will stay in Meno, and the party will stay at Gili T and and Gile Air. Nonetheless, most places are still very affordable and peaceful. We recommend it, and Cher states she could live there.