Still in one piece

I was prepared after yesterday’s rice/chicken breakfast, so I had stocked up on yoghurt drinks, rolls and croissants. Way to go; started the day with a view from my 8th stock room during my 6 o’clock breakfast.

Then I had to collect my laundry from the a/c roster, which doubled as an overnight dryer. Disadvantage of travelling light, you have to do your own laundry. Leaving the hotel, the step outside felt like stepping into a hottub

An hour in the trip it started to drizzle, so I dressed up for it. Still hectic traffic, on the 4 lane road where everything moves and happens. Rickshaws, pushkarts, trucks, lorries and just cars, but most of them mopeds and motorscooters. No animals, no horses, no donkeys, no oxes. Countryside was showing up, the little rain ceased and I had some tailwind, my day was already made!

Shops galore, so when the phone shop appeared I bought another powerbank, mine had given up. A just in case buy: my iPhone 7 screen pulls more power than my dynamo delivers. Next stop the Alfa supermarket, not for beer, as in Holland, but for more yoghurt to get me through the day. No beer seen yet . At the crossing Google Maps showed an encouraging message..

I had planned to overnight in Lohbener, at 140 km away. Choice of hotels was minimal, I found 2 and opted for the expensive one, 18 euros, including breakfast.

These 105 kilometers never gave a dull moment. Though you are not going to see it all, even on a bike at relatively low speed, you can’t miss the green ricefields.

I came closer to the coast too, did not see it yet but smelled the fishing villages, until also the boats appeared.

Brown, all rivers come in one colour only: mudbrown. Bob Ross must have been here🙂 The villages did not really look developed, huts, narrow roads, so I left it all on my left.. But I want to share the picture to show Indonesian graveyard maintenance.

Glad I finally arrived in Lohbehner, but had to to wait for the train to cross the railway first, like so many.

I was nacked, don’t know why. I might have kept the speed to high all day, may be too high. The hotel was so so, they were friendly, had colour tv (which I never use), a/c but no hot water shower to ease the muscles.. A good powernap did the job, Lohbener is not the place I’ll go again, not even for the sateh Kambing, sateh made of goat meat. It was good, even with the memory of the grazing goats at the graveyard.

A full 8 hours sleep, plus hotel breakfast -with my own additions – made me ready for the new day.

I promised myself to take it easy after yesterday’s experience and selected a hotel at 95 k only. Weather was superb, sunny and I was dressed in T shirt and factor 50. Quiet also, but it was Friday and you are at an islamic island.

The daily stock up happened at the first Alfa market I saw. On the trip yesterday I drank some 2 1/2 liters of yoghurt and 5 liters water. Plus some coke..

A peaceful ride, sometimes just me and the sound of the tires, the bike itself is dead silent. Until I was pushed over by an overtaking lorry. Just figure this: you are driving on the left, most truckers will steer into the right lane, but this guy wiggled itself between the large truck and me. I anticipate like hell, but this was an attack from behind. Touched on the right, I was catapulted over my bike, but only damaged my right knee and elbow – and got a dirty shirt. Glad I still master my landings..

The truck did not stop, some people did, but I was not really hurt. Continued, and happened to pass a medical post – within two kilometer, where they efficiently took care of me. Laid down, bloodpressure taken – all systems checked and wounds cleaned. They sent me away with some anti inflamment tablets, paractamol (to ease the pain, which I did not have) and tablets to control high pressure. They had measured my blood pressure, not realizing that pedalling in 30+ plus takes its pressure toll. Anyway, they only charged 90 cents, for the medicine.

Sorry for the long story, the rest of the day went so well! I entered central Java and the cities started to look more civilized. The tall buildings, the green, it just looked better.

And I did not keep the promise to myself, so added another 25 kilometers to reach Tegal as I wanted to be sure to have a hotel with a hot shower. As a last one: more people who wanted me to take their picture..