midway

After a relaxing night in Tegal, I dug up my bike from the deep hotel cellar and rode it up. No luggage, I nearly forgot how easy the bike runs without luggage and supplies, mainly water,

To make progress I had to bike at least 140 k, as there were no more hotels after the 70k mark, but this distance was also at my limit. Realized I am running a pretty tight schedule as I would also like to have 2 days ‘off’ in the coming week.

If I leave, what I did, by 0630, it would mean there were only 100 k left By 9 AM. Purely psychological, but my way to keep going. And, it gave ample time to buy my supermarkt breakfast.

It all went as planned, I already experienced that cycling in Indonesian conditions is different from European, it really takes way more effort. Anyhow, I’ll enjoy the rides, now just see if I can make the plan work out to reach destination.

Initially the flow was not there, it felt more like a struggle than biking. Still, there was nothing to complain, best of all the gods were with me; they did not open the monsoon rain tap. Sun instead but I was factor fiftied.

Took a while, but at lunch everything came together again. Found a 2 chair terrace, in front of the Indomarket, the shop (together with Alphamarkt) which had become my lifeline during biking. You find numerous franchises along the road, all of similar design, with yoghurt, water, rolls and water at the same spot. Every visit I am done in notime! Just hope the shops will really last till the very end of Java.

The road was directed away from the sea into hilly country, to last 42 k according Maps. Road was in good shape, but even better was the shoulder, my own lane now, so I did not have to concentrate that much on other traffic. People noticed me, cheering when passing, honking and turning their thumbs up, taking pictures and even film! If you are bothered by a low self esteem: go cycling Java!

Corn, color reminded me of Halloween

I made quite a few stops in this hilly terrain, also stopped at a Bintang beersign, the first I saw at Java, posted next to a karaoke cafe.

The place was in the middle of nowhere, must be a Sodom and Gomorrah in the eyes of the locals. The bunch of nice guys with a sharp looking car invited me for a beer ( which I denied, can you believe it) and introduced me to the main karaoke singer, a girl – the first one I saw – in shorts. She was a great singer. I bet she is..

Continued 10 k of climbing and descending. I turned my mind off, that helps. Best part was the gravity assisted descend where it was my turn to overtake traffic at close to 70k. Old drivers never die 😊

Kendal was approaching, no booking made, internet connection hicked for a moment. Kendal is more than a village, looks pretty organized and unlike Jakarta they were able to solve their water problem with their canals.

When I passed Sae Inn by chance my place to stay was solved too! Showered, rested, ate and drank my first beer in a week. Bintang. Now I know why I did not miss the beer.. More fun was the entertainment offered by a few girls working on a selfies photoshoot, they turned out to be the singers of the band.

The hotel offered breakfast at 6 am, I already packed my bike and gave the breakfast a try. Nothing much to my liking, so left to look for an Alfa- or Indomarkt. Within 5 minutes I passed one and I could finish breakfast.

It was going to be a nice, flat ride, only the bridges over the numerous rivers made you climb. A good decision, to leave early, it really gets hot after 11. Heat does not really slow me down, but will cost a lot of energy. It forces you to stop every half hour to drink close to a liter.. You mainly drink for the perspiration, your wet shirt gets cooled by the wind and creates your very own airconditioning 😊 Met my first horsecart, which made me wonder how these animals survive..

The whole countryside in this area looks like being well taken care off. But also the city of Semarang, which I traversed, seemed pretty organized. Did not see the airport, just saw landing planes and the shipping port was like any big port.

The roads are better too, many lined with trees, providing a nice shade. Often the roads come even with some shoulder for safe biking. – On the side: somebody should tell the roadworkers that you don’t fix a pothole by drawing a white line around it – Unfortunately, the shoulders are also used by traffic to overtake each other. White solid lines, you say?

Next to the road the canals, close to clean, with hardly any rubbish in it. They are lined with villages and mosques and locals use the canals extensively; people take a bath, do their laundry, fish in it. I could easily produce a film on the life along these canals.. I won’t!

The canal continued to the Java Sea, I was pretty close but I had to veer off to Pati, another 30 hot kilometers. Booked hotel Safin, not special but luxurious. Hotels come at rates lower than Dutch campgrounds. Don’t make the mistake to order pasta aglio/olio.. I made up for it in the evening and had my first good Indonesian meal at Omah Cabe, Uncle Chili. Felt a bit ashamed they only charged me 4 euros for 3 dishes and 2 drinks..

And for tomorrow: early rise to bike to the city of Tuban, Tuban at Sea!

Oops, forgot to say I covered 600 k plus, midway!