Category Archives: Java Jive

Second Section from Carita to Yogyakarta

TO 2014 Dinner

The Trans Oceania 2014 Cycling Expedition and Tour ended with a final Dinner for all riders and staff members in the dining room on the 25th floor of the Sydney Bayview / Boulevard Hotel.

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Here Andreas and Team awarded the full tour riders with Finisher Medals and surprised almost everyone on the tour with a personalized gift, characterizing her or his special appearance during the tour. A great event to complete this fantastic trip after 4 months. Even Sponge Bob ‘reincarnated’ after being missing since the blast in the Bromo Crater on Java back in September.

Finisher!

After 120 days, thereof 93 days of cycling and almost 11000 kilometer on the odometer, I reached the final destination of the Trans-Oceania Bicycle Expedition 2014.

Sydney and suburbs, are the perfect place to rest and relax after such a long and exhausting tour …

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Indonesia & Timor-Leste in Numbers

Some statistical numbers from the 4 sections we cycled in Indonesia on  7 different islands and Timor-Leste.

Medan (Sumatra) to Dili (Timor-Leste)

Cycling Days: 48 days
Distance: 5545 km
Climbs: 67649 m
Average per day: 116 km with  1409 m of vertical climbs

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1. Sumatra

Cycling Days: 17 days
Distance: 2130 km
Climbs: 21357 m
Average per day: 125 km with  1256 m of vertical climbs

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2. Java

Cycling Days: 17 days
Distance: 1845 km
Climbs: 28484 m
Average per day: 109 km with  1676 m of vertical climbs

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3. Bali

Cycling Days: 2 days
Distance: 216 km
Climbs: 2278 m
Average per day: 108 km with  1139 m of vertical climbs

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4. Lombok

Cycling Days: 2 days
Distance: 198 km
Climbs: 1276 m
Average per day: 99 km with  638 m of vertical climbs

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5. Sumbawa

Cycling Days: 3 days
Distance: 391 km         (longest distance a day: 192 km)
Climbs: 2953 m
Average per day: 130 km with  985 m of vertical climbs

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6. Flores

Cycling Days: 3 days
Distance: 393 km
Climbs: 6646 m       (longest climb a day: 3283 m)
Average per day: 131 km with  2215 m of vertical climbs

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7. Timor & Timor-Leste

Cycling Days: 4 days
Distance: 410 km
Climbs: 4530 m     
Average per day: 103 km with  1133 m of vertical climbs

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Bromo Crater desert

Bromo Volcanoes

A rest(less) day in Bromo. After a long cycling day with a huge climb up to the crater rim of the main caldera, 12-DSC_3477followed by a dive into the crater and a 7km walk through deep volcanic ashes and sand to our hotel, we got an early morning call at 3am to get up for the spectacular sunrise. A 4×4 took us up to the 2700m high mountain with the view point over the whole Bromo crater region. We were not the only ones. An endless line of Jeeps 53-DSC_3620were already parked along the road and more to arrive after us. It were more than 1000 persons on top, waiting their cameras ready to save this unique moment. And it was worth the early morning getup! I already knew the scenery from pictures, but live and with the changing colors as the sun rises and sends its beams into the cr20-DSC_3468ater it is breathtaking and words can’t really describe it.  But this was only the start. We drove down into the crater with the 3 volcanoes to hike up and around the Bromo Crater Rim. 250 steps later, on a steep stair built into the crater slope, and we could see the source of the smoke, that constantly rises into the acid air. Wow, I have never been so close to the center of the earth … 5 of us (Berne, Mike, Paul, Chris and myself) dared to hike around the crater rim, to circumvent the 57-DSC_3595crater. Gusty winds blew sand over the edges, making the hike on the narrow path on the rim an act of balance, to not tumble into the deep hole with the boiling soup, or roll down the outer slope. It was an unforgettable extra hour to walk around in the cool morning air, with legs still sore from the long cycling/climbing days and body packed into thick coats. I managed to keep my camera operational in the blowing wind, to take the photos, although the fine sand/ashes, which made it into every corner and whole, gave the lens and autofocus motors a hard time.

Find more photos in the gallery below:

Farewell to Indonesia

The Indonesian part of the Trans-Oceania is almost over. 4 cycling days before our arrival in Dili / East Timor, from where we will fly out to Darwin / Northern Territory, Australia, the cycling group assembled in Kutang / Timor for an early morning, pre-breakfast group photo.

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Per, Bob, Ruth, Dara, Brett, Paul, Dan, John, Stirling, Chris, Hanns, Henry, Daryl
Jacqueline, Shirley, Joachim, Gerald, Cathrine, Nellie, Annegrete, Jodi, Eric

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p.s. somehow over night the banner was magically corrected Winking smile

Reunited

Finally Mickey is reunited with his all time girl friend Mini.

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It is my first cycling day after my sick days. AlfaMart seem to celebrate Mickeys recovery and all shop assistants wear the mouse ears to greet me when I stop and shop for a Coke.

Yogyakarta

Besides the usual things needed to be done during our rest days, the 2 days in Yogyakarta were actually meant to allow to visit and explore the famous temple sites of Borobudur and Prambanan. However I had to skip this program, as my first priority was to get my health situation under control and myself back in shape to be able to ride my bicycle on the next stages. Therefore I canceled the sightseeing program in favor to more rest and to gain new energy.

A short rickshaw ride together with Eric  into the busy center of Yogya was the only escape from my nice ‘Rehab’ Hotel for the past 4 days. Back into the city smog and noise!
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Although I lost some kg during my ‘Gastro’ phase, our driver had a hard(er) time to spin the wheels with me and my partner Eric, as Eric obviously overcompensated for my weight loss Laughing out loud – he is a real good eater Bowl.DSC_2692DSC_2695

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You would be amazed about the number of good sorted bicycle shops you can find in town. In one I found my dream bike; good for the rough conditions we face here. However I was in shock when I was told by the merchant, that I did no longer qualify to own such a vehicle as the name already suggests it is only for a very exclusive client group  … Just kiddingDSC_2682

Especially for Me

They knew I was coming and prepared a special Bintang Radler Edition *)

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*) Radler (German) = Cyclist
    Radler (beverage) = Beer Shanty

Reception at Duta Garden

The Duta Garden Hotel management put a nice Welcome Banner on the street portal to the entrance of the hotel areal to greet the riders on arrival after finishing more than 3000 km from Medan to Yogyakarta. Unfortunately the riders track lead them to arrive via a different route (coming from the right hand side where you see the motorcyclist) and they cannot see it. DSC_2668

DSC_2671Chris was the first to arrive and he was gladly welcomed by Mr. CristianoDSC_2678.
Runners up were Eric, Brett and Paul – who again missed a turn and did some extra sightseeing of Yogya before they accepted our welcomes.
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Breakfast in Garden Eden

A healthy start into the 3rd day after my ‘breakdown’ with a healthy breakfast in ‘Garden Eden’  and a first sign of appetite. After 3 days without eating my stomach is as empty as my wallet after paying the hospital, taxi and doctor’s bills and it cries for food.

Last night was an almost perfect night of sleep. Only a few short wakeups, no severe coughing, stomach still rumbling, but no liquid poop, no need for midnight laundry of pants and sheets!

Getting a faint sign of color back into my face and the beloved ‘I am all fine smile’. Soon to meet the troop again who is supposed to arrive later this afternoon. I bet they will envy me for having had 2 extra days here instead of more climbs, dust and gravel.DSC_2646DSC_2649

 

DSC_2656I already met Gerald again, whom I knew from a TdA rider unification meeting in Cape Town last year. He is joining the tour here for the final 3 months of our adventurous cycling expedition.