Day 121 - a tropical triple and fifteen to spare - Unfinished Business

August 29, 2023

Day 121 - a tropical triple and fifteen to spare

This is what I wrote this evening. I didn't want it! I didn't ask for it! It was forced upon a reluctant me. I'm talking about my first "tropical triple". I have just done 175 km in a day in the tropics, with a decent average - 20.0 kmh. And, I just realised: it's the furthest I have ridden in one day on this trip. This means that I have few photos and that you won't love me.

I first mentioned a triple on day 8 of this blog, when I cycled 165 km to reach Bourke. It's a thing for old people, who can remember the imperial days before the introduction of the metric system, when Australians traveled miles. I call 160 km a triple because it's 100 miles. As I mentioned back then, I'd wanted to do 1120 km in a week, because it's an average of a triple a day for a week. I managed it cycling east across Australia in 2021.

This is what I wrote this morning: I can't work out how far I am from Jambi, the next major place on the road to Dumai. It's anything from 150 to 180 km - out of range, I think, thanks to missing out on kms due to yesterday's traffic jam. Getting to the guts of the place means better accommodation and food. I'm resigned to the outskirts at best for the same old. But, all going well, I'll be closer to Dumai.

Breakfast is delivered - cold nasi goreng topped with a warm egg and cassava chips. There's a cup of tea. How much of this stuff have I eaten? I was gone by 7.45.

But, I hadn't gone far when I noticed tubs of shining rubber on the roadside and stopped for a photo. It was across the road from ladt night's warung.

You can see the shape of the collection cup that the rubber drips into from the tree.

I hadn't gone much further when I stopped to photograph a cemetery and, a little later, a river.

Not surprisingly, there was a bustling market town on the north bank. I bought some different bananas and then spotted some beans - amazing! I bought half a kilo.

I ducked into a rubber plantation to escape the heat while having a drink and a couple of banana cold dogs. It was 9.30 and the day had heated quickly and was glaringly bright. This caught me out when I stopped to examine some palm fruits. I couldn't see the so I guessed!

The fruiting body, which is spiny and heavy (about 5 kg) comprises a large number of individual fruits. Workers cot the fruiting bodies from the tree using an 8 m pole topped with a blade.

Unfortunately, my camera was zoomed, but this is a photo of a fellow holding a fruiting body using a hook. There's a similar tool embedded in a fruit in front of him.

The fruits are separated from the husk and then crushed. I am unsure about what happens to the husk but my guess is that it's used for mulch. I see trucks carting the stuff.

So, what were the conditions like today? A simple answer is remarkably like yesterday's in terms of the weather and the undulations, most of which requires first gear. There were probably more trucks and this, in itself, says a lot. A lot of trucks means a lot of people and thus a roadside strewn with garbage. The trucks in Sumatra are dirty and blow plumes of black smoke, especially when creeping up steep pinches. I got in the habit of holding my breath for 30 seconds to avoid the worst of it. A lot of heavily loaded trucks also chew up the road. It was a patchwork that makes me wonder how far I would have gone had I rolled.

Use my foot as a scale. It was wide and deep.

I saw the normal stuff along the way that caught my attention.

I passed through one village that was much cleaner than most that had these blue bins spread along the street.

That's tricky! The truck is loaded with steel.

This last photo deserves special mention because one of these fellows jumped up as I passed, raced after me and gave me money. I could not give it back so I passed it to the next person I saw in need. Whenever you tour on a bike in a less-developed country, people see you as doing it tough.

I managed to do a quick 30 km in the heat of the day and then stopped for a meal, with 98 km done before 2. I picked a random place that advertised tofu and walked into a place where the staff were friendly and helpful and did not break into hysterics upon my arrival.

This time I was prepared: I ordered nasi goreng and gave them a handful of beans to toss in. I had forgotten about the tofu but a plate arrived anyway, with a steaming hot nasi.

That's chillies with the tofu. I ate them.

As I was about to leave the ladies asked for my photo. I got one on my phone too.

Over lunch, I investigated possible places to stay. Both Google and maps.me listed several, including some too close, a couple 30 km away and then several 55 km distant. I wanted another 30 km.

I soon reached roadworks and feared the worst. My fear was unjustified: a couple of voluntary traffic wardens had stepped in and controlled the flow.

I did my 30 km only to discover that one hotel had closed while the other, to the great amusement of some local women, was not a hotel at all. I was up for another 25 km. With that done. I looked at my phone and the hotels I was expecting were another 15-20 km away.

It was getting late but in one village I chanced upon a huge number of swiftlets. It was interesting because I had been thinking of them as I cycled. There are so many swiftlet houses that I wonder how many attract birds and what the limiting factor is in their ecology.

I powered on passing dozens of mosques and hundreds of warungs but no hotels. Finally, after 175 km for the day, I found a Reddoorz place. I had done 175 km and felt good.

Today's ride: 175 km (109 miles)
Total: 8,788 km (5,457 miles)

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Vitus SitarThanks for this very fine journal . I myself was cycling from Dumai to Jambi and then on to Bukittingi some 8 years ago. Between Pekanbaru and Jambi ( nonstop rolling hills and this 400 km ) a motorcyclist dropped out of a gasoline station, followed me and then drove into my front pannier. When I was catching my bicycle he already extracted my mobile out of my shorts and off he drove. But to my big surprise two truck drivers blocked the street a couple of hundreds meters down , the thief had to stop and they talked to him and when I drove by he handed me my mobile with his fingertips back and drove off again direction gasoline station. That was my little adventure in Sumatra , overall I felt quite secure despite this occurrence. Wish you strong legs, especially for this horrible 400 kms after Jambi!!
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1 year ago

Ian WallisTo Vitus SitarVitus, I am pleased that you're enjoying my blog, and thanks for your fine story. I'm normally happy not knowing what's up ahead and now you have just ruined it for me!! I look forward to the horrible 400 km after Jambi.
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1 year ago

John GrantA big day Ian. Well done !
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1 year ago

Ian WallisTo John GrantThanks John! It's not something I'd recommend.
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1 year ago