Day 56 - from one police station to the next - Unfinished Business

June 25, 2023

Day 56 - from one police station to the next

I was up early, partly to evade the seminarian, who I was sure would reappear. I didn't want to start my day with such an irritating character. Alas, I noticed the first flat tyre of my trip so my mind turned to finding the culprit - a piece of tyre wire that matched the pinprick hole in the tube. I was soon on my way. First stop was a supermarket, where I loaded with water and ate a handful of green pancakes stuffed with coconut. Coconut was to play an important part in my day.

But let me start with a comfort index, on which I placed two black dots, to show you what a touring cyclist faces in the tropics. At the lower temperature - about 30C , everyone feels discomfort. Now, increase the temperature just a few degrees, at the same relative humidity, and you hit the zone of "distinct stress". But, the average person is not riding a loaded bike. In fact, the average male seems to stand around suckling on a fag.

The comfort index from The World Weather Guide. The two black dots plot the temperature and relative humidity in much of Indonesia at midday and 3 pm

It was a fine ride to Kefamenanu through very nice scenery and on a decent road with reasonable traffic. Two things made it hard - the undulating terrain and the roadside garbage, something I find very hard to deal with and something that doesn't get into guidebooks.

Finally, a mosque - Masjid al Mujahidin. I'm sure they'd take me - I have a beard and can ride a motorcycle.

My compass told me that there was a shortcut through Kefa. There was and it took me through a bustling market, where I saw a mural that appealed.

I also managed a quality break in a restaurant where I got a good meal, drank a lot of tea and caught up on my journal. I learned also that the internet might be very slow in Indonesia.

The break was perfect preparation for the afternoon as I headed towards Soe, 85 km away. If I thought that the 35 km to Kefa was hard then I was having a lend of myself. For 55 km in the afternoon I seemed to be in 1st or 14th gear, grinding up hills of unimaginable gradient or screaming down them. I left Kefa knowing that Soe was probably out of range and that there was no accommodation in between. It didn't phase me. I was happy to bank the km and let other things fall into place.

At one point I heard coconuts crashing to the ground and could just about see a fellow in the crown. I stopped to watch and quickly became the centre of attention. The locals wanted to share their custom - all good will.

You use another piece cut from the coconut as a spoon, to scrape out the soft flesh.

I was soon screaming downhill again and crossed a river. I knew what that meant.

A little further on I stopped to photograph one of the brightly painted houses. Again, this turned into a photofest as everyone wanted their time - an advantage of smartphones. First it was digital photography enabling one to show a photo. Now, many can take a photo.

I found myself in the position, half way up a huge hill, of having not much food and nowhere to stay. I saw a "shop" and grabbed what I could - fruit and biscuits, thinking that I might be having a night doing it rough - plastic, sleeping mat, sleeping sheet and mossie net somewhere. I asked about accommodation and a fellow indicated 2 km - city. It couldn't be Soe, still 20 km. It was Niki Niki! This spurred me on and I found a reasonably sized town. But it had no accommodation. I cycled another km to the police station where I got a choice of thee rooms. I even got a stretcherbed but no WiFi. They need to lift their game!

I was keen to get out of soaking wet clothes and have a wash. With that done, I found dinner and then came back to do the blog. The internet was too slow. I tried reading but was too tired. That was a big day.

Today's ride: 90 km (56 miles)
Total: 4,633 km (2,877 miles)

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