Day 95 - delayed in Yogyakarta - Unfinished Business

August 3, 2023

Day 95 - delayed in Yogyakarta

I have a flight out of Indonesia from somewhere in Sumatra on August 14. The ticket has two purposes. First, to show immigration that I have an onward ticket. Secondly, so I can scoot out of the country, if need be, and return immediately to get another 30 days. It would be a serious sprint to get to that airport by August 14. I can now say, with confidence, that by being a tourist, I have blown the 20 or 30 dollars that the ticket cost. Also, skipping out of the country is now definite. Anyway, that's irrelevant; I have far more important things on my plate.

On the way to the Museum Affandi, I saw this fellow busking at a traffic light - one where people stop. Great sound.

I don't like throwing money but I was at a traffic light and it suddenly turned green. He didn't mind.

And so, I arrived and had a good look, this time from the road.

We had a bit of a misunderstanding: Kartika thought that I was cycling here. All is fine; she is happy with a photo of my bicycle. I sat down for a coffee as tiny bees foraged on this spray.

I moved a chair that was not only attractive and comfortable but surprisingly heavy. And then I realized ..........

There was some work in setting up: finding the place with the best light, setting up the easel, removing caps from dozens of tubes of paint. Some of these tasks are difficult for Kartika, who suffers from osteoarthritis. She is helped by the ever-present, Rokman.

Also present was Heni, a filmmaker, who has been documenting Kartika at work.

Eventually, I got into position - sometimes sitting while at other times standing as though I had just pulled up on a bike. We seemed to be talking and laughing, as Kartika applied acrylic paint either directly from a tube or by the fingers of her left hand. A nearby caged bird sang; perhaps it sensed a joyous occasion.

We had the occasional break during which I wandered, or Kartika showed me more places, including her bedroom with an unfinished painting.

Kartika's bedroom with an unfinished painting of Centre Pompidou, in Paris. "A young boy was kicking a football and I couldn't concentrate, so I left it unfinished," she said.

You may or may not like it. But look at the astounding detail! Who can ever do that? I think it fits perfectly on this wall.

The perfect resting place for a couple who were together for almost 60 years.

Some time after 11, Kartika decided that she really needed my bike; photos would not suffice. So, while she continued painting, I got a lift into town, changed to cycling gear, loaded my bike and cycled back. When I arrived the table was set for lunch.

A plate of fresh jackfruit and a "Coffee Kartika" - coffee with rum, finished the lunch.

It was an absolute pleasure sharing lunch with Kartika. As a divorcee, she has raised the fingers to the establishment. But, Kartika has done a myriad things, including setting up a place for disabled people and looking after others who face disadvantage, especially women. Thus, she wanted to hear about the indigo foundation. Of course, Kartika was keen to hear my views on Indonesia. I told her how I will miss the vibrancy of the place and the general good nature of the people. But, I'll be pleased when I'm no longer confronted by garbage, smoking and noise, among other things. She agreed.

We didn't do much more after lunch because Kartika was tired. I agreed to return in the morning, when she was fresh and could tackle getting the bike on canvas.

But, Kartika said that I couldn't leave without her giving me a gift and signing it.

Thanks to Rokman for taking these shots.

Standard technique, apparently. Put the shirt on, shove a book up your back, kneel down....sign.

That was more or less my day. I've got a touch of a cold so I'm going a bit easy. This means that I'll leave you with the bicycle of the day, which requires two photos to truly appreciate.

I bought a bottle of mystery liquid from this woman.

Here's her rig. Look at that mudguard that matches her attire!

Why not just show you! I gather from taste, smell, belch flavour and sediment that it's sweetened water containing mainly turmeric and ginger with a sniff of chili. It's surprisingly good.

Today's ride: 11 km (7 miles)
Total: 6,917 km (4,295 miles)

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Graham SmithMy bet is that very few, if any, cycle tourers have paused mid-tour for portrait sitting by an accomplished artist.
It’s up there with rescuing snakes as a unique cycle touring incident.
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1 year ago

John GrantVery interesting day Ian. I trust your cold has cleared up by the time you read this but I suppose I'll find out as I read the next few entries. Keep well mate.
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1 year ago

Ian WallisTo John GrantJohn, thanks! Maybe the magic drink sped recovery. I don't mind cycling when a bit under the weather. I find it clears the airways. I'm sure that many advise rest; I reckon that clipping the speed is the same.
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1 year ago

John GrantTo Ian WallisGreat to hear. If you're not tiring yourself to exhaustion you're going to be okay.
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1 year ago