Under pressure..

There has been a couple of tough days where I put all my strength and energy into the riding. I have been enjoying it because I love the challenge of difficult surfaces and climbs. BUT it is killing me.. Yesterday after lunch I did not feel like riding - but forced myself with the result that I had to go in the van after approx. 95 k's. It passed me and I gave my thumb's down. After 20 min.'s drive I asked the driver to stop - went out to throw up - damn it - bad again. Went directly to my room after arriving and did not attend the rider' s meeting. Apparently there has been some kind of protest from the riders. Actually only 6 of us completed the ride yesterday - ending with a steep climb. People ask why Christiano, our tour leader, always choose the very challenging routes. The answer is that the alternative is a traffic inferno on the normal roads. Well, not easy. And we know that things are not going to change for quite a while. Rest of Java: just mountains, Bali have mountains and last but not least Flores is supposed to have up to 3.000 m vertical climbs..
 I have decided to enjoy my 4 days rest here in Yogyakarta - I took a taxa here this morning to give myself a time out from the whole thing. Less that 200 km took more that 5 hours - just to give an impression of the conditions.. Am at a nice hotel with a wonderful garden - have my own terrace facing a charming little swimming pool - and plan to go sightseeing tomorrow! Have been googling hotels in Bali - but hope to get the energy to keep on biking..

All sizes of stones - and no riding possible..

Four days ago we were recommended to change to "nobbi" tires - if we have some of those. I do not - so I hoped to menage on the gravel that was predicted for a great deal of the day. And I actually did. Must admit that I several times thought that this is just over the top. We had all size of stones - and very little asphalt for hours and hours.. But we went through beautiful tea growing areas - so at least  there was something to make justice to the route.. I planned to ride with the girls: Jacqueline from Melbourne and Rosie from England/Sydney. I quickly found out that they both actually do not like the mountain bike kind of riding that is demanded for the gravel and quite some time opted for walking both up and down the thing. Not agreeing about this I did go somewhat faster and went quite some ahead of them. There I met Joachim from Stuttgart who I often do pictures with. He takes photos of me and I of him - so we ended up having a great photo session with some really friendly tee plucking people. There was a nice decent on normal asphalt before lunch, where we got to know about change of directions.. The very long afternoon had been cut by about 30 k's - and our tour leader Christiano meant that we would give him a hug because of this.. Well, well - he actually made me furious instead.. After going down a very steep and rugged road there was another crazy climb - actually crazy to a degree that nobody could ride it. I even had problems pushing my bike up to the top where there was a security check. It appeared to be an area with a large geo hydro plant owned by Chevron. We had got special permission to go through there not until the same morning - quite interesting to see. Going down again there was a wonderful and very long descent to a nice hotel where we had our rest day. All water there came out of hot springs - so I spent an hour or so sitting at the jets and the pool with the local guests of the hotel - I was the only one in a swimsuit. Felt that the water did me well - very relaxing!

Tough but good..

Considering my stomach problems which have resulted in a weight and energy loss I decided to leave out on the riding again yesterday. 140 k's tough ride was announced from TDA - and even though it is always not quite as hard as they say I am happy that I gave myself a day to recover. Today is the first day since long where I feel pretty normal. Energy level and hunger is normal - I could eat the typical Indonesian breakfast (rice+a little bit of veggies+omelet) and had energy bars and cakes before lunch where I also had appetite to eat a good deal. That meant that I was prepared for another demanding ride. We did only 67,7 k's - but with an overall elevation of 2450 meters. I did fine - was the first girl of two to do the full ride - and felt well! For the first time since long I had the power to attack a bit - and actually enjoyed the challenge a lot. It was a very beautiful ride - going up from sea level though forest, rice paddies and tea plantations. Especially the last is just mindblowingly beautiful - the juicy green colour of the young leaves on the tea plants just lighten the whole scenery up - and the way the fields cover the whole landscape is wonderful to see. Going up to 1800 meters the temperature of course also went down - which was pleasant - and after sweating going up steep it actually felt cold at the top so we had our light rain jackets on in the beginning going down. Came to the town of Ciwedey shortly before two pm - and was installed in a nice little suite together with Rosi, my roommate. Had french fries and fresh fruit juice before the quite elegant Indonesian dinner with beef Rendang, saté and other good classical dishes from here.. Am optimistic about tomorrow where a 114 k's ride with an elevation of 2130 m is on the agenda.. TDA recommends that we take our most wide and rough tires - i only have one set so my plan is to be careful on the loose gravel roads..

Java jibe..

We already arrived here in Java on Saturday - but due to poor or no internet connection no sign of life from me for a couple of days.. Took the ferry crossing the Sunder strait - a trip that was estimated to take 1 1/2 hours but ended up by 3. Well, before we reached the harbor there was a climb - of course .- and some hopeless queues on a very narrow road going down there. I felt extremely fragile surrounded big big trucks coming from both sides and also changing lanes - could easily have been sandwiched in between them.. But we safely ended on the ferry and enjoyed the sea brise and heavy sea traffic from the deck. Before going into harbor we had a 1 1/2 hours wait outside - watching a little fishing boat where the fishermen worked really hard to get the fish in - and all of a sudden a submarine boat appeared - quite interesting.. We also had a chat with some nice young people  studying foresty - and really wanting to save Indonesia's forests. Reaching the quay happened with some kind of a bump - but we reached Java - ready to do the last approx. 80 k's of the day.
 Spent a rest day by some kind of resort just for Indonesians - strange to watch them - women apart and men apart - and the women wearing clothes going into the swimming pool or water. And a hell of a lot of children and teenagers. Another bad experience with food - so spent another day running to the toilet from my bed - shit! Just cleaned my bike and my clothes and there the trouble started again.. After the rest day - going to the most hopeless kind of faded glory place at the seaside - I got so depressed getting there with the luggage truck mid morning that I decided for at stroll along the sea - that saved my day..  Big waves surfing in - just beautiful.
 Today another hard climb: up to 22 % grade and 42 degrees heat - just tough! We thought that it was not so difficult today with just 86 k's - but don't cheat yourself - there will always be challenge out there. Also 2 accidents by the way: 1 x bruised ribs + the most unlucky big guy from South Africa that arrived just two days ago and broke his collarbone collapsing over his carbon race bike not avoiding a pothole..
 We have had one Canadian guy living in Djakarta just riding with us for 2 days. Interesting to hear him tell about expat life here. Both him and his wife are oil engineers - 2 small children - and 5 staff in their house hold. He told that corruption here is just over the top - and he did not recommend the South African guy to have his collarbone mended here..
 Got a room mate: Rosie from England/Sydney - so now I have to see to make it work between us - she sleeps long and early - I am opposite - but we will find out how to menage..
 Had the best meal of the trip tonight: grilled lamb chops with mashed potatoes and salad. We are at an Australian owned place by a surf beach - a middle aged man owns the place and has just younger women/girls working here. Met his mates for happy hour listening to Stones and the like - just like back in Australia..

Nice riding day..

Some might end up thinking that this is a masochist project - suffering every day on the bike - and not having any pleasure.. This is NOT true.. Today for instance it actually was a nice day riding - without any suffering.. We did 141 k's starting with a long descent - I averaged 30 per hour for the first hour - enjoying the morning - as I actually mostly do.. Then it was kind of normal mixed - going up and down without being extreme. From 65 k's and about 20 more to go there were some navigational and traffic challenges - passing by the major city of south Sumatra. But they could all be solved and I happily arrived at lunch around 10.30. The afternoon went without any problems - and we are now after a little climb up the back country at a place called Kalianda. Rooms are fine - I share with the two TDA girls, Chelsea and Nellie. Here are hot springs and a swimming pool - went in first thing just after arriving - nice..

Back to hard work

Well the beach day turned out to be wonderful.. First we had a very lazy lunch followed by a siesta at some benches under the shade of palm trees. Great to lie on one's back looking up in the crown of a coconut palm tree - just hope that the nuts will not fall down.. Took my shoes and socks off and went in the water - enjoyed the massage of the sand going in and out by the surf of the water.. And the view of the ocean.. After an only 10 k's ride we came to our destination - also just by the sea. Went for a long stroll by the sea with my feet in the water in the afternoon. There were some fishermen out in the water using small fishing nets that they kind of threw out. It was just wonderful to be there. Did not swim as I had left my swimsuit in the room.
 Yesterday the lazy time was over. A 140 k ride with 1550 m climb. And it was a VERY steep climb. I used my mountain bike technique and habit to stay on the bike no matter what - but John that I rode together with at that point got off the bike to walk - nearly as fast as I could ride. Well I survived and was applaused in when I arrived to our camp kind of accommodation - we stayed at a surfer's place - quite charming small huts just at the beach..
 Today another tough day: 150 k and 1900 m climb. We were asked not to ride girls alone through the national park just after lunch. We were just girls there so a good excuse to make the driver take us the first 15 km going up. That distance was then cut off the day's length - but it still ended up being super tough. At about 1.30 pm the last climb of the day bringing us more or less all the way to our destination started. About 7 k's from the top I was sweating like I do not know what and slightly irritated and overtired (no more saying happily hello to all children as I do in the morning). The van stood there with Christiano's sweet smile suggesting that I go in. I did it - could not resist - so my day ended at a distance of 127. And I felt pretty warn out..
 Two more days to go in the Sumatra section - the day after tomorrow we will have our first ride and stay in Java..

Did not ride this afternoon..

The last block of riding days I did all - my discipline won over my laziness.. Today I let go - after a 76 k morning ride starting out of the middle sized provincial town of Bengkulu and continuing through the same kind of landscape we had for a while I lost motivation and decided to go in the van after lunch. I am not ill or anything - just a bit tired - and lazy! This would probably not have happened if Eva, my regular riding mate, had been here. Normally there is no such thing. But considering the more then 11.000 k's ride we are up to I gave myself the opportunity just to say no. Had a nice chat with Dara, a great american girl living with her english husband in London. She also takes it a bit easy now and then - and felt kind of over exhausted after pushing herself too much this morning.
 Tomorrow there will also just be 75 k - it should be a very beautiful ride - and after that the hard work starts again with 141, 150, 142 and 112 k's. I hope to be fit and motivated - but if not it is not the end of the world not to ride it all - I decided for myself today!