from Bandar Lampung thru Southern Sumatra

 to 24th Sept.

One Wheel on my Wagon

Just 13 kilometres outside Bengkulu, heading due East, before we have even started our climb properly I hear a nasty knocking sound from the back end of my bike. I conveniently ignore it for a short while until I pull on my rear brake with the dangerously close approach of an overloaded 'Bemo' van. The noise is now to loud to avoid an inspection - in fact I can feel an uncomfortable shuddering as my bike comes to a halt. Spokes are all intact, chain and rear mech in their correct positions and in one piece - my brain clicks round - and I look at my rim - to discover that the wall of my wheel has worn right through - and a crack is creeping its way around the circumference of the wheel. Oh dear - this life is not long for my wheel I fear - it will barely cover a few more kilometres - let alone get to Sydney! Well - its not entirely unexpected - for in Eastern Tibet the rims were treated to some royal abuse - mud and grit jammed between the brake blocks and rims and then asked to pelt down hills at 30mph with blocks scratching the rims all the way down. At one point my brake blocks wore out completely and were pulling metal against metal - so now I come to think about it - these fellars have done remarkably well! The three of us look at each other and before we have really had chance to discuss options - Rich has generously offered his rear wheel to me. He will return to Bangkulu - and begin the search for a new rim. Andrew and I will continue the ride - and hope to meet up with him soon. Rich's back wheel has no more than a few hundred k's on its 'clock' - and so we can be quite confident. More worrying though are Andrew's 2 wheels - and my front wheel - all of which have been through exactly the same treatment - and therefore we expect will most likely fail very soon also. Our contingency plan is to keep our fingers firmly crossed! Jakarta will probably be the next place for a replacement - just about 10 days ride through Sumatra - and 1 Sea Kayak Crossing.

The Jungle at Last

Not too long after Rich's about face Andrew and I are riding into a wonderful dense forest with tendril like creepers hanging down beside us. The road is climbing steeply - but we're absorbed in a fantastically atmospheric surrounding. The clouds have closed in above us and light is fading fast - despite sunset not being expected for at least another hour and a half. Light drops of rain cool our florid skin. The sounds of the jungle are eerie and yet somehow a beautiful concerto to finally be treated to. This is how we had dreamed that Sumatra might be - the screeching of enormous crickets, exotic birds cooing and crying from the jungle floor - their faces and colours all hidden from our view - unknown actors - but each playing their tuneful part. A flutter in the trees high above us brings us to a stop. As we look up again we hear a clatter of leaves and branches - but this time we spy the dark silhouette of moving creatures in the high treetops. Flying Gibbons are launching themselves from one tree to the next - we watch spellbound as shadows with outstretched arms, and low hanging tails, fly several metres in the hope of catching another branch of the tree. Its hard to describe the feeling ofseeing these animals living wild and carefree - but such wildlife has certainly got to be one of the highlights of our journey.

Disappearing Habitats

The flipside however of the elation of seeing the wonderful freefalling gibbons is when we see and realise what is happening to their homelands. From our road we see so few patches of this dense jungle. Each one now is isolated from the next - creating islands of habitat for the wildlife. Where before the wonderful creatures could roam for miles and miles - the whole island presumably being a huge expanse of forest - now the islands are separated by impenetrable areas - bare of trees. Like a rising tide that might threaten to flood human habitats, the islands of rainforest are being submerged by the locals whose livelihoods depend upon the plundering of the wilderness. Of course our route is inevitably tied to the roads - and therefore we see only that portion of the island which is within visual contact of the road. But surely the sad sight that we behold each and every day of the ride - the felled trees, the burning woodlands, the charred stumps, and the forelorn remaining landscape of baked dry brown earth where once stood a proud rainforest - surely this is a terrible disaster. Now we know why the tiny labels 'from sustainable forests' mean so much - lets hope we don't forget!

Our Route through Southern Sumatra

The journey is now turning inland from Bengkulu - and we are naturally drawn up into the mountains. The Mountains of Sumatra are of volcanic formation - and of a different shape to other mountains we have seen. Mount Dempo is particularly memorable - rising up to over 3000m. Our road rises over the shoulder at around 800m - but unlike British mountains, The Alps or the Himalayas - this mountain is a perfectly geometric cone - with a mighty sweeping shallow gradient rising for tens of kilometres before the summit and its jagged edges. At the same time as entering this volcanic landscape - we also find that the number of settlements has increased. In fact in places there are long straggling villages extending for several kilometres. The distinctive style of house lines the roadside. Every house is raised upon stilts - not for flooding danger - for we are at elevations sufficiently high to not worry about such matters - but we conclude that it is for keeping a cool temperature by allowing air to flow beneath the floor. I can't quite work out why every house has corrugated an iron roof - and every house's roof is rusty - not a single one is new - surely they must be replaced sometimes - so why don't we see a new one anywhere? Maybe we'll never know! We ride through Kepahiang, Pagar Alam, Pulaupangung, Batu Raja, Bukitkemeuning and Kota Bumi - covering 650km in 7 days. Our journey is eased somewhat by using 2 tiny backroads that trim at least 100km off the journey - and also take us away from the main traffic route from North to South on the island. Whilst on this route we spend one night in the tiny village of Pulaupangung. We chance upon a kindly owner of one of the roadside 'Rumah Makan' - he invites us in and gives us a room to ourselves. We're quite fortunate here we think - especially when we remember our last restless night on a restaurant floor before Bukittingi. Sadly our optimism is misplaced - as at a little after 11pm - the wayward shrieks of enthusiastic Karaoke killers are still to be heard echoing through the walls of our makeshift bedroom. Oh well - what's another night without sleep anyway!!! This is certainly one thing I shall not be sad to leave behind in Eastern Asia!

The next day as I round a bend on our descent towards Batu Raja - some distance behind Andrew - I hear a shout from up ahead - 'Slow Down - Watch Out!' - confused, I pull on my brakes and relent a little - however I'm already moving at a leisurely pace - still spending my time gazing towards the trees in the hope of a glimpse of some more gibbons. Andrew is looking annoyed and rubbing his knee. He has just hit a patch of slime and skidded off his bike. His grazes although not serious, do need cleaning - and so we pull up in the next village - and bring out the trusty LifeSystems first aid pack. The locals don't seem particularly interested in Andrew's plight - one continues to shout 'Hello Mister - where you go?' directly in Andrews face as he dabs his wounds with an antiseptic swab - and one even has the audacity to poke Andrew's most tender wound with his finger. Andrew doesn't find this very amusing - and gives the guy a sharp shove back!

People of Sumatra

At times like these our patience is tested to the limit. The people of Sumatra are a curious bunch - and in most parts extremely friendly and welcoming. At times though - especially times when we are weary, dehydrated, sore and sweaty, the barrage of the same three question line of conversation can grow tiresome. Not that "I'm from England, I'm going to Jakarta, and no I can't really speak Indonesian" is not a fascinating conversation to have 30 times each day, and we try very, very hard to keep our sense of humour at all times. Its purely interest and the desire to practise their English - but then - ....when you're tired!

We have also rediscovered some attempts to charge us extortionate amounts - over double the normal asking price for basic items like ice lollies and soft drinks. Of course such commodities we very well know the standard price for - and so are perfectly well positioned to identify the opportunistic shopkeeper who thinks of upping his prices for the Western 'Tooreest'.

The Olympics

At every available opportunity we are trying to tune in to the Olympics to follow the British Athletes fortunes. Our key problem however is that the local coverage broadcast by TVR(epublic)I(ndonesia) shows 90% Badminton, Boxing and maybe some Table Tennis and a little Swimming. The triathlon coverage - my particular favourite - omitted the swim altogether, showed the bike, but then on the run cut directly from the transition to the finish - showing just the Gold Medal winner crossing the line - and all this overlayed with some tastefully misplaced commentary from the Boxing and Mens 100m freestyle!! By means of the Internet we did discover that Steve Redgrave managed to reach his goal and win his 5th Gold. As our expedition patron we feel a special affiliation - WELL DONE MR REDGRAVE!!! We're valiantly trying to follow the track and field - yesterday should have been great viewing - with Gold Medal prospects in Triple Jump, Heptathlon and Javelin - after 15 minutes of track and field however the broadcast was switched to a the full coverage of a preliminary heat of the womens indoor Volleyball - oh good!!!!!!

At this point it is opportune to explain that whenever - anywhere along our route we have explained that we are going to Sydney - we have been asked whether we were going for the Olympics. Now back in Turkey - even we thought that we might make it! Further along - in Nepal - we thought maybe we might reach Australia before the end of the games. Coming into South East Asia though we thought it had become clear that it was unlikely that we would get there. The questions however kept coming - in Melaka - just 3 weeks before the opening ceremony people were genuinely still thinking that we could cover the 3000km and the crossing of several large seas. With the beginning of the games - now that we find ourselves in Sumatra - with 1800km of cycling and much sea kayaking remaining - we are continuing to hear our favourite question. We now have set a new challenge for this ever surprising question: we are wondering whether anyone will actually ask us whether we are going to the Olympics once the Olympics have actually finished! The bets are on - and the odds are looking favourable!

Here in Bandar Lampung we're celebrating 1 year on the road - with McDonalds and a few cold Bir Bintangs!
Bottoms Up! To the Olympics! To Sydney!