We are thoroughly enjoying our time riding across Java, there is so much to see and there is always a surprise around every corner. The people here are absolutely amazing too and are always so enthusiastic to hear about our journey.
A surprising fact about what isn’t even the biggest island in Indonesia, is that the population here is actually bigger than Russia’s! Java has a population of 151.6 million compared to Russia with 144.5 million. In terms of population density, that equates to 1,219 people per km2 here and 9 people per km2 in Russia. Now we know why the roads are so busy! To give those of you from the UK a better idea, the UK has a population density of 276 people per km2.
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A big milestone reached today. It felt very special to us to reach this this point. We have another few days left in Sumatra before we ship the bikes to Malaysia.
Today we went looking for a spot to take some iconic photos and a rice field seemed like the natural place. Well I got more than I bargained for and got the photo of all photos: “Bike Upside down in a rice field”. The locals were there in a flash to help us out with smiles and laughter. Bike was OK, Jude and I are OK, our riding gear has finally been christened and Winston got a mud bath. Having ridden in Vietnam many times now, it takes a lot to surprise us, particularly with what people can carry on their scooters. This guy did a pretty good job though and we saw him carrying two panels an hour later! We are now two days into our ride across Java and all is going well, despite the humidity. As we were advised, we are drinking plenty and keeping on the move as much as possible. As we mentioned in a previous post, we have shipped all our camping gear to Kyrgyzstan and are so glad that we did as it's an absolute relief to reach our accommodation, where airconditioning and cold showers are definitely the order of the day! We pay £14 a night for our rooms, which is pretty good value. Tomorrow we are hoping to visit Mount Bromo, an active Volcano that isn't too far from where we are tonight. Java is an amazing place but it is the most populous island in the world, so the roads are a bit mad here to say the least! If you haven't already done so, please visit our website www.2upfromdownunder.com and subscribe to our YouTube channel from there (free to do). We are supporting two great mental health charities through our ride the more subscribers we get the better for raising money and awareness of these two great causes and the work they do, Black Dog Ride in Australia and Mental Health Motorbike in the UK. Please help us to help them. Having waited a couple of weeks in Bali the bikes arrived with all the necessary paperwork in order and cleared by Customs. We booked a taxi to take us the short distance to the Jetfast warehouse where we unpacked the bikes and put the screens and mirrors back on. Lobo noticed that there was a nail protruding from the crate into his front tyre, luckily not deep enough to cause a puncture. Now for our first experience of riding in Indonesia on the chaotic roads and high humidity!
Still in Bali but have moved onto a tiny island off the coast called Gili Air.
Are Team 2up actually on a motorbike trip I can hear you asking! We are but we are still waiting for our bikes to clear customs. Our saying is, “when life gives you lemons, drink Margaritas on the beach (I know that should be limes but that didn’t work in this instance!)”. Again, the cost of accommodation here is unreal – we are a short walk to the most amazing beach and our villas are GBP14.00 per night including a fantastic breakfast served to us on our veranda. It’s cheaper to be on a motorbike tour than living at home! We do have some news on our bikes, they are in the country now and have been x-rayed, so we do just need customs to inspect them now. The wait is having a ‘knock on’ effect, as the time spent here is eating into our journey times to meet our guide in China, which is the one deadline we have to meet. We won’t be able to ride any faster through Indonesia, so we’ll have to ride longer days and have fewer rest days, but right now, that seems like a price worth paying! |