(abbreviated post)
Sumbawa chart
The first day’s track
We’d met some Indonesian riders on the ferry, down from Jakarta on a riding holiday. They’re on Kawasaki Versys. Taxes on imported motorcycles are as extreme as in parts of South America here. A new BMW 1200GSA costs $70,000US I’m told a couple of weeks later. Amazingly there are quite a few in Jakarta, we hear. The Versys is the affordable ADV choice and they have big clubs for the bike up on Java.
We ride off the ferry together in Sape, which is a bit of a dive
The bikes
The lunch
These guys are behind schedule and going to do a night ride the whole way through. Apparently they did a 20 hour ride previously. Way behind what I ever want to do. But we set of together to Bima. I’m riding at the rear and after about 20 minutes the route they’re riding doesn’t agree with my GPS track. So I wave one rider down and say I’m going the other way. I was wrong, and ending up chasing them and not catching them later.
The next day’s track
A typical small Indonesian town
Ox
And at one point when I stop for water, monkeys come out of the forest to check us out. They don’t get too close, just close enough for a good look. They’re about the size of a cat, unafraid and quiet
Then down to the coast
To a fishing village. It seems all the coastal villages are fishing villages
It’s extremely beautiful.
The green/yellow together are a recurring them, not sure why yet
The street
The yellow/green that jars somehow
Little fish about 3″ long, flat. They smell great drying here
I get back to Lucinda and of course, new friends
Great ride along the coast
To the ferry
A monster line-up. I walk to the front and by some amazing coincidence there are the Brothers Reid. We’re like lost friends and have a big hug
Leaving Sumbawa. Sorry about the shortage of photos
The track over to Lombok
Lombok chart
Lombok’s small. We hung out with the Brothers Reid, drank beer and went snorkelling. Sounds pretty cushy, I know. But ahead a week or so is a part of the world every rider is afraid of, so the quiet before the storm
Comments
hi jamie
hope your doing ok… we met on the ferry bajo to sape (sumbawa)
let me knkw your email.. i will send you the pict
Sure, I remember! replied to you via email