This morning the rain started again. So I went with Esri to another warung close to his place where we had breakfast. This is only around 11am that the rain stopped. I could finally leave the place and start my journey. Esri kindly offered me the breakfast. I feel guilty each time someone pay for my food because I use my money only for this and the visas normally. This day was touch as I had a big hill to climb. I’ve learned today that Bukittinggi means High Hill (Bukit tinggi) and understood very easily why! All the way after Bukittinggi was flat so I could finally accelerate a bit and cycle 90km today :-) I’ve stopped for dinner in a Warung where I discover a new card game called Koa. These fancy cards are very nice. I like especially the design. This is another day with discovering and surprise :-)
Map.
The rain seems to have moved away but it still hot.
The forest is thick and very equatorial. Normal I’m very close to it :-)
Few! That’s good to be in a valley. I’m tired to go uphill since I’ve left.
Houu, nice house.
A closer look :-)
During I was going uphill again (and I had to push my bike two times) I met a Scottish guy, Donney. He loves Indonesia and have been coming here since 9 years. He is now living around Medan and travels sometimes with his motorbike like today. He said he saw me on the road earlier and understood what I was doing because he is a cyclist himself. I’m doing slow but I’m doing it!
Donney tries hardly to live here but Indonesian government did not accept him yet. So he goes each time to Malaysia and then comes back to apply for a new visa. We talk about the rubbish problem here and he said that him and his partner who works in the ecology sphere tried to put in place a system of rubbish bin and collection. They got more in trouble than anything else. They tried for several years and ended nowhere. They even have been threatened by some local people who wanted to empty their rubbish bin in their garden! Wow! that’s a kind of shocking situation when they try to do something good for the population but unfortunately against the culture.
He told me also that he met an Italian guy who is cycling from the north to Dumai and should be around the area at the same time as me. Maybe I will meet him :-)
Finally after an hour talking with Donney, we came back on our respective vehicle and I start climbing again. I’ve got still 30 kilometres to get to Bukittinggi and it’s mostly uphill! Rah!
Maybe two hours later, I got to the summit and get some lunch. Then I had a flat road to reach the city. This one is Gunung Marapi again.
And this one is Singgalang. When I came from Solok few day ago, I came through that gap in the middle. I’ve done a big loop :-)
Singgalang and Marapi together.
Then I had a slight downhill for a little while. I was riding like 35 km/hours. I was as fast as some scooters, did overtake some other and even a truck! I do not know where was coming all that energy but it was here! chiaaa! I ruined the truck! (that overtakes me again as soon as I had a little climb ;-)
The time has passed and I’ve done 90km today. I stopped in a Warung where I met a family.
They have one daughter.
This is the brother (of the first guy to pictures above) and his wife.
Myself eating a nice nasi goreng :-)
Some more pictures ;-)
Portrait :-)
For the first time I’m trying a “teh telur” (tea egg). Keep the yolk and take out the white stuff of the egg. Add some sugar and mix strongly until it becomes fluffy. Finally add some hot water, a tea bag and a bit of milk. This is it. Aparently it give us strength!
Later on, the guy asked me if I knew how to play Kartu. Mmh yes but maybe not the same game as you. In fact when I saw the cards they were using, I could not play this one. It seems very interesting and I love the design of the cards. It’s called Koa. It’s derived from a chinese game.
There is a pile in the centre from where they keep taking cards. You play for yourself. From what I could understand, to win you must have 3 times 3 sames cards. They play with 3 games. I don’t get everything unfortunately but I want to buy some and learn!
This is the different model of the cards. There is 30 different one.
Each packet is sell in a very simple packaging. Those cards doesn’t seems to have a long life of use. They are very soft and players keep banding them all the time, the same way as poker players do to watch discretely a card. I think if I buy some I will plaster them :-) This page explains how to play but it is all in Indonesian and the translation is to totally clear.
The family offered me to sleep in their house but they did not seem to want to sleep now. I was really tired. The guy did not really understood what I wanted. He was concentrated playing his game. I did not want to wait until midnight or later. I explained that I was leaving this place to find a spot where to sleep overnight. I think he was disappointed but he did not really listen to me when I tried to explain my problem. It does not always turn as I wished but I was happy to find a spot where I could be alone for once. I’ve cycle on a small path for few minutes and found a tiny piece of land with trees next to the road. The place was good and quiet so I set up my campsite for the night.
Tomorrow morning I’m going to have a look to the Harau Valley. It’s apparently a very nice site to visit and the family I met tonight recommended me to go their. It’s not far away from here so I will spend an hour or two and then will come back on my way to Dumai! Good night!
It’s nice to see the photo of you eating. :-)
It looks like the rubbish problem is difficult to solve.