Wrote by Roman at gobikehoney.multiply.com

I got this great idea how to spend Ied holidays, going on a bike tour to Jogjakarta. All the preparation is being made since 6 months ago, like information and equipment gathering not to mention mental and physic preparation. In the last 2 days before the departure I packed all the equipment up and prepare my heart, mind, body and soul for this tour.

October 22, 2006, at 2 am I was finally done and hit the bed. I was planning to have a quality sleep for 3 hours when the anxiety hit me. I was too anxious to sleep. I sleep restlessly and woke up feeling sleepy and not fresh. At 5.43 am I began the bike tour right from my front door.

October 22, 2006
The lack of sleep and the weight of 7 days trip baggage made me feel like pulling a wagon then pedaling my bike. Today’s target is to pedal for 160 km and rest in Bandung tonight. At 58.38 km I got flat tire, I took the opportunity to rest for awhile. Intermezzo in long bike trip is essential. But then I got another flat tire at 68,24 km this time after changing the rear tire I hopped on the bike and continued cycling. The rest of today’s journey went well, I arrived in Bandung at 9.05 pm. It’s time to rest now.

October 23, 2006
I started the day by changing both tire into wider size tire with hard tread. This kind of tire is more suitable for a heavy loaded bike. Everything went smooth and well today, I had enough sleep, and most important NO MORE FLAT TIRE! I could keep my timing and speed in track so that I have plenty of time to enjoy the scenery and taking some photos. I don’t really know photography but I sure do love to take pictures and be in the pictures. All it takes is just some courage to pose uniquely in your pictures and shot many pictures.

That night was the night before Eid, the big day where Moslems celebrate their winning against human’s passions. I arrived at Cilacap and stayed at the small police station that was transformed into OPS Ketupat Lebaran (a small police station to keep the heavy traffic due to the long vacation in order and safe). I entertained myself tonight by watching people celebrating the takbiran night and chitchat with the police officers. We also had this delicious chicken curry for dinner. Now that my stomach is full and the night is getting late, I prepared my sleeping bag and sleep deeply all through the night. Dreaming about the 187,81 km that I took today, a long trip through hills right from Nagrek-Malangbong-Cinagara-Rajapaloh-Ciamis-Banjar-Wanareja-Majenang-Cimanggu (Cilacap).

October 24, 2006
This morning I celebrated Eid with the police officers and rangers. We had a traditional Eid’s breakfast - ketupat with chicken curry. Both the dish and the spirit of Eid are amazing. And the officers hospitability was impeccable. I felt like I were home and among my own family. I didn’t hesitate to have another portion of ketupat with chicken curry.

At 8.25 am I hopped on my bike again and headed for Jogjakarta, though it’s still far away, it will take me 6 hours by bus. It didn’t really matter, my mind is made up, Jogjakarta I’m coming.

The sky was clear blue, the sun was shining bright, I paddled up the hill into Wangon near the Banyumas border. Banyumas which means golden water, is a great area for cultivation. The stunning endless green of rice field and freshly water running through the rivers are the common view here. Not to forget the sweet and delicious es dawet (traditional drinks made of coconut milk, brown sugar and starch and pandan leaves, served cold with ice) that you can find easily along the way in this town.

I sat down by the road eating this wonderfully juicy red watermelon with a stunning endless green rice field before me. It was the most wonderful rest I had in this entire trip. Two thumbs up. AMAZING!!!

I stopped by at a friend’s house in Gombong, I rested for awhile and off course we made some pictures there, then I was off to Jogjakarta again. I passed Kebumen, Kertowinangun…. Until finally I entered Jogjakarta’s border. Temon then Wates and finally the city of Jogjakarta. It was 3.49 am.

October 25, 2006
Jogjakarta was still deep in its sleep, so peaceful and beautiful. I took the chance to take some picture of the sleeping (beauty) Jogjakarta. Slowly Jogja woke up as the sun rose. I had my Jogja’s traditional breakfast, sat on the pavement and had a nice warm rice and gudeg (a sweet jackfruit dish) with hard boiled egg and curry chicken. Nyummm it was soooooooo delicious. I slept over at a friend’s house. I slept like a dead man my friend said. What can I say? I paddled for 200 km yesterday.

I spent the rest of the day resting and preparing things for the trip back. And did some city tour in the afternoon until late that evening.

October 26, 2006
I stopped by at my uncle’s house before I headed back to Jakarta. This time I took a different route, the central line. I took the south line on the trip to Jogjakarta. On my way out of Jogjakarta I managed to visit Mendut, Borobudur and Pawon temple.

I enjoyed Mt. Tidar view approaching Magelang the city famous for its military academy in Central Java. I headed to Temanggung, the ride was tough about 46 km climbing up the road until Kledung – Kabupaten Wonosobo. I paddled slowly, enjoying the magnificent view and cool fresh air. Along the steep road I had the most incredibly beautiful view, I got Mt. Sumbing (3.371 mdpl) on my left and Mt. Sindoro (3,136 mdpl) on my right side. And the endless rice and corps fields in between, seemed to split the two mountains apart.

Arriving in Banjarnegara I looked for a place to rest for tonight. I decided to roll down my sleeping bag in a small clean and comfortable gazebo. A narrow river ran beneath it like music to my ear, I slept comfortably and deeply that night.

October 27, 2006
The sun shine woke me up in the next morning. I saw some motorcycles parked with the riders on it in front of the gazebo. That moment I knew that I slept at ojek (somewhat like a motorcycle taxi) pool. I cleared up my stuff and had breakfast while talking to them. Latter I was off on my bike again.

It was an easy ride that day, no climbing up the hill. I stopped at Klampok the pottery industry area of Banjarnegara for a quick rest and some soybean cake snack. Without realizing it was already Purbalingga, then I went up the hills of Purwokerto. I rested for awhile there, took some pictures of horse carriage then hopped on my bike again. I kept on pedaling through the winding roads in Bumiayu. When I reached Brebes I could see endless of purple onion cultivation all through the area. And also hundreds of street stalls selling salted duck eggs.

I was too excited, I couldn’t and wouldn’t stop, but it had been a long journey time to check up on my bike. I made sure that the bike was still in the good condition I got on it again. After a long way of climbing up the road I arrived in Kuningan at 1.23 am, 212.62 from Bajarnegara to be exact. What a beautiful city, it is located on the high ground, the wheatear is fresh and cool and the people are nice. I still felt like pedaling, so I headed outside the city to the dam of Darma. I paddled through the road with big trees on both side. The cold night wind blows through the trees and made sounds like the trees were talking. It was like in the other side of the world. Along side of the road there were many buried old tombs.

October 28, 2006
I set the tent up by the side of the lake Darma at 3.40 am and curled up inside my sleeping bag. The noise outside woke me up, I wonder what time it was, it felt like I just slept for a few minutes. I stepped outside the tent and found that the sun was already up and there were many local tourists, it was still the Ied holiday season. Seeing me outside the tent the ticket officer asked me to pay for my ticket. I was almost like trespassing when I arrived at early at dawn. I had breakfast by the lake I couldn’t take my eyes off this beautiful scenery in front of me. The stunning calm lake with a magnificent view of a group of mountains far behind it as the background.

I continued my trip headed to Bandung. It was another tough journey, lots of climbing up, steep turunan, sharp turnings all through the way until I reached Cadas Pangeran – Sumedang. It’s famous for its bean curd or tofu. I made a quick stop at Jatinangor, it’s located between Bandung and Sumedang. There I changed back my tires into the original narrow tired with smooth treads. I returned the wide tires to my friend. And I managed to dropped by at a friend’s place, he was doing some traffic reporting for a radio broadcast.

October 29, 2006
This was the 8th day or the last day of the whole trip. I started the day pretty late at 13.15 pm. I decided to go through Puncak without realizing that there were still a long climbing up to do, about 21 km after Cianjur towards Puncak. After that the route was friendly no more long climbing up roads. I paddled with no rush and arrived at home at 1.44 am. I was glad that I got no problem or flat tires with the narrow ones.

Glad to be home again. The whole 8 days bike touring experience kept on looping in my head, just like a movie. I had paddled for 1.296,43 km in 8 days from Jakarta-Jogjakarta-Jakarta.

The excitement, enthusiasms, and euphoria of the memories and adventure from that bike touring stay inside of me forever. I thank the Creator of those magnificent sceneries I’ve seen along the way, my knees and bicycle, without them I would never see such beautiful things and be as happy and content as I am now. This bike touring won’t be the last one.