Indonesia Riding the Ring of Fire World Travelers
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Indonesia Riding the Ring of Fire WORLD TRAVELERS Indonesia’s landscape is dominated by vol- next town. Volcanoes dominate Indone- canoes and is the world’s fourth most popu- sia’s landscape, and with more than 130 lous country (home to an astounding 200 lava-spewing peaks, this country is one of ethnic groups and more than 245 million the most geographically violent places on people). Lisa and I have six weeks to tra- Earth. In 1883, the infamous eruptions of verse a country comprising of 17,504 tropi- Krakatoa off the Sumatran coast produced cal islands. Many are uninhabited; some both the most violent volcanic events and are even unnamed. loudest sound in recorded history. The blast was heard more than 3,000 miles South of Sumatra’s largest city (Medan), the away. The eruptions and tsunami killed air is saturated, and we’re sweat soaked more than 36,417 people. On the outskirts as I look to my GPS for the quickest es- of Beragasti low clouds roll in, and we de- cape route from the suburbs. In the gentle cide not to take the side roads around the morning light, vendors open shutters and Sibayak and Pinto volcanoes; it isn’t a big organize their stock to ready for the day’s deal, as we’ll go by 32 more on Sumatra trade. Squat wooden homes rub shoulders before we cross to Java. with bright brick stores with low sloping tin roofs that are vividly painted with logos of Roadside Repairs Pepsi and Maggi Noodles, a local favorite. “What’s up?” I ask Lisa at a set of lights. A horse and cart rattle over the broken tar “Nothing’s happening. I can’t move,” came in front of a mint green wall. I’m jolted from the reply. Hemmed in by traffic, we’re go- my daydream as we’re buzzed by dozens ing nowhere fast; a quick inspection iden- t’s the end of the wet season on the caption 1 caption 1 cap- of scuffed mopeds as we ease on the brakes tifies a snapped clutch cable. Under the We are at the Butterworth dock on Malaysia’s west coast, and the tion 1 caption 1 caption morning’s already a scorcher. Stinging sweat drips into my eyes as I world’s largest archipelago. Here on 1 caption 1 caption 1 pulling to a stop at traffic lights. To our right inquisitive gaze of 20 locals, we push Li- instinctively duck my head; mere feet above me, my precious mo- Ithe sultry island of Sumatra, the rains caption 1 caption 1 cap- a local man walks the largest pink pig I’ve sa’s bike to the front of a small café and set have yet to finish. At the Belawan dock, tion 1 caption 1 caption ever seen. about yanking out the broken cable and 1 caption 1 caption 1 torbike is lofted high and swings like a 700-pound pendulum as it’s my left foot pushes down, and the audible attaching the already in situ new one. The winched from the dockside to the ravaged hull of a weary fishing “clunk” as first gear engages is reassuring. caption 2 caption 2 cap- We are riding due south along the route cafe’s low roof acts as our parasol. As we boat. After a full stop, we thread the blue nylon rope and lash my I sigh and let a grin smear its way across tion 2 caption 2 caption 2 “Jalan Bandar Baru,” a tar ribbon winding finish up amid a volley of questions about bike to the sun baked deck alongside Lisa’s already secured 650 GS. my face as we ride out into the congested caption 2 caption 2 caption across a carpet of rolling green. our journey, I receive a gentle tap on my 2 caption 2 caption 2 cap- Medan city traffic. shoulder. From my knelt position, I turn The short 160-mile passage across the Strait of Malacca from Malay- tion 2 caption 2 caption 2 The Legend of Krakatoa and look up as a slender, toothless, older sia to Sumatra will take two days. Indonesia here we come. The Pacific Ring of Fire As the hours pass by, a pattern is building; man pushes an ice-cold bottle of 7UP into Meandering in second gear, I let myself when we emerge from one small town, we my greasy hand. A young server places consider the ambitious journey ahead if are instantly surrounded by lush green foli- two bowls of Nasi Goreng (a fried rice dish Text: Simon Thomas we’re to reach northern Australia by June. age for a few minutes before being thrown served for breakfast, lunch, and dinner) on Photography: Simon and Lisa Thomas Running 3,000 miles along the Equator, back into the sprawl and congestion of the a table close by and with a nod indicates 94 WWW.ROADRUNNER.TRAVEL SEPTEMBER/OCTober ‘13 95 WORLD TRAVELERS we should eat. A half hour of laughter and falo makes for a gruesome distraction as we easy chat blows by. slip on the worn deck. On the outskirts of another small village, Disembarking, it’s a short jaunt to Carolina we accelerate and splash through deep Cottages, and after paying a mere $13, we muddy puddles left from recent rain. To our are soon checked in. From the raised porch left, rich dark fertile soil has been plowed of our simple wood cabin, the sunset view and is ready for planting; to our right, a across the lake is nothing short of breath- contrasting thicket of dense rainforest ab- taking. Just below us a pure white egret sorbs the light. lands elegantly to feed. Indonesia is casting its spell. In the low gears we’re climbing steep switchbacks, mindful of the deep potholes The last three days since leaving Lake caption 3 caption 3 cap- on the corners. Near the top, we slow. Our Toba have been a blur of heavy rain, mud- tion 3 caption 3 caption progress is halted as a dilapidated truck bat- washed roads, and sweet, strong black 3 caption 3 caption 3 tles with the incline and its panicked cargo coffee in roadside cafés where weather- caption 3 caption 3 cap- of mud en-crusted oxen. On the brow, worn men play dominoes and draw with tion 3 caption 3 caption 3 caption 3 caption 3 a white-washed Christian chapel nestles the panache of movie stars on thin smoky back against a copse of wide-leafed palm cigarettes. We’ve shunned the coastal route caption 4 caption 4 cap- trees, and a group of young girls dressed in for the quieter inland central passage, our tion 4 caption 4 cap- immaculate pink walk home from school. winding route at times vanishing into the tion 4 caption 4 caption 4 caption 4 caption 4 humid rainforest. caption 4 caption 4 A Sleeping Turquoise Giant We are riding high above Lake Toba, the Back to School largest in Indonesia. Its still turquoise wa- We are riding in the Minangkabau High- ters beautifully disguise the super volcano lands and south of Bukittinggi, a bustling that lies just beneath. The rain forest has city steeped in Colonial Dutch history and been replaced with Sumatran tropical pine the birthplace of some of the founders of forest; the air is pungent and smells sweet. the Republic of Indonesia. We’re taking Suddenly a clap of thunder erupts so vio- the bends of the new road that skirts Lake lently that we’re both shaken. Simultane- Singkarak at speed, leaning hard into an caption 5 caption 5 caption 5 cap- ously, the skies darken, the heavens open, open right-hander before shifting and set- tion 5 caption 5 caption 5 caption 5 caption 5 caption 5 caption 5 and we’re instantly drowned. The deluge ting up for our line through the left. Pulling has lasted mere minutes but has made our up in Singkarak town, we position the bikes descent to the port in Parapat a slippery in front of a traditional Sumatran rumah caption 6 caption 6cation 6 cap- one. The steel ramp of the ferry that we’ll gadang (family long house). Its tall sweep- tion 6 caption 6 caption 6 cap- tion 6 caption 6 caption 6 catch to Toba Island of Samosir rattles un- ing roof gables provide a unique style; the der the weight of our rolling bikes; negoti- roof looks like the sail from a tall ship. Ev- ating the fresh carcass of a dead water buf- ery beam and surface is intricately decorat- 96 WWW.ROADRUNNER.TRAVEL 97 WORLD TRAVELERS caption 7 caption 7 ed fume belching traffic, we are approach- hillside temples, white sandy beaches, caption 7 caption 7 ing Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park. and packed resorts. A battered ferry deliv- caption 7 caption 7 caption 7 caption 7 Ahead, Lisa’s bike backfires loudly as we ers us to the island of Lombok. We cruise caption 7 caption 7 negotiate the very steep and tight turns of through Mataram, the island’s capital, then caption 7 caption 7 the narrow dirt track from the rim of the out through villages where waterfalls cas- Tengger caldera to the floor of this ancient cade down to the road. In the shadow of and vast super volcano. Standing on the Mount Rinjani (Indonesia’s second highest pegs, we are hard on the throttle, traveling volcano), we head to Lombok’s northeast through a lunar landscape as we cross the coast and Senggigi beach to collect our Tengger Sand Sea.