It has been increasingly difficult to get enough internet speed to keep this blog updated so I have decided to continue to post on the ADVRIDER site only and not this blogsite. I will also be updating on facebook most days as well.
The link is for the ADVRIDER thread is
http://advrider.com/forums/
Email contact is
Now that I am resigned to not getting out of Kupang to Ende until Xmas day I decided I needed to get out on the bike and do a bit of exploring. Headed off into the hills behind Kupang. A mixture of good road, potholes, dirt tracks and mud.
Nice to get a bit of elevation as the temperature drops quickly the higher you climb and riding all the gear all the time can be a bit bloody hot, but I have made the commitment to ride as safe as possible so I just have to suck it up. Unfortunately my gear is taking on the smell of an old moldy sock especially my helmet, but there is not much I can do but dry it out as best I can at the end of the day
A few photos from the day.
Typical road in the hills.
Stopped to take on some water and gained an audience.
View looking over the hills
Heading into a bit of weather
Have meet up today with a couple from Europe riding an old 1200cc Harley Davidson heading the same way as me, so we will team up to tackle the island of Flores. Should make it a bit easier for all of us as I know what's required for the ferry and he can speak some Indonesian.
After missing the ferry yesterday by about 5 metres I have been looking at other options.
It looks like there may be a ferry to Ende in Flores on Xmas day. Not my idea of a great way to spend Xmas, but if I can get to Ende it looks like I can the get another ferry to Bali around the New Year. Means I will miss new year in Bali with some friends, but such is life. At least I will be moving north.
The staff here at the Hotel La Hasienda are all getting into the Xmas spirit and wearing there little Santa hats as they work.
See if you can pick out Micheal the big German owner?
First up a big thank you to Michael and the crew a the La Hasienda Hotel. My stay could not have been better and everything was perfect. If you are ever in Kupang you really must stay there.
Today is my first experience of the highly organised and efficient Indonesian Ferry system. OK only joking.....absolute bloody shambles.
Got here at 8am as I was told to be here early, but the 12 noon boat is now the 2pm boat and they won't let me purchase a ticket till 1pm. Welcome to the world of hurry up and wait. I have to say I have been keep entertained by the loading and unloading as there is always 3 or 4 ferries in at one time. They call for vehicles to come forward to load only to change there mind as the now want to offload a couple of vehicles from a ferry, then everything has to back up to let them off. I kid you not, but this must have happen 10 times in the space of a couple of hours.
Lots of people getting the ferries as it's so close to Xmas and everyone is returning to the hometown to spend Xmas with the relatives. Not sure where I will be spending Xmas as yet, but I expect I will still be in Flores.
I started writing this report about 8 hours ago and things chance.....not always for the better.
When the ticket booth finally opened up everyone formed a neat line so they could purchase a ticket.....NOT. Had all the discipline of a mob. Everyone rushes the window trying to push their way towards the ticket seller. Well I did my best impression of a hungry Rugby Forward fighting for the ball in a ruck. The guy in front of me was happy as I used my weight to propel him ever closer to the window knowing that if I got him there I was next. It sort of worked, but then heavens opened up before I got there, but I could not back off now and ended up soaked to the skin.
Now the ferry is running about 2 hours late and then they finally call for the hoard of motorcycles to start loading. I got in the pack early, so I had maybe 60 bikes in front of me and a hundred or so behind me. After about an hour I find myself riding down the ferry ramp with about 5 bikes in front of me and then...... one of the Ferry staff steps out and tell us the "FERRY IS FULL".
I am just gutted, I have spent the whole day preparing for the Ferry trip only to be turned back at the last minute. So nothing for it and I am back at the Hotel La Hacienda and trying to make new plans. Unfortunately it looks like I wont get a ferry to anywhere either north or west of Kupang until at least xmas day.
Always said it not an adventure until something F$#ks up. Well now its an adventure.
Back online....well sort of. It has taken me 2 hours to download 4 photos this morning, but I have enough to give you a quick update.
I left Dili on the 14th to head toward the Indonesian boarder. Amazing coastline, with lots of inshore reefs and what looks like big drop offs in very deep water. Lots of very small boats out fishing the drop offs.
The road was a mixture of one section of new road (maybe 10km) and the rest was really poor road with lots of potholes, dirt, rocks, missing bits, landslides and of course the bus tearing around blind corners straight at you.
Made it to the Balibo turnoff and had to take the journey up into the mountains to pay my respects to the Balibo Five. I October of 1975, five journalist ( 2 Australian, 1 New Zealander and 2 UK) were murdered by the Indonesian Special Forces as the began the Indonesian occupation of East Timor. The house in which the sheltered is now a memorial to the five men.
The view looking back from Balibo
Made it to the boarder and leaving East Timor was a breeze, it only took about 10 minutes and everyone was friendly and happy. Then you cross the bridge to the Indonesian side and it seems that everyone forgot to take their happy pill that day. Unhelpfully and very slow to say the least, but eventually got the job done and I was glad to get out of there. I loved the questions like "I like your sunglasses. Do you want to give them to me?".
Stayed in Atambua which is not far from the boarder in the Hotel Matahari for about $22. I was OK and came with a decent breakfast which was good as I did not get anything to eat the night before as I was just too tired.
As there is no coverage on my Garmin maps for SE Asia I made notes on a piece of paper from the info off Google Maps. Still managed to get a little lost, but eventually found my way onto the Kupang road. Best way to check that you are on the right road is to be comforted by see one of the Kupang buses either coming at you on the wrong side of the road or trying to overtake you on a blind corner. Roads improve greatly in Indonesia and some great twisty mountain roads although I am finding 80kph is fast here.
Going to move my Kupang Hotel today as the one I am in is a shithole. Pantai Timor Hotel and what they consider a bathroom. Check the bath and the ceiling.
http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0VAyJWXVKVFFjfc2k64YzascrHLBzACmZ
Caught up last night with Tony who can to my rescue on day one when I discovered I was geographically chalenged and without phone coverage. Helped me find my way and even sorted out a map to stop me from getting lost yet again.
Tony is in Timor teaching English to adult students including some of East Timors rich and powerful. Prior to East Timor he was working for four years in Cambodia (where he meet his charming wife) and has promised to point me in the right direction as I get closer.
Meet up with Tony and later on his loverly wife at the Dili Beach Hotel, which to my surprise was on the beach.
View out to sea
Normal traffic at 6:30 at night
Enjoyed a few beers with Tony and his wife whilst watching the sun go down, not one of Timors best so no photos.
Spending the day tiding up a few loose ends and will head off in the general direct of Kupang tomorrow as apparently the roads are getting pretty bad due to the wet season. Had planned to be here a month earlier, but I have to adapt to the conditions as I go.
Stinking hot down here at sea level so I looking forward to some elevation and slightly cooler weather.
Life is Adventure.
Spent the day packing and repacking my gear untill I got close to fitting nearly every thing in, but not all. Some donations will be going to the staff at East Timor Backpackers. I sure I will lighten the load as I go, but for now everything I need plus some shit that I'm sure I really dont need are spread over two panniers, one small top box, a drybag and a tankbag.
Had to go into Timor Plaza for a few things and got myself a data card for the Ipad as the wifi here is so slow you really can't load photo. So now I have included a few photo's just to add to the story.
My ticket to Adventure
On the big bird of freedom
East Timor Backpackers and the Pink Suite ($20 with Aircon)
The Yellow Moster visits a few beaches.
The end of the day has is rewards
Could not resist this after coming for an industry obsessed by Health and Safety. This is at the Timor Plaza which is Dili's largest shopping mall which is undergoing expansion.
I will think of a prize for the person who can identify the most breaches of HS&E in the three photos below,
Life is an Adventure.
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