Last trip with Baba

A 20,000 km bicycle tour returning my fathers ashes to China

Hard days and Customers only (Cycling Australia’s Northern Territory)

Posted on May 29, 2015 by bodhitree

The size of Australia is quite shocking. Even the distances between supermarkets, gas stations and rest areas can be hundreds of kilometers. I am greeted each evening with the sight of kangaroos and owls along the roadside and awaken each morning by wandering hawks.

Buely falls. A few days of easy cycling and swimming in Darwin’s nearby Litchfield National Park. The park has the only safe swimming pools devoid of Crocodiles.

I the hospitality and generous nature of people has quickly vanished. On a daily basis I am kicked out (and into the hot sun) from road houses, gas stations and shady overhangs. I am constantly reminded “Customers only”. This even applies to the shade of a tree in front of a restaurant! Yesterday evening I stopped outside of a restaurant to rest in the shade, after a few minutes the chief walked out and cussed me out for using the veranda and not being a customer. I would be a customer but Australia is just too expensive.

Late afternoon sun at Wangi falls. Crocs are often pulled out of these pools but that doesn’t stop the locals as wells as myself from going in for a dip!

Last night while camping in the desert I was awoken at midnight by a caravan of drunk aboriginals. My tent was literally right next to their car shielded by a manzanita bush. They soon became quite belligerent breaking bottles and yelling. So I quickly packed up my gear and pedaled away into the night. There is a huge separation between the aboriginals and whites here. And both races seem to completely ignore the other. All the supermarkets and restaurants are filled with whites and the streets and parks are littered with aboriginals asking for money and cigarettes. Police guard the bottle shops and all cities in the Northern Territory have a strict enforcement against public drinking.

Don’t even think about going in for a swim or getting within a few meters of the local rivers! Crocodile heaven

I feel as if publicly I am seen as somewhere between the gentile whites and aboriginals. But at least people make eye contact with me, most the aboriginals can’t even get that.

The road to Cairns (Cans) is going to be rough!! Long sections of dirt roads with distances between water stops sometimes over 200 km. In two days my route diverts from the main road and it may be sometime before I post again. Wish me luck!!

Voyage De Australia

Posted on May 24, 2015 by bodhitree

Cliffs and black sand beaches Uluwatu, Bali

Hindu Kecha fire dance

A week off of cycling and traveling Bali has ended, and it is time to begin again. I thoroughly enjoyed camping on the quiet beaches and visiting the mysterious Hindu temples scattered throughout the small island. Local markets, exotic fruits and roadside food stalls are all a thing of the past now, as I pedal past suburban shopping malls and tract house lots in the small city of Darwin Australia. It is going to be a long journey to Sydney (over 5,000 km). With a return ticket to California on July 21st I need to average close to 100 km a day in order to arrive on time. Public transportation is extremely expensive with a greyhound bus ticket costing close to $400 for less than 1,000 km.

Camping near the USS Liberty ship wreck

Once I leave Darwin I will be in the remote outback for many days. Local descriptions of the outback vary; landscapes sculpted by erosion, dry hot deserts and rolling hills similar to those found on the moon. I have been warned by many to take extreme caution with near water sources as crocodile attacks are extremely common and almost always result in death.

Another adventurous trip through the busy streets to the airport.

I am ready again for the open road and depart tomorrow. Hope to write again soon!

Respite in Bali

Posted on May 15, 2015 by bodhitree

Bromo volcano north eastern Java, cycling in here was like returning to the deserts of Jordan. However the consciousness of the local vendors was more similar to that of the Orangutans found in the Jungles of Kalimantan. I was so disappointed that I chose to pedal off alone on a small path, rather than climb to the observation peak.

Waking up to a packed sunrise, my tent was literally surrounded by 3 am

Waking up to a packed sunrise. I was standing in my tent when this picture was taken and was literally surrounded by 3 am. An old Chinese man had the nerve to wake me up, and tell me that my tent was taking up too much of his precious standing space.

Sunset Lovina beach, Bali. Another great camping spot on the beach in front of a 5 star hotel.

My local hosts, East Java.

Fermented Cassava, sold in banana leafs in a Indonesia store near you. You can find all sorts of lunch and snack products folded up and sold in these biodegradable bags from rice with chicken to noodles with beef. My favorite is the fermented rice, called Tapeh.

Mountainous vegetables on route to the Pasar

Root vegetables grown near Bromo mtn. En route to the Pasar

Hours after sunrise, Bromo Volcano. The morning after a steep 9,000 ft climb!

I am taking a much needed week off of cycling to explore the treasures of Bali. Camping, diving, hiking and eating. Tomorrow I head to the small fishing village of Tilamben to explore the US Liberty ship wreck. Next week I begin my adventures in Australia, and will be fly to Darwin on May 22nd.

Roti Panggang. Grilled cheese sandwich with caramel topping. Local Balinese snack found at the Pasar.

Terang Bulan. Brightmoon pancake sandwich. Filled with peanut butter, milk, chocolate, banana.

Borobudur: A long days night on the Java Sea

Posted on May 5, 2015 by bodhitree

Transit. 3 days, 1200 km, 6 hours of sleep. Boats, trains, motorbikes, and conditioned automobiles…..And the sunrise above Borobudur.

In the distance Mt Merapi and Merbabu

A few minutes later and a few steps back…..

My extensive use of public transportation took me from the southern Sulawesi city of Makassar to deep within Java, where I explored the central cities of Yogyakarta and Borobudur. A quick return to the westernized world I was soon surrounded by tourists watching the sunrise over Borobudur. I no longer had to worry about not being understood, and my little spoken Indonesian brought scores of complements and conversation.

Ancient Hindu temples of Prambanan, just outside Yogyakarta

Prambanan. Ancient Hindu temples outside of Yogyakarta city.

Jataka tales. These stone reliefs depict the previous incarnations of the Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama (previous lives becoming enlightened).

Jataka tales. These stone reliefs surrounding the Borobudur temple depict the previous incarnations of the Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama. I reminded myself that no matter how beautiful the reliefs were the Buddha was a man.

In front of the Prambanan temple dedicated to Shiva. Unfortunately all the Icons inside have been removed. (You can probably see them on exhibit in Germany, the UK or the States)

Entrance to Sewu, 2nd in size to Borobudur. This Buddhist temple was built right next door to he Hindu temples of Prambanan

Old rock entrance and long dark hallways

Countryside surrounding Borobudur. Its sad to think that the locals who live here could never afford to visit the monument.

Countryside surrounding Borobudur. It’s sad to think that the locals who live a few km away could never afford to visit the monument.

Sewu temple. When walking the grounds I remembered visiting the site as a child at my father’s side.

Cliff Tombs and Black Coffee (Tana Toraja and Southern Sulawesi)

Posted on May 2, 2015 by bodhitree

Tana Toraja's prized Arabika coffee plants. The red beans are ready to be picked, dried and roosted.

Tana Toraja’s prized Arabika coffee plants. The red beans are ready to be picked, dried and roasted.

Guest of honor down a long, steep dirt road, the village of Panici in Toraja.

The roads in Sulawesi are in far better condition and in many ways seem flat compared to those of Kalimantan. Leaving the lake side city of Palopo, in central Sulawesi, I was surprised to find the 60 km climb to Tana Toraja rather enjoyable. The heat quickly gave way to thick fog, and I climbed almost effortlessly passed wild coffee plants and small villages. Soon a unique house-like structure began popping up in each village, and I began to wonder what was inside. Tana Toraja is a large, mountainous area consisting of two cities Rantepao and Makale and many villages. Famed for its ancient burial traditions, cliff tombs and coffee I pedaled on looking forward to a few days rest out of the heat and in the seclusion of the jungle.

Alang. Torajan structures found throughout Tana Toraja. I at first thought these contained human remains but quickly found that they are used to keep and dry rice grain.

Empty offering bowl to the gods beside the closed Alang (rice storage structure)

Close up of an Alang, many of these structures are elaborately decorated and sometimes contain several tons of rice.

The busy city of Rantepao gives a rather poor impression of what Tana Toraja has to offer. From entrance to departure, it is a typical Indonesian city; loud, stinky and filled with street vendors selling tourist trinkets and overly priced maps to unknown grave sites. Christianity is the dominate religion throughout Toraja making pork the main staple. I soon began to see sign after sign advertising the local favorite Bakso, a pork ball soup usually accompanied with noodles and lots of chili sauce.

Street vendors selling Batu Aki on the streets of Rantepao (Gemstone rings)

Street vendors selling Batu Aki (gemstone rings) to government officials on the streets of Rantepao

Burial mountain in the Torajan village of Kete Kesu. There must have been hundreds of bodies buried in this mountain, many in unmarked graves.

After many conversations in broken English and Indonesian I learned that when a Torajan dies the body is immediately injected with a preservative preventing further decay. The body is then place either in the home (with the family) or in a separate building nearby where the body rests until the funeral. The funeral often take place many months or years after death away, giving the family and friends of the deceased an adjustment time to deal with the loss. This is practiced by most of the Torajans in the area, however there is a small percentage of Muslim Torajans that have stopped following the tradition.

Bones and human remains were scattered all over the steep climb to the central tomb, cigarettes were placed next to some of the remains as offerings. ( I actual wonder how many of the deceased died of lung disease or smoking related illnesses)

Bones and human remains found inside wooden coffins, cigarettes were placed next to some of the remains as offerings. ( I wonder how many of the deceased died of lung disease or smoking related illnesses)

Mobile rice processing across the street from the Kete Kesu tomb.

Beautiful brown rice on it way to becoming white.

I passed this old lady on the road. She must have been close to 80! preparing fuel for cooking dinner.

I passed this old lady carrying fire wood. She must have been close to 80! Just another day in Tana Toraja.

More roadside ladies, they were returning to their village from a long day in the fields

More roadside villagers, these ladies were returning home after a day in the fields.

Rice fields in the upper mountains of Toraja.

I met a few locals in the village of Panici, who invited me to stay the evening. This was breakfast the next day, fried pork fat and rice.

I met a few locals in the village of Panici, who invited me to stay. This was breakfast the next day, fried pork fat and rice. Agrei worked for the local coffee plantation and is pictured here with his daughter.

Near by Panici was a large coffee plantation. The company mainly exported to Japan whole, unroasted Arabika beans

A tour of the coffee plantation. The plantation is owned by a Japanese man who exports most of the harvested beans.

Inside the coffee plantation. Each bean is individually inspected by a local Torajan! Only 10% make it into coffee.

Inside the plantation. Each bean is individually inspected by a local Torajan! Only 10% make it into a cup of this plantations top notch coffee.

Classification of beans

Fresh roast, I bought 4 pounds of coffee which now fills the majority of my rear right pannier

Fresh roast, I bought 4 pounds of Arabika coffee from the store house of the plantation at an expensive local price of $3 a pound. The grounds now fill the majority of my rear right pannier

Ever heard of “Tuak”? Local alcohol made from the juice of an “E-Ju” tree. This is the local brewer’s house, he gave me a complementary bottle.

"E-Ju" tree and bamboo ladder apparatus. The brewer slowly collects the juice from the tree which is fermented into a wine like beverage. Tuak can be sold in two forms "Tuak Manis" which is sweet and contains were little alcohol and "Tuak Alcohol" which is similar in concentration to wine. While staying in the village of Panici I drank a bottle of Tuak alcohol that was infused with durian.

“E-Ju” tree and bamboo ladder apparatus. The brewer slowly collects the juice which is then naturally fermented into a wine like beverage. Tuak is sold in two forms “Tuak Manis” which is sweet and contains were little alcohol and “Tuak Alcohol”. While staying in the village of Panici I drank a bottle of Tuak alcohol that was infused with durian.

Bamboo ladder used to climb “E-ju”/Tuak tree

Village kids playing on a temporarily blue sky

Village kids playing under a temporarily blue sky

Lower hills of Tana Toraja, Corn drying in the sun.

Tomorrow I leave the remote and exotic island of Sulawesi and begin my travels on the central island of Java. I will head to the Buddhist monument of Borobudur then pedal towards Bali. Touch base again soon!!

-Julian