The Ride to Bali #1

It was 10.00 AM when we started our long trip. The four motorcycles with five persons on it where their tour from Jesuit’s home started at Paingan, Maguwoharjo, Depok, Sleman. The plan was everywhere we’ll passed at 8.00PM we ought to stop and check-in to get rest. We met the first problem when out of Solo. One of our bikes was leak of the gasoline filter. We stop and find a repair shop but this is another problem because the day was Sunday which most of repair shop closed their shop on this holiday. After all we found it at Sragen and the problem fixed.

The group was run at 70-80 km/h constantly. Now we realize that daylight touring was needs less power than night touring unless the sun shines on us hardly. We need more concentration at night because the visibility was so short at night moreover if there’re many holes at the road. Maybe less vehicles on the road at night but we have proved that it is need more energy at night.

Ngawi was our first stopped to get more energy in food. We stopped to have lunch there. From Ngawi we got Caruban, Nganjuk, Jombang and Mojokerto welcome us at 5.00 PM. In the evening we trapped on traffic jam at Sidoarjo, where many people took back to Surabaya after their week end. From the radio I heard that almost the route to Surabaya got stuck. After Porong near the place of mud volcano still active, the traffic got free.

The stomach sends a signal that we must stopped again. At Probolinggo we found a huge energy from goat satai (a small pieces of meat roasted on skewer) and a few times of rest. The first plan to check-in were rescheduled because every one of us told that there is enough energy to go through than to check-in.

At 10.00 PM we saw fantastic night scenery over the Java Power of Paiton. Thousands of light was flare over the big buildings and a gigantic chimney was spout of steam over the sky. This is the biggest power supply of electricity over Java Island, a steam power plan. We took rest here and enjoy the shine building scenery. Near this power plan, we filled up the gasoline and take supply at new gas station after paiton power plan. This gas station was so fully facility. There is inn there to besides the store, restaurant and lavatory actually. The next route was side beach road. I realize it when I saw a sail boat hazy. And many light of sail boat far away. But we can’t saw the scenery because it’s still night and no moon over the sky. Nowadays I know we’re passed Pasir Putih area, a place located between Besuki and Situbondo.

I don’t remember the time but the road getting quiet and we passed a woods area, a teak wood. That is Baluran National Park. And while out of this area I just read the welcome to Baluran sign. The Ketapang getting closer and at 4.00 AM on Monday we dropped at Ketapang harbor, a point to cross Bali strain. There wasn’t any queue at the harbor like we heard before, we just came to the tickets gate then direct onboard the ship. The sail take 45 minute then we got in Paradise Island by Gilimanuk Harbor. There was ID checks tightly there for the secure Bali from any terrorism there.

The Sun welcomes us at this Paradise from the east side of this island. The west national park gave us their clean air for us to breathe and the God’s atmosphere enfolds us smoothly. There’s different ambience with our daily at Java that we felt here, so calm, so peace. There was harmonic relationship between the people and the nature.

We have in Bali now but the destination still far. We should cross the south side of the island to go to Sanur, our final destination from this trip. The road at Bali was so smooth. There was differences maintenance for the road at Bali and Java. Here, if there was broken tack, the road would be relining with new one, but in Java the road would just closed with new line and that make the road would bumpy. Finally we enter Sanur area at about 11.00 AM and our friend got us a side point to guide us to her lovely home and family, the family of Mr. I Nyoman Wana Sumanatha, and great thanks to Him and his big family at Sanur to welcome us in the beginning of July 2008.

Previous
Next Post »