The primary thoroughfare I was on for this leg was the Trans Sumatran Highway, which to me was a little like the Lim Chu Kang Singapore Armed Forces armour training track or to those who are familiar with Endau – Rompin trail in Johor, that is exactly how it was like. It’s slightly better than the jungle road I’ve been on in Malaysia but, on it you will see crazy busses, trucks and cars speeding. I experienced countless head on collision on this part of the road and this was also where I experienced my first close shave, I was nearly in a road accident.
Now that I’ve cleared most of the questions and due to the intensity of this adventure, I will only concentrate on answering questions related to my cycling adventure in Indonesia as well as questions about adventure cycling (preparation, training and gears) at the end of my report. If you do have question regarding adventure cycling, please send me your question to fluidrider@gmail.com
* Please do not send me questions with short messaging style.
Medan- Brastagi
After 2 days of riding around Medan and talking to experience cyclists here, I now know Brastagi was not only going to be hard to reach with a loaded bike, it was also going to be very dangerous and in addition I must also watch out for certain groups of people. (This is from feedback I gathered from people I know in Medan). As much as I wanted to heed their advice and stay in the city centre as a base, ride out to the schools and then come back to base when I was done. I wanted to see places on my bicycle, so I promised them that I would take care of myself and would assess each place and situation, and change my route plan accordingly. From my experience riding in Medan city centre, I knew the drivers here think time is money, the bigger the size, the faster you can go on the road (it doesn’t matter if their truck couldn’t go any faster than a car, just overtake anything in front of you) and lastly, to them life is cheap. My adventure in Indonesia begins.
Doing the Medan to Brastagi route, everything that I had gone through during my training and in Singapore – Malaysia warm up stages were tested by man’s ingenious – motor vehicles, operated by men who has no idea on how or wouldn’t careless to respect other road users. For that matter, anything smaller than their motor vehicle, they would take you on. I could handle riding my bicycle on the roads with heavy traffic because if you follow the rule-of-law and respect other road users, you would be ok, and be respected in return. However, over here in Medan, doing a cycling adventure, I’m riding on one of the world’s most dangerous roads – the famous Trans Sumatran Highway, alongside the world’s craziest drivers with little sense of road-laws, and not to mention respecting other road users again. Quoting from one old-timer cyclist from Medan here, “you’ll be tested, your cycling skills, your fitness, your mental and patience. If you think it’s hard on you, be a smart cyclist and make the right decision”
The Trans Sumatran Highway
The night before I left Medan, Om Bahrain (a local cycling club President, a former Road Bike champion and also cycling coordinator in Medan / Indonesia for Bike To Work) brought me out to a local BMX cycling park to see the young riders doing their nightly training and also to meet the who’s who there. At the park, I found out why Indonesians are one of the top ranking free ride biking country (and later on, climbing towards Brastagi, I found out why they are also a top downhill cycling country – keep reading). At the cycling park, kids as young as 7 were already on their BMX performing stunts, former road champion, BMX champion, young and old and all other sorts of cyclist gathered there nightly. Something I haven’t seen happening back home in Singapore. It’s areally nice feeling to see cyclists, young and old gather in one central area to support each other. It would be really nice to see this happening in Singapore cycling park.
I reached my lodging early in the morning at 2.00am (3.00am Singapore time) and I knew I would be struggling later on in the morning as I would need to be up at 4.00am (5.00am Singapore time) to pack, suit up and gather with the local cyclists for the Medan ‘Sunday Fun Ride’ organized and supported by the Medan local government.
Sunday, 27 November 2011
Time Check: 4.00am (5.00am Singapore time), Elevation: 58 meters:
I got up and just stayed in bed. It was really hard to get up today. The mind was still fixed on the ride that will happen on Monday. I checked my route while still lying in bed, studying it with the head torch. The route for today was a straight forward ride up to Brastagi with pre-planned checkpoints along the way. In order to experience my journey without relying on the map, I stowed that away and just rely on the GPS, plus stopping to ask the locals. This way I would be keeping in touch with the locals more. I would be passing smaller villages along the way, mainly the Karo people from the lower region of Brastagi, few recreational places like the river attractions and more villages. The Karo’s are mainly Christian and speaks a different dialect and I managed to learn some from some local Karo’s while stopping at certain rest points. From the route research I did back home at theNational Library and information gathered in Medan, my gradual climb would start after theCitraGarden traffic junction. Climbing slowly and steadily it would become an extreme climb with tight dangerous rough roads on the Trans Sumatran Highway, at 300meters above sea level. There would be switchbacks that would be bringing me up to 500meters above sea level and following that, a dangerous gradual climb up to 700meters to Greenhill where the speed of the motor vehicles increases with dangerous overtaking. This would be followed by a continued straight gradual climb to 900 meters to Bandar Baru. I had planned to rest for the night at a small lodging, Bungalow 48 in Bandar Baru (Bungalow 48 is a distance marker from Medan – 48km) and if I could reach there, I would need to find a safe place to stay the night. The plan was to reach Brastagi the second day.
Citra Garden posh development in Medan
Time Check: 5.00 am (6.00am Singapore time), Elevation: 58 meters:
After working and warming up the brain cells and putting it into some action, I got up and started packing, cleaned up and got my bike ready for today’s ‘Fun Bike’ in Medan City Centre. It was a struggle again to start the day today knowing I would be pushing hard to reach Bandar Baru. I was told sometime back, to be able to reach Brastagi with my load comfortably, I would need at least three days. I don’t really think I would need three days. If I look at the elevation, 1300meters, it’s likedoing Singapore’s famous Mount Faber 13 rounds and I would be up there, no sweat. But what I didn’t factor in was the traffic, the ‘kamikaze’ road users and the road conditions. Never once I touched 15 kmh after Citra Garden traffic junction. Never!. After struggling to get myself together, I got all bike gear sorted, my bike checked for the last time and then I bid farewell to the nice people at the backpackers place – Zakia Hotel, fantastic backpackers hangout place with really friendly people and right smacked outside the Medan City centre off Jalan Singharaja.
* Like any other backpackers place, be very careful with your belongings. An Indonesian family from Jakarta left their room in the morning for breakfast and lost their laptop, thumb drive (for work) and camera. Speaking honestly, this is the thing that I am very worried about in Indonesia. On one hand, people tend to be overly nice and on the other, there are some that are observing your every movement and waiting for you to be complacent so that they can pounce on you. I experienced that a few times in Indonesia. Generally people are nice and I like that. Just be very careful who you talk too along the way.
Time Check: 6.30am (7.30am Singapore time), Elevation: 58 meters:
I rode out from Zakia Hotel slowly, stopping along the way to chat with some old folks waiting for the bus. I just love listening to their stories, I just don’t know why. With every story, I can piece together Medan in a better picture. Though it’s not a beautiful city in my books, so far the people I met here is just nice like any other city. People actually get out of their way to help me. Giving me advised and so on. The more I listen to them, the better perspective I get about Medan – it’s not pretty and I will conclude this report a little more on that.
I was very impressed to see hundreds of cyclists from all walks of life which gathered at the ‘Fun Bike’ Sunday outing. Banners flew, traffic police, road blocks, police escorts at ready and ambulance standing by behind the convoy. Oh, wow! Cyclists from different clubs, young and old, different bikes, former champions, road bikes, fixies, BMX, MTB, roadies, classic bikes, they were all there to soak up the fun. There was this feeling in me that told me about Indonesian, “bersatu selalu”. Loosely translated, always stay as one. It’s quite an opportune timing as I’m leaving Medan the same day and what better way to do it then to be riding around Medan City Centre on a bicycle with fellow cyclists. It’s awesome and I was glad I said yes to it. To the people in Medan who cycled with me on that day, Thank you!
at the Medan ‘Fun Ride’ start point with Edi
Time Check: 9.30am (10.30am Singapore time), Elevation: 58meters:
I said good bye to Edi, his daughter and some new friends at the Medan ‘Fun Bike’ end point and made a quick gateway to see Ah Yong, as I promised to be at his shop for his wife special coffee, ‘Kopi Koktong’ before I left Medan. Ah Yong is Medan’s cycling old – timer. Somehow, we clicked and the whole family waited for my arrival. Just about 50 meters from his shop waiting at the red traffic lights (like a fool I am, while other road users just went on ahead without stopping), I saw about 10 kids on a BMX, they took off before I could get to them. (After a check with Ah Yong later on, I was told they were heading to Brastagi by bus. Why? Read on)
Ah Yong’s family and me at his bike shop
Time Check: 10.00am (11.00am Singapore time), Elevation: 58 meters:
This was it. It was raining and I was all set. I got my GPS on, checked all the waypoints which I locked in from last night and gave Ah Yong a big hug. “You’ll be tested, your cycling skills, your fitness, your mental and patience. If you think it’s hard on you, be a smart cyclist and make the right decision. You’re welcome here anytime for Kopi Koktong”. I rode away from his shop knowing what lies ahead of me. My heading was locked, Southeast to the Sumatran’s mountain ranges. My heart skipped a little when I turned around and saw the whole family waving goodbye to me. A fantastic feeling knowing how they took the time to make me coffee and just chatted and feeding me info on my route.
About 5km away from Ah Yong’s shop at a traffic junction while waiting for the red lights to turn green, a local guy on a motorbike stopped next to me. I turned to him and asked, “Bang, kalau saya mau ke Brastagi jalan terus aje ya?” (Bro, if I am going to Brastagi, should I just go straight?) to cross checked my GPS reading.
”Kamu ikut saya aje ya?” (You follow me ok?), “Saya tunjuk jalan nye” ( I’ll show you the way)
Like all the other locals in any country, they would do their best to make your stay/trip pleasant and the best they is that they would show you the ‘scenic shortest route’. Though it was just a short diversion from the GPS, it’s nice to know a local would do that for a stranger on a bicycle. He brought me to the start of the road linking me to the ‘Trans Sumatran Highway’. I thanked him and he gave a shout, “semangat ya bang!”
Along the way, I saw those nasty ‘Blue busses’ that plying the Trans Sumatran Highway. I was told and read about their notorious way of driving. The only thing I wasn’t told was the amount of black fumes they produced.
*If LTA would to operate in this part of the region, the bus owner’s would be out of business in no time.
This is where it got interesting - BMX kids. I am not sure if I saw the same kids earlier at Ah Yong’s shop but a lot of them were at the bus stop. At least I counted about 30 along the way waiting for the famous ‘blue busses’ leaving Medan city centre.
pic taken from Google: the famous Blue Bus
The night before, while having supper with Om Bahrain (my local contact in Medan), he told me stories about his younger bicycling days. Om Bahrain and his friends would take the motorbike up (as pillion with his BMX) to Brastagi and rode 1300 meter down, without brakes and every weekend possible. I pieced everything together and figured, “ah…this is the famous ‘extreme BMX downhill’, Medan version. I didn’t think so much of it as I was focusing on my own challenge ahead of me, particularly at this point of time leaving Medan city centre on a busy road with mini busses stopping suddenly in front of you, cars coming the wrong way and what not. It’s madness to ride here in Medan.
Time Check: 10.30am (11.30am Singapore time), Elevation: 120 meters:
By now I am all wet and I am just about 10km outside Medan city centre. I’m now starting to fully experience Medan’s pollution. Most of the motor vehicles here produce thick black smoke, and to be traveling side by side with them is not a pleasant thing to do. From my little experience, that thick black smoke will be much worst during my climb later on. I stopped short of 5km for my first rest stop of 20km at a Rambutan stall. My favorite tropical fruit and regretted not buying at least a bunch of it.
my first rest stop at the Rambutan stall
Just across the rambutan stall, there were rows of what look like a cheap hotel and the temptation to stop here for the day was so great that I almost cross the road to check it out. I managed to convince myself that up the mountain is where I should be at the end of the day. “come on let’s go, it’s only 35km more to my planned rest point at Bandar Baru. By now, I have passed by the villages along a badly maintained road. Pothole after pothole, some as big as a sewage cover and as deep as six inches. I can feel the strain on my wrist now and I took the time to do some wrist rotation while pedaling along the way. That is how bad my wrist took the impact. The Malaysia warm up stage was good preparation for my fitness and mind, but the pollution and potholes here were just too extreme. Many times, I was covered with black fumes whenever a bus or lorry passed me by. “My God, Ra. Are you for real to be doing this?” I took out my fume protection hat, the one that comes with a face mask. I hate to be using this during my ride as it makes my breathing difficult, but what choice do I have now. The crazy traffic was already slowing me down and I now the constant inhaling of thick black fumes, would stop me at some point in front.
the pollution protection hat. Thanks to certain someone
Time Check: 11.00am (12.00pm Singapore time), Elevation: 180 meters:
You all remember while I was in Malaysia how I loved stopping at fruits stalls to enjoy having the banana ‘on the house’? Not anymore here in Indonesia. Don’t even think of just buying 2 bananas. Not possible. It’s a bunch or nothing. A bunch or nothing! I made my second stop just after a slight long climb to 180 meters (slightly higher than Mount Faber) at a fruit stall.
“Pak, saya beli 2 pisang boleh ya?” (Sir, can I buy just 2 bananas?) "Enggak bisa, mau beli semuanya…” (Cannot, if you want, buy the whole bunch)
It’s lunch time now and I needed something. All the shops were here operated by the Karo people and it was practically ‘Babi Panggang’ as their main meal in all the stalls. I’m not a fan of B.B.Q pork and I got dizzy from the smell. The smell reminds me of a place in Philippines, Tagaytay up on the highlands. I was there sometime in 2008 with some of my coaches and after few days of smelling the same thing everywhere we went, one of the coaches just vomited it all out. Yes, I am feeling the same here. It’s something I don’t get used too growing up in Singapore.
Since there was no way I could have a decent meal up here, I took out my emergency ration pack and just stood around the fruits stall. “Hey look, I got food..” I called out to his little girl to share some with her. The guy stood his ground and did not offer me any banana in return. Not that I was asking for any. I was enjoying my decent Jacob’s crackers with water to wash it down when two cyclists on a touring bike shows up from the mountain side. It’s a norm everywhere we go to wave and say ‘hi’ to other cyclist. Both of them stopped over the other side of the road and I knew that they would make the turn to where I’m standing. We introduced ourselves. The team of Evrim and Elif Yigit were from Turkey (I’m so going to go there) and both coming from the opposite side – Dumai, Bukittinggi, Prapat, Brastagi and Medan might be showing up in Singapore. STAND BY to receive them WNR.
From the information I got from Evrim and Elif, the climbing won’t be ‘fun’ at all. “I know, I am feeling it now…” I told them. We spoke for a while about our next destination and I told them where and who to contact for a bicycle shop as Evrim and Elif need to pack their bike in order for them to be able to fly out of Medan. Contact is extremely important on a bicycle adventure in places like this. Trust me. We said our good byes and promised to contact each other.
(You can read more about them at www.tourbybike.wordpress.com)
I plotted my bearing Southeast up the Sumatran’s mountain ranges while Evrim and Elif headed down Southeast to Medan. It was good feeling meeting them, fellow long distance cycling adventurers sharing information and experience. Now that I know it’ll be hard for me, I am eager to experience for myself as I love being challenged to the extreme. I wanted to know how far my body and mind can take me and I was all set to go.
at my second rest stop with Evrim on the left and Elif on the right
Time Check: 12.00pm (1.00pm Singapore time), Elevation: 180 meters:
I rode down from where Evrim and Elif did their climbing out to get to Medan. I didn’t know if this would be my last down before going all the way up, up and up. This is where it got really dangerous. The road conditions depreciated to what could have been like a jungle trail, washed out by the heavy rains from the previous days. As I was riding down, going at the about 35kmh even after applying the front and rear brakes intermittently I rode straight into many potholes. There was no way I could avoid them as there was just too many of them. Either I rode through them or I get run over by a truck coming up behind me. I rode straight in the potholes and my front left pannier flew out from the rack and landed right in my cycling line. Everything happened so quickly that I didn’t have the chance to react at all. I rode over my front pannier and I flew to the left. I was just lucky that I managed to control my bike and stopped 10 meters ahead. I was quite shocked by it all and didn’t do anything for a few minutes. I parked the bike at a safe spot and walked back to collect my panniers.
* Both my front panniers were secured with bungee cords as double security. I had experienced this too when I was on my Malaysian warm up stage, even with the bungee cord. I needed a better way to secure the panniers to avoid this from happening again. If you do have suggestions, do drop me an email. Thank you in advance!
just after the incident at the bad road segment
Not to let it affect me, I rode on and tried to find a safe place to rest and calm down. Better if the rest point sold food or fruits. At the next stop the fruit stall owner refused to sell me two bananas and insisted I buy the whole bunch at a ridiculous price. Even after explaining to her that I don’t have enough space in the panniers for the whole bunch. She was so persistent that it turned me off. I said thank you, smiled and rode away. Now the climbing started to get slightly harder from here on. It’s all the way up and with no down and made worst with bad and tight roads. No room for error and 100% concentration. I found a big flat spot to rest and regain my composure at a ‘Bat stall’. Yes, bats for sale! If you fancy eating bat meat, come here.
at the bat stall rest point
Here I re-evaluated and re-assessed the difficulty of the route and observed the people’s driving behavior. This was where I saw the ‘BMX kids’ on the famous blue bus. On the bus as in ON TOP OF THE ROOF OF THE BUS WITH THEIR BMXs! These kids were as young as 9 years young, hanging on precariously for their life. Each bus had about 8-10 of them holding tight to their bikes. It made me wonder why is there no such enforcement to stop these acts? Or was it that life was just too cheap here? I was so surprised to see it that I didn’t even think to get my camera out.
Time Check: 1.00pm (2.00pm Singapore time), Elevation: 280 meters:
I was still far down from my destination of Bandar Baru. My legs were already feeling the strain. My wrist took most of the impact from the uneven roads. Breathing the polluted air affected me too. My concentration wasn’t at 100% and usually if this happens, I would stop the ride for the day and get back to it fresh the next day. The problem is I was just at 300 meters above sea level and nowhere near my destination of Bandar Baru at 900 meters above sea level. I will climb slowly and consistently. I will take on one marker (each Route marker is 1km apart) and this was the only way up. Ignored the climb and enjoyed the ride up. Stopped when I needed too as there was no point in rushing and Bandar Baru ain’t going anywhere.
After seeing two route markers, I had one scooter come alongside me, pushing me on, “Semangat ya bang…” She gestured for me to follow her and I did so slowly and it was good to rest again.
After resting 10 minutes, I told her I was continuing my way again in order to reach Bandar Baru before nightfall. She passed me a piece of paper with her contact number on it, “kalau ada apa-apa, talipon saya aje ya bang?” (if there should be anything you need, call me bro)
I told her at this point, I all I needed was to get up there and rest. She laughed and told me that it’s already very tiring riding up on a motorbike and she could not believe I wouldl be able to make it. I just smiled and waved good bye to her, and aimed to hit the next one or two markera on my way up.
Time Check: 2.00pm (3.00pm Singapore time), Elevation: 350 meters:
The climbing got harder. It’s not just up but ‘it’s smacked up yo!’ It’s steep climbing. I didn’t even think I could make it up anymore. The legs just refused to pull the weight up against gravity anymore. Nothing works anymore. I stopped the moment I saw the next route marker. I knew it’s going to be hard later on to continue the climb from this steep point. I learnt a method on how to continue your climb from a steep point and would try it later.
resting by the jungle covered Trans Sumatran Highway
”If it was going to be like this all the way up, I would be camping outside Bandar Baru”. I quietly told myself. I was going to reassess this route again if I ever was to make it up to Bandar Baru. While coming up here, I had like more than 5 near head on collisions. I just don’t understand why must they overtake something that’s already gone pass 80kmh coming down. To see a 2-5 ton scrap metal coming at you at that kind speed will make you appreciate your life more and think what the heck are you doing here. While sitting and just deciding whether to smile that I made it up this far or too cry why am I up here, a little kid called out to me. I can’t exactly hear him but I did turn around and he lifted a plate and motioned me to come over.
I smile at him, waved then walked to my bike to get the little souvenir I had brought along for the kids here. When I got near him, I gestured to him that I would help to pin the souvenir on him. He smiled and nodded. After pinning one on his chest area, I gave him another just in case he wanted to give it one to a friend. Before I moved off, he grabbed my hand and motioned me to get the plate from him, a plate of white rice with omelet, fried fish and black soy sauce. Just the way I like it. He’s my angel. An invaluable value the parents imparted to the kid. I saw his mother behind minding her business and walked over to her to say my thanks, as I know it’s her that got the plate of rice for me. Her smile was just too fantastic after seeing how much I appreciated her action.
the kid with a plate of rice
I took off after about 20 minutes finishing up my lunch and observing the heavy traffic up to Bandar Baru. It’s madness from what I’m saw from here. Trucks went on neck to neck trying to overtake a bus. Not that the truck could go any faster than the bus, it’s just their habit to overtake anything that seems to be going slower than them. The one thing lacking from what I experienced here was patience. They have to learn to slow down and enjoy their journey.
Time Check: 3.00pm (4.00pm Singapore time), Elevation: 380 meters:
I was going really slow here climbing up the steep road. I knew from the info I gathered that at 400 meter mark, I would be riding on a ‘killer switchback’ followed by a really hard climb up towards 500meter and from there, a gradual slow climb all the way to Greenhill. Completing my ride with a gradual straight climb ride into Bandar Baru. This would get more interesting and I’m now left with no more fuel to last me for the next 500 meters climb up to my destination. It’s really hard work to be doing this route and I am glad that I didn’t give up. Two marker routes later, I saw what looked like a switchback upfront, about 200-300meters to my left. I checked my side view mirror to pull over to the right (it had bigger space and was safer to be resting on the right, as you can see the oncoming vehicles. This was where I saw a ‘blue bus’ coming from behind me, fast and furious overtaking abigger bus spewing thick black smoke. By looking at it, I knew I was not in a good position to do anything drastic, so I stuck to my riding line. My luck ran out, in front a line of motor vehicles started appearing from the switchback coming over the top. There was honking from all directions. It was madness and I was caught in the middle of it all. The bus behind me had no choice but to cut back in and this was where all my training took place – bike control and balancing. I needed to stay on my line in order to avoid hitting the mountain wall but I knew the ‘blue bus’ would have not have given me the space. I prepared for the worst to happen. “Bang!” I grazed the size wall, tore my front left pannier cover and bent the rack. Everything came to a stop and I just leaned sideways on the wall for my dear life while waiting for the next impact - the bigger bus behind. I doubt the driver had any space to move a little to the right but I knew he could see me from the bright blue rain cover at the back of my rack. Nothing happened as the big bus moved more to his right a little into the next lane. Phew! I almost peed in my riding tights!
After everything settled down, I got down from the bike, waited for a safe opportunity to get across to the other side of the road. I managed to get over to the right side of the road, placed my bicycle on a safe spot and took a picture of the incident place. Some minor repairs followed and I thought that I should be heading down at this point.
the switchback where I almost gave up and heads back down
I stopped for about 20 minutes here to reassess my plans. Would it be worst up there? I came up here and what is the point of going back down. Am I able to continue up? I made the decision to give myself one last chance, and if got worst up there, I would ride back down while I still have the natural light – Safety is paramount. I can always go by the other route on the Northeast side of the island.
Time Check: 3.30pm (4.30pm Singapore time), Elevation: 380-400 meters:
This was the decision made between myself. One last try to go up to Bandar Baru, and if everything screws up, I would be heading down to sea level and find a safe place to rest for the night.
I geared up again, sorted my panniers back on, put on my game face and now how do you start your climb in the middle of a steep climb? (with 50kg loads on your bike)
Step 1: Be on your bike and instead of heading up for the climb, position yourself downhill. Make sure you’re on your correct climbing gearing.
Step 2: Check for oncoming traffic on both sides.
Step 3: Once it’s safe, just mount your bike and go down a little before heading back up to climb again. It’s easier than attacking the climb directly.
At this point was when I saw the same ‘extreme BMX kids coming down. No helmet, no braking (they used their shoes as brakes) and in an aerodynamic position coming down from Brastagi. Imagine coming down Mount Faber 20 times higher without any safety gear or precaution. This is pure riding with the help of gravity at the extreme. Some of them even managed to wave at me and shouted, “semangat!”. I estimated that they would be doing 40-50kmh from what I saw, and I believe they do this weekly. What else is there for them to do? I don’t know really. I will find out more and write about it.
This is not the hardest climb just yet. I was told after Bandar Baru at 900 meters above sea level, there would be switchbacks with killer steep climbs all the way up to the peak before coming back down towards Brastagi.
Time Check: 4.30pm (5.30pm Singapore time), Elevation: 380-400 meters:
I grit my teeth, told myself that I trained for this and to hit one route marker after another clearing up the steep climb. I kept pushing until there was no more juice in me and needed to stop. I found a nice shaded verandah outside someone’s house and even contemplated staying the night here. I met the homeowner and I got the permission to rest and stay the night. We chatted and this elderly man was very familiar with Batam Island and Singapore as his son was in Batam island working and brought him to Singapore once. Here also I was able to observe more of the motorists’ behavior and its passengers. People would sit up on the roof like they had all the confidence the bus wouldn’t get into any sort of accident. With the speed the busses were going at, I was sure at some point they would jam on their brakes. I don’t want to think much of it. I needed a good rest myself to think straight. I got a good advised from the elderly man, that up here, even sleeping outside his home would be very dangerous. People here could do anything if I give them the opportunity too…I was told by the elderly man it’s either to stay inside his home or continue to Bandar Baru.
at my fifth rest point of the day with the elderly man
I rested a little longer before making the decision to go on. It’s 400meters above sea level up on a gradual climb, I could do this. Every push of the pedal, I felt the pain, every 100 meters felt like 1km, every one route marker felt like 10 of those but the urge to be in Bandar Baru before nightfall urged me on. My next rest point would be at Greenhill (Ah Yong told me if I could reach there by 5.30pm, I’d be safe to reach Bandar Baru before it gets dark). With that thought, I kept going, climbing the rest of the 400 meters up all the way up.
Time Check: 6.00pm (7.00pm Singapore time), Elevation: 800 meters:
I reached outside Greenhill, at what looks like a small stretch of Alfresco dining place for Medan’s rich and maybe famous. I took the first safe spot I saw outside Greenhill which was about 5 meters in front of family of four.
the family of four
By now, I was left with only a box of dry apricots for fuel that my elder sister placed in my emergency pack. I took that out and walked over to the family of four to offer them some. They took 2 dry apricots and thanked me with million dollar smiles. I went back to my bicycle to have some for myself and rested. The young girl from the family of four came over and brought me a bunch of bananas and I took just one and told her to thank her mom and dad for me. It was a fantastic feeling talking to the mom and dad. I was told to be careful up here at night.
the young girl with me
Time Check: 6.30pm (7.30pm Singapore time), Elevation: 800 meters:
It was getting dark and I still had about 100 meters of climbing to do to get to Bandar Baru. I continued my journey and was now prepared not to make it there at all. Fatigue had set in and I was in a situation where even my legs struggled to pedal to make the gradual climb up about 3.6km more (basing on the GPS). I scanned around for place for me to stay the night while pedaling slowly climbing up to Bandar Baru. I believed what slowed me down was inhaling the fumes from the petrol/diesel guzzling monsters. I never felt this way before during my warm-up stage in Malaysia. Yes, the climb was extreme but I never felt the so choked like this before. I had difficulty breathing and this made concentrating on the climb tough. I had to watch out for coming on traffic that overtook the other vehicles and disregard smaller road user like me. This whole experience to come up here was really new to me, being at the edge of it all. My life was almost taken but an oncoming bus about 2.0km before Bandar Baru. The driver refused to get back into his lane, even after seeing me. I had no choice but to throw myself to the side of the road before being hit by a 5 tons piece of scrap metal.
where I got to throw myself out from the road
I picked myself up, my bicycle, panniers and checked the bike to see any damages to it. My front fork got loose, handle slightly off and I noted it down mentally to work on it when I I find a place to stay later on. This whole new experience riding on the Trans Sumatran Highway up on the mountain ranges really requires me to sit down and re-look into my route plan. Adventure cycling is one thing and staying alive at this early stage is another. I didn’t move until about 20 minutes later when I think the road is a little safer.
Time Check: 7.00pm (8.00pm Singapore time), Elevation: 900 meters:
It was already dark when I found Bungalow 48. It was a decent sort of accommodation for the long distance traversed between Medan to Prapat or Aceh. I don’t have much option as it was already late. Negotiated for a good pricing of Rp80.000 (S$14.00). The bungalow didn’t come with any key to lock it and 5 minutes sitting outside the bungalow, the same girl that gave me her number to contact her if I need any help showed up. I suspected that she had been waiting for me along the way observing me from some spot until I turned in here for the night. My adventure hasn’t ended even at the late stage. I was tired, my lodging didn’t come with any keys and I suspect that I would be having a sort of horrifying night when an Acehnese conveniently got a room next to me, while there were 15 other bungalows scattered on the lodging ground. I would continue in my next installment. Keep praying for my safely.
the Bungalow 48.
The name derived from the distance between Medan city centre to this point
This video will give you the idea how bad the road were
towards Berastagi
I pedaled 48km and it took me more or less 10 hours to make it up here. It was my toughest ride so far and it was not over yet. I am signing out. Stay safe, stay funky and remember to be courteous and be practical when using the road. Stay cool and be patience. You’re in a better place than I am right now.
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