Coffee on the verandah - aah. Our trip here was sponsored by Deb and Jack who loaned us a small kettle for early starts without imposing on the breakfast staff. Also I dont have to get dressed. Just a sarong and sit and sip and watch the put-put boats return to their home beach.
I am sitting at the perfect angle to watch the sun glint of one of the wake waves, flash flash flash.
It's Christmas and we are not with Caity for the first time and its a little strange. She is at her boyfriends family's place and she texts through that they are not as committed to this day or the early start and the rush of visiting necessary that we seem to do every year. A few texts and chatting with her and we scoff our slap up Sacred Baby Festival brekky.
Banana pancakes yum.
Get the key and helmets for the Honda and head west. There is a large front that is over the ridgeline to the south. It woke me up at 04.30am not by the rumble but by the flashing of lightning in the sky. I wandered down to the beach and turned south and the entire sky filled with flashes reflected back through the clouds. Yet to the north there was nothing of this weather nonsense.
Sandy's back has taken a hammering by the physics involved in riding 2-up on an undersuspended 110 scooter carrying perhaps over its design guideline weight restriction. Twist the throttle and go. But we have a warning and a series of pelvic floor exercises to do every time I warm 'Bump'. The way I see it we both win. 'Bump' squeeze. 'Bump' squeeze.
Out of Amed. We immediately enter farming community and then the small town Culik, which stands at the intersection for the road over the mountain to Amlapura and the south, and the road west. We turn right and head for Tulamben covering the road we took when we drove from Lovina. Many small roads go left or right but no indication they lead to anything significant, we know the ocean is on our right and we cannot ignore the domination of Gunung Agung to the left. Over 3000m tall the north coast is dissected by lava flows from the 1963 eruption. It made a huge impact on this side of the island and many people died.
We are through Tulamben before we realise and there was nothing that stood out. So crack on. The road is smooth the only issue being bridges where we watch the expansion joints for more pelvic floor action. The river beds we cross are dry and rocky and despite the storm front hitting the mountains we are riding in strong hot daylight. The evaporative airconditioner that is riding a bike is fooling us we are ok when in fact I'm feeling quite dehydrated. Sandy tells me we need to stop and stretch so I go for a couple of kays and find a local shop in Kubu. A can of sprite and one of coke. Not super cold but it'll do. Stretch drink water. My kidneys dont feel right.
This time I strava the ride, 3g a plenty along here. Go right through Tulamben again, turn around and choose a resort Mimbi Cove. Find the restaurant, order beers and a menu, and curse we didnt say room 26 or something. Chicken satay and rice, and salad nicoise (oooschmancy). And an hour of cards.
The staff here are clearly bored. Everything is built around the dive industry, there are reefs and a sunken WW2 US cargo ship the Liberty to visit. I imagine this must be very impressive, but it has never been of interest for me. Not that the hotel is packed anyway, but it is situated on a nice bay and it has a relaxed vibe. Beers 35000rp but they're cold and I am riding a bike in a foreign country on possibly wet roads.
I have been watching the storm front and despite a couple of crackles the clouds are seemingly less malevolent and the staff dont want to top us up with anything. So after a few games of 'lets call it a draw' Rummy we get the bill 285,000rp and get on the bike.
As soon as we turn east, at the very gate of the resort it starts to rain.
Cocking cock. The raindrops get steadily heavier and denser and yes this is the storm I have been monitoring all day and we head straight into it, bloody idiot. We should have stayed but no to beer and I am not feeling 100%. The road is good and the weather has dissipated the less stupid motorcyclsts off the road so we basically have it to ourselves. Go very carefully through the switchback corners. Tippy toe, rear braking only. Onto the straight and away we go.
I am getting quite wet now,except my feet - the advantage of the scooter! The formerly dry river beds are starting to torrent red and angry. This kind of first flush is impressive for its fluvial dynamics but it must be a bastard to try and understand the management of such fluctuating peaks and sudden inundations. Hard geotech engineering and canalisation seems to be the response - the sixties and seventies reborn!
Back in Culik turn left and onto the Amed coast road. All the development, all the supplies, all the air minum, bintang, bricks, cement, sheets, and all the traffic must make that left turn in Culik and meander down tight narrow lanes. About 20 kilometres of develoment is facilitated by this one narrow road. And like most beachfront hotels ours has its back wall on that road. There is absolutely no chance of another being developed and very little of it getting widened. This is a good thing?
Get on with it Joko - the curse of celebrity politicians.
I am part of this process as well I completely understand my role as someone who is skimming the surface, with very little Bahasa Indonesia and less Balinese.
Sing la piss - trans. Balinese -I have no money.
We cruise past our hotel and onto Sama-Sama Cafe, Deb said they had cold beer so I'm prepared to give them another go.
I am a bit peckish so I order a hawaiian pizza. Shoudn't. Stale crust, sweet tomato sauce and layers of ham that are barely warmed. I eat less than a quarter. Beer and two panadols.
Sandy's second lunch is nice babi kecap - Sweet and Sour Pork and it was enak!
Wander down the street for air minum and back to the bike. Helmets, start, go. All of 600m back to the hotel. Off the bike. Wander back down the central steps and I notice Sandy's helmet has a visitor.
Back to the room and sponging wifi from the hotel next door and social media and chillax.
Fall asleep for about an hour and a half. We considered getting a lift out to Sails but the phone number I tried on the mobile didnt work, the website was listed in Lonely Planet and when I tried to go there it was indicated to be an attack site.
Warung BoBo. Softly lilting bali gamelan from two blokes, sometimes the wait staff join on percussion. Its beautiful and serene and a polyglot of visiting Euros -Danish, French Russian Dutch and us Strayan. Mee goreng and fresh mahi-mahi. Delicious.
I buy the boys a beer for the music, and we are both pleased. Look after the band and they'll look after you. Before I pay my bill I ask about the beat, I was trying to work out the cycle for the rythym and I counted first 15, then 18 then 7. Was the margarita that strong?
They give me a small klungkung and I keep a beat of 4. Oh dear. Laughs and merry christmas.
I was also impressed with their bespoke light shade.
A good christmas day, about 55kms covered, six beers, two gins, a margarita and some good food and laughs with my lovely. But we are missing our girl and this holiday is coming to a smooth finale.
Tomorrow we head to Sanur on Kuningan Day which Bali has agreed to hold in honour of my Mother's and my niece's birthdays. Which is nice.
Sing la piss!
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