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Jakarta to Dieng Plateau Central Java
Dieng plateau on Central Java to Bali

INDONESIA

Mar
2004-09-14 16:42:50

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we are heading. At least it's the right direction. Our excitement sinks far away. We eat some chicken and rice and continue. In the meanwhile clouds have emerged around the volcano and we are close to the foot. It starts raining. We quickly put on our rain gear and our tent ground plastic over the bicycles. We wait until it stops raining. 15 minutes later we cycle on and make a steep descent (NO!) for 100 meters over 2 kilometer. Then the expected steep ascent to the top and there it starts raining again. We find another place to hide, somebody’s house along the road, and we simply park the bicycles under the roof and sit on their wooden couch outside, without asking. Do as the locals do, your roof is my roof. This time the rain doesn't stop and we listen to a discussion on the BBC World Service. Because the rain doesn't want to stop at all, we need to continue. Raingear on, only our shoes getting soaked, but from here on it's only down. 30 kilometres long, slowly down hill: well deserved.

What an excuse – Dieng Plateau

The Dieng Plateau is close enough from Banjar Negara to cycle to the top in one day. The Dieng Plateau is volcanic scenery at an altitude of 2093m. And since the landscape is formed from a volcano, we expect it to be very steep again, just like southwest Java. We load ourselves with water and some energetic food (chocolate chip cookies) and start as early as daylight. After 12 kilometres we need to stop. Actually it’s Raymond’s bicycle that stops. The chain has this new habit of sticking in the smallest of the three front chain rings. Unlike mine, we haven’t been able to change Raymond’s chain. His smallest and middle chain rings are literally so worn out after 9000 kilometers that the spare chain we brought from home doesn’t fit anymore. In other words, the spaces between the shackles of a new chain are too small for the spaces on the front chain rings. Any new ...