Jawa on a Vespa – Indonesia

JAWA ON A VESPA

After leaving the ferry that took me from the island of Bali to Jawa, also in Indonesia, I decide to stop in Banyuwangi where I can spend the night before continuing the journey to Jakarta, where I have to arrive by January 30th. The kilometers to travel each day will depend on the conditions of the roads and the traffic I will encounter. Already from the second day I realize that the situation here is different: ruined roads and intense traffic, which force me to travel at an average of 30 km/h, making the 250 km of a day an eight-hour undertaking. However, this slowness doesn’t bother me too much as it gives me the opportunity to better observe the area and fully experience the local culture.

Along the way I meet numerous “improvised traffic policemen”, with do-it-yourself shovels, fluorescent jackets and whistles, intent on directing traffic with enthusiasm. Their “business model” involves a small tip from the drivers they facilitate, a widespread and evidently profitable practice throughout the country, given that they are practically everywhere. Dogs are also a constant presence, often crouching on the sides of the road, but there seems to be a peaceful coexistence between them and humans. In all the kilometers travelled, I have never seen a dog run over, unlike what happened with kangaroos in Australia.

On the third day I decide to take a secondary road from Lumajang to Melang, which also gives me the opportunity to cross the Bromo Natural Park. It’s a choice that will prove more complicated than expected. I go up a steep and winding road, but the Vespa struggles, the poor quality petrol reduces the engine’s power and the gears go out by themselves. At times to be able to go up I even have to stop, turn around and start again with a greater run-up. After 35 km and 1 hour and a half to climb, when I finally reach a remote high-altitude village, I discover that unfortunately the climb is not over yet. I don’t think there’s much left, but the slope is steep and the Vespa just can’t make it. I try once, twice, three times, I also try again by getting off the Vespa and getting on by walking, playing with the friction, but to no avail, I just can’t do it and I’m forced to go back and go the whole way back, in the rain. Just to put it mildly, I’d say that morale isn’t exactly at its best, exhausted I find a place to sleep, tomorrow I’ll think about which way to get around the obstacle.

The following day I set off for Borobudur attracted by its famous temple, extending the journey considerably to avoid the mountain that caused me so many problems yesterday. However, upon arrival I find myself faced with a tourist reality that resembles an amusement park, with different tickets for locals and foreigners (30 euros versus 3), I decide not to visit it and continue my journey. However, I take advantage of a cheap barber to shave my beard, which is now annoying due to the heat and smog.

I’m finally there, today 270 km await me to Jakarta, a journey that promises to be challenging. During the trip the weather is unstable, it rains at times until I start climbing the Puncak Pass, where the rain intensifies to the point that I am forced to stop to put on my rain suit. I set off again with caution, the road is slippery and the fog reduces visibility. In traffic, a moment of distraction risks costing me dearly: a sudden braking of the car in front takes me by surprise, I can’t brake sharply on the Vespa without running the risk of it slipping on the wet asphalt. Instinctively I look for a free space between the car and a bus that is coming from behind and which, failing to brake in time, has also decided to overtake. It’s a moment, I can’t pass through it, from the rearview mirror I see that the bus manages to steer just enough for me to stay inside. A shiver runs through my body: a mistake of a few centimeters could have turned this adventure into a tragedy, but luckily it went well and the journey continues.

MY MANTRA

…and the beginning of my book…available for purchase here

“I value the most precious thing I own, my time, as if each day were my last “

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