He well here goes my bike adventure!!
Booked before i left through Wayan at Bike Baik.
Myself to ride bike and my Mum who is 74years old to ride in the van.
Picked up on time from hotel in Legian and off we went. There was a group of 7 of us including Mum.
You are driven up to Kintimani for breakfast. Not that flash to be honest and the hawkers are a bit over the top. Took some nice pictures from the Balcony. Then back down the hills and we stopped off at a coffee plantation which was good as we got to try all the differant types of coffee and saw it being roasted. I think we also went to another place but i carnt remember. Anyway get to the bike area and all pick a bike then set off. Well Mum was in the van and i was a little late in setting off as trying to raise my bike seat a bit more. Off we went well i was trying to change my gears and not far down the track my chain came off. No drama i think the back up van will come along shortly. Well after about 10 mins i start to have a go at putting it on myself, thinking were the bloody hell is the van travelling behind us!!
A young school girl is trying to help me.
I explain sorry i have no money or phone on me and thanking her but saying the van should be along soon.
Getting a bit hot and bothered by this stage as about 1 hour has gone by. Now it is time to call in the big guns. A couple of young Bali guys appear and we end up fixing the bike chain.
So off i go and leave the gears alone now.
Get to a part of the road that is having some road work done to it.
What to do ? Go around i think so get off and push the bike asking a couple of people is this the way the bike riders go.
Yes Yes well in Bali they say yes to everything as people that have been there a few times will know.
So keep going Leonie i tell myself and get back on the bike and start riding on the road.
Well i am going pretty fast hoping to catch up with the group and along comes a motor bike with the two Bali guys on it riding next to me asking me for my sunnies which NO worries i pass onto them. Hey i am still riding the bike and they are riding beside me. I had a good laugh when they speed off taking my sunnies with them. Needless to say that i had allready shook hands with them and explained before after they had fixed my bike that i had no money on me so i couldnt give them anything for helping me.!! They must have thought about it and decided i could part with my sunnies. So much for the handshake and a good dead to your fellow human being.
By this stage i was getting a bit concerned hoping i was going to right way!! Oh no another intersection and no back up van. A couple of people sitting out the front of there shop. I am pointing asking them do i go straight up? YES they say, or do i turn left and go around the corner, using hand language as well - YES again they say. This is bloody great i say to myself thinking look leonie there a groups riding these villiages like 4 times a day and all the van driver would have to say to any of the villiage people is have you seen a lady riding a bike by herself. So i knew that i would be found one day!!
Decide to turn left and keep going.
Same thing happens at the next intersection, but this time am talking to a man on a motor bike and he asks me if i want to go to Denparsar.
I dont think so!!
Now by this stage i am getting pretty hot and bothered thinking if that ******* van dosnt show up soon i dont know quite what i am going to do!! Someone must notice from the group that i am missing.
Especially my MUM.
This ride is about 24 Kil long so have figured that i had done maybe 8 kil by now.
Anyway decide to go round the corner and low and behold there is the van!! I say am i going the right way and explain that my chain had come off and i thought someone would be behind me. Yes he says but due to road works they had to go a differant way. So off i go again with him behind me and get to the check point. Mum had been asking them where was I and that someone should have been behind the group all the time!!
Good on you Mum.
Anyway had a nice cold drink of water and set off with the rest of the group again.
To be continued, Chooks and river crossing!! They say things happen in three's.
Leonie