Day 2: Woke up and headed to th breakfast. Good strong cup of Bali coffee and western breakfast saw me start the day. Wanted to keep my hands on the handle bars more I relied on my GoPro to take pics between video but results are mixed and a bit of a let down so not many pictures for this ride. Annoying. After breakfast I talked to the manager about his custom cafe racer before checking out and heading to petrol station to fill up the KLX. Took a small road going south away from the coast and heading straight towards the mountains. Almost immediately the scenery changed and I was again in the middle of rice terraces and small communities. Glance over my shoulder, after a few sharp bends and steep inclines, to see the ocean and town of Lorvina behind me. Stunning. A few adjustments on my route found me following a road to the 3 lakes area. This road should be called "road of a 1000 bends"... wow. This one road would make the whole trip worth it. Stunning roads, breathtaking views, villages, temples, shops, smiling people, roads the go down sharply into valleys with bridges and waterfalls. People at work, school children smiling as they walk home, old people sitting and talking. km after km, curve after jungle lined curve, going higher and higher. Through a welcome mist I broke through into clear cool air and either side of me the valleys seem to go on forever. At the top of a ride I am by the 3 lakes area and stop to stretch legs and take in the view.
Back on bike I head down to GitGit and onto small town called Singaraja where I will charge devices, get snack and take next break. Ride down the hill was a rush and real motard country. Sharp bends has you grabbing brakes and then accelerating out. Was a rush..scenery was just as beautiful in between over taking and going down through the mist band again. Arrived in Singaraja and the coffee shop I went to in March last year closed down so stopped at small bakery to ask for another coffee shop location. They went to the back, got kettle and made me coffee and plugged in my devices to charge. I spent hour there chatting to them all as they did stock takes and it was nice break to the ride. Back on the road through the traffic of a big town and you need to be aware. Again, turning off main road and heading inwards. Again, few km away and you are in mountains and jungles and rice fields. Words and pics dont convey...it has to be seen in person. Upwards and at the top through another mist band and I am riding on the rim of a volcano looking down into the crater below with small town in the middle. Light rain and lots of hussling as I drive through this small town before turning inwards and following road down into the crater. Nearly cooked a corner which would have helped me get to bottom in about 5 seconds instead of 5 min so eased off a bit. Road winds through old hardened lava fields with their big rocks and small quarries that cut it up into blocks like local marble. Fish farms, small farms and a section of mountain burnt away where you can see the the lava path from previous eruption. Warning signs all over... few turns and I am in middle of small town outskirts.
Stopped for fuel from hand cranked pump I start chatting to locals one of which is a local hiking guide. She offers to show me the way over the hill towards my next stop, Tulamben. I follow her and her cousin on an old scooter and the road starts to go up at such a steep angle I found myself shifting forward fearing my heavy backpack will cause me to flip over....and here they just cruise up on this beat up old scooter. Riding from age of 3 and passengers from baby makes them naturals on these bikes and terrain. Watched this one kid that is so small he pulls up slower and slower and then pushes down the stand and almost pivots bike onto it so he can get on and off. At the top of the hill I meet her uncle and group of people from the small villages around the hills. This dirt 4 way cross road is the end-of-the-day meeting point for people it seems. Some pics with the guide and her family and I begin my quick but incredible ride down the other side of the volcano on winding small roads with views that makes you stop and just stand there awe struck. Coast stretches out in front of me and after 15 min of amazing riding down where I got to really throw the little KLX around,found me back on the coast road. Turned right and headed to my hotel, checking in hot tired sweaty and completely alive. Shower, dinner then early night.
