Indonesia Volcano Run Day 1

We're lost! At least Tom and I were separated from the group and off course.

Jakarta is manic! 

We left at 530 to 'avoid the traffic' but it's still crazy at that time. Corner man goes out the window. In the scrum, it's every man, and woman, for themselves. Our leader, Miller, has a totally invisible black helmet and in no time I've lost the person I thought I was following, Alan Alan? At one point,  following a car and the general traffic, at a traffic barrier, I discover I'm actually on the wrong side of the road - I quickly nip back at the first opportunity. 

I'm sure I saw one of our group turn right (turns out it was Rob), but we're going straight on, Tom is following me now. After about ten minutes with none of the group in sight, I decide to stop and get my phone out to check the map. We've all been given gpx files of the route and my phone shows we're off track. 

I put my phone in the holder on the bike (should've done this at the beginning) and we backtrack to get back on course. Still no sign of anyone, but I know we're going the right way. 

Traffic lights here have incredibly long hold times and eventually I choose to switch off my engine while waiting, it must be close to two minutes of red. Huge throngs of scooters gather ahead of the waiting cars and when the lights turn green the solid mass of two wheels dissolves as they shoot forwards. (The one below was later on a level crossing, but gives the right idea)

There's a big junction ahead and it looks like we turn right onto a main road. Being cautious I decide to stop to check where people are. Charlie has called me and Christopher has messaged me. We swap locations and I'm surprised we're way ahead. We stay out and wait for the others to catch up. 

Finally reunited after a 30 minute wait we restart. At the next stop Charlie buys a snack packet of chicky balls, conveniently coloured yellow, which he promptly empties into the bin. We tape the bag to the back of Miller's helmet to make it stand out. It works after a slight repositioning and now he's much more visible from afar. 

Eventually we clear the worst of the traffic and are on winding single carriageway roads on an generally upward trend. The roads are concrete with fine channels running crossways, presumably to clear the water when it rains.

The hills are terraced in places and at one point a picture perfect view emerges. I stop and some others follow suit.