Leaving at 730 from our hotel in Dieng, but before that, the first challenge is to find breakfast. Like me, Steve assumed it would be served in the restaurant where we had dinner, but no, it's on the ground floor. Except that it isn't, it's the level below that. But we find it eventually!
Riding down to Wonosobo, I'm following a lady riding a meals on wheels scooter. It's literally a mobile kitchen on the back of her scooter, complete with stool and sauce bottles, she even has menu pictures on the sides.
Then there's a scooter with GS sized panniers sticking out either side. It's being ridden two-up and they sail past us, zipping through the traffic and around corners like Marc Marquez. There are quite of few of the same design transporting goods on the road. They look very practical.
At the first stop opposite a lumber yard, Charlie entertains a group of girls eating at the next table. Once again they want pictures with the group.
Next stop is the Chicken Church (Bukit Rhema), which actually turns out to be a dove: the universal symbol of peace. But it really does look more like a chicken and it's probably better from a marketing perspective anyway, who wants to visit a dove church? (And btw, where is Arthur?)
Our guide has a hard accent to understand, but we get the gist, and visit all the floors. There's some interesting artwork on the walls inside.
On the crown of the chicken, sorry, dove, is an observation deck, from which you can see the other aim of our ride today, the Borobudur temple complex.
A deaf attendant at the top, makes some artistic videos with our cameras.
A short ride away is the Borobudur temple complex, where we are required to swap our boots for provided slippers. This is to reduce the damage to the UNESCO heritage site that is the Buddhist complex
It was rebuilt in the 1980's with UNESCO funds, and involved the removal and reassembly of a million stones, each labelled and catalogued with the help of IBM.
We wander around the site with our guide, Rohan, who tells us the history of the main temple. The image below represents bad karma...
Rohan played football on the grounds as a kid and enjoys meeting the tourists that now visit.
After a hot tour, it's lunch and time to relax in the shade a little. I wander around, and see a scooter service while you wait
Back on the road and it's a short ride to the hotel in Yogyakarta, except that's not where we end up at. It's a big city and apparently someone has expressed an interest to see a market, so that's where we go before the hotel. We are told to we should "chill" before the truck arrives. But tempers are frayed, making that difficult.
There's a bit of confusion about whether someone actually asked for this and perhaps it would be better to go to the hotel first then visit the market. We decide to split the group, one group stays, to walk the market, the other goes directly to the hotel.
Seems reasonable, but the issue is that the driver of the truck, which is carrying our luggage, will stay with the bikes while we explore the market. But this means that the group going to the hotel will be without their luggage until we return. We do a quick sweep of the market. Steve is not impressed, but nonetheless tries to take a few photos while there, but says there isn't enough light.
Outside there's a line of people queuing. They are poor people who are getting a free meal. It's Friday, the Muslim holy day, and a group of university students are serving the food.
Now we go to the hotel, as a group of five led by Miller. The pools awaits.
Dinner in the hotel is lovely. Best flavours so far, I reckon.
Then after dinner we head to Miller's favourite bar, Till Drop. A few of us heard him say it as Tear Drop. They chat, I wander, and manage to find what I think are bananas. We'll find out in the morning.
Only xx km today. But felt longer with all that time walking in the sun. Quite draining.
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