Buying a bike
Having had enough time in Jakarta I decided it was time to move on.
I bought a bike, which was way cheaper than in Australia, packed up my gear and was off!
Riding in western Java is (I now know) totally suicidal. I was expecting things to quickly improve as I got out of the city but the terrible road conditions and sprawling suburbia and industrial zones just continued on. With all vehicles crammed on the road together, lane splitting and going through red lights being the norm, it is a total mess requiring constant high levels of alertness.
Add on to this the 38-degree heat and on-and-off pouring rain, it was not a pleasant ride. Apart from being exhausted I was soon covered head to toe in mud and grit splashed up from the road.
I arrived in Bogor, relieved to find the hostel was a nice quiet one out of main bustle of the city. I booked an extra couple of nights as I need to think through a plan, riding everywhere is just too hazerdeous and unpleasant.
