CRUISIN'
Ride review
Tour of Indonesia: Sumatera
Two foldies take on the Jalan Lintas Sumatera from Dumai to Pekanbaru in Indonesia..
GOING where few bicycle tourists have gone before..
I was corresponding with fellow cyclist Mohd Radzi Mohd Noor about riding in Indonesia.
He suggested Bengkalis island as a start.
From his recommendation, I started researching about the island.
There's not much to see in the island and basically, it's a waste of time.
Why? We had to travel down to Muar in Johor to board a ferry that departs only on the even days of the week.
Even the return trips are scarce.
A change of plan...
After a brief discussion, we've ruled out Bengkalis.
Instead, I suggested to Mohd Radzi about traveling to Dumai port and cycle to Pekanbaru from there.
Sounds not too far fetched as this route has been trodden by some foreign cyclists.
The plan was to take a ferry from Port Klang to Dumai, disembark, set up and ride off towards Pekanbaru.
Drawing the route..
I've been to Dumai.
That was back in 1992. This is a port town known for shipping out petroleum.
It's a small town and was also a place for booze and a cheap fuck.
The plan was to land in Dumai, re-confirm our ferry tickets and set off.
But first, I had to get the tickets and departure dates.
As the guy behind the scene, I have to do everything.
Mohd Radzi is a greenhorn. He's never been on such a trip.
After I've secured the tickets (cash payment, no credit cards), I told Mohd Radzi to take the KTM Komuter train to Port Klang.
The ferry to Dumai departs on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. And they leave the port at 10.30am. Well, it's wishful thinking because the departures are always delayed.
So, that said, we made plans to spend the night in Duri, another petroleum town which is roughly about 60km away from Dumai.
There are accommodation in this town and it's just the right distance to get a night's rest.
From Duri, we ride off to Pekanbaru and the plan was to complete the 201km ride in two days.
OIL TOWN: The writer and Mohd Radzi in Duri, Sumatera, Indonesia. OPPOSITE PAGE:BOTTOM LEFT: On a KTM Komuter to Port Klang. RIGHT: Loading the bikes onto the ferry. BELOW LEFT: Fragile stickers on the biker. RIGHT: Good Indonesian food.