I admit it. This picture was taken a few years ago, but I think I still look vaguely like that. Depends on the day (and the time of day). And today, just before I uploaded this picture, an Indonesian English student told me how much she liked my nose. I heard that a lot in Indonesia. Apparently, a large nose like mine is a good …
Read the full story »Can’t Trust a Ruler?
What do you do when you can’t even trust a ruler?
Don’t judge me, but I often myself in situations where I need to measure things. I’m always needing to see if this or that object will fit inside this or that bag or compartment. I need to know if my smartphone is too wide to fit inside a certain pocket. Or is my laptop too …
26 – KTM Komuter Train to Kuala Lumpur
Friday, September 7, 2018
4:30 a.m. Room 7, Natalia Guesthouse (formerly Bird Nest)
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
(37 ringgit per night/$9 US; small room; single bed; no sheets provided; no towel; no soap; fan only; no window; noisy; hot; shared bathrooms a long way away; but big and friendly lobby, kitchen, and other common areas; informal and relaxed)
I wish I could start this entry in this long email by …
25 – Ferry to Klang, Malaysia
Thursday, September 6, 2018
4:30 a.m. Room ?, d’Spark Hotel
Klang, Malaysia
(60 RM/$15 US per night; single room; small but well-appointed, modern, clean; boutique style hotel; A/C; TV; WiFi; nice private bathroom; kettle; instant coffee; bottled water; soap, shampoo, towel supplied;)
Much of my fiddling with the trailer and the rain cover. turned out to be unnecessary, at least for this trip. I realized that since I had …
24 – Trapped Among Trucks and a Birdsong Competition
Sunday September 2, 2018
5:00 a.m. Room 208, Cahaya Asahan Hotel
Kisaran, Sumatra
(130,000 rupiah/$8.50 US per night; great hotel; great staff; professional; indoor parking with security; nice room; two beds; air conditioning; Wi-Fi; nice, clean bathroom; shopping center with grocery store across the street)
At long last, I have made it to Kisaran. Assuming I don’t ride to the small town of Tanjungbalai, this is the last stop …
23 – Devouring Chicken in Langsa, Pangkalan Brandan, and Medan
Thursday August 26, 2018
5:00 a.m. Room 102, Khalifah Hotel
Idirayeuk, Aceh, Sumatra
The plan is to ride down the road to the town of Langsa today. It’s not terribly far to Langsa, and there appear to be a variety of hotels there, so I wasn’t anticipating a difficult day. However, I’ve woken up to the sound of rain. If it were heavy rain, I might have just …
22 – Fishing Harbour in Idirayeuk
Wednesday August 22, 2018
5:00 a.m. Room 102, Khalifah Hotel
Idirayeuk, Aceh, Sumatra
(250,00 rupiah/$16.50 US a night – expensive; air conditioning; private bathroom; TV; nice bed; but the room is old and cramped and crowded)
When I left from Lhokseumawe, I had two possible outcomes for the day. One was to ride around sixty kilometers and find a hotel in a random town along the way way. The …
21 – The Road to Lhokseumawe
Monday, August 20, 2018
7:00 a.m. Room 10, Wisma Pase
Lhokseumawe, Sumatra
(170,000 rupiah/$11 US per night; big room; big bed; furniture; TV; air conditioning; nice bathroom; clean; modern; quiet; fast WiFi and strong cell phone reception)
From the time being seven in the morning, it’s clear that I am staying in Lhokseumawe today. I had a fair amount of trouble cycling the sixty-five kilometers to get here yesterday, …
20 – Stomping on Cockroaches
Friday August 17, 2018
7:15 a.m. Room 46, Hotel Fajar
Bireuen, Sumatra
I’ve definitely stayed in worse places than the Hotel Fajar. In fact, the hotel itself is really large and has a lot of facilities, such as seating in the lobby, tables and chairs outside, a parking area in the rear courtyard, water dispensers, and a drinks cooler. However, I opted for the cheapest room at 120,000 …