Le TOUR de BORneo ... King PArk Ht.. BERAu

Today..........
Planning Route...... 
Kota Bontang ....to Tanjung Selor.... 

 otherwise .... would stop at 
                       ......BERau

1st Choice ............... BERau ............... 369 km
2nd           ................ Tanjung Selor .....485 km

........... my last blOG ....as told
Pa' Bambang............   last... leaving Pa' Haji Mahmud..... together with his son.....
                                him......... kindly provide...... a backup car also to follow d' convoy.......












Leaving  .... KOTA Bontang .............   
                 ....hardly describe ...coz ..NO time to go round d' town   ..........................
                ..... were able to stay at d'big hotel  here.... Hotel Bintang Sintuk..
           so..Pa Haji Mahmud lead.... we followed ......this road to d' next destination....

there would be NO ...... more Filling Station.....

as ....... advised to keep FULL tanks...........for d' journey

...............soon after   ......................
      might considering  remote towns area ............   
                                       ...........so NO high expectation ..to see good roads ...here

went straight...... still found ......excellent road....... to a ROUNd about
                                                   ..............however this was d' wrong way ......
                                                 ......... ..... just missed .........d' junction.................





arrow ...direction ...... to BERau..............    
                               ................as should our guide  had been following..........

there was time to consider .............rest......  smoking time ...for some ..... aaaaa
                       Far....... inner part of Kalimantan Timur .... eeeemmm...  ABC aaaah.....
                                                                                       .......nice to try..............................

stalls ..... houses.......... many........   almost ...houses near d' road side made business........ turned into shop or whatever....... to serve.... road users....... neighbours..... travellers.......as possible....
            even d' house opposite this house ......... with level URUt Tradisi.....   eeemmm




still ...early time..............stayed here 12.30 .... 1.00pm.....         tiring .........of coz

d' Nice  part......... part of d' front house made  ..specially for relax..... rest..... 
          a flat ..about... a foot high d' ground .... a table like .......... floor ....either to sit .....or
                   ........... U just.... sleep a while 
                  ............  proving ....our friends took d' advantage here ...took a nap........ aaaaa

reaching ....d' area.......... roads still in process ...converting good surface........... with stones...earth... so .......common ......    phenomena ........ 

Nice to show audience ...... U 're right..Borneo roads........
                                                                      NOT all... smooth surface.... aaaa

JUst LUcky........here..at d' time.... NO RAin.......... or otherwise...... fatal sequences...

        (as almost daily ...... in our journey.....covered by evening with HEAvy Rain... )

                 ...........but TOday....

      ........... ALLah Al mighty.... gave d' comfort way.....  us to travel  ........................

............ getting late .... 3.12...4.30 pm....

another place ....... to have some food to eat......

then.....our backup car ..... also needed hands.... to start.........................

so again  another place... another STOp........ (an hour after last stop)

                                                   .......had to stop again  while........   this time .......

 leaving FAR few motors......... unknown.............

     but predictable.... as roads bumpy.. holes everywhere .....stones...big stones......

Some had considered........ slowing down d' motorbikes.... 50..60...80kph.............

pictures......Yesss.... a place very near to a village junction.... see U self......

at d' end.....known d' reason ...... last bike GOt d' problem...... 
                                                           ........... had to go up on board... backup car
                                                          tyre .................... puncher..... couldNOT  be helped

ok stood by..........  continued Riding.to destination.....still FAr.........
                              but............ day light had gone ......getting darker............ soon...

.............in short....... DARK nite.......... but....... we kept riding............ hour.....  hours........
Felt .....Lonely nite but ...few heavy vehicles passed through ..............onE place to another
     to describe roads we had passing through...........TERRIBle.... some hard...stones....new concrete cement... on HALf road...
                        .....eeemmm....    else BIG stones ......... or otherwise ....... clay sandy ground.........
Praying......LIGHt..... on....... as proving nearing town... bUt so far...NON....................................
...... again d' other part... story  .....this place sure... mountainous areas.......... had to kept changing gears...... down ..UP......(couldNOt see...DARk....eeeee) ..............
                         ......so NO pictures taken as NO stop here............ 

ONE...... unlucky....... my motor fUSE lights blown......... had to follow Bike NO 1....... for his light..... really many hours during this darkness nite....... so riding ...sLOW...... as an eXCuse......
ONE ...Lucky thing...........aaaaa.......... NO  RAIN.........  only few drops ..... raining......... in these lonely  mountainous road........   darknness  ........thick forested nite .........


... last........... at d' ENddd ...... approaching ....sight of ....Lights... first.. few houses......
 Laater.....a break .......aaaa....STOp here.........
                                              RESTtttt .....insepection........ smoking for some......

Needed ...........real ....... strong ..Light......
This place...housing  ....Army COoperate shop ....wwwooow  ... just lucky...
 US...even........ invited to have HOT refreshment.......... so thanks.... young army.......
                .........  d' other NO.9... bike still... kept on d' back of d' car.....


Haji Lizam.... our strong man...helping ......... hands....... 
Bike No..8... needed to balloon....ON d' tyre...  had to stop from busting air out....
                                         ok........good ... investment........to keep d' motor on road ......



as ....bike NO 9...........

as told........ destination BERau.........a few kilometers to gO.....

Nite......at 12.33 am...

....arriving....... 
see a few FULL..house hotels....
so to discover here ... new.. empty..
       ........still have many rooms......
                          available..............




waste NO time.......
......Bike nO 9...
tyre burst..... could NOT bE mend ed..

had to wait sun raises..............
              tomorrow... morning....


HOStel look like aaaaa. ... hotel with
3 floors building.............
Us on ....3rd..... 
NO many people......probably only our group...

our Helping Man still in search..... how to repaid... but patience...needed too...

Morning....... 
King Park Hotel..Berau......... 
TUESDAY 16 December 2014................

early morning.........

Next... appointment................ motor had to be taken to d' doctor...  eeeemmm
        BUT 1st.......find d' workshop.....    thought.... rare big bike workshops here.....
        Handy man .......Haji Lizam ..had to go together... for.... helping hands.....incase
          

 

ok...........a brief....... over looking from 3rd floor..... from....our room......  
                                                                             .............BERau.... town


 

OK .................jOB done..... Bike ...gooD......Repaired.......   in usable condition.

      so ready for... d'final destination port ...today....

at group gathering....... as usual ... briefing.....DOA.................................................
opportunity...to hOLd..... a time to say GooD words to our Guide... Haji Mahmud..
                  President...leading Le TOUr de Borneo 2014..... said few praises...................
                                      so presenting..T shirt ...Momento...nn.. thanks him  millions........




 

Exit OUT......... Late departure... about 11.00am.....
BErau... town....  road to destination port  ...just fine...................
                                                                                    ....contrast.... to last nite....   aaaa
                                      expecting a couple of hours........ about 120km...............

.............fine pace ...of timing....... with schedule to d' port in mind.........




                  kampong area ............peace...cool...... found  looked d' harmony.......
                                         ............ just comfort to ride...    with few vehicles.... passing by.

nOON...13.13PM..............
Arriving...........
      TANJUng SELOr...... 
                KALIMANTan TIMUr....... 
                                               KALTIM

Le TOUR de BORneo 2014 ... Samarinda .. Kota Bontang ..

.......... coming soon.......
...starts... with  promoting this   Bike WEEk ....

6-7-8 March 2015





Banjarmasin ....
  a place to have 1st...
 ...... Kalimantan 
               Bike Week .....

Balikpapan .....  Samarinda .... Kota Bontang

as........ d' journey today would take..... few hours... 
       (..of  coz ..just ...estimated timing  as on paper
                                           ......would NOt be d' same as d' real journey....... ok...)

Most Balikpapan bikers were voluntarily to ride together to Samarinda..........
                                              ................. here ......d' happy.mood..... group picture

Pa' Pandu.......nn.... Pa' Sulis... veteran bikers  ......  (picture at right corner bottom)...

So at this point... ... Pa Pandu would stOP here....... had to say GOOd BYe.........................  ok 
 HE.....turning back to Balikpapan... his JOB ..been DOne...so hopefully flying back to Surabaya... to Jakarta... his bike would be shipped through Surabaya...................
              Pa' Pandu... thanks a million...... (if ...ever U read this).....



.......May I say .......short bio data ..........to explain........ sorry if I'm wrong............

Pa' Pandu... 

Secretariat  located in Jakarta ...(as stated in  his name card).... nn   ........ Ibu Pandu...........

Sent  by IMBI (Ikatan Motor Besar Indonesia, Jakarta) to accompany Pemoda Le Tour de Borneo 2014 group to guide meeting Kalimantan Motor Clubs starting from Pontianak .........................

61 years old.... Experienced biker....Engineering background...........

....... also vast traveling experienced ..... local ....abroad including Europe.................... 

Both... Pa' Pandu....Husband wife..... easily mixed with anybody ...us... our group.......

                                                   ..............showing his leadership quality......................

 (... understood.. HE got.. planning JOB back at  d' Secretariat Office Jakarta... New Year 2015)                                                           


ok........ d' other man to respect .....  aaaa also left.... behind... Balikpapan...

Pa' Chandra.... Bandung man... (as stated in his kartu... his business card) ....

Simple man.... of coz ...... BiG ..... aah  .... Vast      ..... experienced...........................

      even....got high status..... as Director.......... (as mentioned) ..........................

Had been to every corners of d' globe .... Spain..... except this simple route (coz ..... few years back...... this route was impenetrable with heavy big bikes...... aaaa... that's d' story... short...... ok....) 

Now ...He thought... he was a happy man.....coz had been to evey corners ... in Indonesia ..

He was an able man  ..... capable  ...nn  strong...... so

Even proud... a man at his AGe......  want to KNOw..???.... good number 66 years old........

NOw....... back to d' agenda ........  riding story...

Entering ..... Samarinda......
                                        Kalimantan Timur .......KALTIM

Followed....................
Balikpapan Bikers ........... going straight to a restaurant... at d' Stadium

Tired but happy....... joining d' Samarinda Bikers

U rather surprise... to see a man with FULL of ....BIG stones ...rings..
Pa' Haji Mahmud.......... IMBI........... Samarinda representative.... here as a boss.......

Our Le TOUr de Borneo 2014 group..... welcomed ......
                                                               ...........as U can see d' poster...... specially made...
Remember.. Pa' Sulis... he is from Balikpapan... riding with Us to Samarinda...... Yesss.... LOOk Young.... so I thought... he must be d' eldest............ at d' AGE......70.. year old........
                                                                                     .............wwwwoooooo.......................








being served to have...refreshment ........... special made SOTTo...... specility... here

d' Man offered hospitality.......a Host... was Pa' Bambang ....... Restaurant      owner.
                               (also Contractor .......doing business........ like making roads........ aaaaa)

Pa' Bambang.......... receving d' T Shirt Le Tour de Borneo 2014... nn...Momento.....
Samarinda was only a pit stop..... until 3.00pm........
                                               ....... soon riding out.... expecting a 4 hours ride......

today target's destination ....... as far as .... KOta Bontang.......
                  a place near d' sea........... production............. LNG...........
                                Arriving.............. at.... d' time..... getting darker..... 7.30pm

(pictures taken at day times).........



d' scenery...........  cool........   our hotel.. on top of high ground....   supposed

this hotel with.Golf course .........  a place.. a meeting place for........ forum... courses.... etc..
                                               ............. seemed Large area...... BIG swimming pool...............

Beautiful ................. location..overlook.......... d' sea....

NExt morning........... TUEsday 16 December 2014
so... fresh cool morning............ as usual ....   a group picture... before departure......
                                      ............. to another place.......would expect a long real ride..............

Pa' Bambang......... had few words........  after DOA.....................
He could nOt come....so Pa' Haji Mahmud would RIDE ... nn...
               . guide d' Le Tour de Borneo to continue d' journey.... until last destination.......
                 But... he would give a support...  to provide a BACKUP car...........
                                                                 .......   ok ...thanks... anywhere Pa' Bambang

                                                                 ........ see U in BRUNEI...............................
                
                      moving OUt.....8.00am...............KOTa BOntang