Riding in the Desa (sung to the tune of 'Running with the Devil")

So, yesterday, I got to naik sepeda (ride a bike) in the desa (village) with a big chunk of new friends. The outing was generously organized by Wisma Bahasa (my language school). The obtained bikes for everyone, and at 6:30 on Saturday morning, after a nice little box breakfast of savory pastries, rice (in Indonesia there is ALWAYS rice) and a donut, they loaded us into vehicles and brought us out to the country.

My apologies for the poor quality of the pictures... I tool them with my cell phone and mostly while I was riding!

Getting ready to ride!

Riding through rice fields

Riding through a village

The group of riders included teachers, administrators, security guards and students of Wisma Bahasa. The teachers at this school continue to impress. They don't teach us like very foreign clients. They treat us like friends. It makes learning Indonesian a lot less like work.

Our point of departure and return was also our lunch restaurant. It is a series of open thatch-roofed huts linked by bamboo paths that wind around coi-filled ponds. We rode through small villages and even a market. Although the total distance was less than 20 km, we had plenty of rest breaks with snacks. One of the most interesting stops was at a cemetery that contains a memorial to victims of the 2010 eruption of Mt. Merapi, a nearby volcano.

View from my seat at lunch

The day heated up quickly and we were pleased when we returned to our oasis for a group lunch of fresh seafood, lotek (vegetables in peanut sauce) and lots and lots of spicy stuff (oh, and rice). After lazing about by the water in a post-lunch torpor, we were delivered back to the city and sent on our merry ways to bathe, sleep and await the cooler part of the day... and the drag show... but that is a story for another day.

And some folks got more adventurous!

Week 1... Indonesia is awesome

"Light of Heaven" streaming into a cave in the jungle.

I have been trying to put together some posts with themes, like "food" (which is incredibly cheap, tasty and spicy to a level that I have not experienced even living in Mexico and Thailand) and "my homestay"... It is taking longer than I want because I keep forgetting to take pictures, so I am going to just give an update about week 1 and entertain with pictures of part 1 of this weekend's activities.

I spend a lot of time studying Indonesia at a nearby language school. I hope to develop a post about them because they are amazing and they have really created a nice community of expats wrestling with Indonesia. I think that my language is coming along quite well. Indonesians are amazingly friendly and patient with "bule" (foreigners), so practicing Indonesian is fun.

Surface of the stalagmite

I finished my lessons around 3pm and would return to the homestay. Evenings have been spent either studying or with the other residents of the homestay... all of them are fascinating and kind. Other residents hail from America, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Turkey, Germany, Korea and Japan. We are 11 in total.

Part way down to the cave

Ashley hails from Florida originally, but she is studying through a university in Australia and has been in Indonesia for a while. Ash is extremely talented at organizing outings and inviting fantastic people. We have gone out to dinner, to the shopping mall and, this weekend, she rallied a group on a FANTASTIC caving adventure.

Yesterday morning, two cars arrived to drive 7 of us several hours to a cave that has been opened for tourists. The highlight of the cave is amazing light that streams down from an opening in the roof of the largest part of the cavern. To reach this spot, you are first lowered 60 meters off a cliff onto the jungle floor. This was a bit nerve wracking for all involved... but not nearly as nerve wracking as when they pulled up back up the same cliff using 10 local guys! However, the safety concerns seemed well-attended-to, so we took the plunge... literally.

Go jump off a cliff

We left the heat an humidity of the forest into the cool darkness of the cave. After a walk of about 200 meters, the cave opened into a beautiful cavern with the "Light of Heaven" streaming through the ceiling. After climbing a massive stalagmite, and becoming completely soaked by the water that formed it, we descended a steep and MUDDY slope down the the river that formed the cave.

Ladies on the stalagmite

We shed our harnesses and helmets and jumped, fully clothed into the water. I think from that point on we were pretty much soaking wet and filthy for the rest of the day. After a nice swim and slight de-mudding, we climbed back through the muck to the mouth of the cavern where a small lunch waited. We enjoyed the last cool air of the cave as we ate rice, sauce, and chicken or tofu.

"Light of Heaven"

"Light of Heaven" shining on the stalagmite

After we were hoisted one by one up the cliff, we decided that our adventure should not end there. We stopped at a nearby spot where we floated on tubes through another series of caves. We spent a glorious amount of time swimming and floating outside of the tubes as well. I honestly don't remember if I have ever been that relaxed.

We reluctantly climbed out of the river and returned to to the start where we were offered mie (noodle soup) and tea before our drive back to Yogyakarta. As we neared the city, the sky brightened and changed color as the sun set. It was a beautiful ending to an awesome day.

Me in the cave

Two nights in Bali

Day 2 I got on a tourist bus to Ubud, a few miles up a very crowded road from Legian where I was staying. I was looking forward to seeing some countryside, but there was none to be had. The road to Ubud was one long chain of shops, people and motor bikes. Occasionally, there would be a break in the road's protective wall that offered glimpses of rice paddies and hinted at a quieter life behind the bustling micro-enterprises.

These monkeys are not impressed.

I hit the main tourist attractions in Ubud. I was tempted to take advantage of some of the walks recommended in my guide book, but with the heat of the day and my limited time, I gave myself over to blatant tourism... hey, when in Rome.

First stop was the Sacred Monkey Forest. Hanuman is a a Hindu god in the form of a monkey. Therefore, temples to Hanuman frequently have monkeys... lots and lots of habituated long-tailed macaques. The monkeys are believed to protect the temple, but mainly they harass people and steal things.

Really?? 

The most entertaining thing was to witness some clearly sheltered tourists freak out as monkeys climbed up them... I have to say, when a monkey decided to perch on me, it was a bit disconcerting. These guys are strong and can be mean, but they softness of their feet is pretty astounding. So I wound my way through the paths around temples, trying not to accidentally kick a monkey.

I found a cool little side area where stone komodo dragons protected a spring. Some of the less assertive monkeys were down there. One launched off of the sculpture and onto my shoulders. When he was unable to figure out how to get into my backpack for the almonds I had in there, he punched me in the head and leaped away. Okay, it was more of an open hand slap, but still...

Kool Komodo sculpture

I took my lunch in a little place that offered wifi (pretty much how I am decided where to eat) and a rice paddy view. My huge plate of gado gado cost $2.50, which I thought was a bit expensive. Clearly I am easily slipping back into Southeast Asian price expectations.

View from lunch

After lunch I went to the palace of the Ubud royal family and then checked out a museum of Balinese art. The most fascinating thing about Ubud is that everything is ridiculously ornate. It was difficult to discern whether one was entering a temple or someone's front yard. Homestays welcome visitors with beautiful gates and statues!

Old world and new world together

It was back to Kuta and prep for my 6am flight to Yogyakarta where I am now. Life is slowing down here as I am settled for a bit so I don't need to rush around to see everything. I think it is time to deal with my jet lag and resulting cold!

Super cool ficus tree in the Sacred Monkey Forest

Indonesia

I went to the beach today, and I got a new pet ... for about 10 minutes before she disappeared into the ocean. Okay, she wasn't really a pet, but I did get my very own baby sea turtle to release into the ocean. This was not my first (turtle) rodeo. My dad used to receive buckets full of baby sea turtles to release off the coast of Mexico. It was so exciting to watching the roiling mass of living bathtub toys. I loved how the little guys would wrap their leathery flippers around your finger when you held them. This was the first time I got to see them race to the ocean though because my dad would release them directly into open water to enhance their chances of survival.

So, Indonesia is pretty cool so far.

I also ate new food, went to a mall, walked all over the place for hours and booked a flight to Yogyakarta. I am not so good at the relaxing, but this bumper sticker made my day.

2011 - Whoa

I know that it is a bit late and that everyone else has done their post-year summaries. However, I was just looking for a photo and, as I scrolled through the photographic timeline of last year, I smiled. I had so many great times brought to me by so many people. I am not always a go-with-the-flow person, even if I would like to be, but last year I was surrounded by so many fun people, that I just let it take me. These are the results...

January - In addition to a ton of fun training runs for my first 50k, I also had some time to get out in the woods with friends. Hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park.

February - My first Human Powered Brewery Tour as well as my first 50k at Moab's Red Hot 55k

March - Return to Moab for 24 Hours of Utah

April - Horsetooth Half

  

May - Ram Classic metric century

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June - Teva Mountain Games, Bighorn Wild and Scenic Trail Runs (where I spectated and got roped into running the 50M this year), Exploring Colorado and Loveland Lake to Lake Olympic Triathlon

Me, post mud run at Teva Mountain Games

View from Dry Fork aid station at Bighorn

The Tomichi Trail in the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. 1 mile 2000 feet of elevation change.

Don't let the smile fool you... I was hurting in the Loveland Lake to Lake Tri

 July - The Legendary run, bike, bike, run weekend... Saturday, my first Towers repeats after which I drove to Copper and road biked with Scott, Celeste and company on Sunday, Monday I drove to Leadville to meet S&C who were biking there, but I decided to take the MTB out on the legendary Leadville trails. When S&C arrived, we threw the bikes in the truck to go back to FoCo with Scotty and Celeste and I met FCTRs for a 20-33 mile jaunt on the Colorado Trail.

Day 2: Road biking in Copper

Biking Leadville Trails

 

Running the Colorado Trail with the A-May-zing Ean May

August - Running the Ute Trail with Cat, volunteering for Desperately Seeking Steamboat at the Wild West relay, crewing for Alex's crew at the Leadville 100, and the Lory Xterra.

Cat flying at 11,000 feet in RMNP

Awesomely 80s relay team

The most dangerous event at Leadville... Celeste and Kyle (she might be trying to kill him)

September - relay test run with Celeste, Dan, Scott and Cat

October - Blue Sky Marathon (my first trail marathon) and Runners without Borders (my longest run ever at 38 miles)... and Halloween.

Much needed aid from Coach C and Maddie

Arthur's Rock from the Petit route at RWB

Halloween Costume Progressive

November - Thanksgiving day run with Cat and Mary to cheer on our Trotting Turkeys, and Chubby redux run.

Ladies, racers and fan club

Brian grinding out the valley section of a long day on the Chubby Cheeks route

 December - Chubby Cheeks in the snow, 2nd annual VBM and ode to Ke$ha at the FCTR Festivus Party

Still smiling after a death-defying trip up Horsetooth Rock

It is all about the form, ladies

We don't just run. We dance!

And the year ended running Sarah to her 5k PR on New Year's Eve at the Resolution Run 5k.

No wonder I am tired!