My route across Java...

Distance cycled: about 800k (500 miles)
Daily food budget: 20,000-30,000rp (about $2-$3)
Days cycling: 18
Days cycling in rain: 17
Number of beautiful women seen: >1,000,000
Number of times hit by motorbike: 1
Amount spent on accomodation: 0rp ($0)
Highest climb: Puncak, West Java; 0 to 1,488 meters (4,882 feet)

Across West Java...

I crossed into West Java near Tasikmalaya and made my way west-ish through the mountains towards Sumatra. People in West Java are friendly, although not as friendly as East and Central Java, and I was lucky to already have many friends in several cities. It was great seeing Baby and all my friends in Bandung, reconnecting with my Madurese friend Miftah who lives in Jakarta (see June archives from 2010), and I stayed with my new friend Beathrix and her family near Bekasi...
Jakarta, the largest and capital city in Indonesia, is a pretty crazy place indeed and reminds me a lot of Mexico City. People everywhere!!!

Bicycle fuel, Java

Fresh noodles with chicken, green veg, broth, and spicy sambal
35 cents

Fruit soup with sugar, ice, bread, avocado, and various fruit things
30 cents

Rice pourage, chicken, peanuts, chile, krupuk
50 cents

Traditional Sundanese food: Red rice, tofu, tempe, various chicken parts (breast, heart, liver, etc..) and amazing sambal
about $2

Coconut juice with coconut pulp and ice
22 cents

Squid with chili, bean sprouts, tofu, and rice
60 cents

Yogyakarta to Bandung...

Everyday I'm reminded that I am cycling across java in the rainy season, but the scenery is no less beautiful and it's kinda nice not to get sunburn everyday. The hilly trip from Yogya in Central Java to Bandung in west Java is about 350k and took me about 6 days. It's pretty wild how you can cross a river and the language and culture changes so dramatically (Javanese to Sundanese) and the kind people in Central Java make the trip not only very comfortable but extremely enjoyable. A highlight was stopping to take photos at a river near Kubamen and a really nice guy, Dwi, stopped and insisted that I stay the night in his family's home, which turned out to be an old school traditional Javanese home in a small quiet village. Dwi teaches at a local elementary school and in the morning I came and gave a motivational speech in Indonesian to 150 kids!! It was really fun and definitely kept me smiling for the remainder of the day...