Where is Rune?

Ellen has realized that it is not necessary to suffer in an inhuman climatic environment when other choices are readily available.

As a consequence, Ellen arrived here in Jakarta on 5 January, and on 8 January, I went with her to the small town of Ubud in Bali to help her get installed. I can agree that Bali probably has a more relaxed atmosphere than Jakarta.

I returned to Jakarta yesterday.

Ubud, Bali.

View from the veranda.

My body was craving for another trip yesterday, so I started the day by riding to Cikini train station a few kilometer north of here, and brought the bike on board the first train bound for Bogor. It was an almost empty Ekonomi train. Bogor was reached an hour later, around 11:00. I wanted to ride through Kebon Raya first, but since no bikes were allowed inside the botanical gardens (cars were allowed though), I gave it a miss.

The 50 km distance back to Jakarta took 3.5 hours along a road next to the railway tracks.

GPS track log.

And the reward afterwards: Beer and hotdog at 7-eleven!

I was in the mood for a bicycle trip around the city yesterday morning, and I even managed to get up at 05.30. I left at 06.00, just after sunrise.

I started by riding north to Kota, then south to Blok M, and finally back to HQ (Taman Rasuna, Kuningan). Total distance 40 km, elapsed time 2.5 hours.

Coincidentally, it was car free day (held twice a month), which I was not aware of beforehand, so Jl Thamrin and Jl Sudirman was closed for cars. It was quite crowded in that area.

GPS track log.

Kota.

Band playing at Jl Thamrin.

Bunderan HI.

Semanggi.

Semanggi.

Home sweet home.

I have discovered that Route 66 is an extremely useful route, and even I can afford it. It costs two thousand rupiah for an unlimited distance, that is, to Blok M at the most.

Route 66 stops, and often waits, for me in front of Pasar Festival, just a stone’s throw from my headquarters.

Route 66 is best taken after 10:00 and before 16:00, when a seat is almost guaranteed.

Route 66 takes me to a number of useful places on its way to Terminal Blok M. For example: Satria Mandala Armed Forces Museum (well, I haven’t been there in 10 years), Club Store (for pepperoni pizza), FX Mall (for work), Ratu Plaza (for electronics), Plaza Senayan (for work), Blok M Pasaraya (for hanging out), Jl Pelatehan (for the bars).

Route 66.

My old bicycle was recently stolen from the parking lot here, so yesterday I bought a new one at Rodalink bicycle shop in Kelapa Gading, a Dahon Cadenza XL, for Rp 10,000,000 (around USD 1100). It can be folded.

The first trip from the bicycle shop and home did not begin well. At Sunter Lake, I discovered that the bottom bracket was loose, to my big surprise and disappointment. So I flagged down a taxi, folded the bike, put it in the taxi, and went back to the bicycle shop. Nothing serious, they just tightened the bottom bracket. It was not tightened well enough at the factory. And off I went again, without problems this time, from Kelapa Gading to Kuningan.

My new bicycle.