Of early worms, chain smoking and coconuts

There were no real mountains on the first day of cycling but definitely some other obstacles. We started at the crack of dawn as usual on these trips to try and avoid the grueling midday heat. I tried to look for some middle aged divorced woman but apart for the one in the mirror, I couldn't see any. They were probably all still asleep, exhausted from praying the whole night.

The roads were already busy with lots of traffic and animals. There were early morning goats and chickens catching early worms in the potholes. There were thousands of teenage kamikazes on scooters going to school. Sometimes four or five on one scooter with the driver texting his girlfriend whilst smoking simultaneously. One could only hope they are as skillful on the road as they are with video games.

After an hour we got to the ferry which mercifully looked kosher enough and much safer than dodging traffic. It was captained by a chain smoking gentleman, his laundry hanging outside the bridge on a washing line.

In the so called business class section passengers were sleeping on black mattresses covered in plastic and the air conditioning was switched onto arctic mode. From the blaring television a bad quality movie was playing. Looked like something half pornographic from the eighties.

We bought sweet tea and ate peanut butter cookies expiring date 2025 and soon enough after the captains third packet of cigarettes we moored on the shores of the next island called Lombok.
It was the end of day one which brought us to a holiday resort on the shores of the Bali sea. Wide verandas and double Gin and Tonics. Except they taste a bit like coconut.