20090809

From 2009/08/07 to 2009/08/11	-- Sumbawa, from Poto Tano to Sape

The road tracklog From Poto Tano to Labuhan Sape from 07/08 to 09/08/2009
Sumbawa Island
Histoire : -- Before the 17th century the island of Sumbawa was under the double influence of Hinduism of Java and Islam. -- In 1625 Makassars of Sulawesi controlled the island and converted the population with Islam. -- In the 18th century many conflicts opposed Makassars and the Balineses of Lombok. -- In the 19th century the terrible eruption of Gunung Tambora killed out of the thousands of people and reduced its altitude from 4200 meters to 2850 meters. -- In 1908 an intervention of Dutch avoided a conflict between the three kingdoms. -- In 1949 at the time of Independence the sultanates were removed.

August 07^th I headed towards Labuan Lombok, Lombok where I arrived around 11:00 am to embark on a ferry sailing at 11:30 to Poto Tano, Sumbawa. Unloaded around 01:30 pm I took again the road to set up the bivouac on a beach at approximately 20 kilometres before from Sumbawa Besar. The landscape changed, it appeared much drier. The seashore is very narrow broadside by medium mountains. Accesses to the sea are very few, much fields are enclosed. The roadway is not good quality, some sections were under repair.
En route towards Sumbawa Besar 07/08/2009
Lever du soleil On a beach 08/08/2009
Sumbawa Besar
In Sumbawa Besar I stopped in Tourist Office to obtain information on the schedules of ferries in Sape in order to corroborate those obtained in Lombok. Showing the LOI I was accepted with regards. The person in charge led me to the office of transportation; alas nobody knew the schedules and the telephone did not function. My interlocutors told me that I would obtain them in Bima by questioning the reception of a hotel! Then I went with Internet to publish the page of my site relating to Lombok; but “the mailbox function by Orange being temporarily disturbed” I was not able to inform the subscribers! I visited Dalam Loka, Sultan’s Palace builts in 1885; alas it was under restoration, only the teak wooden carpentry was visible by far!
Dalam Loka Sumbawa Besar 08/08/2009
After doing shopping in the market I moved towards Bima. The pictures below show the state of the roadway and its width. The road crosses worthy landscapes such this scenic road along the coast. As the previous days a bivouac was not easy to find, I was satisfied with a spot close to the saltworks at approximately 32 kilometres before from Bima.
En route to Bima 08/08/2009
Scenic road en route 08/08/2009
Saltworks Bima 09/08/2009
Bima
By arriving in Bima I tried to inform me near the reception of a hotel; alas a telephone call could not be established. I understood in Labuhan Sape, the office of "Indonesia Ferry, asdp" was closed. According to a process well established since many years I went to Internet; the mailbox Orange functioned. Then I did shopping and finally I devoted time to pay a visit of the only sights, the Sultan’s Palace built in 1927 entirely restored after 1950.
Sultan's Palace Bima 09/08/2009
In Labuhan Sape only one ferry per day connects Sumbawa to Florès. I decided to go to position my truck on the carpark of the port. The road curves in mountains along rice fields in a dramatic landscape.
Rizières en route to Sape 09/08/2009
Labuhan Sape
By arriving there were already about some trucks on standby. I tried to inform me near the people met; alas I believed to understand that I could have difficulties to embark on Monday 10th, day of my 69th birthday. Around 03:00 pm a kiosk at the entry opened and an employee recorded the order of truck arrival since the morning. I receipt the sequence number 20 taking account of the trucks already on standby. Knowing that the ferry embarks eight trucks, I left only Wednesday August 12. I negotiated with some truck-drivers to exchange my sequence number. One of them English-speaking, he was Pasteur in Ruteng and he had remained in Holland.
Parking Labuhan Sape 09/08/2009
Monday morning I heard that I embarked the 11/08 on the ferry of 03:00 pm. A truck-driver had given me his sequence number. I thanked him cordially. It was a great birthday gift.
My English-speaking Indonesian friend Labuhan Sape 10/08/2009
Final report of my trip in Lombok
In its highlights the Lp does not give any place, site or other in Sumbawa Island. It devotes hardly twelve pages of which the major part is hotels and practical advice to travel in the island. As much to say, go away there is nothing to see. Admittedly it is a little short. Indeed the hinterland offers possibilities of stay in remote villages with ancestral customs and neighbourhood islands with sites for surfing. But there was the requirement of the expired date of my visa. Welcome, Salamat Datang, of people was always gracious without ostentation, at most with curiosity for a foreigner driving a truck. Statistical report, the trip in Sumbawa Island was two travelling days and two waiting days in Sape. Quid a ferry from Flores Island to Timor Island?

Labuhan Sape, le 2009/08/10