Friday 5 September Slow bike to Manado

Manado from the hills

It does help that the roads in north Sulawesi are like quiet English country lanes albeit lined with palm trees and much warmer, not particularly busy and courteous drivers (especially when they see our white faces). Manado was busier as you'd expect with plenty of blue minibuses taking whichever part of the road they want. Still we survived the one way system, stopped and asked the way to the Jumbo supermarket and found ourselves at the big supermarket. Our shopping attitude is if you see it, buy it. Not known when we'll see it again. The freezer is getting empty and we wanted some chicken, cheese too if it was available. What was available was not only fresh chicken breasts but pork loin and beef too. Buy, buy, buy! Alas the only cheese was long life processed plastic which we passed on. Dairy is not an item on most Indonesians shopping list, no cheese, no yoghurt and butter only in tins kept in a locked cabinet. Once again everyone we met was very helpful. In the supermarket the woman manager became our personal shopper. I told her what we would like and she took us to the right aisle and was there when we were checking out. This is personal service.

Wori bay is a comfortable place to anchor offering diving, wi-fi and resort facilities. What it lacks is a ready supply of fresh fruit and vegetables. From the lady we bought tomatoes from we arranged to hire her motorcycle to visit the market in the next village. With only one wrong turn (where we found one of the few people who spoke perfect English) we reached a small village with a fresh market, ten stalls all selling the same selection of produce, all delighted to have foreigners in their town. One kind lady appointed herself my ambassador and took me from stall to stall to find the best pieces and share the money around.

Buoyed by the success of our market trip we decided to hire Luna's bike once more and go all the way to the big city of Manado, half an hour and an almost direct route. For David riding a motorbike is as much fun as sailing his boat. He's so happy. I'm less happy riding pillion with a view to the left and right and not being in control. I am a registered CF (control freak) but I do find I'm relaxing from the 'I'm going to die / be squashed under a large truck / catch my knee on a passing car' passenger I was in Phuket.

Manado port

On the journey back to Wori the bike suspension was under more strain but there was still room to visit the ladies at the market for some eggs and a bit more fruit.

Certainly hiring taking the motorbike to Manado was quicker and easier than taking the big boat and anchoring off the port.