From Sumbawa Besar, it’s a long drive to the next waypoit, the city of Bima. The distance is 250 km, which is really far on a little scooter. Google Maps said it would take four hours, but I learned on Bali to just double what Google says. That held true on Sumbawa, and beyond.
The roads on Sumbawa are really good. They are wide, mostly straight, and mostly free of traffic. I was able to get my trusty little scooter up to 60 kph, which seemed so fast. Google just assumes you drive at maximum speed and never stop. But between stopping to eat, get gas, take pictures, and to slow down in towns and on curvy parts of the road, it took me eight hours.
There were no “sites” to see on the drive. No temples, palaces, museums, or famous landmarks. But it was an interesting, scenic drive, going through small towns and past beautiful landscapes.
First I drove through corn fields on rolling hills. Then along the coast, up and down hills and around curves. I went through the big town of Dompu and got lost. This is the place adventurous surfers turn off to go to the famous Lakey Peak. I would not be visiting, but I planned to check out some other surfer beaches on the way back.
The final approach to Bima was past the dramatic Bima Bay. It was a nice place to stop for a snack at the stands selling sweet corn.
Bima is another city unloved by travelers. Again, Google Maps sent me to a random place instead of a hotel, so I had to drive around until I found one. It was a rather depressing hotel. It seemed as if it must have once been a glamorous palace, but had fallen into disrepair. I was the only guest.
I wandered the streets looking for food. Nobody speaks English here, not even numbers, so it was an opportunity to practice my Indonesian numbers. I found vendesr selling satay for an appetizer, Masakan Padang for dinner, and es campur for dessert.
Tomorrow I would cross to Flores.
