JAKARTA'S CYCLISTS BEGIN HOMECOMING EXODUS

by Aditya E.S. Wicaksono Jakarta, July 10 (Antara) - Some 40 cyclists from Greater Jakarta on Friday evening began their exodus by bicycles to their hometowns in several cities on the Java island for celebrating Islamic festivity of Eid al-Fitr. "We want to spread the syiar (greatness) of Islam. While fasting in the month of Ramadhan we could still do productive activities. Fasting in Ramadhan is not a reason for being less productive," Poetoet Soedarjanto said at the departure ceremony after iftar at Senayan Golf Driving Range on Friday evening. Poetoet will ride his Japanese-manufactured bicycle 850km away to his hometown in Madiun in the East Java province to celebrate the Islamic holiday. "We continue fasting during the journey and we want to show to the world that we can do this," he said. Poetoet's first journey was in 2011 in which he rode a bicycle home accompanied with one of his friends, who was another cycling enthusiast. This year's journey is his fourth and he will ride with four companions heading to several cities such as Yogyakarta, Blora, and Sidoarjo. "We keep our diet properly. We do a normal sahur (predawn meals). We drink eight glasses of water during the night and take some fruits. We reduce the amount of fried foods, coffee and tea to keep our metabolism during the fasting. That's all. Nothing more," the 47 year-old man said on how he would maintain his stamina. The journey to Madiun will take around five days. Poetoet and his company will take the northern route, while other cyclists, members of a Bike to Work Indonesia cycling community, the southern route. On day one, he will reach Cikampek or Jomin before continuing the next etape to Cirebon, West Java. On day three, the group will try to reach Pekalongan or Batang District in Central Java before heading to Temanggung, Yogyakarta or Klaten on day four. The fifth day, Poetoet will reach home in Madiun. Meanwhile, Mayang Widya, who joins Poetoet's group, is the youngest with the farthest destination which is Sidoarjo in East Java. "I just want to inspire my friends and people," the 20 year-old girl said. Several months ago, Mayang rode more than 850km from Sidoarjo to Jakarta. "I didn't have a bicycle at that time, I borrowed one from my friend. I started the journey on April 19 and arrived in Jakarta on early May. I was going to apply for a scholarship in the Japanese Embassy in Jakarta at that time," Mayang who recently graduated from a vocational school said. Although she failed to get the scholarship, her spirit is still vibrant that someday she will be able to visit the Land of the Rising Sun. "I want to do an Asia tour someday, riding my bicycle from Indonesia to Japan," the girl with a pixie haircut said.***4***