04/03/2014 - Cycling SE Asia. Day 71 - Extreme spice.

Distance cycled: 36km from a beautiful mountain sunrise to Rantepao, Sulawesi, Indonesia.
Average speed: 16.1km/h
Moving Time: 2h14m
Elevation Ascended: 762m
Burned Calories: 1378kcal
Burned Fat: 179g
Total Distance on Current trip: 6410km
Distance until I have cycled the circumference of Earth: 13,340km
Money spent: $16




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Seeing as I was in the mountains, a thousand meters above sea level, camped and overlooking the scenic view in an easterly direction I knew the sunrise from this location would be spectacular on a clear morning and that it was, and having interrupting my sleep cycle to get up and check it out wow certainly worthwhile - photos below.
The last couple of weeks I have climbed some incredible mountain passes on both Sulawesi and Flores and after each one I tackle the following one becomes a little less strenuous and more enjoyable. I remember there was a time that I loathed climbing hills but now I love the sense of gratification having accomplished cycling to the peak of a pass, with of course the added benefit of the downhill descent.
Having eaten all my food last night I set off climbing the last few kilometers to the top of the pass with an empty stomach, normally there are at least a couple of stalls at every pass but here not.
Starving, I continued to cycle down towards Rantepao scanning the road looking for a place to eat but here was nothing and even when I did find a 'Warung' it was too early for them to be serving food.
Eventually I found a woman selling a variety of vegetables and so I scoffed down some tomatoes and what I thought was a small bell pepper, this pepper was not in any way what I was expecting, even after removing the seeds with my hands. The chili spice effects and symptoms were predictable, me red faced, squirming in pain, sweating, and in search of a liquid that would help with the burn - coconut water works well.
Relieved that the worst was over I then blew my nose forgetting that I had just removed the seeds of this insane pepper with my hands - school boy error!
All I wanted was a small amount of sustenance and nourishment and what I got was an intense burn on my hands, face, lips and mouth.
Arriving in Rantepao, still feeling the burn for the chili I went in search for a place to stay, I circled the streets and eventually found a fantastic place to stay, it was slightly out of town, had friendly staff, I was welcomed with a juice, was cheap and comfortable, but one downside however was that the tourists staying here were of the couple-ly type who kept to themselves and rarely said a word to one another

Sunrise

Enter Toraja