We drove to Pasuruan at five o'clock on Wednesday morning (31/10/07). The roads were clear and the usual bottleneck at Porong where the mudflow is was not a problem and we were there by six thirty. We set off from Pasuruan to return to Surubaya at eight thirty. Five and a half hours later we reached home.
The reason a demo by the people downstream of the mudflow. They are objecting to the mud being drained into the river that goes through their villages. It wasn't difficult to predict that there would be negative repecussions from pouring toxic mud into the river.
The lorries that take the earth and rocks to the site on a daily basis also joined in and totally blocked the road to and from Surabaya, and the alternative routes that avoid Porong as well. So I had to drive towards Pandaan and then up into the mountains and across country to Mojokerto.
The drive up into the mountains was beautiful. Wonderful views and scenery. I must go back that way with a camera when I have more time. The problem came when we came down from the mountain and met all the rest of the traffic taking alternative routes, and then it was nose to tail for the remaining 30kms or so.
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