'Motorcycle Diaries' rides to Pontianak, Indonesia

GMA News TV's "Motorcycle Diaries" bikes through the Indonesian archipelago, the third and final leg of the program's Asian expedition.  Due to delays in the transport of Team Motorcycle Diaries’ bikes, riders Jay Taruc, Toto Villanueva, Joey Almeda, and Butch Chase were forced to complete the four-day journey from Sandakan, Malaysia to Pontianak, Indonesia in a grueling two-day ride. The 2,000 delegates of the 13th Borneo Island International Big Bikes Festival (BIIBBF) participate in a unity ride into Pontianak, Indonesia. Team Motorcycle Diaries represented the Philippines in the BIIBBF — the first time delegates from the Philippines attended the gathering.  An unassuming sign marks the entrance to Istana Kadriah (Kadriah Palace), a 300-year-old wooden palace built by the first Sultan of Pontianak, Syarif Abdurrahman Alkadrie. The city is named after a folk monster from which Alkadrie was said to have defended his people. There are many similarities between Indonesia and the Philippines - from the features of its people to the features of her towns. Like the Philippines, Indonesia is also prone to flooding. (L-R) Toto Villanueva, Jay Taruc, Joey Almeda, and Butch Chase raise the Philippine flag at the Equator Monument in Pontianak, Indonesia. The structure celebrates the passage of the Equator, or the division between the northern and southern hemispheres, through the city of Pontianak. During the BIIBBF, "Motorcycle Diaries" host and rider Jay Taruc took many photos with his cellphone. These document not just the first appearance of Philippine riders in the international gathering of motorcycle enthusiasts but also the culmination of the first year of "Motorcycle Diaries." — Cristina Tantengco/CM, GMA News