This was actually written back in March, but I’ve been delayed in posting it.
Now this is not as exciting as my newest music video, but it needs sharing nonetheless.
I’m coming to the US this summer. And during that time I will take part in the RAGBRAI with team Harold. This is a bike ride across the state of Iowa. Team Harold involves Jen’s dad George, a bus with a party deck on top, and much more than I have time to explain.
I have now been on my first two bike training rides. In Manila. The first ride was the most dangerous thing I have done since that invisible orangutan attacked me on the way down Mt. Cotopaxi in Ecuador a few years back*. There is a strict caste system for the roads here. SUV’s are on top. Cars are below, followed by motorbikes. Bicycles are well below that, only slightly above small animals crossing the road. I only traveled from the bike shop to my home, which was about a half mile. Unfortunately this was during rush hour on a weekday. Wow. Apparently I like to jump in the deep end.
The second ride was a better idea. I left at 7 am on Sunday morning, when traffic is at an all time low, and pollution is at only 450% what it is in LA. My biggest concern was this strange thing known as “foot clips.” For you ignorant non-bikers out there (obviously unlike myself), these connect your shoes to the pedals of the bike, thus maximizing your power and your potential for disaster. I made it out to the Mall of Asia with no problem. Here you can bike around a 3 km loop with about 300 other people until the temperature reaches that of magma.
On my way home I was quite proud of myself and was showing of to the people ahead of me in the jeepney (like a bus). Suddenly the jeepney stopped to let a passenger out. With my cat-like reflexes I stopped, only to realize I am still connected to a bicycle. Gravity did not stop, and I immediately fell into the guy who got off the jeepney. I’m sure his blog reads something like, “I was having a great day until this crazy-ass white guy on a bike fell into me.”
I then made sure I always at least had my right foot out of the clip, which did me absolutely no good when I toppled over to the left and saved myself only by grabbing onto the hood of a stopped jeepney. I used my extensive knowledge of Tagalog to ascertain that the driver said, “Hey you crack-smoking whitey! Get the hell off my jeepney!”
I’m still riding though. Granted much of it is indoor on the stationary bike. I’ll keep you all posted.
* I suffered from altitude sickness whilst climbing (successfully I guess) this 18,000 ft volcano in Ecuador in 2005, and am probably lucky to be alive. This happened before the existence of this blog. I have recently recovered my chronicles of the entire Ecuadorian adventure, and despite the sound advice of my publisher, am considering sharing those with the world.
