Today was one of those days that if your parents knew it was going to happen prior to your departure, they may not have let you go on the trip to begin with. At 1:45am, I lay here safely in my hostel bed, so I can say it was a success. But damn…
I started the day with the intention of getting a new motorbike. The last of the crew to get one, I was apprehensive, as I’ve never ridden one before. I’d also be lying if I didn’t say that Rudi’s motorcycle accident didn’t play a part in my nerves as well.
Jean-Pierre came along to help me secure the deposit. I was given a 15 second intro on how to use the damn thing, and told to jump on. Immediately upon my turning the bike on, and it revving up, I was headed onto incoming traffic, luckily stopping myself before any damage was done. That was it. I wasn’t comfortable with it, nor was the lady with allowing me to rent it. She immediately said that it was too dangerous for me, especially in our downtown high traffic area, and that I should stay on the back of Jean-Pierre’s bike.
It was then that I realized I don’t want one of these things, until after practicing on an open back road. Safety is number one, and though efficient, motorbikes are dangerous as hell if not used properly. I am no fool, and our trip into the country to look for cheap housing would have to be completed with me riding as someone’s passenger. Tyler was up for the challenge and I thank him for not killing me, intentionally or not.
I didn’t know that this would only be the beginning of the day, in relation to motorbikes…
Long story short, a night of karaoke ended in tired souls needing to venture home for sleep, right as a rainstorm hit the area. Approaching 1am, with nothing but motorbikes for transportation, 20 mins away from the hostel. we all left.
In horrid rain and frigid cold, we set out on the trek home. Jean Pierre and Evan ahead of the bike of Jeremiah and I. The rain soaked through all my clothes as I attempted double duty of holding onto a motorbike while shaking from being drenched and cold. At one point the rain escalated to the point of no vision. We pulled over twice, in trying to get home. Waiting for rain to subside and praying we all got home safe.
20-30km an hour, we trudged through the flooding roads on motorbikes. Drenched. Cold. We made it...
