Bike Stand

Saturday when I thought of riding my bike and going someplace just for the heck of it. Since I’m still not very good with the bike I planned to go to Nyangao, one hour bus ride from Ndanda and around 38-41 kilometres away. It’s a good place to go because in case something happened with the bike I can always ride the bus and put it someplace or just throw it away and having a target location, with friends who can accommodate me for the night is pretty uplifting for my nervous spirit. That was the first long journey I took with a bike. Back home I stopped biking after I got into an accident. Here in Africa, I learned again to appreciate the joy of fresh air on my face and ponder the exciting thought of having the clothes I’m wearing as the only armour against the pebbled tarmac road in case I fall. It was 8:30 a.m. when I left Ndanda, had breakfast first with Bruce (another volunteer from Newala). A little bit slow in the beginning, felt a little twinge of anxiety for the long journey ahead. It was already hot, with the sun set high on the right. I’ve been travelling the road for so many times in a bus that there is no possibility that I could get lost so that’s one less concern for me. People seem to be happy (or maybe that’s just me) seeing Mchina passed by, keep yelling and calling my attention. The road is mainly tarmac except for some parts which are being built and it goes up and down ( I think is more up) just perfect for a good day exercise. There was some occasion that I am cruising on a very long stretch of road that I could see the people on the other end falling down from earth. With the sun bearing down and seeing the heat wave rising just like in Coke commercials in the dessert, well that’s what I daydreamed of while pushing my pedals away, that pretty soon I would be drinking a cold a and refreshing Coke (some commercials are really convincing). The most thrilling part of the ride is seeing many birds. Got a glimpse of kingfishers, brown headed parrot, big hawk, bigger eagles and much bigger hornbills. It would be too rare to see these birds if I just sit and wait in my garden. In the beginning I doubted myself if I could do it, the thought of busses and cars driving by too fast that you can only see a blur of them and my bike breaking or falling apart in the middle of nowhere. I am also really worried about dump trucks carrying big boulders that go, like rampaging elephants. Pushing speeds with the intention to kill anyone or anything on the way. Road kills of unidentifiable things are scatted along the way being feasted upon by those really stupid crows. I’ve seen one incident in Ndanda when one of these trucks, didn’t notice the newly built humps, sped through it leaving behind few pieces of rocks bigger than a half a cow with a big thud. The driver didn’t even noticed what happened and just continued with his slightly than normal speed (I think 120kph is normal) to his destination. I arrived in Nyangao proper after a two and a half hour ride. I was so happy that I wanted to raise my hands like the bike racers on TV after winning a race but since I don’t know how to do it and scared of falling down so I just smiled and congratulated myself, went straight to a store and bought coke for my reward. I was having an ecstatic moment that I set aside the thought of the need to go biking the same route the following day. I was surprised that I was not that tired, maybe because I never really exerted too much effort and stop every time there is a shade or maybe I’m just too strong hehehe. Sunday afternoon after a full lunch I’m back on my bike again inspired by the big birds atop the trees keeping my mind out of the really hot sun by thinking of happy thoughts. The promised of a cool bath and freezing coke in the fridge back home keep my legs inspired to kick those pedals. Going to Nyangao the road seems to be always going up but going back it seem that the road is also going up most of the time, maybe its just the heat but I did made it back with an exhausted body and a foolish grin on my lips that I wore to my bed that night.