what a ride!

During the Christmas holidays last year, I was able to experience something for the first time... a motorbike joy ride that lasted for six hours!

Last December 27, Husband and I joined the fun run sponsored by ERBA (Eastern Rizal Bikers Association), where he is a founding officer. The group met at a gasoline station in Tanay, Rizal at seven in the morning. From there, we went our way to Infanta, Quezon.

During the ride, the group was led by the President, and the rest followed in file. On the average the group was just running on a speed of 60kms/hour. It was a safe, leisure drive trip for everyone except the Marshall. The Marshall is a biker who is usually at the end of the file, but drives faster every now and then to check on the group or deliver a message to the leader. The leader for any run like this must have quick reflexes. He (or she, why not? ^_^) should be able to timely direct the rest of the group when they need to slow down or speed up, or avoid some obstructions on the road. The leader does this using hand or foot signals. The member at the back of the leader then passes the same signal, and the other members do the same, until the signal reaches the end. And this is done quickly, of course, while driving.

If the group had signals, Husband and I had our own too. I was his backride (I don't know yet how to drive a motorbike) and talking was not easy to do because we were both wearing helmets. A knock on his helmet from me meant that I was feeling sleepy; tap on my knees from him meant "hold on tight, we'll run faster"; a hug from me meant I was already feeling tired and my back needed some slouching; and a caress on my leg from him meant to ask if I was just fine and still enjoying the ride. But more than the signals to check on each other, Husband also made some signals telling me to check on the other bikers behind us. It was one of the best values I’ve observed in the group: care for other members as you care for yourself.

We reached our destination in Infanta, Quezon at around lunch time. But the group decided to move to Liliw, Laguna, in one of the group’s most visited resort. So, immediately after having our lunch, we headed to our next destination. It took another two hours or so to get there. There we stayed overnight, had a dip in a freezing-cold pool, then went back home after our late breakfast.

I would say that this is one of the most amazing experiences that Husband and I had together so far... several hours of riding too closely together, trusting each other to move in the way the other did, and him allowing me to a world which originally was only his.

Now, we look forward to another joy ride, this time to Baguio!!! And that’ll be another story for everyone… :)