After a few long days of scuba diving, my friend and I decided to rent a moped to go to a beach. Finding and renting a moped was easy. Finding out where we wanted to go was easier...getting there was the easy part.
Here we go along the road, easy does it. I like to drive slow often. It is a time to take in the sights and see a bit of the town as we pass by. With the extra weight of my friend it is nice to go slow and easy towards the beach. But first we stop along the way.
The road side shops and attractions are worth stopping at. You never know what you will find along the way. Here are a few pictures taken as the ride to the beach is one worth seeing.
The simplicity and beauty of this landscape with the structures is what intrigues me to travel and explore.
Sure looks like this is the popular place to ride to on hot days like today. As we fallow along we notice that many people are heading this way. We did hear it was a popular spot.
I wonder if they have bridge troll here in the Philippines?
Looks like we are being lead right to where we wanted to be going. The ride is easy and nice as my friend and I have figured out the balance and connection we need to have to be on a bike together. It is imperative that the passenger be in harmony with the driver and they work as a team. We found good balance to not fall over, after a few kilometres of riding.
Just like that we arrive at the beach.
We walk and swim and relax along the shade.
One of the best things about traveling through South East Asia is that there is food every where. Unless we are heading well off the beaten path and have to pack a lunch, there is always something cooking in these parts. So we decide to smell our way to some good food cooking right by the beach in the shade.
A much needed reprieve from the hot sun. But as always we return to the heat and swim and frolic around the water till we are ready to move on again.
But like all good moments, they pass and hast must take place as we move along to the road way, and get on the moped.
My friend has ridden motorcycles before and would like to try her hand a this motor scooter. We wait till we are on pavement and we switch out positions.
This could be alright....this could be fine...this could be dangerous.
This could be fine, she is going well. So knows how to operate the bike. What could go wrong.
It is my time to be on the back and take pictures. More importantly, to be a unit with the driver and not make it harder on her was she drives with a passenger for the first time.
The ride is going well. my Friend is able to control the motor scooter as we glide around the corners and make our way to the beach home that awaits.
I like being driven around. I have been driven around a lot in my life, I particularly like sitting back and looking at the world as it passes by. So I was delighted to ride and look out at the countryside I did not see on the way here.
Life is going well, I thought as we rounded another corner at a slow enough speed. I was looking around when I realised we had drifted to the edge of the road after coming out of the corner.
I should have stopped my friend and suggested a leg stretch. But life happens all to fast some times.
As I realised that the corner was taken too wide, my friend was drifting towards the edge of the pavement. The pavement is not level with the shoulder of the road....there is a 2 inch lip. I felt as though my friend got overheated and blacked out for a moment as there was a bit of a limp body pressed back against mine for a moment as she was a bit limp....just long enough to have us slip off the pavement.
All of a sudden the back wheel slipped off the pavement and my friend 'awoke' at the shuddering of the tire. Then she tried to bring the moped back onto the road. I was talking to her was this all happened. Telling her to let off the gas and ease off and slow. This was likely not heard for as quickly as the moments flashed by I was in the air with my friend ready to fall. I was able to pull her onto of me so that I would slid along the pavement and protect her form the fast sharp moving road that we are now going to be ground against.
I have been in panic flash situations often enough to be able to move think and act in the slowed down seconds ones gets when life is threatened beyond the normal level of life. I watched us get bucked off the back of the bike, I pulled my friend towards me, hugging her, and rolling onto my back to take the brunt of the fall and protecting my friends body. It was the best I could do before we met the short fall to the ground.
The bike crashed I feel the weight of her on my chest as it compresses, me hugging her right at the end helped disperse the impact as I roll and she bounces off my chest. The moped cracks and side its bit of plastic along the road. I tuck and roll as I protect my head. My friend is almost in the ditch.
I get up and get to her...there is a lot of blood. Again. She is standing, I make her sit. She is bleeding, I use my shirt to stop the blood poring out of her face and arms and legs.
Many people stop and help us. They bring us water and another cloth to stop the blood from my friend. They try to help me and I motion them to help her. she is bleeding and I need to get her stitched up. We are not far from town. I can make it there.
The moped works and starts. I gather the pieces and belongings what are about the road as the community takes care of my friend.
I try to get on the moped to get us back to town...I am in shock now. The ten minute window has passed. My body is now into beast mode.....the young man looks at me as I ready myself to ride to the hospital. He holds my arm and takes the keys out of my hand. He touches me and shakes his head as his hands are now holding the keys, I understand. Thanks you to this man. They load my friend on another jeepney and drive off ahead of me. The man get on the moped right in front of me and drives me to town.
They bring us into the hospital and would not take anything for payment. I beg them to take the rain poncho that has been with me for years and they refuse. I offer money, they refuse....they drive away.
They admit my friend and they are stitching her up. The nurse points to me....I have road rash all over again....I am bleeding and have dried blood all over me. They show me to a tap where I can wash off the road and blood...now the real pain starts to throb my body.
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