This was it. The week I braved the hill. Turns out I had a meeting on the other side, so it gave me the impedous I needed. There was no time to think about it, I was rushed out of one meeting and onto the bike for the next. And I was away!
Heading up the hill I tried not to think of the amount of utes that passed me full of Burmese construction workers, or the scooters with a family of five. They were used to the road and so they'd avoid me, I told myself. And they did…for the most part. I wasn't beeped at which was a bonus, and I didn't fall off! I did get momentarily distracted by the stunning view, and had to refocus. Honestly though, cars whizzing by at 60kms/hour on a sharp bend should have been reason enough to focus!
Arriving at Jungceylon, the main shopping centre in Patong, we pulled into the car park…or should I say bike park. Most of the level was dedicated to thousands of bikes! Winding my way through a narrow path between two rows of bikes, I found a park right at the back away from as many bikes as possible (meaning there were only a couple of hundred bikes!). That was the easy part.
The drama came trying to get out again. I back-tracked down the narrow path, and saw that my turn was a right angle, and I wasn't yet capable enough to make the turn (remember that I am sitting on a running motorbike surrounded by thousands of bikes in a very confined space). I put my foot on the ground to physically lift the front wheel off the ground and reposition it, and my leg cramps up. Instinct kicks in and I automatically twist my hand back, which in turn revs the engine and sends me forward…into another bike. Visions of domino bikes went flying through my head – bike upon bike crashing into each other. What do I do?! Thank god only part of my vision becomes a reality and only 1 bike falls over. Embarrassed I sit on my bike starring at what could have been a disaster, until a lovey guy comes over and picks up the bike, obviously used to foreigners like me doing this while he is doing his grocery shopping.
Needless to say, the ride back I was very careful. I made it home and promptly headed for the beach for a much deserved celebratory drink. I had conquered the hill!
(Since then I have become significantly braver and begun become much more mobile. I’ve ventured to the beaches of Surin & Bangtao which are stunning.)
