San Isidro
Iria and I spent the past week in San Isidro, a municipality in the centre of Bohol Island. It is a rural area with no internet access, but it is still generally well-developed compared to some places I've seen. Iria is interviewing farmers in the region for her thesis. I went to the field with her one day, but I spent most of the time working on a paper for my last course in Sweden. It is about soil erosion and conservation in the Philippines, so I have been citing personal experiences, perhaps more than I should.
Anyway, while we were out in San Isidro I managed to make time to learn to ride a motorcycle! It is a Honda 125, typical kind of dirtbike affair, I guess. It was a bit tricky to get it started at first, but other than that I didn't have too much trouble. It was a trial by fire, really, as the second day we headed to the field. Most of the roads are actually really rough singletracks, so I quickly adapted my mountain biking experience and started givin'r. The real skills test came after it rained, as the trails became a slippery clay mess. The adreneline was kicking a couple of times, but I made it out in one piece. So did the chicken that I hit on the first day, luckily. My conclusion: motorcycles are good fun, and besides, it is the only way to get around out there.
Maybe I'll have more crazy motorcycling stories next weekend. Now for some cold beer and chatting with friends!
Anyway, while we were out in San Isidro I managed to make time to learn to ride a motorcycle! It is a Honda 125, typical kind of dirtbike affair, I guess. It was a bit tricky to get it started at first, but other than that I didn't have too much trouble. It was a trial by fire, really, as the second day we headed to the field. Most of the roads are actually really rough singletracks, so I quickly adapted my mountain biking experience and started givin'r. The real skills test came after it rained, as the trails became a slippery clay mess. The adreneline was kicking a couple of times, but I made it out in one piece. So did the chicken that I hit on the first day, luckily. My conclusion: motorcycles are good fun, and besides, it is the only way to get around out there.
Maybe I'll have more crazy motorcycling stories next weekend. Now for some cold beer and chatting with friends!
