Where to go in the Philippines?

It's good to be home soon. I might as well start planning about it. If things will fall properly in their right places, my trip to Manila this June may push through. It's actually been my wish for a long time. Studying is slowly taking its toll on me. My family complains if i read a lot. My grades suffer if i give more time to my wife and baby, and of course to biking. At last, i can think of relaxing a bit as i make my itinerary while at home. I miss Davao. I miss Subic. I miss Tagaytay. I miss Baguio. After one year of being away, i miss my Philippines. There's no place like home!

How i wish i can just ride my bike! Or go to Market-Market for my favorite halo-halo. I look forward to meeting my mom, sis and brod. We never saw each other much since dad passed away. Our jobs and families in a way kept us apart. I will be content eating the food i missed so much. This time, no lumpia, pansit and biko which my wife loves to cook here in the US.

I would love to go to Manaoag. The rest of the trip, I still dont know. Some say that good trips should never be planned at all. So i look forward to just going home, and to where my daily journey shall lead me to. I will not be afraid to try new places. I will be happy to even see old places.

Why i ride my bike?

I was introduced to bikes at an early age. When i was about 8, I learned to ride big bikes with my brothers and sister. We had 3 bikes at home, all hand-me -downs from a wealthy relative. So when the smaller BMX models arrived, it was an easy transition since i was baptized the hard way. Since i was small for our bikes, my first problem was how to mount them. Most often, I struggled mounting the bike, placing one foot on one pedal first, until i can finally bring my whole body up, and sit on the saddle. Its funny because when i started to cycle, i may have been able to reach only the top pedal. Then dismounting as well was a challenge. Lately, i saw a beginner on his fifties struggling how to start pedaling, and keeping his balance. I knew he was luckier as he had both feet on the ground while seated on his saddle. I also know that my early challenges on the bike gave me initial successes, that built my character, that taught me not to stop trying. Now, i still struggle and suffer when i have to negotiate higher elevations. But when i am on top of any hill or mountain, i look down as a happy man-able to surmount some pains on my way to the top.

I still enjoy my bike. Its gives me peace. It relieves my stress. It provides me independence. It keeps me going. I need to ride probably because i need to be healthy. My doctor in 2001 told me i have a mitral valve prolapse (MVP). He told me i can no longer indulge in stressful activities. In short, it was short of saying i have to stop living. All my life, I have always been active. I wanted to be always on the go. Even as a child, i was always out that my mother had to fetch me when it starts to get dark so i will be at home for dinner. But stopping from my routine appeared unacceptable to me. i researched online and discovered that people with MVPs lived normal lives. So i lived a normal life too. A normal life meant being able to ride my bike. I still go back to my doctor to do my check ups but i no longer fear not being able to live a normal life. In a way, being able to ride my bike tells me i am well. its my barometer that i have more to live, to enjoy, to suffer, and of course, to ride.

Riding keeps me in touch with the world. I meet more people. I see lots of places. I sense the beauty of life as i cycle around. Thus, there is no reason to stop. I have to keep going because riding makes me a better person, more humane, and more attuned to what is going on around me. Today, i will work even if it is a Saturday, but i look forward to tomorrow when i can put on my jersey, and helmet, and embark into a journey to nowhere- to discover more things and places, just as what normal people do.

I'm amazed that people have a lot of reasons to bike. do you also have the same reasons?

http://www.environment.ucf.edu/bikepath/27%20Reasons%20to%20Bike.htm

History of the Bicycle

I faced a mountain of pessimism as i start my blogging. I am just new to computers and only my common-sense has helped me wither the storm so to speak. This blog is for everyone. It is not exclusive to bikers. I hope to bring in here some personal insights, coming from experiences and knowledge gained over the years. Feel free to join our journey through the bike. As we ride together, we enjoy the scenery, encounter some bumps and rough terrain, but in the end, we shall all reach our destination. I hope to share with you my passion, and hope that soon you too would like the adventure and trek through life by bike. Happy riding!

http://library.thinkquest.org/J002670/past2.htm