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One of the things I considered before my backpacking trip in Southeast Asia was getting a travel insurance. But because of the lack of funds, I simply decided to let go of this necessity when I travelled out of the country. I told myself I just need to be extra careful and will pray that luck will always be with me to help avoid accidents on my journey to SEA.
However, when you are gifted with an adventurous spirit, it seems that nothing can stop you from scratching off items in your bucket list.
So on the second month of my backpacking trip, I made the most out of my stay in Siem Reap by deciding to learn how to ride a bike.
me starting to learn how to ride a bike on Siem Reap’s gardens
photo credits: Edcel of soloflighted.com
You see, Siem Reap’s laid back setting is the perfect place for anyone to learn how to ride a bike. And with the help of my biking guru and travel buddy, Edcel of soloflighted.com, I biked around Siem Reap’s gardens.
Learning how to ride a bike is not really that difficult. You just have to let go of your fear and be one with the vehicle. Some people may find it difficult at first and I’m one of those few. With two left feet, I had a hard time finding my balance. And the next thing I knew, I was already on the ground with an almost twisted knee and ankle, my bike on top of me.
At first, I thought everything was ok. I continued to ride the bike after my fall but soon noticed pain on my left knee. When we went back to our guesthouse, the pain got worse. I had no insurance and I refused to go to any cilnic or hospital. It was a good thing that my friend, who is a doctor, was online at that time and gave me instructions on what must be done.
falling is inevitable when you learn how to ride a bike
photo credits: Edcel of soloflighted.com
Luck didn’t ride with me and the bike that day.
It was almost 2 months since that incident happened and the pain on my left knee still haunted me from time to time. That accident didn’t stop me from riding a bike though.
On my latest trip to Pai, I could no longer recall how many times I fell on my bike and hurt myself. Although I had a few cuts and bruises in my arms and legs, I’m just thankful that nothing serious happened to me on my biking adventures in Pai.
And now that winter is coming, it makes me think that getting an insurance is the best thing to do if my plans of going to Nepal will push through. Having lived in a tropical country all my life, I should not heavily rely on luck anymore when I suddenly feel the urge to go biking or get myself involved in extraneous activities. I need to seriously consider getting a travel insurance as a back up plan should my health fail on me once I decide to travel to the colder regions of Asia. But now that I am still stuck in Cambodia and Thailand, I’ll continue to be very careful with the kind of activities I involve myself with, like biking.
Learning how to ride a bike in Siem Reap was one of the best things I did in this backpacking trip. But the past two trips to Pai in Northern Thailand made me realize I want to live there. Pai’s uphill and downhill roads with the town’s laid back country side for a background is the perfect place to master my biking skills.
biking in the rain on one of the uphill roads in Pai, Thailand
To those of you who do not know how to ride a bike, don’t fret. It’s never too late. You can never be too old to learn how. All it takes is a small step of courage and will power.
And when you do decide to learn how to ride a bike, you only have to remember this…
You will fall.
Your body will scream with pain and falling will become a habit if you can’t take the fatigue anymore.
You will have bruises and cuts or maybe even worse.
Know that those are normal. As the saying goes “No Pain, No Gain”.
What’s important is that you rise again every time you fall.
If learning to ride a bike is that important to you, you need to endure all the pain. Mend your wounds too. It’s a must.
And lastly, NEVER GIVE UP!
finally learned how to ride a bike!
photo credits to Den Ramonal
This reminds me of my biking lesson with my grandpop who teach me how to fall instead of teaching me how to balance. He simply said that if you learn how to fall you’re body will get used to it and your impulse will save you often. Doi, you’re correct, you’ll never learn if you never get hurt. I had a lot of bruises on my knees and even scars on my legs. Before I learn how to ride a bike.
Thanks for reminding, travel insurance is a must especially when seeking for adventures.
Goodluck on your Travel in Nepal!
Sky
Your grandpop has one unique way of teaching you Sky ah and I bet that technique is very helpful to speed up your learning 😉 makes a lot of sense when you want to train your impulse too. hehehe. I really wish I get to visit Nepal before the year ends. Thanks Sky! 😀
In our family not being able to ride a bike is close to a mortal sin since grandpop was a champion biker sa among lungsod hehe so anyhow at a young age I learned how to bike along with all of my cousins. But you are so right doy to say with 100% certainty that you will fall and that you’ll get bruises. I have my share of biking battle scars hahah. But yep, if you are persistent and have the courage to learn you will learn. And you will ride that bike!
Ingat sa travels!
thanks cille! trying to picture your lolo as the champion biker. ehehehe. we really didn’t have a big lot back then and no bikes at home to practice too but am glad that i finally learned to ride a bike miski tigulang na. 😆 it’s never too late jud! hehe
Gusto ko rin mag-aral kung paano mag-bike. Kaya ko noon with supporters pero kapag yung big bike na hindi ko kaya. Wala rin kasing chance to learn before dahil sa building ako nakatira eversince and had no neighbors T_T. Sarap panoorin yung mga nagbi-bike sa Siem Reap 😀 Blog more about Pai na, Doi 😀
when you mentioned the word “big” bike, napaisip ako na ano pa kaya mas lalaki sa gagamitin mong bike mica. 😆 sa height mo, giant bike na para sa akin ang gagamitin mong bike. hahaha. paturo ka na mag bike jan tapos bike tayo dito sa SR. race tayo. big bike vs child’s bike 😆 as for Pai, goodluck! dami na backlogs. hehehe
AWESOME. congrats ninang Doi. hehe. buti ka pa 🙂 gusto ko na rin yan pag-aralan, saan ko kaya yan matututunan at sino kaya ang magiging mentor ko? hehe. ikaw na lang ninang. uwi ka na.
thanks inaanank na Ivan! 😉 mag-aral ka na habang di pa busy. hehe. si edcel nalng gawin mong mentor kasi if ako, baka mas mahigitan mo mga battle scars ko sa biking 😆 pero pwede rin, uwi ako tapos sa cebu kita turuan. bwahahaha. 😉
hahaha. i’m surprised na karon lang ka nakabalo mag bike diay.i dont know which is harder to learn magbike o lumangoy kasi i learned to ride a bike without so much effort pero hindi ko talaga natutunang lumangoy.
hahaha. strict ang parents namo eh. di pwede magduwa pagbata namo and gamay ra ang space sa amo balay mao wala mi bike. i guess mas harder ang lumangoy coz it took me a long time to swim like float float. i know how to do the strokes but maglisod ko float. i just learned how to swim swim last year but too bad i don’t know how to dive 😆 so naa pa ka hope melvin! continue to practice your strokes and continue swimming lang with caution. soon makarealize ra ka nga nag langoy na diay ka! 😉
[…] Siem Reap, I learned how to ride a bike in order continue my healthy living goal. Biking is one of those great tips for staying healthy […]
I did this solo on a mountain bike, slpineeg in nature or within villages. A wonderful place made all the better going slowly and silently taking it all in, one of the greatest places in my heart kambodia! Check my videos out also. I met adventure bike riders in laos and my time took 6 months. Never bettered. Wonderful place