The life of a pillion is not a passive one. We needed to do 275kms within 5 hours. The bike can cruise between 60-70kms per hour, however livestock, traffic, fuel stops and leg stretches get in the way. After reviving ourselves with a midmorning coffee at Nakabhouli Hotel the ride was on. We had half a tank of fuel, so would be filling up again within 50 km. The tank holds 3.5 litres, which does about 100 - 120 kms, so the first bit was comfortable.
I love fuel stops. They give me a chance to ease myself off the bike, straighten my knees, do a few star jumps, update My Tracks with a marker /photo, pay the attendant then jump back on, give a squeeze, and off we go.
Different squeezes mean different things. I can squeeze with my hands, arms, or thighs. Full arm squeezes, under armpits and around the tummy mean ' I am having a wonderful time, the world is great and things are good'. Hand squeezes at waist level signify ' I am getting a bit anxious, there's too many hazards, take it easy, I cannot see what's happening'. I can only look left or right, front-on is blocked by a helmet. I cannot see the road surface and need B to warn me about bumps or potholes. If I lean to far out and peer over his shoulder my back is twisted. I am constantly adjusting my vision whilst keeping my position stable. Big thigh squeezes have their own meaning, too. One big squeeze, together with a left or right finger point signifies there's something interesting to look at over there. Two short brisk squeezes, 'did you see it? '. A thumbs up confirms he did. When B sees something to talk about he waves his hand in the general direction, up there, over there, far away, on the ground, wiggles like a snake, flaps like a bird, rolling hills, beautiful landscape. I give three thigh squeezes in acknowledgment. A TIGHT LONG SQUEEZE = DANGER, SLOW, STOP. Actually, it's a bit like a back seat driver putting on the brakes.
When B leans forward, there's a bump coming up. I lean forward in tandem to miss the shock wave. If he stays forward so do I. When he wiggles his back ii is time for a massage, so thumbs and fingers do their thing up and down his spine. We do shoulder raises and drops, together in harmony. He stands up on the pedals, I flap-pat his bum cheeks with the back of my hand. When he sits down, I stand up on my pedals and do a few clenches. I do ankle flex and extend. His throttle arm gets tired, I lean through under the right armpit and take over for a while so he can stretch his fingers.
Another 100kms has gone by. " My knees are bursting, " I shout into the wind. "Another 20 k's" the wind blows B's voice back.
We fill up again, relief to stand and straighten, then get to the Laos/Thai border. Stamp out, stamp in, export papers retrieved, bike imported in, 10 minutes. We made it by 4pm.
A cruise into town by 5h30, just before sunset (our headlamps are still pathetic). Brioche all gone.
Same again tomorrow? Anytime, I'm right behind you.
STATS:
Moving speed was 47kms per hour. Average speed over whole trip was 34 kms p/h. Maximum speed peaked at 71 kms p/h.
Husband and wife team. Adventure motorcycling. One does riding, mechanics and research. Other does writing, painting and pillion. Sharing route planning and fun.
Monday 26 January 2015
I'm Right Behind You
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment