Friday, May 2, 2008

Sikaran



Sibuyan is a beautiful island just off Romblon, however, its beauty may very well soon be marred by greed and mining.  What better way to call attention to the threat, than to take a cycling eco-tour of the island?  I'm joining something called "SIKARAN: Sikad Para sa Sibuyan": A Bicycle Eco-Tour to Save Sibyan Island.




I remain optimistic that I can manage the seven day tour.  I might have not been biking around too much in the recent years, but I still know how to cycle around on a mountain bike.  I am comforted (and inspired) by the fact that among the people who will be coming with me, is a woman (who is much older than I am) who just learned to bike last week.  Maybe the tour around the supposedly flat island is going to tighten up my wobbly bits or something.




Or maybe not.  Let's hope I won't be trying to catch the first ferry home after the first day of the eco-tour, sore butt and all.  I am very wary of the tour, seeing photographs of the actual island.  My mum told me that the organizers told her that the island was flat.  (See the last photograph above.)   The bike trail is supposed to go around the island--I don't know if that means just skirting the shore, but the schedule says that we are to stop over each barangay that we pass.  So that might very well mean that even the bike trail is not flat.  I guess my mum's friends are the kings and queens of understatement.  I don't know if it's because they have some vision problems that come with age, but I am very certain that the island is as flat as they imagine it (or maybe hope for it) to be.  And to think she wanted to join the cycling tour as a biker, too!  It's like suicide by mountain bike, mum!  (*Dodges dungbomb thrown by mum*)


(Seriously, why do I keep on believing my mum?  This might very well be one of the worst suggestion she made, but I reserve judgment until I finish the tour or until I get over the fact that my mum will always try to manipulate me into doing things with/ for her or if I lose some wobbly bits as a prize.  Note to self: double check next place mum tries to wheedle oneself into doing.  Okay, I kid, I kid.  But Mum, I am so ready to kill you right now!  The island is NOT flat!)






P.S.  This post qualifies as a notice of being offline for the next days.  I am also unsure whether my mobile will have a signal within the island.  Any messages or replies or posts or SOS calls might remain unanswered for the time being.