Biked to: Manila

Sunday
December 21, 2014

I was woken up (very early) by my phone ringing and upon answering, it was my office-mate calling from nearby UP Diliman. He was going to meet up with another office-mate of mine and they were waiting for me. I had a quick breakfast, changed into my ~*Biking Gear*~ and pedaled away. I had reserved the entire day for biking and that was exactly what we did.

It was my first time to bike all the way to UP and I was a little scared because I had to cross a huge highway to do so. Fortunately, I found a group of bikers along Katipunan Ave., who seemed to be on their way to UP as well. They looked like professionals so I stuck behind them until they crossed the highway as well.

A few minutes into the UP Campus, I found my friends pedaling to Katipunan to meet up with me as well. Serendipity! They took me around the UP Campus because I haven’t really explored it that much. We ended up taking pictures at the famous oblation statue that I’ve never visited as a student despite being at the Katipunan area for 4 years.

Both my friends have Cannondale Mountain Bikes while I have a road single-speeder so my trip was a little bumpier than theirs. But most of the time it was a good ride because the UP roads we rode on were well paved.

 

After the quick shoot, we biked around the campus some more, seeing all the other bikers and joggers was very motivating. There were all kinds of people and bikes and seeing them put a smile on my face. We looked for the UP Shopping Center to eat at the super-famous Rodic’s. I had recommended it to them but I didn’t know the way  from the Oble so we had to ask for directions.

Once we got there, we were pleased to see some bike racks. We parked our rides and went into the Shopping Center to eat.

Rodic’s has always been my favorite place to eat in UP. When I was in college, I would find any reason to go here and eat their tapsilog. To taste it again was heaven and invigorated my muscles. I recommend anyone around the UP area or anywhere with Rodic’s nearby to try it. Yum yum!

After eating, we decided to ride to a bike shop to check out their offerings. We didn’t buy anything there because most of the things there were expensive and we haven’t received our Christmas bonus yet.

Our next stop was Quiapo, (no photos because it’s just a blur of people and bike things) where  I originally bought my bike. I was looking for a helmet because my parents were both pressuring me to buy one. I bought a top tube bag as well as the helmet.

We decided to eat a late lunch at Taft and along the way, we passed through Luneta and Roxas Boulevard. Pictures were taken.

The view was amazing and the smell of the sea was refreshing. The sights around Roxas Blvsd were also nice. I got to see lots of buildings that looked very important.

Our last stop was at Zark’s Burgers in Taft. After pedaling most of the day, we were famished and ate big burgers. We also used the free service water to replenish our water stores. Water shouldn’t be taken for granted when biking.

After eating we went to Cartimar to look at more things being sold. Then we went home. On the way back to Pasig, we were caught in the rain so we huddled up under a shed with other (legit) bikers. I also noticed the courtesy and respect that bikers share because they were really helpful and kind to us. When the rain abated, we pedaled home before it could get worse. We passed by Greenhills Shopping Center and although I wanted to look at a bike shop inside, I knew that it was already late.

I arrived home tired and wet but also happy and content. It was my first time riding the highways and flyovers so I was scared at first. However, I was glad to see that most of the motorists in Manila were very patient with bikes. Which is nice to think about despite the many problems this country is facing. Sure some roads could use some work to be a little more bike-friendly, but in general it was a good ride.

It’s sad none of us didn’t have a way to record the distance and time ridden but I estimate my saddle time to be about 7 hours. More for my friends because they woke up earlier than me.

I would like to thank all motorists for being patient with us bikers.
I would like to thank God for keeping me safe despite dozens of close calls.
I would like to thank the weather for giving us good biking conditions.
And most of all, I would like to thank my bike for not giving up on me for the whole day.

Ride safe, everyone!

-jgzn

P.S. I promise to wash my bike before the year ends.