Play It Safe

It was a daunting evening and a bumpy ride on a silent road of a far-off island. That unforgettable experience still gives me Goosebumps. My husband and I had planned a trip to one of the most popular islands in a foreign land. Since, we were not familiar with the place, we decided to buy a guide book from a local shop, nearby our resort. With excitement at its peak, we planned to spend some good buck and take a car on rent for one day and a bike for another. Smartly, we circled down on the map some interesting spots to visit the consecutive days. I would merely talk about the first day when we took a car on rent as we had good amount of fun in exploring a new place all by ourselves. But, the second day when we somewhat over-confidently, after a day’s successful adventure and exploration, took a bike on rent—oh! How can I forget?

So, it all started the second day of our expedition. Close to the resort was a local market where we saw some shops giving away bikes on rent. Being on an island, we were flown in emotion and thought to have some added adventure. We immediately took out the local currency and took few seconds in ensuring that we offer the vendor correctly. The vendor did some paperwork and asked us to choose a bike. I still can feel the adrenaline rush that I was going through to ride a bike in a new country, moreover island to be precise. I chose blue; bright and stood apart from the rest. The vendor again did some usual bunch of formalities as a religious act and handed over the keys and funny looking white colored helmets.

We were all set and thrilled for our ride and decided to cover all the leftover spots–spots, which could not be covered the first day. And, there we go to a crocodile park, some ancient wells, beaches, and local markets trying variety of food and art pieces. We got so involved in the uniqueness of the culture that we forgot to keep a tab on time. However, my smart husband realized well on time, right before the sunset that we must be heading back to the resort and enjoy the places in the vicinity. To which I agreed, like an obedient wife, of course.

On our way back, my husband took the charge of riding me back safe and sound (as he’s not too confident about my driving skills, I must mention though that I own excellent ones. No, seriously!). Back to the point; while he was riding the bike with complete focus on the unfamiliar routes and signboards, I was thoroughly enjoying views sitting behind him, trying to capture almost every useless thing in my camera. Suddenly, he asked me if we have to take a left turn or go straight (One thing he agrees is that I’m better at remembering the routes). This time I wasn’t too sure, mutually we decided to take the left turn. A decent busy road gave us some relief.

The fuel needle was dropping and we had it in mind to refuel the bike at the first petrol station. After covering some four kilometers we realized that this road seemed endless. We looked around and couldn’t find anyone else within the proximity. The sun was bidding adieu, the fuel needle was drooping down and now even at a faster speed. Both the sides of the street were thick forests. We were badly stuck. If we go back our little blue bike would certainly ditch us, if we move ahead, we were not sure whether this road would ever end and where to.

Finally, it was pitch dark after fifteen minutes. The road was getting narrower. We could not bet on the existence of human species as there were none. Both of us acted to be bold and brave enough. We started convincing each other, “This road will lead somewhere, definitely.” After covering few more miles, again my smart husband stopped; took a u-turn and said firmly, “OK, we are not going farther”. To which I agreed, again like an obedient wife. But, this time I certainly did not have a choice.

Somewhere, my inner self was praying to God for our safety. Still, we kept each other distracted till the time we saw a beam of light at some distance. There was such a sigh of relief, I can’t express in words. Finally, we could see some human like species and machines on wheels. And, we behaved as everything was normal and none of us were scared–I knew I was.

The next day, my husband admitted that it was a spine-chilling experience for him, even more because I was with him. After all, men will be men.

The next day, early morning we went back to the same road exploring where we could have landed if we had taken that road. And, we found a huge shipyard with gigantic ships. It was a beautiful sight of course and a wonderful lesson for the adventure freak couple.

Till date, I appreciate the decision we took that day of taking a u-turn. However, life doesn’t always offer a u-turn.

Hence, it’s important that you:

• Plan your trip well in advance
• Inquire about the place before you actually land
• Chalk down the key places or tourist spots
• Stay at places which are crowded
• Ask for a local guide
• Do not go exploring outskirts
• Always keep your fuel tank full in case you take a vehicle on rent
• Keep some important numbers in case of emergency like hotel, vendor, guide, local friend
• Always keep a torch handy
• Avoid carrying expensive items and too much of cash
• Avoid wearing too much of jewelry
• Do not experiment and explore beyond limits
• Be adventurous in doing things that you are confident about

Safety comes first. So, next time when you plan a trip to such a happening place, remember these little things. Stay adventurous, stay safe and keep travelling.