So, I Crashed The Motorbike...

Today, I decided to go on an adventure. I left my bungalow in the morning, and after a big breakfast, I went straight to the motorbike rental company. "You drive before?" they asked. "Yes," I said, which was kind of true, since I had had a five minute driving lesson in a field a week before in Chiang Mai. I got the bike, and drove around until I found the petrol station. With a full water bottle and a full tank of petrol, I was ready to head into the misty mountains. I drove for about an hour up a hill and through tiny villages and found my way to a few lovely little waterfalls, where I spent a few happy hours climbing and splashing and generally having a great time. I left, and when I reached Pai again, I chose a direction and started driving. After a while, I turned onto a long, winding, crazy mountain pass. I drove this for about a half hour, and was finally starting to feel confident about my driving and turning and whatnot. Pride cometh before the fall. Literally. I crashed the motorbike. I had turned around, and was cruising down the mountain and feeling super cool. I don't remember exactly what happened, but I was taking a steep downhill curve and suddenly I couldn't remember how to drive. I  knew I should hit the brakes, but I couldn't remember how in that moment, and I knew I should turn the handlebars, but I couldn't move. I looked straight ahead, and the bike crashed headlong into a cement post on the inside of the curve. Don't worry mom and dad, I was wearing a helmet, and good thing too, because I was thrown from the bike into the road, where my rage doll body landed flat, my head hitting the ground with a thunk. God kept my safe then, there's no other way to explain the fact that I didn't have a scratch or bruise, not even a headache where my head had smacked against the ground. I scrambled to my feet, and back to the bike, turning off the engine. The bike was heavy. and it was partly stuck in the loose sand at the side of the road. I couldn't right it by myself. Just when I was starting to exhaust myself, a man in a truck drove by and stopped in the middle of the road. He didn't speak any English, but he helped me pull my heavy bike out of the ditch and waited until I started it to get back in his truck. He stood there awhile, staring at me. I think he wanted to ask me if I was okay, or maybe HOW I was okay. I don't know if he saw to fall onto the road or not. I wasn't shaken up, I didn't have a scratch, and my bike still worked fine. Just a big crack in the front fender and a few scratches on the rest of the bike. That could have been really bad. I am so thankful that I was kept safe. As soon as I started to drive away, it started to rain. Hard. I arrived at the next waterfall on my map soaking wet and feeling exhausted. I rested there awhile, and climbed around on some of the rocks. I looked for my sunglasses case in my purse, and found it, smashed flat from when I hit the road. As I was leaving and pulling out onto the extremely steep and slippery road, I lost control of the bike, and wouldn't you know it, the damn thing tipped over on me. ONTO me. I got my leg free and moved just in time, because the bike started sliding down. I wanted to cry. Just sit down and cry. But I didn't have that option, and so I tried to get some traction on that hill, and began the difficult task of lifting the bike a rolling it to the flat spot 20ft down the road. I was out of breath, my arms were exhausted, and my feet were slipping, but I couldn't give up, and eventually I  made it to the flat spot. I sat on the seat of the bike and waited for my hands to stop shaking. I started the bike, and drove back to the rental company. Take this devil machine away from me. I have a few bruises on my leg from where the bike almost squashed it, but I was extremely lucky. I wanted an adventure, but I got more of one than I had bargained for. I think I'll take a break from driving for awhile.