Leaving Timor after Gone Cyclin’ first project Tour de Timor; the race, the history, the intensity of the experience left me quite in “awe” of a beautiful country and its people. I sat at the airport enjoying the freshly baked turkish bread and prata, looking at the small crowded-infested airport thinking that it would be a long time before I came back.
Highlights
- Running up that hill brought back so many emotions, I could see Satha sitting on the curb, could feel the military guy who put his hand on back to help push me up as I balled my eyes out.
- We went to see Jesus
- Paddled a fisherman’s boat 4 km across the ocean to another part of the island.
- As our boat capsized when we replaced the boat, one of the fisher man jumped on our boat and we literarily had to get him to jump in the ocean
- Pushed a 50 kg of rocks
- Entertained locals
- Rode a microlet
- Welcomed by 100 cheering villagers
- Herd a goat down the mountain – Billy + Victoria instand connection
- First time to walk backwards down a mountain
- First time to a ride a scooter- going down a mountain is like a roller coaster ride
- First time to abseil off a bridge – Terrifying
- Learned a local traditional dance from Timor’s finest teachers, six-eight year olds at “Ba Futura”
- Interview the President Jose again but this time for Spinning Dreams documentary
I have an extreme fear of heights, but always up to a challenge which I can learn from. I put on the safety belt and tried not to over think, as I swung my first leg over the handlebars before I froze. I asked why I was doing this? And Aaron (the instructor) told me so I could feel alive. I immediately placed my hand on my neck and my heart beat indicated I was alive.
Aaron’s word stuck with me this weekend, anything we do, no matter the magnitude must give us some form of energy. If it doesn’t, should we be making it our focus. To Breathing, Seeing, Touching, Tasting and Feeling as if it were our last time. We only have one life to live and let’s enjoy it.
