How do I sum up the toughest physical experience of my life? I am not sure what to expect of these posts or if I will be able capture my experience, but the one thing I am certain of this experience was that I was terrified. Especially after hearing about if an accident did happen, it would take 4 hours to be helicoptered out to Darwin once or if the helicopter was able to pick you up.
Thats the funny thing about fear, it makes you realize that its pretty easy to self-revolved around your own fear. Its easy to limit our worldview on what we can and can not do, but in reality somethings are beyond our control.
My first day of cycling was like a mirage, crowds filled up the street to send us off. There was such support and solidarity that this young and small nation were committed to ensure that us guests were given the best hospitality that this young country had to offer.
I wondered if this were to happen in a more developed city, would the crowds show this excitement? Would they be this warm? In our world where it is survival of the fittest, why cooperate and support people you dont know?
That day I not only blown away by the warmth of the people but captivated by the coast line. The 100 km cycle ironically gave me one sore, and it wasnt on my bum, it was my jaws from smiling at all the people and children who were supporting us through this incredible journey. As the support vehicles led the way, they distributed flags to all the kids 🙂
That night when we arrived at the camp site, I was disappointed to see an act of such judgement and arrogance of one of the race organizers. Some of the bags and other items went missing, which was assumed to be taken by some of the locals. In actual fact, what was discovered was that one of the vehicles never left the capital but at that point a race organizer was frustrated.
One of the riders bags were left behind, as she stood there the organizer yelled at her saying “what do you want? this your country, go figure out your things”. When she shared that her bag was left in Dili, he just threw to her a mat and a sleeping sheet with such disgust.
As I reflected upon that experience, I was so upset that this white man felt he had the right to do this. I wonder if he was told to switch places with the rider, how would he feel if someone treated him like that?
That night while we were having dinner, tons of kids walked around, curious at what all these foreigners were doing in their villages. We had dinner with two Aussie guy, it just reminded that with every person who gives you a bad image of a country are, chances are you will meet two others which will give you a good one.
