I’m Right Behind You

The life of a pillion is not a passive one. We needed to do 275kms within 5 hours. The bike can cruise between 60-70kms per hour, however livestock, traffic, fuel stops and leg stretches get in the way. After reviving ourselves with a midmorning coffee at Nakabhouli Hotel the ride was on. We had half a tank of fuel, so would be filling up again within 50 km. The tank holds 3.5 litres, which does about 100 - 120 kms, so the first bit was comfortable. I love fuel stops. They give me a chance to ease myself off the bike, straighten my knees, do a few star jumps, update My Tracks with a marker /photo, pay the attendant then jump back on, give a squeeze, and off we go. Different squeezes mean different things. I can squeeze with my hands, arms, or thighs. Full arm squeezes, under armpits and around the tummy mean ' I am having a wonderful time, the world is great and things are good'. Hand squeezes at waist level signify ' I am getting a bit anxious, there's too many hazards, take it easy, I cannot see what's happening'. I can only look left or right, front-on is blocked by a helmet. I cannot see the road surface and need B to warn me about bumps or potholes. If I lean to far out and peer over his shoulder my back is twisted. I am constantly adjusting my vision whilst keeping my position stable. Big thigh squeezes have their own meaning, too. One big squeeze, together with a left or right finger point signifies there's something interesting to look at over there. Two short brisk squeezes, 'did you see it? '. A thumbs up confirms he did. When B sees something to talk about he waves his hand in the general direction, up there, over there, far away, on the ground, wiggles like a snake, flaps like a bird, rolling hills, beautiful landscape. I give three thigh squeezes in acknowledgment. A TIGHT LONG SQUEEZE = DANGER, SLOW, STOP. Actually, it's a bit like a back seat driver putting on the brakes. When B leans forward, there's a bump coming up. I lean forward in tandem to miss the shock wave. If he stays forward so do I. When he wiggles his back ii is time for a massage, so thumbs and fingers do their thing up and down his spine. We do shoulder raises and drops, together in harmony. He stands up on the pedals, I flap-pat his bum cheeks with the back of my hand. When he sits down, I stand up on my pedals and do a few clenches. I do ankle flex and extend. His throttle arm gets tired, I lean through under the right armpit and take over for a while so he can stretch his fingers. Another 100kms has gone by. " My knees are bursting, " I shout into the wind. "Another 20 k's" the wind blows B's voice back. We fill up again, relief to stand and straighten, then get to the Laos/Thai border. Stamp out, stamp in, export papers retrieved, bike imported in, 10 minutes. We made it by 4pm. A cruise into town by 5h30, just before sunset (our headlamps are still pathetic). Brioche all gone. Same again tomorrow? Anytime, I'm right behind you.

STATS: Moving speed was 47kms per hour. Average speed over whole trip was 34 kms p/h. Maximum speed peaked at 71 kms p/h.