IT was May 2003, and Southeast Asia was right in the middle of the SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) outbreak, causing many in the hotel sector to suffer a decline in business.
So, I decided to head for Bali from Kuala Lumpur, for a week of unpaid leave. I called my Balinese friend, Hery, and he arranged two Harley-Davidson motorcycles for us, with the promise to give me a guided tour of the island. What an adventure we had, all in a single day.
Things started off smoothly as we headed out on a winding road along the south of the island. That was when it happened. Hery was riding ahead of me, and I could see a large lorry approaching. Suddenly, and without warning, a giant wild turkey sprinted across the road in front of Hery’s Harley, just as the lorry was passing him in the opposite direction. The lorry hit the giant bird with a loud “whoomp” and the turkey burst in an explosion of feathers and guts that sprayed all over Hery. I thought it was hilarious. But that was just the start.
On our way back into town, we stopped at a red light, next to another lorry. Naturally, with the lorry blocking his view, Hery did not see an old woman crossing the road. The light turned green just as she emerged into view, half-way across and Hery ran right into her. But the old woman was nimble. She jumped into the air, spun 90º, grabbed his handlebars with both hands, and landed face to face with Hery, straddling his front tyre with her legs. It was amazing, but I had the feeling she had done it before.
Then it was my turn. As we rode down a busy main road, a young man on a small scooter came flying out from a side road and smashed into me. My Harley wobbled but I maintained control and did not fall. When I looked in my rear view mirror, however, what I saw gave me cause for concern.
The scooter was flipping end over end and disintegrating, sending rider tumbling head over heels amongst the debris of metal and rubber that was once his motorbike. Hery and I pulled over, and watched as the rider slowly got up, clothes torn, covered in blood and dirt. He picked up a detached side mirror with one hand, part of a wheel with the other hand, and staggered over to talk to us, just as the police arrived.
An argument ensued in Bahasa Indonesia and I had no idea what was happening. Finally, the policeman turned to me and said in English: “He’s asking for 50,000 and he won’t press any charges.”
“What?” I exclaimed. “This wasn’t my fault! He ran into ME! I am not paying him anything! 50,000! You must be crazy!”
Hery then pulled me aside and whispered in my ear. “Bro, the guy is in bad shape and his bike is destroyed. And 50,000 rupiah is only US$5 (RM15.80).”
Oh, I see. US$5. Here you go. Bye. And we rode off. Lesson: In a foreign land, although it’s always your fault, don’t jump to conclusions. It may not be as bad as you think.
Which leads us to our Question Of The Week: Have you ever been in a bike or car accident, and what happened? A special treat for the best tweet sent to me @SteveCokkinias this week will get an invitation for 2 adults and 2 children to join the annual Teddy Bear Tea at Carlton Gourmet on Dec 10!
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