GirlGI | Girl Gone International GirlGI Issue 5 | Page 97

THE RIDE Before I took the ride of my life, I followed the ritual dedicated to Pachamama (Mother Earth) to help us accomplish our journey safely. We all each took a sip of liquid from a small plastic bottle and then poured two drops of it, one on our front tire and one on the ground. At the start of my ride I eased up and began to feel more comfortable on the dirt road. Then the edges of the road came in plain site and I looked down. I tried my best to avoid biking near the side and remained at my own pace. There was a point where we started to hit big rocks on the road, due to recent landslides. I skidded a few times and realized I had better slow down for fear that I may skid again and fly off the mountain. My hands tightened up because I was severly stressed about breaking the whole time. Although my mind was clear, my body was wracked with nerves! I continuously opened and closed my hands and after a few minutes they loosened up and I began to feel normal. I began to realise how much fun I was having. It was neat to experience several weather conditions all in one day due to passing through different elevations. Luckily we were blessed with no rain and a cloudless sky.