Getting to School

Or, taking your life into your hands.

One of the reasons Mike chose the compound we live in is because of its proximity to Olivia's school.  I have always wondered how far it is........just went to google maps, did some rerouting as it put me in two wrong locations, then found a converter, it gave me distance in kilometers, and I do not do that sort of math in my head....and discovered it is 1.25 miles.  It is actually more because we have to get out of the compound to the gate, about another quarter mile.  That being said, it is not all that far. But the fact that I walk or ride a bike most days to the school and eating virtually no junk food for the past four and a half months has certainly had a positive effect on my body.  
Anyway, that is not what this post is about.  It is about getting there (and home).  The main road right out side our compound is a nice wide road with wide lanes on either side of the driving lanes for bicycles.....oh, and motorized bikes, three wheeled bikes, (some motorized), scooters, horse drawn wagons and cars who just have to get around slower cars....yes they think nothing of passing on the right here.  No matter that a bicycle is going along or one of the other slower type vehicles.  
There has been some sort of construction project going on on this road since we got here.   For the most part it has not impacted traffic until very recently. What was there were these blue buildingesque things, inside and under which work was going on.   They took up about half the bike lane for short sections but you could still easily get by without having to go into traffic.  But it did force sidewalk users into the mix of small conveyances.   About a month and a half ago they started taking them down, very exciting!  Ha!  As soon as that process started they started pounding holes in different sections along the road and constructing more blue building things taking up one entire lane of the road and its accompanying bike lane.  Now if that isn't a mess I don't know what is.  This is a heavily traveled road, especially at typical commuter times.  They are funneling all the traffic into the one side of the road, no more separate lane for the slowpoke vehicles.  


This is what it looked like prior to the blue building construction.  To the left of the solid white line is the bike lane......See, someone is passing on the right into the bike lane!!!  Mike and Olivia are riding on the side walk as it is the first time they rode tandem.....I think the last too:)  The side walks are separate, hand-laid blocks, very bumpy when sitting on the bike rack....The locals keep a cushion strapped on it.  Little did we know at the time this would all be hidden.

On this particular day I was walking and had my camera with me.....no attempting to photograph while riding now!

 This is the road now.  Large blue walls to keep cars from falling into the 12 foot deep pit on the other side....it runs the entire length of the wall.  You can see one of the little three wheeled things going along.  Usually they are sharing the bike lane.  Over under the trees is where you just saw Mike and Olivia on the sidewalk.....now covered in dirt from the hole behind the wall.

You can see everyone has caught up to the cart thing.  If I were riding my bike home I would be right there in that narrow lane along with the cars.  They can fit along side and go around you but they can't seem to do it without honking their horn at you......"I know you are there, I am trying not to ram my handle bars into the lovely blue wall."
If I am riding with someone we just ride side by side and the cars have to go along behind us......Just like the natives do.
You can see how much space there is to fit along by the car.....the other side is much narrower!

This is the sideride, oops I mean sidewalk!  Some people are not willing to try to ride in the skinny lane so walkers beware.  I tried this method the first time I rode along with the new setup.....It is harder than in the road.  Sometimes there are wheelchairs going along and they usually stay in the road.  There must be an old peoples home in the village off to my right.
The picture above shows a guy just entering the construction.  Directly behind him is the intersection.  It gets very crazy here because they have right on red but you don't seem to be required to stop before you go right....they are experts at merging, or not.  I have to go left at this light to get to the school.  I go with the crosswalk lights most of the time, but.....you have those right on red people from the other direction and they don't give a hoot about you.  (Neither do the ones going straight!)

Hence taking your life into your hands!
After this intersection it is smooth sailing

 (This is actually a different day)  Much more smog, very cold and I am riding my bike.  Yep, just got through the construction zone in one piece!


Love, fondly,sincerely,
zaijian,
Ramona