What does it feel like going 135 km/hr? Or more precisely, why would anyone try to travel at a such a speed on a 2 wheeled, 2 stroke vehicle? Questions like these constantly ate at my mind as I ran the long stretch of road from Sison, Pangasinan to Tarlac City, Tarlac practically alone on my silver Hexagon scooter. I ran it at, what everyone would later refer to as breakneck speed. Looking back, I just cannot fathom the reasons why I did what I did and took the risks attendant to such action. I know I did not do it for the thrill because, quite honestly, the adrenalin rush came only later when I realized just what I had done. I did not do it for the speed because, frankly, it didn't feel like it was that fast to begin with. But the one thing I do remember is that, while zooming accross the national highway of Northern Luzon, I was enveloped by a sense of both calm and peace that I had not felt in a long time. Running at such speed seemed to melt all my worries away. Problems that had been bothering me for days seemed so insignificant at the time, particularly in the light of the fact that you need all your faculties to control the machine at such speeds. It felt as if I was running away from my worries, an irony in the sense that I was on my way home to Manila where most of these worries reside. And there lies the essence of why people like me love to ride scoots for long distances and preferrably at breakneck speeds. We do it for the peace, for the tranquility of spirit that pervades you when, at high speeds, there exists nothing but you, your bike, and the long road. For that brief period, we are not only at peace, but alive as well. We become citizens of the road.

I've travelled the road to Baguio many times in my life, as many other Filipinos have. But none has ever beat the sensation and elation of doing it on a two-wheeled machine while riding with a pack. The theme of this trip was enjoyment. The guys referred to it as a "gimick" trip. And rightfully so. The highlights of this trip, unlike Bicol, was not the challenge of the road, although the trek going up and down via Marcos Highway provided enough riding thrills in itself. Rather, the focus here was relaxation, a break from all the wear and tear that daily Metro Manila living had imposed on us. The highlights were the bonefire nights were the pack would get together, swap stories, drink beer, and have a roudy good time. It was a time for us to discover each other, to review both the similarities and differences that characterize us and to renew the ties that have inexorably bound us together as a pack of riders, as members of Euroscoot. And of course, it was a great time for stories and lots of laughs. And boy did we laugh! We laughed so hard that many of us developed side-splitting cramps that were still painful the next day. We laughed so hard that many complained of breathlessness and facial spasms. We laughed so hard that, in the end, we felt clean and refreshed and reborn. A week later, looking back at that time and recalling the great bonefire monologues of one of the greatest undiscovered comedic talents the Philippines has ever produced, I cannot help but feel how much that expereince has aided me in dealing with the day to day problems I constantly encounter both as a person and as a physician. I've come to realize and appreciate the great amount of strenght that so much laughing could give a person. It washes your soul clean and instills in you a new lust for life that you thought you did not have or may have forgotten while embroiled in the rat race. It makes you strong so that you can take what life throws at you with a smile and, occasionally, a light- hearted chuckle. In those bonefires of Baguio, I rediscovered happinness and contentment. I only hope that the same feelings were shared by those 19 individuals that chose to live that experience with me. To all those guys, I say, "thank you" for the smile that I wear on my face everyday since coming back.

And that about summarizes this latest escapade of Euroscoot. It was a search both for peace and for renewal. I'd like to think that we all benefited from it in one way or another. What I do know is that I've become a better person and a better rider because of it. And I've never regretted going, despite the difficulties and problems we encountered. Besides, if I did not go I wouldn't have had the chance to meet Bruce Lee, whose very pressence in ourt first bonefire night ensured that our jaws were aching, our sides splitting, and our breaths shortened for the rest of the night. Quite frankly, I've never laughed so hard and felt so good in a long time. Thank you, Mr. Lee. Hope you find the right jacket for your pants.