We should have just turned right...

A bolt out of the blue. Darkness seemed to slowly creep up from behind the island. We looked at each other and started to dread the worst. Inevitably, the sound of rolling thunder summoned up our worst fears. Jumping of the boat we made our way along the jetty. There I was, wearing my new sunglasses, trying to look cool when the rain started to fall. Thankfully it was a slight drizzle and it lasted a mere 10 mins. We walked to the rental place, paid the shop keeper and made our way towards the map at the entrance of the trail. Before long, we were zooming along the tarmac, silently praying that the rain would not come. We started at Chek Jawa (not sure if I spelt that properly) and upon completion I was starting to feel the fatigue. 1 trail and I was done. How can that be? We stopped for a quick drink and continued along our way. Riding around the island we completed a few more trails before we decided to head to the dirt skill area. Open land. Knolls after knolls, as far as the eye could see. Arrows with fancy names tempted us at every corner, calling out for us to go give it a try. Succumbing to her powers of persuasion, we tried them all. The dirt skill track was the last ride before it all began. Amid the welcoming blue arrows we decided to go along the trail, with the black diamonds and arrows. the first 5 mins was interesting but the next hour or so, was an adventure we have no intention of doing again. The trail was hard. More that hard, it was insane. Maybe to those other experienced bikers, you would happily spend your time in there but we were struggling. Half the time we had to stop and carry our bikes over rocks, logs and push them up slopes so steep, it touched the sky. It did not seem to end. Forever, it went on. Finally we came out into a small clearing. Left or right? No sign boards anywhere. As the trail to the left was down hill we decided to follow it. Once again, it did not seem to end. Once again, as fate would have it, we reached a cross junction. Where too now? trying not to think too much, we decided to go on straight. The terrain got muddier and started to go up hill. After and arduous task of going up hill we came to a dead end. I hit my brakes and skidded to a halt. That's when it hit me. Both my thighs cramped up the moment I stopped peddling. I fell of my bike and tried to walk it off. Searing pain shot through me as I tried to stand up straight. Squatting, the pain eased up a little. Holding my breadth, I stood up and gingerly stretched both my legs. So much for not stretching before strenuous exercises. Getting back on my bike, we headed back the way the came. We turned right. Cycling down the stone filled road we went on for ages only to find another dead end. Moral was at a all time low by this time. Once again, we turned around and headed back in the opposite direction. From the cross junction we decided to carry on, as if we had turned right initially. Up the hill we climbed and soon we found ourselves at another dead end. We took 3 routes and they were all dead ends. Did that mean we had to re-trace our steps all the way to the beginning of the black diamond trail? It was too much. We haded back. Reaching the cross junction we went back the same we that we had originally came from. as we paddled up hill, we came back to the exit point of the black diamond trail. We stopped for a minute. Tried and thirsty, we did not know what to do. We had been peddling for over an hour and all we could find were dead ends. So after a short discussion we decided to head up hill, that means turn right upon exiting the black diamond trail. we peddled up hill for 50 meters or so, and what would you know. There was the main road. There we were, lost for over an hour, in no man's land and all we had to do in the first place was turn right. With smiles on our faces we sped off into the afternoon sun for fresh coconuts and 100-plus. What an adventure.