10.26.06 kulturnatib

At the roof of the world

John Pirsig, writing in Zen and The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance, said that with motorcycles one is truly in the picture in ways that one cannot be in a car. That is so. Even more so when one is on a bicycle.

I don't know if Jens Funk knows John Pirsig or his book. But, i know that Jens knows plenty about bicycles.

Together with a friend, Martin Langevoord, and collaborator on a book, the first and only so far, on cycling in the Philippines – it's the Visayas Edition as it features rides mostly in this region, though rides in Palawan, Romblon and Camiguin are included -- they recently took a trip from Pakistan to China along Karakoram Highway through some of the highest, most challenging and most picturesque passes in the world.

They undertook this journey to draw attention to and raise funds for the foundation that they have set up. The Bike 4 U foundation aims to gather donated bikes and bike parts from all over, primarily in the Philippines and Germany to give to deprived Filipino children, to introduce them to riding and repairing bicycles and to give them opportunities to join biking seminars.

Both Jens and Martin also know a thing or two about Filipino children, though it is with Jens that I know this firsthand.

I wrote about this innovative project that he helped set up in Cabilao Island, Bohol that provided satellite inernet access mostly to school children but also to the community and the tourists who flock to this diving haven.

Jens works here as a development worker with the German DED as an information technology consultant for the Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE), working particularly in IT curriculum development and teacher training. He is now working with some local telecommunications company to convert the satellite hook-up system in Cabilao to the much cheaper wireless wifi connection using mobile cell technology.

Jens also plays here. Yet, more than anything, he also wishes to share the fun. This led to the writing of the bicycling guide book.

I was privileged to join Jens on one of these fun rides some years back. We undertook to bike across Cebu island from Dalaguete on the east to Badian on the west through Mantalongon the vegetable basket of Cebu.

Going up to Mantalongon was fairly easy as the road is mostly paved, but it was the crossing to the other side, the following day, that proved to be a challenge as the road had just been recently opened and it had rained the night before making the ride very slippery through very steep, rock strewn slopes.

Jens ate this up. Just as I imagine he did their recent Pakistan to China trip though at elevations many times higher than Mantalongon.

Just how, though, I can't be certain. But I should soon find out.

This Sunday, October 29, he will be presenting a slide show of their trip at the Outpost Restaurant along Busay Road, at 9pm. He will also turn over whatever donations they received through the trip, from their main sponsors, North Face, Philippines and Rudy Project, Philippines and the kilometrage purchases bought, mostly online, at P60 or 1EU$ per kilometer of the entire length of their trip.
Everybody is invited. See you there.