Greenway Cycle

The weather greeting us as we began in Westport was a dangerous balance. The clouds hung thick and grey like a soft blanket, but the promise of rain meant this tranquil quilt could turn into a rain storm. While a sunny day would be ideals, in the climate of Ireland such a luxury is rare, to say the least. The bus up to Westport was uneventful, but the day really got started as we acquired our bikes, as you might expect. We naturally ran a test run of our new wheels. The owner of the bikes we had rented was not amused when one of our number attempted to pull a wheelie without knowing how to, But once the bikes were set, helmets worn and gear ready, we trundled down the road to the path we would be taking.

As we set off, I lay back in my seat in perfect comfort as the beautiful scenery just sped by. I watched as I left my fellow students way behind and they waving with good nature at me. Only two others were with me, keeping pace. I reached the first stop in ten minutes, despite our teacher saying it would take forty minutes. The bus driver then got off and told us to wait for the others. As I lay back into my seat, I waited for my two wheeled friends to arrive. As they did, a tale they told me showed the trip was not plain sailing, as one fellow had the misfortune to go through space currently occupied by another fellow, resulting in an unfortunate collision. Also, some cyclists noticed a budding young backpackerĀ walking the path too. It was noted that this man arrived well before the last of our group did, proving that two wheels are only good if you know how to use them. To cap it off one poor student became incredibly ill. One of his friends stayed with him on the bus. It later turned out to be a problem with his appendix. He survived the day and is now in hospital where his condition is stable.

Despite the eventful start the next stage went smoothly. However after arriving at the second stop, a problem arose: two of the cyclists were not there. to complicate matters they had no phones, so we immediately assumed they were dead and cancelled all searches. however spirits were lifted as we progressed to stop three, as they had simply forgotten to stop at stop two. Our mourning was cut short. We were glad, as at point two we had stopped at the beach and we noticed a small dead crab. We had given it a short funeral service in honour, and many tears were shed. Happily we did not need one for our lost comrades. However disaster’s blade still swiped by: a group of cyclists were surprised by a car suddenly appearing behind them. They swerved into the ditch to avoid a vehicular collision. It resulted however in a bicycluar collision, as they collided with each other. Thankfully, stop 3 was the last, as we sat on a bench, biting into a sausage roll (Three for a euro! What a deal!) We reflected on life, the universe and indeed everything. We felt somehow wiser from it, learning of how fickle life is. The boy’s who appendix burst, the two who lost, the near car collision and the poor crab who went to the great sea in the sky. It was a day to remember, lest thou lose sight of what is important.