Tag Archives: BGC

City biking

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Biking in BGC. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

Twin I and I changed location today and we tried biking in a busier area than we are used to because I want to teach her again how to bike with more cars and stop lights around.

Photo by CallMeCreation.com

I was teaching her how to cross intersections. She has more confidence now in biking alongside cars compared to the first time I brought here to bike.

Water break near Philippine Stock Exchange. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

Since Twin I is braver now, we crossed 5th Avenue to reach McKinley Road and went to McKinley West for steeper inclines and car-free roads. Then we went back to Lawton Avenue to go back to BGC.

Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf at Bonifacio High Street. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

We took a break and I had cold coffee with a cookie while Twin I had a vanilla drink and cupcake. The sun was already setting so we decided to go back to our parking area.

But we couldn’t locate our parking area.

It took us a while so we had more exercise than we had bargained for. 😂 Burned all the calories we gained at Coffee Bean.

Photo by CallMeCreation.com

This is the painful part. I had to fold up the bikes again and load them back into the Crosswind. Good thing I am no helpless woman as I can carry a bike by myself.

I need more practice again as I got tired easily. Prior to yesterday, the last time I attempted to bike was in November last year when I tried to check if I can expend energy that much after Covid. And wow, it took me six months to get back on track. I gained a lot of weight in between those months.

I need to buy my girls new helmets because they have already outgrown the ones they have now. Just like their swimsuits.

Tomorrow I need to have Twin A’s gear shifter fixed/change cables before we can bike again inside UP for our daily exercise. I need to lose all the weight I gained post-Covid so my breathing will be better and I can resume my freediving practice. I plan to bring my sister-in-law and nephews to Anilao before my girls start their entrance exam reviews. The rainy season is slowly creeping in.

Here’s to a fitter 2022!

Ugh! Tomorrow I’m supposed to be on holiday because of the elections but I cannot just sit back or else I will spend the day as a nervous wreck (and all of the people I’ve talked to who are voting for Leni are also tensed and anxious). I think I need to work to keep my mind off the elections.

God help us.

All good planning came to nothing

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We woke up late.

The sky was dark, like there would a big thunderstorm.

No Rizal trip.

But the rain did not come and it was already too late to go anywhere in Rizal, even in Antipolo.

Bike rental Moovr. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

We ended up in BGC again and the girls rented a bike to satisfy that itch to try this thing. What they initially wanted were the scooters but every scooter was taken so the girls had to content themselves with the bikes.

Twin I trying the rented bike. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

After that we ended up in Bonifacio High Street since the government announced that Metro Manila is now downgraded to Alert Level 2, which means the kids can be allowed to eat in restaurants. So that’s what happened.

Bonifacio High Street. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
People watching while waiting for food. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
Ate C also came with us. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

We needed to walk off the calories so we strolled the length of High Street going the direction of McKinley. We crossed the Mind Museum.

After our early dinner, we walked towards Mind Museum and the girls tried the jeepney displayed at the lobby.

Then we had drinks at Coffee Bean & Tealeaf near Burgos Circle to end the day.

Waiting for our chocolate drinks. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

I didn’t want to end up in a commercial center again but what can I do? Oh well, next time I would go on a long drive on my own. Just to feel the wind on my face.

So tomorrow we get stuck again in the four corners of our apartment.

Gong Xi Fa Cai!

Biking in BGC

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Bike lane at BGC. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

We felt trapped inside the apartment and biking to UP is not yet feasible as some side streets were still closed. So my daughter, Twin I, suggested we bike in BGC where they have dedicated bike lanes.

So we did. Waited for the sky to clear as it has been drizzling earlier yesterday morning. I loaded up our foldies at the back of the car, drove there for 40 mins then parked at OneParkade. I felt it was a bit safer to bike there since it was a weekend so the volume of cars is much less plus the bike lanes are protected by those orange posts that deter cars from occupying the bike lanes as they do in EDSA or C5.

Crossing via pedestrian lane. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

Some sections of BGC don’t have bike lanes so we didn’t have much choice but to use the pedestrian lanes and sidewalks since I am with my daughter. If it was just me I can attempt riding on the streets.

Almost empty roads. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
Bike rental. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

We saw a bike rental in some parking lots. I haven’t investigated how these things work, like the bike only unlocks via an app? How do they keep these bikes from being stolen? In Taiwan they have something like Ubike there, the yellow rental bikes scattered all over Taipei. It makes sense since traffic in Taipei is bike friendly and their sidewalks allow bikes if there are no dedicated bike lanes. So if you live in one of the condos in BGC and work somewhere else in BGC, it makes more sense to get a bike or scooter than take Grab or a car. Parking in BGC is a nightmare as parking lots are always full.

So before going home, Twin I and I stopped at McDonald’s at the corner or 5th and 32nd street to get sundaes and cookies. Talk about carbo/sugar loading negating the calories we burned.

Photo by CallMeCreation.com

It was an eye-opener that I can bike in BGC on weekends but not with kids. It’s hard to keep them safe from the asshole drivers, like that taxi driver who entered the bike lane because he didn’t want to be held up by a red light. I shouted at the driver that what a prick he was for almost mowing us down.

So I told my daughter that we would just have to stick to UP Diliman for now, even just along University Avenue, until they open up the campus again for bikers and joggers. Maybe tomorrow, if I get off work early.