I think the coolest thing I ever heard was when I was mountain biking along a dirt road that went over a small hilly ridge in the Philippines. My friend and I knew it was likely it would rain. Usually in the rainy season it rains about 1 hour before sunset. We were on the way back to our lodgings and crossing this ridge when we heard something I had never heard before. It was almost a quiet hissing .............................. ssssssssssssssssssssssssSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHH HHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!
What we heard was the approaching downpour coming up from behind. It looked like an approaching wall of water. I mean first it was dry. Then, in 30 seconds we go from no rain to raindrops 1 to 1-1/2 inches in diameter. We were at the top of this little ridge (about 50 ft. high) on a dirt road with huge potholes (3-4 inches deep and 3-6 feet in diameter) and about a mile and a half from our lodgings. We were soaked to the bone before we got 300 ft.
All the potholes were filled within 1 minute of the start of the rain. Our shoes, feet and legs got soaked because we were pedaling through the potholes. The rain soaked our clothes and our backpacks and it was still raining that hard when we got to the house we were staying at. The funny thing was that it was WARM. So we got this bright idea to take a shower in the water cascading off the roof (no, not naked!! For guys, you leave your shorts on and then just soap up the rest of your body. If you're determined enough to take a full shower you just soap up your shorts too without removing them.)
I know I couldn't take that type of shower in the rain in the US. I'd catch a cold or die of hypothermia. It's fun to be able to say that I was able to take a shower in the rain. Though when the lightning started, we went inside.
What we heard was the approaching downpour coming up from behind. It looked like an approaching wall of water. I mean first it was dry. Then, in 30 seconds we go from no rain to raindrops 1 to 1-1/2 inches in diameter. We were at the top of this little ridge (about 50 ft. high) on a dirt road with huge potholes (3-4 inches deep and 3-6 feet in diameter) and about a mile and a half from our lodgings. We were soaked to the bone before we got 300 ft.
All the potholes were filled within 1 minute of the start of the rain. Our shoes, feet and legs got soaked because we were pedaling through the potholes. The rain soaked our clothes and our backpacks and it was still raining that hard when we got to the house we were staying at. The funny thing was that it was WARM. So we got this bright idea to take a shower in the water cascading off the roof (no, not naked!! For guys, you leave your shorts on and then just soap up the rest of your body. If you're determined enough to take a full shower you just soap up your shorts too without removing them.)
I know I couldn't take that type of shower in the rain in the US. I'd catch a cold or die of hypothermia. It's fun to be able to say that I was able to take a shower in the rain. Though when the lightning started, we went inside.
Comment