Articles in West Coast of Samar
Devoured by Mosquitoes at the Fire Station
I had been told that after Catbalogan, the road became very hilly and difficult with long, hard climbs. That turned out to be true to a certain extent. The most difficult climb by far was the first one right out of the city. This is a common pattern. There might be a gentle grade on the roads as they climbed hills and mountains. But immediately …
Catbalogan and Wacky’s Pension House
My day of riding from Calbayog to Catbalogan was only a short time ago, but so much has happened that I have to close my eyes and think carefully to bring it back. It was a beautiful ride through lovely countryside, not quite as nice as the stretch from Allen to Calbayog, but it was still quite nice. At the beginning, the road followed the …
Traffic on the Road to Tacloban
Saturday May 25, 2013
8:37 a.m. Tacloban, Leyte
Several days have passed since I last wrote in my journal and I am now in the large city of Tacloban, the capital city of the island of Leyte, the first large island south of Samar.
Leyte is separated from Samar by the narrow San Juan Strait. A bridge was built over this strait and connects the two major islands …
A Bit of Chaos in Calbayog
The road from Viriato to Calbayog was just as beautiful as that from Allen to Viriato had been. There were some long and hard climbs, but I barely noticed them I was so wrapped up in just taking in the beautiful views – especially of the wide rivers with all the boats. The ride was particularly pleasant because there were no buses or heavy trucks. …
Morning in Viriato
I knew I had only a short distance to cycle the next day – it was about 45 kilometers to Calbayog – and I was in no hurry to get out of bed and get moving. I got up around 7 (that counts for sleeping in on a cycling trip), and found Michael on the sofa and playing with his new baby daughter. It was …
A Wonderful Night in Viriato
I was cycling at a pretty good pace (good for me, that is), and some rough calculations told me that I could make it to Calbayog before dark if I wanted to. However, the land had other ideas about that and it suddenly became much hillier and I was reduced to my usual stately crawl up long steep slopes. At that pace, reaching Calbyog seemed …
Enjoying the Breeze – Ferry Ride from Matnog to Allen
The trip across to the port town of Allen on Samar went by quickly and pleasantly – at least once we got moving. The loading had taken many hours and we left hours after the departure time I had been given. The Penafranca boat had left long ago and likely had already arrived in Allen. Once we were moving and there was a breeze, I …
“Sir, Can You Move Your Bike?” – and Doug Gets Hulkified
While I waited, I had the perfect vantage point to watch all the young street boys swarming over the boat and diving into the water to retrieve coins. On the first ferry I’d taken, the Penafranca, this hadn’t happened. I’d actuallly seen a sign inside the ferry saying this activity was not allowed. At the Matnog ferry terminal, it was still common, and it was …