Articles in All
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 …
Frantic Ferry – The Trip to Samar
I had checked out the ferry terminal when I first arrived in Matnog, and I learned that there were at least three different ferry companies operating. They all charged the same for the trip – 120 pesos – and a ferry left every 35 minutes. On that day, the ferry terminal was practically empty, and there were no line-ups at the ticket windows. I hoped …
Day Three and Matnog’s Still-Hidden Charms
The next day, my last day in Matnog, was an odd sort of day. I spent the morning writing in my journal and drinking coffee and hanging out at the resort. This was not quite as relaxing and enjoyable as it sounds as the skin on my legs around my knees was so itchy and sore that I wanted to scream at times. Plus, I …
“Where’s my spoon and water bottle?” Robbed in Matnog
Charmless Matnog was not, however, finished with me, and I rode my bike back to my improvised campsite in the Richwell Beach Resort walled compound to find that I had been robbed. True, the robbers had not gotten away with much, but it was still quite annoying. They had taken a few things that I’d left out on the table with my campstove. They took …
“Pass the Brownies and Pepsi” – Island Hopping in Matnog
Once I’d paid all my fees, I left the tourism office and followed the Filipino woman and a boatman out into the street. She walked up to a big white van that was crammed with people. I thought I was expected to get inside the van, but I knew the boat couldn’t be far and I preferred to walk to the water’s edge. The boatman …
The “Foreigner Price” in Matnog
I woke up full intending to make the best of the day. Matnog was not going to defeat me. I was going to be flexible and I was going to go with the flow. I was not going to impose my Western ideas of logic and common sense. I would simply go to the tourism office for 7 o’clock and then let what happens happen. …