Articles in All
Cycling to Tabac; Ferry to Catanduanes
Wednesday April 10, 2013
6:00 a.m. Boat from Tobaco, Luzon to Virac, Catanduanes, Philippines
I almost didn’t make it out of Legazpi yesterday. I woke up feeling that I just wanted to hang out for another day. That feeling was reinforced by everything – the relative comfort of my private room (despite the presence of a family of very large cockroaches in the bathroom), the cloudy skies, …
Changing Money, Getting Water, and Finding the Post Office
Tuesday April 9, 2013
7:00 a.m. Legazpi, Philippines
It’s funny how the little things affect one’s life. I’m thinking in terms of living and traveling in a relatively poor country. For example, I’m inside this little canteen in Legazpi and having a cup of coffee. A pleasant experience. However, the table is plastic and the chairs are plastic. They all wobble and aren’t very secure. The table …
Bubble Milk Tea in the Philippines? Yep – with “sinkers”
Monday, April 8, 2013
7:30 a.m. Legazpi, Philippines
There were no adventures large or small yesterday, so I don’t have much to say this morning. It was a Sunday, and I noted that Sundays really do mean something in the Philippines. The streets were nearly empty, the jeepneys had ceased their endless parade, and most of the shops and stores were closed.
After my morning coffee and a …
Running Errands in Legazpi – SIM Card
Yesterday was something of a busywork day. I went to an Internet café to upload some pictures to Flickr. I wasn’t sure how that would work out, but I wanted to give it a try. I put the SD card into a card reader and plugged it in and then started the upload. I figured I could write in my journal and surf the Internet …
Clowns and Mascots
A local business in Legazpi. This operation is right on Rizal Street, and I pass it several times a day. They can arrange for performers to come to your events or they can rent you costumes. Having been traumatized by Stephen King’s “IT” long ago, I experience a small freakout every time I have to pass this sign at night.
My New Room in Legazpi
My new room in Legazpi, Philippines. My old home in Legazpi was booked by a large group for today and tomorrow, and I was asked to move out. I was just staying day to day, so technically I didn’t have a reservation and they gave me the boot. I moved to a very basic kind of place on Rizal Street called something like “J&Y Dormitory”. …
Lunch in Legazpi
Meet my lunch in the Philippines. I ordered rice plus one meat dish and two vegetable dishes. The meat dish is called pork steak. The yellowish vegetable dish at the top is called “ginataang kalabasa.” It seemed to be a kind of squash cooked with coconut milk. The green vegetable dish in the middle is called “ginataang sitaw.”
Meet Aljon in Legazpi, Philippines
Meet Aljon. Aljon works at the Mayon Backpackers Hostel in Legazpi. He works the front desk and cleans the kitchen and rooms and gets the rooms ready for the next guests. Aljon puts in such long hours that I thought he never went home. Then I learned that the hostel IS his home. The owner of the hostel is paying for Aljon’s university education and …