Articles in Philippines
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 …
Tourist Visa Extension Fun in Tacloban
I had some bread and coffee with the firefighters in the morning and I was back on the road. It was a tough day for me. I didn’t have to cover a huge amount of distance to get to Tacloban, but the traffic was very bad and I was just about going out of my mind by the end of the day. And when I …
“I Shall Return” Monument in Palo
This will likely be my last day in Tacloban. I will do a bit of shopping and organizing and planning and then I’ll be back on the road tomorrow morning. Yesterday, Sunday, was a pretty quiet day in Tacloban. I like Sundays in the Philippines as there is so little traffic on the streets. But they can also be a bit boring as so many …
Buying Beer, Ice, and Bike Gear in Tacloban
I managed to track down more beer and ice yesterday. I doubled down on the beer this time, and as a result I’m a little bit out of it this morning. I slept quite a long time, but I don’t feel like I got much rest. Alcohol affects me that way.
I had fun with the ice and beer, though. I went back to the grocery …
Reality TV in Tacloban
A few days have passed since my last entry, and I haven’t done anything to write about. I’m still in Tacloban. I should have left days ago, but a very bad weather system passed through. There were heavy thunderstorms every single day, and I delayed my departure each day. I intended to move to a cheaper hotel, but I was too lazy even for that, …
Organizing and Shopping for Bike Gear
Another day in Tacloban gets underway with a good cup of coffee at Bo’s Coffee. This is the very first place I stopped at when I arrived in Tacloban, and I’ve come back many times. I’ve tried many other cafes and coffee shops in the city, but this is the only one that I can depend on. The others might produce a good cup of …
Fuel Bottle for My Trangia
I got a great night of sleep last night for some reason, and I feel full of energy. Unfortunately, Tacloban was in the same mood and I was overwhelmed by the insane traffic before I even got to my favorite coffee shop. That was my fault, though, because I decided to take a different route. It’s always a good idea to just turn down a …