Articles in Philippines
Hostel Bathrooom & Cagsawa Ruins – Legazpi
Thursday April 4, 2013
6:30 a.m. Mayon Backpackers Hostel, Legazpi
Yesterday, I uploaded a large part of my journal plus some pictures at an Internet café near the hostel, and it worked out fairly well. I am using an AlphaSmart Neo still and in order to download the contents, I have to attach it to a computer with a USB cable. That turns the NEO into an …
Legazpi Tricycle Construction and the Fiesta
Legazpi is where I landed in the Philippines and I ended up staying there quite a bit longer than I anticipated. I enjoyed cycling around the nearby countryside and getting a feel for the country. I also enjoyed the fiesta that went on for a full month. There was always something new to see and do at night and during the day.
Meet Paul
Meet Paul. He is the oldest resident in the small village of Salvacion on the lower slopes of the Mayon Volcano in the Bicol Region of the Philippines. He has never married and so has no children and has lived in the house behind us for his entire life. He was born in that house and grew up there, and when his parents passed away …
Meet Carlo
Meet Carlo. He is one of the younger residents of the village of Salvacion – a small agricultural village on the slopes of the Mayon Volcano in the Bicol Region of the Philippines. Carlo had just recently graduated from college in Manila. He studied computers. I asked him what he was doing now. Was he on vacation? And he replied that he was looking for …
Meet a Lucky Man
Meet the luckiest man on earth – a man with four beautiful daughters. I was riding my bike down some rocky roads on the slopes of the Mayon Volcano when I heard an incessant beeping. I recognized it as a tricycle horn. Ahead of me I saw this tricycle, and the little girl in front of daddy was pressing down on the horn again and …
Rice Drying in the Sun
Rice drying on the road. All the roads I cycled down were covered in these large tarps covered in drying rice. I don’t know how the rice-growing seasons work here, but it seems that there recently had been a harvest. I also don’t know what the etiquette is for drivers. Most drove around the rice, but I did see a number of vehicles go right …
The Volcano is Over There!
These little boys seemed to think I needed help in spotting the Mayon Volcano. “It’s over there!” he’s saying. I guess the assumption is that a foreigner in this area is either looking for the volcano or the whale sharks in Donsol. It’s a pretty safe bet, I guess, though I don’t know how anyone could ever miss the volcano. It’s pretty darn big. An …
Green, Green Philippines
One of the biggest impressions I’ve had of the Philippines since I arrived is just how tremendously green and lush it is. I generally wear polarizing sunglasses and with those on, the brilliant greens practically burn out my eyeballs. It’s great.