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Big Waves on Sapao Beach

October 17, 2013 – 9:45 am
Fisherman on Sapao Beach

My goal for yesterday was to track down a place called Sapao. There is a nice picture of this place on the tourist brochure, and a number of people had asked if I’d been there yet. It seemed everyone expected me to go there. The brochure had this to say about it: “This is reputed to be an exrucionists haven on account of its delighting …

A Family Visit on the Hollywood Jetty

October 14, 2013 – 9:24 am
Young Boy on the Hollywood Jetty

Peaking out the window of my hotel room’s bathroom this morning, I was greeted with clear blue skies. That’s great after so much rain. However, as in life, the change in weather brings bad as well as good. It was sunny yesterday, too, and the heat was hard to deal with and retain a “sunny” disposition. I don’t imagine the heat will be any friendlier …

A Night in Amambucale, Samar

October 11, 2013 – 8:35 am
Halloween in Amambucale

I made the snap decision to head for the Guiuan peninsula on Samar before heading south and eventually out of the Philippines. I had a vague idea of going up the east coast of Samar and then crossing over the interior mountains and doing a loop back to Leyte, but a bum right knee has caused me to rethink that idea. I will probably go …

Boat Trip to Barangay San Antonio

October 1, 2013 – 1:22 pm
 Young Girls from San Antonio

When I left my hotel yesterday, I stopped by the jail to inquire about visiting hours and whether there were any foreigners in the jail. There were no visiting hours at all on Monday, but I did learn that there was an American in the jail. I didn’t find out his name, but someone later told me that he was a retired engineer and he …

Beach Life in Carigara

August 26, 2013 – 3:06 pm
Coral Growing on Rock

And so begins another rainy day in Carigara. I haven’t been outside yet, but the skies are nearly black with clouds and there are likely some serious rainstorms in store for the day. I don’t really mind. I’ve started to find my bearings in Carigara and I’ve located some good places to eat. I have a bunch of books to read in the house and …

Devoured by Mosquitoes at the Fire Station

June 5, 2013 – 1:20 pm
Firefighters - My Hosts for the Night

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 …

Traffic on the Road to Tacloban

May 25, 2013 – 12:04 pm
Tricycle Driver

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 …

Morning in Viriato

May 21, 2013 – 12:14 pm
Michael's Daughter Resting on My Beast of a Bicycle

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 …