Articles tagged with: barangay
A Night in Amambucale, Samar
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
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
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
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
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
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 …
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 …
Cycling Catanduanes 9 – Hanging Out at Pururan Surf Beach
My last night in Gigmoto passed pleasantly enough. Domingo and his cousin ate their meal beside me on the dining room table and we all watched TV afterward. They were both quite amused by the Filipino sitcom playing. I guess it would be unfair to criticize a sitcom, but it was extremely corny and over-acted. I also noted that nearly every single member of the …