Location: Padre Burgos, Leyte, Philippines

Today was one of the most stressful travel days I’ve ever had. I barely slept all night and had a tough time focusing this morning, so I grabbed a cab to the shop to purchase my ferry ticket to Leyte Island. When I got there I was immediately uncomfortable, as everyone was outright staring and coming way too close to me. I grabbed my ticket as fast as I could and beelined it for the pier, with people honking their horns and calling me out the whole way.

Oh yeah and I stepped in sewage sludge on the way.

Guess I need new Nike’s.

I boarded the ferry and was stuck into this room crammed with bunk beds, on a little top bunk with a leather mattress and no AC. Babies cried all around me and I just thought to myself oh my god what am I doing. I journaled and tried to sleep, unsuccessfully.

Five very hot hours later we arrived in the pitch black on Leyte Island, where I found out the shuttle I needed was full (you couldn’t book in advance for reference). I grabbed a shuttle to the town nearest to Padre Burgos (an hour long shuttle) on which someone tried to feel me up. Luckily a really nice older man snapped at the guy and said he would help me find a taxi for the rest of the way.

The older man negotiated with this driver, who then proceeded to take me not to a taxi, but to this motorbike that had a half of a BUS built around it made of sheet metal and old signs. Since I needed to go so far and was the only one it was going to be expensive. Turns out ‘expensive’ still only meant 400 pesos (about $10 CAD). For TWO HOURS?! I sat in the front and couldn’t sit up straight as my head would hit the roof (and I don’t know if you’ve noticed but I am not tall). There was no door so my foot had to dangle outside the vehicle. No seatbelts to be found. The driver didn’t speak English but the motorbikes engine was working so hard and was so loud I’m not sure he could have understood me anyway. We passed by endless residences pieced together with concrete and what looked like bamboo. What am I doing here.

We started seeing a few nicer houses and a bunch of dive resorts. Finally finally we rolled up to Peter’s Dive Resort where I picked at some chicken before they put me in a nice room and told me about the dive schedule for the week. I’m still feeling a bit under the weather so I might just lay on the beach instead of diving tomorrow, but I’ll play it by ear.

I’m so exhausted, and hoping I sleep better tonight.

Not all travel days can be glamorous. Some days are just not great.

Sav