I made it back into Cordova Monday night, after a month of heavy travelling. I’m ready to slow down and work! I spent yesterday working in town on various projects, and this morning loaded the phantom boat at the Million Dollar Bridge and headed upriver to Baird camp.

Here is a view of Child’s Glacier from the Million Dollar Bridge:

Taking the boat through Abercrombie rapids by myself was fun. I didn’t expect the rapids to be so strong, and I while was snapping the picture below, I was thinking it wasn’t the best time to be taking photos! When I looked to my side, I realized the boat was actually going backwards.

Click the picture below to start a slideshow of my visit into the city today!

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Originally uploaded by mainelife.

Toby and I were busy this morning cutting, splitting, and stacking nearly a cord of firewood for this coming winter. I’m tentatively planning to move back here over the winter and put a basement on my cabin.





Cabin with "Indian Corn" stain

Originally uploaded by mainelife.

I was able to get the three finished walls of my cabin stained on my short trip to Maine. The stain is a semi-transparent oil-based manufactured by Cabot. It covered the rough pine with a single coat, and went on quickly and easily. I have the siding for the east wall (you can see I left it unfinished), and will probably get that and the gables finished after the foundation is done.

Human Remains at the Catholic Cemetary on Malapascua

Originally uploaded by mainelife.

At the catholic cemetary on the island, it seems that poor people merely place their loved ones in cardboard boxes and leave them. There are boxes of body parts just like these.

My Nipa hut on Malapascua Island

Originally uploaded by mainelife.

This was a very nice Nipa hut that I stayed in the past several nights. The 8km ride from Maya, Cebu to Malapascua Island is made by pump boat, which is a kayak-looking vessel with outriggers and a loud engine. I had this hut for P500 ($10US) per night, with it’s own private bath. The island was a nice rest from all the vehicle bussle that is everywhere in the Phillipines. I have never seen such pollution and mayhem! My activities on the island consisted of eatiing, sleeping, reading, and hiking.

Here’s a photo of Jeremy and I cleaning the engine in Contessa. I stole this photo from Laura’s Blog. Working on an engine in the tropics is definately an experience! It was at least 20 degrees hotter in the boat than outside. It was like a Philpino sweat lodge!

My Driver

Originally uploaded by mainelife.

My moto driver around the Chocolate Hills region of Bohol Island, in the town of Carmen. We road for 1.5 hours for a cost of only P180. I was planning to head for a different island yesterday, but when I arrived at the ferry terminal I found that a ferry was leaving for Bohol immediately. I arrived in Bohol after dark, which made navigation difficult. A Bohol-ian I met on the boat wanted me to spend the night at his house in Loay. He was a bit pushy and I wasn’t sure about him. When I got off the ferry, he and 6 of his friends somehow got me into a Jeepney and wisked me off. It happened so quickly I wan’t sure how to react. After switching buses twice, I jumped off in a busy market and disappeared into the crowd. I’m not sure what they had in mind, but I decided to go at my own pace. So far I have traveled Tubigon to Carmen, and from Carmen to Tagbilaran. I’m planning to stay the night on Panglao Island, where the beaches are notoriously white and beautiful. It is a nice break from the day to stop at the Island City mall and stroll around.

Tilling the filed with Buffalo. 8 Sisters in background.

Originally uploaded by mainelife.

A farmer tills his fields in front of the 8 Sisters, part of Chocolate Hills, Carmen, Bohol. He is using a native Buffalo.

Well, here I am changing course again. No big surprise. Things haven’t been as comfortable aboard the boat as I would like, and so I think traveling solo will work best for me. The group dynamic is hard to deal with, and I think would require a really great, close group. I think I will see much more of the islands than could possibly happen with fellow travelers. My plan today is to hop aboard a ferry and head to Bantayan Island. It is small enough that I hope to travel mostly by foot and avoid the nasty air that hangs along all the highways here. The vehicles are mostly diesel or 2-stroke motorcycles, and all have clouds following them. Everyone walks with rags over their faces to help protect from it. I’m glad at this point that I decided to travel so light. Everything I brought is carried in a small backpack, and crammed really, really tight.