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Tue, 16 Feb 1999 22:55:00 +0000 |
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From Simon Aiken
9am local time Wednesday, 1am GMT, 8pm Tuesday EST
Cebu City - another day, another dirty city. However, the
Cybercafes are springing up all over the place, and this one is 2 blocks
from my hotel (open 7am-3am). I splashed out on a 250 Peso a night
joint this time (US$6.40 / #3.85), and it's the first running water I've
seen in a week. I meet a contact ['Larry'] in half an hour. (Spoke to
him on the phone and he apparently needed directions to the hotel - odd,
since last time I was here he managed to direct someone to the same
hotel....)
History repeated itself yesterday when I arrived in Cebu City by
ferry. I took the precaution of walking several 100 yards outside the
terminal to get a taxi, as this is where I'd had 2 plainclothes
policeman literally stop the 'taxi' by force last time; as soon as I got
into this meter-less 'taxi' (having agreed the fare) 2 uniformed cops
jump out and spend 10 minutes ticketing him - then let him drive off
with me.... But when you know the city a little, it takes some of the
risk out.
They are playing the 'Titanic' theme in the Cybercafe. Someone told
me that they showed 'Titanic' on the ferry from Manila to Cebu - the
equivalent of showing 'Inferno at 35000 Feet' on a charter flight. One
of the crewmen on my boat yesterday was wearing an "HMS Titanic"
baseball hat. Sometimes here, I feel like the odd one out because I
don't have a photo of Leo DiCaprio on my T-shirt.
At 11.15am today I leave for Tagbilaran (Bohol) and then I'll stay
on Panglao Island. I'll try to hitchhike to Balicasag Island this
afternoon or tomorrow - there is no actual boat service yet (and it's a
little too far to swim). The travelling is not much fun - in the space
of 6 days I stayed in 5 different hotels.
On the bus from Davao to Butuan, there was a major stop and 2 very
well dressed Muslim women got on and started reading the Koran to us in
loud voices. (How well do you know your Koran in Tagalog?) Then, a
blind man using what appeared to be a small palm tree as a cane gropes
his way up the steps of the bus, and sings a song with guitar
accompniment - trying to sing as loud as he can to compete with the
Muslim women. Sometimes I have to pinch myself to see if it'sfor
real....
[Apologies for the rather impersonal nature of these messages - they
reflect
the primitive software that I have to use, and not a lack of time to
type.]
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