Mitch's Philippine Loop Adventure Tour
Bicycle Riding Day 7
December 25, 2023
From: Tuguegarao. Cagayan.
Destination: Aparri, Cagayan.
Distance travelled today: 106kms
Total KM Travelled: 763.06kms
Route:
Tuguegarao, Cagayan straight North to Aparri, Cagayan 106kms.
Notes:
Christmas Day. Quiet streets. Moderate traffic later afternoon. Rode with two other guys short distance. Met Biker Loop couple. Their Day 3. The lady biker gave me Jollibee pie. Nice. Talk to store owner at 12:30pm. She gave me free fruit salad, bbq, and two other treats. I had great 5alk with two policemen and gave one free Bible. Exhorted him to read Romans 13:1-6. Rained on and off after 3:30pm. At 5pm, lots of rain, puddles. Had motorcycle escort show me city hall in Aparri. It's hard, and not good, getting photos during rain. My 7 day track record on Strava crashed after screen shot at Aparri finish. BIG BIG sayang. I will now record and save each day separately. I hit 763km for 7 days and 106km for today. Stayed overnight at friend's home in Aparri. Hanging everything to dry tonight.
End of Day 7
Day 8
Mitch's Philippine Loop Adventure Tour
Bicycle Riding Day 8
December 26, 2023
From: Aparri, Cagayan.
Destination: Abulug, Cagayan.
Distance travelled today: 77.75
Total KM Travelled: 840.81
Route:
Aparri, Cagayan crossing bridge going towards Pamplona. Stopping in Abulug, Cagayan - 77.75kms.
Notes:
I woke at 0400 to fix flat tire and temove broken spoke. Had hard time finding carenderia in Aparri market. Late ride out at 0747. Nearly 30kms back tracking from Aparri to bridge going to Ilocos. Tried to cross NEW BRIDGE, but not 100% consistent open yet. MJ Store gave me free Gatorade, and Sky Flake. Gave stickers. Gave Bible to teenage boy very confused with his gender. Long straight highways. No rain today! Feel tired, not recovered from yesterday. Kept taking breaks. Lots of rice fields on both sides. The farmers really get muddy all day. Met 18 yr old named Prince at 7/11. Gave him sticker. He gave me energy bar. Three hours later found place to stay near Ayaga Junction in Abulug, Cagayan. Offered lady 200 to do 10 pieces of my laundry. She completed within MINUTES! WOW! Targeting Pagudpud tomorrow. 77.75kms today.
End of Day 8
Day 9
Mitch's Philippine Loop Adventure Tour
Bicycle Riding Day 9
December 27, 2023
From: Abulug, Cagayan.
Destination: Bangui, Ilocos Norte.
Distance travelled today: 118.70
Total KM Travelled: 959.51
Route:
Abulug, Cagayan across the top of Luzon through Sanchez Mira, Claveria, and Pagudpud stopping at Bangui, Ilocos Norte - 118.70kms today.
Notes:
Rain all the time. Sprinkle, downpour, or drizzle - always wet, but NOT COLD. The place I got cold was at Ilocos Norte Provincial border before the long white bridge. Had two coffee there. Met significant couple at 7/11 earlier. They saw me on Facebook, They bought me coffee, gave me some bananas, and some noodles, and we had nice fellowship in 7-Eleven. I met six truckers driving three long 18 wheelers. They stopped at the waiting shed where I was making a video. I gave them all stickers and four Bibles and introduce them to my YouTube video about trucks in America (The Trucks of the Trans Am). A lot of rivers rushing today; under the highway, beside the highway, above the highway like waterfalls. Gushing water all over the place. I can feel and hear that there's almost no more grease in my front hub wheel bearings. I will repack this in Vigan. Received a free bike wash today. Gave the manager a sticker. Cleaned and oiled my chain at least four times today. Got some great ride-by videos near the windmills. Will edit everything after Jan 6th. Talked to a truck driver and two kids delivering some plants to Vigan. He told me how there's no rain and bad weather after Pagudpud. I think he's right. I'm amazed how the weather can be so different just by "kind-of" turning a corner on a country. Targeting as near to Vigan, as possible, tomorrow. I think I'm the only customer in this huge hotel with between 8 to 10 rooms. Like ghost town. Went 118.70kms today. Tomorrow, I will cross 1,000km mark on 10th day. Not bad.
End of Day 9
Day 10
Mitch's Philippine Loop Adventure Tour
Bicycle Riding Day 10
December 28, 2023
From: Bangui, Ilocos Norte.
Destination: Vigan, Ilocos Sur.
Distance travelled today: 149.01
Total KM Travelled: 1,108.52
Route:
Bangui, Ilocos Norte (near Pagudpud) down through Laoag City stopping in Vigan City. - 149.01kms today.
Notes:
The weather was hot and sunny all day not a single evidence of rain! Finally! I dried my laundry on my bike. It was a 17-hour day. I completed my third checkpoint in Laoag City. The highway really seemed to be going downhill over all. I'm sure I met between 15 and 20 people today starting early in the morning at 7-Eleven. I gave away four Bibles at one particular intersection.
A female motor blogger pulled up and started doing a story on me. She followed me with her motor to the Ilocos Sur border. I gave away probably 15 to 20 stickers today. Stopped at a car wash to wash my bicycle I gave him 20 pesos. That was a treat after so many days of rain in Cagayan and Aurora. At one point I drank a whole liter of buko juice in one sitting! I reached Vigan at 10:00 p.m. I will take two days off here.
End of Day 10