Midnight Downpours and a Rough Start
June 17th. I actually woke up feeling incredibly refreshed today. Why? Because around midnight, it was absolutely pouring outside. If I had been sleeping outdoors, it would have been a total disaster, so I'm incredibly grateful I was safe inside.
I ate some leftover food from yesterday and hit the road around 7:30 AM. However, even before I left, my stomach was in terrible shape. It was a vicious cycle: eat, get a stomachache, run to the toilet. I popped some gastrointestinal medicine and somehow managed to get moving.
Pushing Forward to Ayungon
My goal for today was to reach a town called Ayungon, hoping to set up camp or at least get some rest there. I just kept pushing straight ahead.
Along the way, I had so many great encounters. Just before Ayungon, a local family actually called out and invited me over. Right now, I'm in a place called Bindoy on Negros Island in the Philippines. Even just two kilometers before arriving here, someone kindly gave me some water.
The Magic of Stepping Outside
When you step outside your usual spots and start moving, drama happens. Sometimes nothing happens at all, but that's just part of the journey.
You can't just stand still; you have to keep moving forward. Sure, moving forward means you might get ignored or face bad situations, but it also brings so many fun, unexpected moments. It's been 13 days since I started this trip, and I felt that truth more strongly than ever today.
Closing in on Dumaguete
I ended up covering about 30 kilometers today. I'm now roughly 70 to 71 kilometers away from my final destination, Dumaguete.
Dropping below the 100-kilometer mark and hitting the 70s really makes it feel like the end is in sight. I'm planning to cover about 24 kilometers tomorrow, which will leave me with just around 40 kilometers to go. Once I hit that 40-kilometer mark, things will be so much easier mentally. The finish line is slowly coming into view, so I'm just going to keep pedaling.