Aren't Folding Bikes Awesome?!

Last weekend in Camotes, Cebu I had my first folding bike ride. Before that, I had no opinion about folding bikes. I don't hate them but I don't adore them either. It's like my opinion about Mitt Romney, I had none. But when I had my ride with the Boss last Saturday, my perception has changed. We rented our folding bikes from Mangodlong Island Paradise, the resort where we stayed at for my birthday (will post photos of the place later). The rate was at 100 pesos for the whole day. We went from Mangodlong to Santiago Bay, a place famous for its very vast sandbar.

It was a 5.3km folding bike ride along a mostly empty highway. Except for the occasional vans ferrying tourists and locals going about in their motorbikes, we had the road to ourselves. The best part of the trip was somewhere along the way when I pushed the Boss downhill while pedaling. That was the fastest yet she rode on a bike, I bet. The momentum gave us a nice push up the coming ascent. We had a breakfast of egg, milkfish, and coffee when we returned to Mangodlong Island Paradise.

We checked out at 12pm but the van that would take us to the port was not there yet so we rode our bikes again. We hit some trails just near the highway. We did not really go deep into the hills but just rode some single tracks that stretch several meters from the road. Then we went back again and searched for another trail. We did three mini-trails in all on our foldies. Folding bikes handle pretty decently. It rides fast on the pavement and you can actually spin if you get the seatpost high enough. Being a commuter bike, the seats are quite comfortable and with small, slick tires my bike just glided on the road. Unlike my trail bike, it feels like sawteeth when riding on the paved road.

Our foldies did not handle technical singletracks pretty well but it is understandable. The bike was not made for it. It's meant to give city commuters a sweet ride to there workplace, with a carrier on the back to take care of their bags or luggage. I often see foreign tourists ride around Cebu City on their foldies and now I know why. The small foldies packs a lot of power and makes your ride quite convenient.

Cheers to my friend Ed Carlson. He is foldie rider I met in Toledo in June 2010. He practically covered the whole of Cebu on his folding bike. I don't know which part of the world he is right now but I'm pretty confident he has a foldie with him. Cheers to him and all foldie riders!

Here's a map of our travel from Mangodlong to Santiago Bay in Camotes, Cebu.

Poro, Camotes

The central post office of Camotes Island. I spent my first 10 years in Cebu living near the Cebu City Central Post Office and I'd pretend to practice being a goalkeeper back in high school by bouncing the ball against its walls and catching it on rebound. I guess you can't do that here.


Poro was not part of the plan. We just went there because we ran out of cash and there were no foreigners we can whore ourselves to. There is nothing special about Poro, Camotes except the DBP ATM that can save you at your worst time. It charges you at 25-peso “convenience fee” for making life convenient for you, I supposed.

Normally you’ll only pay 15 pesos for withdrawal from other banks. Not that I think you need to be told of that. I’m just bitter. Well, I was more of bitter-glad. I heard from friends who've been to Camotes that ATMs here run out of money. Good thing there's something for me there.

Since we were already there, we decided to have a look around. This is no town walk or urban walk or whatever fancy name it is that people give to being curious about a place. People who do that just want to make a big deal about themselves so they make up names.

There's nothing to see in Poro but you can find the stuffs that you need there. It's 4km plus from San Francisco and a habal-habal the only transport you can have so don't go there unless you badly need an ATM.

An old school shell gas station at Poro, Camotes. Most of the gasoline in the island are sold in 1-liter Coke bottles. There is a real gas station before you reach the town center of San Francisco. The girl in blue shirt is my boss.

The town center of Poro, Camotes. Here you can find a DBP ATM(no bank, just the machine), Cebuana Lhuiller, M. Lhuiller, a rural bank, and Julie's Bakeshop. There is a market, naturally.

I've never seen a real chimney before in my life. I mean, a brick chimney that was built for real use, not those that were made for fancy.

This is the pump boat you would see in Danao. The travel time is similar to riding the bigger ship. The bigger ship docks in Consuelo, that's nearer to Santiago Bay and Mangodlong. This one is in Poro, as I've been repeating like crazy.

A pension house that has a wide window for midnight harana. (I'm lying. That's just a window, really. nyahahaa)

The parochial church of Poro, Camotes. It was so desolate when we got there. To think it was a Sunday. Actually, the whole town is really sleepy. It's like martial law at noon time.

Here's what you got to know about the church.

I checked it, it does have water alright. They call it a public drinking facility, scary name.

This gas pump dates back to the days when China did not make everything. Now, even the air we breathe is from China.

On a slow boat to Camotes

We had to sit near where the “pipe” was because all the good seats were littered with Koreans. The locals also occupied the not-so-comfortable seats we sat on, I had the feeling that they did because they were intimidated by white-skinned people who talk like their nose have been cut off.

On the way home we rode a more comfortable Jomalia Ship. Big flat screen television with new seats. But there was this grouch who like mounted his feet on our back rest. This is so 2011 and everybody should be cultured by now.

Fair is 200 pesos for air-con, 180 for the non air-con. Jomalia Shipping line it is. If you are spending the time at Mangodlong Paradise Beach, a resort which the company owns, who you get a free ride on their coaster. Near Mangodlong you can find guys who would rent their bike for 300 pesos. Don’t get it from the habal drivers because they will rent their bike for 500.

Camotes is so near Danao but the boat trip takes two hours. You'll end up doing crazy stuffs like taking photos of yourself or retching just for the heck of it.

Camotes Island

There were rumors that a representative from the Mafia was sent to accompany me to Camotes. Yest, the rumors are true.


The impression that Camotes is a land of coconut is verified upon a rounding of the island. However, this does not prevent resorts from pricing them at P50 each.

These are boats.

The rollercoaster road to San Francisco, Camotes. Just ride your motorbike at high speed and feel your intestines to vanish for a few seconds.

The Mafia

Bakhaw Beach. If you want to see the ever so cliche white sand and some stupid-looking Mongoloid species (commonly called Koreans).


These are guava fruits. They will be shipped to Cebu for "copras." (The source of Copra energy drink.)


Once upon a time, someone thought of making a floater out of this. Then it dragged him to the bottom of the ocean and he was never seen again.


You'll never see the sea recede as far as this during low tide. There really is recession in Camotes, as reported by our Asian correspondent Trisha Takanawa

A man trying to move the sea with a stick

ohgawd. next photo...

A starfish, a very close relative of an atom-composite entity called a porn star

The guy who owns this place is an Italian named Andres. He told me he used to play football and when I replied "You did?" he said everyone in Italy is a football player. Well, in the Philippines, everyone is a Facebook-er. Beat that

I suppose falling boulders are an attraction now.

The road to Poro, Camotes. The DBP ATM machine is the town's main tourist attraction.