Busuanga Buffalo Biking

Uli is doing her diving course. Meanwhile, I get myself a nice Yamaha DT for little money – and 100% insurance-free. The deposit is my driving licence. There are no police checks. The bike consists of handlebars, motor and two tyres. No lights, no fuel gauge, no speedometer, few brakes, no kick starter. Starting is only possible by pushing. Let’s have some fun!

The tarmac ends just ten kilometres after Coron City. What remains is a dirt track. Perfect for this bike. The difference between light and shade on the road is extreme due to the high sun. I miss a few deep potholes. Bridges are usually just a few wooden planks, if there are any. At one point I cross a small river.

The roads on Busuanga are the exact opposite of the roads in northern Luzon: completely empty. Outside Coron, I come across a bike every half hour. Then another jeep. The road is officially called a highway. There are water buffaloes on the right. After 60 kilometres of gravel road towards Old Busuanga City, I’ve had enough: my hands are the purest vibrators as soon as I let go of the handlebars.

I stop off at a posh resort with its own Japanese diving wreck in the bay, eat a perversely expensive pumpkin soup and make my way back. At home, my bum gives out. Sitting is no longer possible. I’m probably no longer a biker … In the evening, we make a quick trip to the Coron Hot Pools, volcanic hot springs. The 40-degree hot pools are located in a small mangrove grove with a view of the ocean and other islands. The sun is setting. I get cold for the first time as I cool off on the lakeside terrace.

The bike won’t start. I run up the hill ten times, roll down ten times. Nothing. A trike rider tries another five times for nothing. At least I’m no longer freezing, the sweat is pouring again. Still, five kilometres from the city is better than 60 kilometres like at lunchtime.

We were offered a private bangka for our Robinsonade. The offer was 50 euros a day. The mega-bangka that I am now inspecting with a Filipino is 20 metres long and 10 metres wide. It would be seaworthy with a cabin. But it costs 300 euros a day. Far too much, as nice as it would be. Bye, bye Robinson!