We set off at six in the morning. By then I’ve already spent three hours trying in vain to use my mobile phone as a laptop modem. Globe blocks the mobile phone as soon as it is connected to the laptop. Nothing frustrates web designers more than not having a connection. The omen of a daily motto knocks at the door.
We drive to the Marcos’ old summer house nearby. It’s still closed – and really completely covered in clouds. We roll back down into the volcanic crater of Lake Taal. No road in the whole of Talisay leads to the shore for a nice breakfast. We eat in the car. Stop at a shopping centre. Half an hour later it opens and two nice employees waste an hour and a half in vain trying to connect my mobile phone with a new Smart Simcard to the internet. (more…)
11 Million Reasons
There are 11 million reasons to hate Manila right off the bat. Manila is big, humid, loud, dirty and worse than the fuckers in Pattaya. We arrive at the hostel in the middle of the night. The quality of the karaoke show next door is almost semi-professional, the volume much louder. Four hours of sleep later, I’m flowing through the morning streets, discreetly jetlagged.
After three minutes, the first whore wants a cigarette. Then a massage. I’m not in the mood for a massage today. And her offer is too low. I decline and leave her looking a bit stupid. I want a SIM card and to get out of Manila. Quick breakfast at the hostel, out again and pick up the hire car. The taxi driver needs 15 minutes for the 5 kilometres as the crow flies, I need more than 1.5 hours back. (more…)
Fear Of Dragons
Some things just don’t go together. Or do you know a junkie with a phobia of syringes? Not me. I’m a kiter. As of today, I’m afraid of kites. Stupid thing. My first contact with China. I’m very intimidated.
The check-in at China Air in Frankfurt takes less than five minutes. A 30kg kite bag actually comes free of charge. At Condor, 1kg more costs 40 euros. The seat on the plane is gigantic. At over 1.93 metres, I don’t bump into the backrest of the person in front of me. On German airlines, if the person in front of me moves backwards, the only thing that usually helps is yodelling. Tai Chi exercises for dinner. (more…)
The Philippines Kite Odyssey
It’s been a tough year. A lot of work, a lot of ups and downs, a lot has happened. The trees have lost their leaves, the fog is rolling through Regensburg and my web designer hands are chronic lollipop finger ice cubes. The last month has been a marathon of work with a dozen or so new websites completed and just as many hours of work every day. Time to travel.
I’ve been travelling a lot this year. Fuerteventura, Egypt, Morocco, Denmark and Rhodes. But none of it was really travelling. The difference between travelling and a holiday can be defined by one thing in particular: The feeling of really being in a place, in other words: the length of the trip. Making the trip yourself and accepting low-pressure areas as part of the journey. (more…)
The Author
Frank Woelky, born in 1973. Kitesurfer since 1998. Since 2006, I have been combining kitesurfing and web design on trips lasting several months off the beaten track.