Legazpi is Expecting My Arrival

Day: 22 — Position: N12 12’ E129 20’

Odometer since Guam: about 957M

Distance to Legazpi in the Philippines: 332M

Sea surface temperature: 83.3F - 28.5C

OCEAN ROWING RECORDS AS RUNNING TOTALS

Solo career total in days: 1,075 (New World Record)

Overall career total in days: 1,159 (New World Record)

Solo career total in miles: about 26,391M (New World Record)

**Note: Circumference of the Earth along the equator is 21,600M long

———oOo———

Doug Woodring has been working his Rolodex in advance of my arrival at Legazpi just like he had found the essential help in Breanne LaRance and Mike Cassidy on Guam. Doug’s contact there, Martin Reynoso was excited to learn about my arrival. Martin’s team may be able to bring media there and engage the local government. They are working on the ocean plastic issue, so there is great interest in our collaboration with the Ocean Recovery Alliance (www.oceanrecov.org). 

Once I secure my rowboat at Legazpi, I will research and discuss the currents through the San Bernardino Strait with the local experts to find out if there is any time at all whether tidal or seasonal, that the drift is reasonable. Navionics suggests 4-8 knots through there, which would essentially be an out of control flush down the chute. If my decision is not to row through the strait, then I will bicycle from Legazpi to the central marina in Manila in the company of Martin Reynoso and the local cycling enthusiasts.

Legazpi is supposed to be a very picturesque place with a perfectly shaped volcano, Mount Mayon flanking it. The bay is home to Whale Sharks, a.k.a. Basking Sharks. I am really excited to vist this city.

While Doug was busy alerting Legazpi to my arrival, Udo Ewertz assigned at the German Embassy in Bogotá, Colombia was doing his magic. Udo and my brother Erkan served in Afghanistan together as part of a NATO deployment and Udo has been a fan of my human powered endeavors. Udo’s friend Christopher Prior was also in Afghanistan as part of the British contingent. Christopher used to live and run a guest house in Legazpi. 

So Udo’s prompt to Christopher resulted in a Messenger message thread including the Commodore of the Albay Yacht Club, Gregorio Fernand Imperial who is also a Councilman in Legazpi, and Martin Reynoso who also happened to be the principal at Mayon Kayak Club.

The word gets around and the anticipation is building. I am now told that the Regional Tourism Director, the Provincial Tourism Director and the City Tourism Director are all there waiting for updates about me, not to mention the City Mayor!

Now I must live up to the promise and deliver this rowboat to Legazpi in good style.

Erden