A Pinoy Biker’s Philippine Rural Adventures

And this is partly the reason why I have not been updating this blog and the main reason why I have missed a lot of rides with the Fireflies, starting with the Love Ride.

Judy, my wife, just opened her own stall in a small wet and dry market near our place. This is actually our first venture in to this line of business, or any other business for that matter. She has decided on selling fish and seafood (why this has to be differentiated, I don’t know, but I’ll try to find out.) But she still has other options like selling meat and an assortment of vegetables.

The market place has already been in existence for quite a number of years but business did not pick up as there seemed to be a flaw in the design of the building. Now the administrators decided to open up the front stalls where before they were enclosures. Market goers could not see the inside of the building and so even if there were other stall there selling chickens and everything there, they would not go in. As the renovation went through, peole could now see what’s going on inside and what merchandise could be bought there. We were fortunate enough to avail one of the stalls outside, so people can readily access it anytime.

I’ve missed several rides because I have to either be with her in the stall or accompany her to buy her merchandise. Oh the experiences we have had on buying fish and dressed chickens to sell! It would fill up a three day dose of a post and more. Just like last night, she had to go to Navotas fish port. She went with a group of other buyers at 8:00 pm to be there as early as possible. She told me she would be back around 2:30 am. As I finish work at 1:00 am, I couldn’t go to sleep even as I arrived home because I had to wait for her. I waited for her call, which came at around 3:00 am just as I was about to doze off. I went to pick her up and after talking about her new experience there at the fish port, we went to sleep at around 4:00 am. I woke up at 8:00 am and she was already out. What a night! I wonder until when she could keep this up.

One ride I sorely missed was the one to Lipa City, Batangas, where seven fireflies went for an overnight stay at Inoy’s farm. The group met at the Shell station on the corner of Julia Vargas and C5 at around 7:00 on the morning of Sunday, February 24.  This fun ride was actually planned to take advantage of the long weekend, since Monday, February 25 was a national non-working holiday.  I don’t know how many hours it took them to get to the destination as, again due to other commitments, I haven’t talked to any of them about the ride. Except for a propitious co-incidence: I actually met up with them on their return trip as I was biking to work last Monday afternoon at around 3:00 pm, very near the place where I work on C5 road!  There were only four of them as the others chose to ride on one of the SAG vehicles that accompanied them to Lipa.  They said the group left at 8:00 am and so it took them at least 6 hour or so to bike.  Of course they spent some time to have lunch on the way.

This coming Sunday, March 2 is supposed to be the first marshal training ride for those who want to join the Tour of the Fireflies as a marshal.  I have volunteered my services to train the newbies of the ways of marshaling the ride.  Judy has already permitted me to join this and the coming training rides every Sunday.  As the market is also open on Sundays, and she would have to have the stall open too, I guess I would just have to squeeze some time to be with her in the afternoon, that is, if she decides to continue until afternoon to sell her goods.