typhoon frank | Cycle touring in the Philippines

The highway out of Idio was smooth and rolling. With a 120km day ahead of us we hit the road early and stopped for a breakfast of bananas and bread at the first decent shop. In the background horizon you can see the coastline we ride rode the previous day.

Funeral procession - Phillipines style. We got cheered and waved as we rode past this happy bunch. We were surprised how many funerals we saw - but in a country of 90 million people you are bound to see a few!

Probably my favourite cycling photo from the trip. Going places on a deserted highway... We crossed a lot of wide river beds and bridges like this. Judging by the size of the river beds and some of the damage we saw the rivers clearly flood the whole valleys during typhoons.

Probably my favourite cycling photo from the trip. Going places on a deserted highway... We crossed a lot of wide river beds and bridges like this. Clearly full on torrents when the river floods during typhoons.

Not sure what this guy was making - part of a boat maybe? He was old as the hills.

Laundry out to dry on the road side.

This bridge was about 500m long and had a few marginal dwellings in the riverbed underneath. These guys had built up a couple of stories, to reach the bridge, and then made a cool entry portal from the bridge into the top of their hut. Like a tree house for big kids. (photo: Hana)

Flood damage from Typhoon Frank - and probably a few others - underneath the bridge. Yes - that is a truck!

Another clever - but terrifying in a flood - home.

Home Sweet Home - must be terrifying in a flood...

Rolling on down the road - near Patnongan I think.

Rolling on down the road - near Patnongon I think.

We dozens of these beasts, usually wallowing in a nearby river or mudhole, every day.

We saw dozens of these beasts, usually wallowing in a nearby river or mudhole, every day.

Want to watch a cockfight in Patnongan? This is where you go.

Flood damaged road. Quite a few houses had been taken out here - and the termac had been swept off the road in a long strip and deposited 100m downstream.

Flood damaged road. Quite a few houses had been taken out here - and the tarmac had been swept off the road in a long strip and deposited downstream.

We were well stoked to reach San Jose de Buenavista after 122km and six hours in the saddle. Fortunately the money machine was online too so we got cashed up. This photo is taken on the beach, outside our lodgings for the night.

I wouldn't want to have been in these nipa huts when Typhoon Frank hit town...

We were pretty hungry campers after our long day in the saddle so we caught a tricycle (this one was notably flash) into town and hit the best restaurant we could find. After three meals between us we went in search of dessert.