Tacloban City - first impressions

I've been in Tacloban City on the island of Leyte for 3 days now and I really like it! (which is a relief since I'm going to be here for the next 2 months!)

I am now entering the volunteering part of my trip, working for Volunteer for the Visayas. I will work for the first month in a local orphanage and the second month will be spent helping out in a rural health clinic. I am staying with a local Filipino family, an older couple who's children have already left home. My homestay mother, Nanay in Tagalog, and homestay father, Tatay in Tagalog, live in a nice house, with lots of ceiling fans which is very important here since it's over 30 degrees everyday! My room is very small, my bed just fits in it with a wardrobe, but this will encourage me to be neater... I hope!

I arrived here last Saturday morning at 5:30AM!! (Just imagine, my flight left Manila at 4:20am...) I was in luck though: it was the first really sunny day in two weeks and there was an excursion planned that day to a beach resort on the next island which is called Samar. So on my first day I got to meet a bunch of other volunteers and go to the beach! I was a very happy camper. After all that excitement and such a early morning my first night's sleep was an incredible one: 12 hours!

Yesterday (Sunday) I went to Robinson's, a nearby mall, with a few of the other volunteers to get a few essentials which included toilet paper, a towel, and a cellphone. (for 25 cdn$ I got a phone, a Filipino simcard that can be changed when I go to another country, and a bunch of free text messages!) Then I ventured downtown with another volunteer from Quebec and wandered around a bit looking for an outdoors shop, which happened to be closed. Next time!

Today is my orientation day, lots to learn, lots to experience, lots of fun!