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Only two days remain in the PAN-ASEAN TOURING event. We have less than 200 km to go until we reach our final goal in Manila. Our scheduled distance for today was 79 km. It was a distance that could easily be covered even if we left our hotel at Cabanatuan in the afternoon. So, the ASEAN riders were given free time until lunch. Some of them decided to go out, while others stayed behind to rest.
After taking lunch, we left the hotel, and visited Wheeltek Motorsales Corp. The owner's wife, Mrs. Teresita Odulio, welcomed us into the shop. After taking pictures, Mrs. Odulio performed the flag-off, starting us on our way.
We passed trough the three small towns of Santa Rosa, La Paz, and Concepcion. Until Dau, most of the roads passed through farmland. Riding with a view of Mt. Arayat to our left, we made good time, and reached the ceremony site at Dau only an hour and a half after our flag-off. A number of motorcycle clubs had already reached the site, and greeted us with a warm round of applause. Cris Garbo, the vice-mayor of Mabalacat, where Dau is located, greeted the team and presented each of the riders with a souvenir. After the ceremony, they took pictures with the members of each club and, leaving the T135s behind, rode to the hotel by car.
The dinner party at the hotel was very lively. After the meal, 22 dancers of the Ana International Performing Artists performed a Polynesian modern dance. Then they invited the riders up onto the stage, gave each of them costumes and taught them the dance. Encouraged by the MC and the music, even our Malaysian riders TG and Andy and our Thai rider Phattanasit, who are normally quite subdued, felt sufficiently roused to participate in the dancing.
After the dance, the riders each gave a kiss to the two beauties Michi, the MC, and Jonna, who had taken care of the riders during the visit. Both of them became such familiar faces that we felt as if they had been with the team since the start. Jonna let out a series of yelps as she tried to flee the riders' affections, but was eventually captured to grudgingly receive the kisses. The riders then gathered to show their appreciation to tour organizer Filomeno Cannoneo of Norkis, known affectionately as "Boy." Making sure that his cell phone was out of his pocket, the team proceeded to toss Boy into the hotel pool. Our Vietnamese rider Hoang was caught in the crossfire, and fell into the pool as well, with his cell phone still in hand.
As the party ended and the staff began taking down the PAN-ASEAN TOURING banner, our Vietnamese rider Hoang came over to sign his name on his country's flag. Seeing this, each of the other riders gathered to do the same. "Feels kind of sad, doesn't it?" someone said. As if unwilling to leave, the riders stayed for a long time, taking pictures. Tomorrow is the final day of the Philippine round. Manila, the goal of the PAN-ASEAN TOURING event, spanning across 77days, 14,310km, is just 88 km away.
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Cabanatuan∼Dau
A photograph taken before the flag-off in front of Wheeltek Motorsales Corp.
Heading for Dau through farmland
Our Malaysian rider Andy, wearing a costume and dancing the Polynesian dance
Heading for Dau, with Mt. Arayat to our left
As the riders attended the dinner party, staff members washed the T135s for their final run
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