In areas where the storm surge made land, the former site of homes and businesses resembled a moonscape. As far as the eye could see in every direction, the wreckage of homes, businesses, farms, and entire neighborhoods was piled on both sides of the road, the storm victims huddled in shacks, sheds, and roofless structures. We are all used to seeing the after-affects of hurricanes in the US, but what we saw when we arrived in Tacloban was devastation on a completely different scale. Photos will have to suffice here, since describing the horrendous conditions under which the survivors are living would be difficult to put into words. The entire team had previewed photos and news articles about ground zero in Tacloban, but none of us were prepared for the massive destruction that was visible as we began our trip by van through the disaster area. The baggage ‘carousel’ was a twisted mess of aluminum, so the bags were simply passed by the baggage crew to waiting passengers. The first indication of what to expect in the wake of the super-typhoon was evident at the terminal building, which was just four walls, no windows, doors, or much of a roof. After a short one hour journey by air, the team landed at Tacloban near dawn. The Chivalry in Action Team executed an early morning transport to the airport in Manila at 3:00am for a 4:30 flight to Tacloban.
We performed for the kids and no matter where we go, all the kids go crazy for Jason! They’ve never seen someone as big as he is so he was like a superhero to them. Even as we walked around the school, we would see him wandering around or following us just to see what it was we were doing. When we were working on the roof, we would see Ivan just standing there watching all of us go to work with the biggest smile on his face. He was our biggest fan but he was the #1 fan of Leigh. They all look forward to going to school the next day. It’s so uplifting and heartwarming to see that through all the destruction that we’ve been seeing around Tacloban, these kids can still smile and have fun. They welcomed all of us with open arms and had the biggest smiles on all their faces. We were able to successfully put a roof onto a kindergarten classroom today.
Hotel security wasn’t sure what to make of practice session, several radio transmissions were exchanged between hotel security personnel and management, but after we explained what we were doing, and they realized we were only going to use the swords to ‘kill’ each other, we got the “okay” from hotel staff, who ended up staying and watching.Īfter dinner and a much needed night’s rest (time zone adjusted) the team re-assembled for our first visits with the relief agencies, World Vision, and the Red Cross. Passersby began to gather around and watch as the knights went through their paces, some taking pictures and videos, some cheering. When the team gathered to warm up with the weapons, we were located along a busy boulevard, partly shielded by some trees, but it wasn’t enough to block the sound and the action of the team practicing with swords and shields.
After the recon mission, everyone hit the hotel gym to limber-up after the long flight from LA to Manila. The team found a place in front of the hotel where they could do some practicing. Sporting the #chivalryinaction logo tee shirts, the team created a stir at the breakfast buffet – especially some of the more ‘hungry’ Knights, who may have set new buffet records.Īfter breakfast it was time for a reconnaissance mission to find a place to break out the swords and shields later.
#Medieval times scottsdale drew full
The first full day in Manila for the Chivalry in Action Team presented a chance to explore the hotel and the area nearby.
We are looking forward to getting to work! Today will be a training day for the Knights, preparing some sword-fighting scenarios in case we get a chance to show off our skills for the Red Cross and World Vision tomorrow. It’s rewarding to see that the contribution we will be making is appreciated.Īrriving in Manila, we cleared Customs and Immigration and we met our guide from World Vision, Margrette Patena, and she expedited our travel and check in at the hotel. The flight attendants (who seemed a little wary of us at first) warmed up to our presence when they found out what we were doing on our visit. When we told them we were on our way to help with the humanitarian efforts in the disaster-stricken area, without pause, each of them thanked us for our effort and contribution. Six (large) guys, mostly with ponytails boarding a flight to Manila drew some strange, inquiring looks and a few Filipino returning home asked us what we’re doing in the Philippines. The team was in high spirits, vaccination accomplished, passports ready, and a 15 hour flight in front of us. The Chivalry in Action team embarked from LA on a flight to Manila, the first leg of our journey to Talcoban, the site of relief efforts from Typhoon Hayian.
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