Island of Leyte

Photo by Bulaclac ParuParu | Creative Commons | Unaltered 

All Hands' Project Leyte is on the Island of Leyte. I have detailed instructions to arrive there which includes flying to Cebu (with or without a stop in Manila), taking a boat from the Island of Cebu to Ormoc on the Island of Leyte, and hiring a tricycle to deliver me to the All Hands Base.

The Island of Leyte is known for the Battle of Leyte during World War II and was the historic landing site for General Douglas MacArthur's return to the Philippines in 1944 after the Japanese had expelled him. There is a life-sized memorial of he and his entourage wading ashore.

The major cities on the Island are Tacloban City and Ormoc City; the later is where I will be arriving to volunteer.

The island is sizable (2,845 square miles | 7,368 square kilometres) and home to more than 1.9 million people. The island is mountainous with forests, but supports some agriculture and several pretty sandy beaches. Tourism is part of Leyte's industry - though, for the purposes of this trip, those activities will be minimal!

The equatorial climate will be a a nice change from winter in Colorado, but will certainly overcompensate with humidity. I will be packing sunscreen. The evenings occasionally cool enough to warrant a jacket.

Information gathered from wikipedia.com, tripadvisor.com, philippines.hvu.nl/leyte