Lone rider Lucydopolis

Unknown to most of us, a lone Austrian woman is traversing the country with only her motorcycle and what it can carry. The young blonde traveler, Lucy (Lucydopolis on her social media accounts), has been at it for two months now, despite being repeatedly told that the Philippines is not a safe place. Lucydopolis began her journey in Siquijor, where she had previously spent a year until boredom got the best of her. She promptly got her motorcycle and took off on this gigantic loop around the archipelago.

“I need adventure in my life,” she admits. “I started traveling when I was 17. I was working abroad, then did some backpacking. I decided to do something different in the Philippines, so I bought a classic motorcycle. Then I thought, why not go around on a motorcycle?”

Lucydopolis only plans this adventure a day at a time. She avoids the cities, taking the back roads, and stops wherever she feels like it. When she finds a spot to her liking, she simply pitches her tent and calls it a night, showing greater courage than most of us natives. It is an impressive display of bravery and trust in the good of her fellow man.

“I’m not worried at all. I met so many nice Filipinos,” the seasoned traveler continues. “I heard so many stories that it can be dangerous, but I never heard stories that something actually happened. People are always giving me food. It’s a beautiful country. And everybody speaks English!”

But it’s not all sunsets and greenery. When this thrill seeker’s motorcycle breaks down, she has to find a repair shop or spare parts out in the boondocks if she can’t fix it herself. Luckily, there are many. And sometimes, this forces her to take longer pauses in a particular locale. Half the time, she’s also in front of her laptop, documenting and editing her amazing experiences to share them online. Luckily, on her stop in Metro Manila, she received a new motorcycle to help make her sojourn smoother. 

“I’m living off savings right now,” she smiles. “When the money runs out, I’ll have to find work and earn some money.”

Lucy is headed north in a couple of days. She aims to reach Sagada, which she has heard so many wonderful things about. Then she will take an eastern route down to Mindanao, and will complete the loop with a return to Siquijor. So if you see a braided, inked blonde foreigner riding through your town, show her what Filipino hospitality is all about. She has seen so much of the beauty of our country that we ourselves will never witness in our lifetime.