THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS - Journal no. 21

Philippine Islands - Journal no. 21
1st to 31st November 2011
 

History of the Philippines

An archipelago of 7,107 islands, the Philippines stretch from the South China Seas to the Northern tip of Borneo. The country has over a hundred ethnic groups and a mixture of foreign influences, which have moulded a unique Filipino culture.

Rizal Park - Manila, suburb of Ermita

Before the Spanish explores came In-do-Malaya and Chinese merchants did. In 1521 the Spaniards, led by the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, discovered the islands. The Spanish conquistadors established a colonial government in Cebu, to the South, in 1565.

National Museum in Rizal Park - Manila

They transferred the seat of power in 1571 to Manila and proceeded to colonize the country. 

The Filipinos resisted and waged Asia’s first nationalist revolution in 1896 and on June 12, 1898, Emilio Aguinaldo declared the Philippines independent and himself president. 

After ruling for 333 years, the Spaniards finally left in 1898 and were replaced by the Americans who continued to colonize the country for another 48 years. 
The Americans shared their educational and legal system, introducing the democratic form of government. 
On July 4, 1946, the Americans finally recognized Philippines Independence.
 
The country is divided into three geographical areas, namely Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, with 17 regions and 80 provinces.
Mindanao still continues to be a difficult and sometimes dangerous area to visit as a tourist.

The city of Manila

Manila, the Philippines Capital, is a mega-metropolis of around 13,000,000 people covering an area of 633.3 square kilometres. 

Monument to Dr. Jose Rizal

Laguna and Manila Bays are on opposing sides and a range of mountains and volcanoes on the landward side.

Landing at Clarke airport

We arrived at Clarke airport, the massive ex-US military base just outside the city of Angeles and about 50 to 60km north of the city of Manila.

Getting through customs was simple and even the trip by bus to the outskirts of Manila straightforward.

Seething mass of humanity

The journey through the city was just something else, layer upon layer of concrete highways teaming with cars, lorries, buses and the LRT train. The roadside streaming with people, shops, stalls, mega malls and huge 10m x 20m high illuminated billboards wherever you look.  
The buildings are all shapes and sizes, new, being constructed, old, tall, squat, squalid, makeshift, derelict and board-up. It’s a dark noisy place, incredibly intense, an assault on the senses with too much going on to take in at one time. 

You're unceremoniously dumped in a seedy suburb of Manila some distance from anywhere, dark, noisy and late, so in fairly familiar territory based on my traveling experience so far. 
Next find a friendly looking taxi driver, negotiate a reasonable price then try and spread the amount with other fellow stranded passengers. 
He still tried to diddle me at the hotel though, the age old trick, 'I haven't got any change', said the taxi driver 'okay then you go across the road to the local shop whilst I sit in your cab' was my tried and tested response.

Ermita, central Manila suburb
I neglected to mention that I’d bumped into Weston at Kota Kinabalu airport, the American guy I’d climbed the Borneo Mountain with, who was also flying to the Philippines that day. We shared the cab from the bus station to the district of Ermita along with two Irish travellers, Daniel and Shane. 

We landed at 3.53 p.m., finally settling into our respective hotels at about 8.40pm!!
After an evening meal, with Weston, Daniel and Shane, I decided the following morning to try and find a method of getting round the Philippines.

Inside the ‘Walled City’ or Intramuros

San Agustin - Manila’s oldest church built in 1571 by the Augustinian missionaries and declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1993. The church and convent complex is the repository for what is considered the most priceless collection of Philippine religious art and relics. There is also a Spanish built 1813 baroque church pipe organ. 

Santiago Fort - The beautiful grounds and battlements form the outer courtyard pave the way to the entrance to Santiago Fort. There are clear signs of a tempestuous past with bullet holes covering the walls to some of the buildings.  

Santiago Fort 
The fort has a very interesting history. Built originally in 1571 by the Spanish then destroyed during an attack in 1574. Rebuilt and improved during the period 1589 through to 1592. 

 Damaged in an earthquake in 1645 and repaired again over a 5-year period from 1658 through to 1663. Occupied by the British for 2 years from 1762 reinforced and virtually rebuilt, then by the Americans up until the Japanese invasion in 1942.

Entrance to the Old City

Used as a dungeon and torture chamber by the Japanese against the Filipino guerrillas, finally occupied by the Allied forces up until 1946     when it was relinquished to the Philippine government.

Heart of the old city

‘Plaza De Roma’ – the center of the church and the state. It’s the site of the Manila Cathedral, Ayuntamiento and Palacio Del Gobernador. The Manila Cathedral, the spire, dome and squared entrance visible in the photograph, are also known as the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. It's the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila. 

The statue is of King Carlos IV of Spain, visible in the picture above, was erected in 1824 as a tribute to the introduction of the small pox vaccination.

Traveling north to Laoag, North Luzon
Laoag airport is small and basic and it was dark when we arrived at 8.40pm. The choices of transport to the hotel a Jeepnie or a motorbike with sidecar. 

I opted for the motorbike or ‘tricycle’ as its known, wedged in the back, in the dark, with a limited field of vision, surrounded by metal tubing, canvass and opaque plastic. The driver managed to get lost at least four times along the way, despite reassurance at the outset that he knew where is was going.

Gertes Hotel - Dr. Gertes, seemingly a revered figure in the area, owns the Hotel that I stayed in primarily for his family and guests; I suspect that a tourist or two or is an added bonus. It's well provided for if not a little remote, it has its own nightclub and pool, although strangely there is a charge for the use of.
Day trip to Burgos & beyond

The following day I’d arranged to see as much of the area as possible, given the limited time available. Initially north to Burgos and Pagudpud beach, back to Laoag, then east to Dingras, south to Paoay returning to the hotel at sometime around 6 o’clock. I hired a hotel car and driver, Kelvin Reyes, for the day and two of the ladies, Clarie and Crizelda, that had completed their shift at the resort decided to join us at my invitation.

First stop, the Spanish colonial lighthouse at Cape Bojeador. Built in 1887, the 120-foot structure is situated on top of a mountain overlooking the northern portion of the South China Seas. The structure is a bit of an engineering marvel as there are no steel supports. It’s still in use to day.

 
After a short tour round the lighthouse, we decided to move northeast along the coast to Pagudpud beach, passing the wind farm at Bangui along the way.
The terrain alters as you move east rising noticeable, in what is the western most tip of the 'Sierra Madre', a range of mountains that extends across the center of Luzon.
Bangui wind farm, along the coastal road

The wind farm at Bangui is located on the beach and is comparatively small with no more than 20 generators.

Mountain range - Interestingly, the high mountains of the Sierra Madre are what bore the brunt of the recent devastating hurricane. It acts as a fairly formidable barrier protecting the rest of the island of Luzon, inland and across to the west, a natural geological phenomenon but effect nonetheless.
Rice harvest - A point of note, it’s clearly the rice harvesting time at present as rice covers the side roads, paths, and flat spaces either spread over mats, meshing or on the road itself, part of the necessary drying out process.
Road repairs along the way - Wherever you drive at present the roads are being repaired or widened. It would appear to be a very time consuming exercise, as a lot of the work is done manually. Most roads are in concrete sections about 3m x 5m. Each section that needs repairing is first excavated to a depth of about 18” using a digger, the spoil removed by hand, the area is shuttered, hard core packed in to a depth of about 10’’ and then premixed concrete is poured in to the remaining space. A box section straddles the shutter boarding with a whacker plate, or vibrating tool, fixed to it. This is used to compact and gain a constant uniform level across the section, simple but effective.
Pagudpud beach  
The beautiful beach stretches for miles in every direction subtly lined with hotels, lodges, chalets, bars and restaurants all charging a fee just to access the beach. It doesn’t matter that you want to spend money on drink, food, etc. 

This is a common theme across the Philippines, as I would later find out, it would seem a little mean to be honest.

After a wandering along Pagudpud beach, we sneaked through an unguarded section; it was time for some lunch. We passed, about a 1/2 kilometre back, and immaculate looking place earlier and I suggested we stop there. It turned out to be a superb choice. 

 
Owned by an Australian guy and Filipino lady the restaurant was equipped with every conceivable appliance, the guesthouse accommodation pristine with the food and service fantastic.
Kapurpurawan Rock or "White rock"  
Lunch over its a 30km drive back to the next stop Kapurpurawan Rock, or simply White Rock. 

An interesting section of rock weathered by the sea and rain, perched on a headland of similar rock, surrounded by what appears to freeze-dried lava rock. I say freeze-dried, the rock appears to be pitted as if splashed by rain or seawater as it’s solidified. There are also signs of blistering to the rock synonymous when molten rock comes into contact with water.
Laoag and the "sinking tower"
Built by the Spanish this 45-meter bell tower is (past tense, was) one of the tallest of its type in the country. Constructed many 100’s of years ago by the Augustine monks it serves as a prominent landmark in the center of Laoag. 

Interestingly enough, at one time a man on horseback could ride through the main entrance, now you would struggle to crawl through the same space.

Paoay, south of Laoag

Built by the Augustine monks in 1704 constructed from Coral blocks and stucco-plastered bricks. 

The architecture is a combination of Gothic, Baroque and Oriental; huge buttresses protrude from the base along the length of the sidewalls 4m/5m deep at the base and 2m wide. A few meters away there’s a watchtower or observation post important then and in WWII. 

Jeepnie - One of the most common forms of transport here and peculiar to the Philippines, I believe and extended 4 x 4, normally modelled on an American WWII jeep, in polished chrome or stainless steel, adorned with individual decorations and named after the owner. 

Bus to the mountain city of Baguio

After careful research, based on local advice and the official tourist guide I determined that the UNESCO world heritage, terraced, paddy fields were based close to the mountainous city of Baguio, in fact it’s sited in the official guide as such. In actual fact is closer to where I'd just come from! 

I’d decided to abandon the 10 hour trip back by bus, an overnight stay and then a further two days getting back from there to Manila, a shame but there we go another day perhaps. 

I’ve already realized that I will see a lot this trip but miss just as much.

UNESCO rice Fields at Banaue

Nestled in the Cordillera mountain range, Banaue is home to the Ifugao Rice Terraces, considered the “eighth wonder of the world”.

Now a UNESCO world heritage site the terraces were created thousands of years ago and incorporate a clever gravity fed irrigation system
Bus ride to Quezon City The stay in Baguio was pleasant enough, although I felt that the residents seemed somewhat indifferent to a ‘stranger in town’, clearly an unusual event based on the limited numbers seen.

It’s a city with a temperate climate; set at about 2,500m above sea level. There are a series of steep hills surrounding a narrow basin, effectively the city centre, with the many buildings perched precariously on the sides of the mountain range. Monday it was time to move on, initially a 6-hour or so bus ride to Quezon City, one of the many Manila suburbs. Overhead train ride, or MRL3, across Manila to Pasay and then a flight to Cebu a day later than planned.

Internet connection - is an issue at the moment either connecting to my e-mail account or booking on line, but hey-ho I’ll just have to modify my plans accordingly.

Arriving in Downtown Cebu

The 16th November and I’ve arrived in Cebu city on the island of the same name just a 1½-hour plane ride south of Manila.

There’s a distinct drop in standard of living in this part of the world, much more akin to parts of Africa with its squalid streets. Downtown Cebu visually looks seedy. Old, poorly maintained buildings, tightly packed streets, vagrants and beggars everywhere. 
There’s an intensity that can be a little unnerving in the daytime, more so at night with it’s dimly lit roads and dark alleys. There’s really not much that’s redeeming about the city, ironically known as the ‘Queen of the south’ although I haven't seen Uptown yet.

One of the oldest forts in the region San Pedro

Cebu Cathedral in Downtown 

Basilica Santo Nino

Downtown Cebu City lays claim to everything old, the oldest street aptly named Colon Street, the oldest University and the oldest Fort, San Pedro. Cebu city was originally the seat of power for the Spanish conquistadors and had control over the Philippine Islands. 

Ferry to the paradise island of Bohol

The island of Bohol is about a 2-hour fast boat ride, across the Camotes Sea to the south.  The Bohol city of Tagbilaran is also the gateway to the island of Panglao. 

Like everything here, you need to do a bit of legwork to find out how things work, nothing comes easy. There’s an afternoon ferry at 1.50pm to Bohol, so it seemed the best option. A quick look on the Internet, book some accommodation for the night and we’re off. 

The island of Panglao is about 10km X 5km and approached from the city of Tagbilaran, Bohol across the connecting causeway bridge. It’s a very pleasant place to hang out. 

Clean, quiet, traditional on the hole, there are several beautiful sandy beaches and the resorts are good with a wide range of facilities, including excellent Internet. If there’s an issue its probably that there are to many Westerners or Americans that have taken up residence here, making everything a little expensive.
I found a great place to stay, Alona Studios Hotel, mainly occupied by Swedish guys and their Filipino partners. The room’s are of a good size, with a modern en-suite, small pool within the grounds, bar and restaurant. 

Tour round Bohol Island

Day two, mixed day as far as the weather was concerned, so I thought a good day to have a look round Bohol Island. I hired a Jeepnie motorbike, a different configuration here, along with a driver Richard for 1,300 Pesos to take me round. 

First stop, ‘Blood Compact Site’, located at Barangay Bool, near Tagbilaran City. It marks the location where Datu Sikatuna, a native Chieftain, forged a blood compact with Don Miguel Lopez De Legazpi, representing the King of Spain. The historical event took place on March 16, 1565 and considered as the first "Treaty of Friendship" between Europe and Asia.

Church of Immaculada Concepcion

The ‘Church of Immaculada Concepcion’ is considered to be one of the oldest Jesuit-built churches of its type in the Philippines. Construction began in 1717 where some 200 natives laborers (obras pias) were forced to cut and drag coral blocks from the sea, using only bamboo to move and lift the stones into position. Millions of white eggs were used as a bonding agent or a type of cement. The building was completed in 1727. 

In the 19th century, a modern facade and a number of stone buildings were added. The dominant bell or watchtower was built originally in 1595, serving as a look out for pirates. Richard pretty much decided where and what we would be doing that day, I just went along with him.

The only thing on my agenda to see the so called, ‘Chocolate Hills’ near the town of Carmen, the rest didn’t matter, it was a bonus.  

We followed the coastal road to the town of Loay and then inland to the mountains and the city of Loboc. The route to and beyond is called by the Boholanos (locals) the “tina-i sa manok” (chicken’s intestines), which refers to the winding road leading to the town of Bilar.

The rain forest covers the interior and lies about 20km from Tagbilaran City. Rounded hills are interspersed with flat flooded plains used for growing rice. The houses are like small islands, raised up on mounds of earth or stilted high above the constantly wet surrounding ground. Here and there a water buffalo tows a plough levelling the area for the next crop.
Clearly like all Asian countries, rice forms a major part of the diet, I would assume, like Bali, all that is produced here and perhaps within the Philippines is consumed here. I’ve never heard of or seen rice from the Philippines displayed on the local shelves in Tesco’s, UK.
Bohol Forest
Is a man-made mahogany forest stretching for about two-kilometers located on the border with the towns of Loboc and Bilar. Before and after are the naturally grown forests thick with a kaleidoscope of green foliage, different species of tree and giant ferns lining the steeply sloping mountain road.
Tarsier - the smallest primate

Tarsiers - Haplorrhine primates of the genus Tarsius, a genus in the family Tarsiidae, which is itself the lone extant family within the infraorder Tarsiiformes. Although the group was once more widespread, all the species living today are found on the islands of Southeast Asia. 

The Philippine Tarsier, (Tarsius syrichta) is a very peculiar animal. In fact, it is one of the smallest known primates, no larger than an adult man's hand. Mostly active at night, it lives on a diet of insects. Folk traditions say that Tarsiers eat charcoal, but actually they retrieve the insects from (sometimes burned) wood. It can be found on the islands of Samar, Leyte, Bohol, and Mindanao in the Philippines.

  It has a grey brown fur and a nearly naked tail. The middle fingers are elongated; the head and body length is around 118-149 mm and it weighs 113-142 grams. In comparison with his body size, the eyes are enormous. It has a relatively long tail, 232 mm, which is used for balance like a tripod; they prefer an erect posture at all times. Like an owl, it has a joint between its skull base and spine to allow head movement of a 180-degree arc. The lower limbs are twice the length of its trunk, this enable it to leap about three meters from tree to tree, just like a tree frog.

‘Chocolate Hills’, Carmen

About 2 million years ago most of the island of Bohol was underwater beneath a shallow sea

Rice fields around Carmen

Coral reefs, similar to those found off shore to the North of Bohol, thrived extensively covering the seabed. During particularly stormy weather and aggressive wave action over thousands of years, coral and shell fragments were deposited mainly on the landward side creating a thin layer of brown (dead) coral laid over the live pink coral. At some point through a massive land shift, the areas specifically around the town know known as Carmen, but also Bohol generally, was forced upward. Where depressions formed water collected creating pools or lakes. Water movement or flow, high point to a low-lying area, in part helped the formation of the unusually shaped hills.

Coral and shell fragments are largely made up of Calcium Carbonate, a chemical compound that can be dissolved by an acidic solution. Rainwater can become slightly acidic when dissolving carbon dioxide found in the atmosphere. Thus acting on the coral and aiding the process of erosion.
What was once a relatively flat surface sloping in north to southerly plane has, through a process of rainfall and ground water erosion over many, many thousands of years, created the present phenomenon. At first a trickle, then a stream, a tributary flowing into a river, as the volume and power of water increase so the speed an effect gathers pace. Lakes form, some are subsequently undermined by an underground water source causing a collapse to the strata. The process continued on relentlessly over time and is still going on today. 
When the base of the soluble formation was reached the down cutting ceased and lateral erosion dominated the next phase. Valleys were widened and the remnant of the highly dissected areas was either dissolved or washed away. Connecting links between neighboring hills were dealt with in a similar fashion.
The ‘Chocolate Hills’ are therefore a product of three main phases; coral and shell deposited on the seabed, a subsequent massive upward land shift and then patient water erosion over a considerable period of time.

South to the Mysterious island of Siquijor

It’s Sunday the 20th November and its time to move on again, this time to the most southerly point in the Visayas, the island of Siquijor.

As usual nothing runs quite to plan, there wasn’t an 11.30am ferry, as I was reliable informed, so it’s a 6-hour+ wait at the terminal for the 5.45pm.
Almost two DVD films later (namely the Green Hornet and Transformers 3 – on board entertainment), three hour boat ride to Siquijor via Negros, a ¾ hour bike ride in the dark across the island and we’re at the ‘Firefly Beach Resort’, the hastily arranged Internet booked ‘place of stay’ for a couple of nights.
The island of Siquijor, named the Mystic or Spooky Island, is renowned for its witches and healers as well as breathtaking scenery. It’s prone to power cuts, has one Visa ATM in Larena and hardly any Internet connection. 

 Firefly Beach Resort, Siquijor
The resort’ comprises a large elevated house and two chalets (divided into two units) on a sloping beachfront site. 

 

Owned by Scott, an American, and his Filipino wife they’ve lived on the island since 2007. It seems, on the face of it, an idyllic lifestyle. 

Local family

I hired a motorbike for the day, about 400 Pesos + fuel, thinking it would be the best way of getting round the island. The coastal road is okay as long as you avoid the occasional cluster of potholes and pick your way gingerly through the odd road works or two. Heading away from the city towards the town of Maria I'd planned to stop off of at Salagdoong beach and bumped into a family enjoying a morning snack by the roadside. 

In all honesty I passed them three times, primarily because I couldn't find the beach track, before I finally pulled over to acknowledge their friendly and enthusiastic gestures of welcome.

Tour round the island

We sat, chatted, laughed, joked and ate for a while before I suggested to Katrina (25yrs) that she show me round the island. She agreed but only after a quick call to her mother for her permission and on the base that Leneth (her sister) and Cheryl (friend) joined us.

Leneth, Cheryl and Katrina

We took a clockwise route round the island passing through the towns of Maria with a planned stopover at Lazi, to look round the Spanish built St. Isidore church and Convent

The islands is covered in a Tropical forest with the interior predominately mountainous, sloping sharply down to the sea edge with, every now and then, a small isolated sandy cove and a narrow beach.
Cambugahay Falls
The second phase of our trip, inland from Lazi via a steep road, to Cambugahay falls for a swim. It took a while to persuade the ladies to take a dip it wasn’t until later that I found out why, modesty, theft (a common problem) and an old superstition

Lunchtime and a winding, up and down hill coastal route to Lazi Resort, a remote seaside ‘place of stay’ in a quiet cove with small restaurant. Cheryl knows the owner. Good food but very slow service. 

Late afternoon and we headed to the towns of San Juan, Siquijor to meet Katrina’s and Leneth’s mum, Larena, Enrique Villanueva and finally to Salagdoong Forest for a drink by the beach. The ladies headed back home while I returned to the Firefly Resort, only after they’d invited me to their home for diner that night. Clearly I accepted the invitation it had been a fun day out and the evening promised to be a great conclusion. 

The family, the grandmother, her daughter Glenda, Katrina, Leneth, Mariah, three children and a maid that is, all live in a fairly modest 3-bed brick built house. I spent time talking with Katrina, a nice if not a little naive, immature young single mother, with little ambition other than to be married. After an excellent meal of fried chicken, chicken noodle soup, fish and rice, several beers and an hour or two later, the family insisted on seeing me the 12 kilometers home, six motorbikes and 14 people. Fantastic!  

St. Francis of Assisi church

The church and bell tower in Siquijor Square were built in 1885 (see photo's below).

Oddly enough, the last time I was here I arrived on the 20th, at about 9.15pm. It was pitch black to the point that I failed to see the guesthouse the ‘Legacy Inn’, right next to the jetty or any of the other. Perhaps they were experiencing one of the many power cuts that plague the island, in fact electric was only connected in 1985.

Ferry to Negros Oriental

The ferry to Dumaguete I have to say was an interesting affair, an old ironed hull built boat with arms projecting from either side linked to stabilizers or floats. The important thing is we arrived safely.

St Catherine's of Alexandria Cathedral, Dumaguete

Dumaguete is to the south of Negros, in the area known as Oriental Negros. It’s a place I liked immediately. Clean, with good open spaces, lots of shops, not to built-up, a reasonable beach and varied architecture, a lot that is colonial. There’s good diving and hikes close by, however, I needed to start the process of getting back to Manila for the return flight to Kota Kinabalu, Eastern Malaysia on the 29th or extend my Visa. I’m still not sure which though.

The Rizal monument

Wandering around the city, I thought about staying on for a couple of days. There seemed to be a bit to see and do here. The only problem on Friday the town was holding a celebration, I think some religious lead up to Christmas, and all of the hotel, inn, guesthouse and hostel rooms were booked solid so not much choice really.

Belfry in Dumaguete center

The only short comings with Dumaguete is that there are a lot of ex-pats from many countries that appear to have made the city their base, invariable with a young 18-30 year old Filipino’s in tow. I haven’t got a problem, except that most of the guys would appear to be well into their 60’s and 70’s, and my experience on Siquijor would suggest that the ladies are generally innocent, naive and immature so it would appear a one-sided affair. Their choice I guess.

Promenade in Dumaguete
The street lit Boulevard, is lined with good restaurants, some clubs and bars playing live music, there’s a University so progressive, an airport that serves Manila and ferries that connect with Cebu. 

The surrounding countryside is both lush and mountainous.
North to Occidental Negros and San Carlos 

The Spaniards renamed Negros Island, originally known to the natives as “Buglas”, in April 1565 because of the dark-skinned natives they found.
Negros Occidental and Oriental form the fourth largest island in the Philippines, approximately 455 kilometers long from north to south. It’s bound by the Visayan Sea in the north, Panay Gulf on the west, Tanon Strait in the east and the Sulu Sea to the south. Negros is basically volcanic, making its soil ideal for agriculture. Eighty percent of all arable land is cultivated, with a large amount set aside for the huge sugar cane plantations.

The north and western parts are largely composed of plains and gentle slopes. A mountain range lines the border between Oriental and Occidental with Mt. Kanlaon at 2465m (7987ft) the highest peak.
Oriental occupies the southeastern half of the island, with Occidental comprising the western half. It has a total land area of 5,402.30 km². The primary crops are sugarcane, corn, coconut and rice. In the coastal area, fishing is the main source of income.

People are also involved in cattle ranches, fishponds and logging. There are also mineral gold, silver and copper deposits. 
Ceres bus driven by a lunatic  

Local bus driven at incredible speeds by a certifiable lunatic, as we move north to the port city of San Carlos, the 180-kilometer, 4-hour trip from Dumaguete to San Carlos proved to one of the most hairy and dangerous bus journeys yet. 

Driven by an absolute lunatic at ridiculous speeds with complete disregard for passengers and road users alike and largely along rough roads. A fellow passenger and I, sitting on the back seat were physically thrown into the air on many occasions, once only inches short from hitting the roof of the bus, as ruts and ridges were negotiated at speed.
The driver seemed intent on breaking some sort of record as he bludgeoned his way through!!!
San Carlos, gateway to the Cebu
Located along the coast the city, with the mountains behind, it's located at the crossroads of four major cities in the Visayas, Cebu, Bacolod, Iloilo and Dumaguete. It has a 40 km coastline of which some parts are covered with mangroves. The city has a deep natural harbor protected from inclement weather by Refugio Island.

The city is a complete contrast to Dumaguete. The buildings are older, indistinct and run down. Primary transport a bike and sidecar with some motorized, there are a few cars on the roads as well. The central market, built circa 1950’s, is dark with tight alleys crammed with stalls selling fish through to clothes, more akin to Serukunda in Gambia than Asia. 

People are clearly poor here, vagrants, begging, sleeping rough on the street is common pace, there’s a feeling that you need to watch your back and your possessions here. 

There’s not a lot to do either, there are so few bars I can count them on one hand, four hotels, lots of street cafes, food stalls and that’s it.

Cocking fighting in the Philippines   

Cocking fighting is a National sport in the Philippines with stadiums in every town across the country. Where ever you go there you will see individual cocks, caged or tethered and staked out on farms, by the roadside or in peoples back gardens.

Cock fighting

Cock fighting is televised in the same way as say Sumo wrestling in Japan or the caged fighting in the USA. The loser cock finds its way onto the winner’s table the following day, no second chance in this sport. The real interest I suspect is the opportunity to gamble on the outcome.
Back to Cebu

26th November and I made the decision to head to Cebu, first by ferry to Toledo, across the Tanon Strait, then by local bus.

Inland Cebu is both mountainous and lush, covered in Tropical rainforest, palms and banana trees. The residents appear fairly poor, with shacks, huts and houses fashioned out of rough breezeblock, scraps of wood and corrugated metal. 

The topography alters as you move away from the town of Toledo rising rapidly. The land would seem infertile, as there appear little signs of cultivation. Men sit around in large groups, sleeping, gambling or inactive as you pass by. 

You will find churches, however, very difficult to miss. An ‘oasis in the desert’, pristine, immaculate, walled, gated, guarded and fenced, extravagant and slightly obscene, especially when you consider the surrounding squalor and hardship that exists so close by. A testament to ‘mans glory to God’ but, seemingly, a disinterest to his fellow kind. I’m not judging or criticizing, simple making an observation.
Arriving in Uptown Cebu  
The usual process, arrive at the city bus station, find a taxi at a reasonable price, take a detour round the block something that I pointed out to the driver to his annoyance, and we arrive at Robinson Square and the Richmond Plaza Hotel. 
It’s in the heart of the city a short distance, however, from Mango Avenue, ‘the red light district. I’d made plans to move on anyway, first to the passport office in Mandaue, stay on overnight and then, depending on the outcome of the visa extension, fly out to Mindanao. 
Cebu (Downtown & Uptown) and Mandaue are pretty much one city, they’ve kind of spilled over into one another over time. There are two bridges that link Cebu Island with the smaller Mactan Island, with the main city known as Lapu-Lapu, named after the chief in days gone by that killed Magellan the Portuguese explorer. Both the airport and renowned beach are housed there, specifically along the Southwest coast.
Shotgun to guard burgers!!!

One of the most daunting aspects of travelling round the Philippines is the excessive display of force on show. I have deliberately left it until now to comment mainly because I wanted to see if it’s a common place. Nightclubs, shopping malls, chemists, MacDonald’s, bakeries, banks, hotels, bus stations, etc., etc., are all guarded by armed security. Magnum’s, pump action shot guns, Beretta’s, semi automatic weapons are all used.  

The guys and ladies that carry out the job on the whole are brilliant, polite, professional and generally diligent. They just seem so young and unable to deal with an aggressive confrontation. Watching money arrive at a bank is interesting the vehicle, more akin to an armored personnel carrier than a truck, backs up and is surrounded by guards with a fearsome array of weaponry. God help anyone that’s in the vicinity if anything really kicks off, it would be absolute mayhem. Bag searches and sometimes a body frisk is commonplace when entering most buildings.
Costabella Resort, Mactan Island

After moving around so much I decided to spend three nights in the lap of luxury, staying a the Costabella Tropical Beach Resort, Buyong.

There really isn’t much of a beach, just lots of small isolated and private walled off areas in front of the many expensive beach hotels, but hey-ho, it will do. In actual fact I accrued so many points with Agoda, that it seemed an appropriate time to take advantage, whilst I wait for the next flight out of here on the 2nd December. The hotel is at the end of a kilometer long drive, gated, walled and guarded like most things here. The rooms are both spacious and well appointed, if not a little dated. There’s a pool and private beach. 
Most of the tourists staying at the hotel appear to be Korean, not great ones for socializing but at least they keep themselves to them self, some Russian, Norwegian and English. The weather here is just about perfect, about 30 degrees +. Fortunately the village is within walking distance, which is fine, as the food and drink prices are ridiculously, as are all of the hotel amenities.
Surprising Philippines! 

Of all the places that I’ve visited, the Philippines are the one place that has dispelled all of my preconceptions. It’s a real eye-opener! I’d imagine it to be very much a third world economy, under developed, limited education, a real problem of poverty, violence, politically instability and crime. 

Aerial shot of Cebu & Mactan Island

Its actual an extraordinarily well developed country, considering its spread out over so many islands. The main problem seems to be the many unwanted children coming into the world. According to many sources, Filipino men see it as their duty to procreate regardless of, and with out any interest in the, consequences!!!
Travelling the Philippines has been a blast!!!

The Lonely Planet says and I quote, ‘just when you thought you had Asia figured out, you arrive in the Philippines’…. it goes on to say, ‘At first glance the country will disarm you more than charm you, but peel back the skin and there are treasures to be found’, and their right. The reason is simple its the people, childish at times, naive, immature, innocent but invariable with a smile, a pleasant word, a willingness to engage with a complete stranger for no reason, other than interest or curiosity.

Hurtling round a country as spread out as it is 21-days isn’t long enough. I’ve extend my visa and booked a return flight to KK on the 5th January. One of the things going through my head was where should I spend Christmas with friends and family so far away. I guess the obvious choice a strong Catholic country where Christmas is clearly an event, an experience I suspect not to be missed.
Where to next, into “the lions den”, Mindanao, the troublesome island, I’m told it’s a great place to visit and a chance to meet up with some friends!!!

 























                                                               



                                                                






 

 

 

                                                                

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