Josh and I have just returned from a 9 day vacation in the Philippines. We left 3:30 am Saturday morning for Taipei Airport. Arrv. Manila in the morning, caught a taxi to Intramuros...and place of historical conflict involving at one time or another Spain, Japan, the US, and the Philippines. Ate a delicious lunch of chopsuey and explored the fort. Went to the National Museum of the Philipino People, and looks specifically at the display on the Spanish-American War and the Philippine-American war. It struck us as a balanced portrayal of the conflicts, noting weaknesses and strengths of all sides. Did you know that at the end of the S-A War, the US bargained with Spain to surrender to the United States instead of to the Philippines?
Caught a bus to Angeles, where we found a hotel on the third try and a with the help of a nice tricycle driver. For dinner we ate at what turned out to be the restaurant of a shady-looking bar next door. The Philippines has a thriving sex-industry, and we were definitely witness to it. From the restaurant, we could see a platform with young women waiting...we're not sure if it was more than conversation in that bar, but from the looks of the town, it could have been. It was heartbreaking to see was the middle-aged or older white men meeting and taking "home" these young Filipino women...
Sunday, Josh and I caught a tricycle, a jeepny, another jeepny, and then another tricycle to a little town where we caught a jeep that drove us to Mt. Pinatubo. Five minutes into our ride in the jeep, we had to stop because of some military exercises that were happening over Mt. Pinatubo. During our twenty minute break (which was actually an hour), we walked around taking pictures. Lots of little kids were interested in us as much as we were in them. Asked us to take pictures and giggled when they saw themselves on camera. Laughed out loud when I showed them their friend riding a water buffalo. It was beautiful, at the base of the mountains, buffalo grazing, chickens everywhere. Trash everywhere. While one of the boys was sitting near us, watching, he finished his snack and threw the wrapper on the ground. We witnessed several instances of this seemingly wanton treatment of the local environment on our trip and still want to know the motivations.
The military let us pass, and the jeep suddenly was on a very bumpy road, fording rivers, and climbing in half gears up steep inclines. Because of the wait, we had to be taken to the highest access point and hurry along to the crater. Our guide walked in flip flops. The lake was amazing from the surrounding cliffs and from the shore. The water green and blue, the cliffs rising high around reminiscent of the enormous mountain that once had been there, and whose ash had suddenly blanketed the sky.
We made it back to the starting point for a delicious Filipino dinner, caught a tricycle to a jeepny to a jeepny to Angeles and then walked back to the hotel. A long day of traveling to be back in the place we had started. And that was our first day.
On Monday, we took an assortment of transportation, eventually to Lucap, a tiny town near Hundred Islands National Park. We got a nipa hut from Seaside Haven, and went to wander. Here we encountered more overt pleas for money, to buy things, etc. Little kids climbed all around us, "gi me money mum?" "gi me money sir?" One little boy, in very broken English explained (we think) to us, that if we threw a few pesos into the water, he would dive in for them. We found out later, there is a slum of maybe 500 families next door to Lucap. We met an American who runs a rental business, and he explained to us his experiences with the government. Those that have money have control. 8 families own most of the business in the Philippines. Contracts have no permanence.
We ate a beautiful restaurant called Maxines, where we subsequently had breakfast and dinner for the three days we were there. Tuesday morning we woke at 5:30 to watch the sunrise. Pancake breakfast. Rented a a kayak and Banka to tow it to the islands. From there we explored several islands, until finding a secluded place for us to read. The rocks were eroded so that an overhang created just enough shade to protect us during the heat of the day (and it was HOT). Kayaked back to the Banka which took us home. Wednesday we kayaked from Lucap to the islands, and returned to the same (Scouts Island). Spend all day (8 hours?) kayaking and reading and looking at shells. When we got back at 5:30, the wonderful American man said we had earned the kayak and didn't charge us for Wednesday.
Thursday we left for Bolinao, which looks out on the South China Sea. Spent several days resting, playing pool, swimming, and on Friday we went to the University of the Philippines Marine Institute. We were given a tour of the facilities, where they are working to reseed giant clams in the the Philippines. They are also working to restore the coral and sea cucumbers. After the tour, we went down to the pier and asked if there was somewhere that we could hire a boat. The woman who has sold us a pepsi found a random guy with a boat. He went and found some snorkel gear and took us out for less than half of the rate were anticipating (and a 5th, at least, of what a resort would charge). For about an hour we snorkeled above the giant clams that had been relocated by the University. It was amazing-they are maybe 2 feet wide and can weigh 500 kilograms (I am 50 kilos). Sea urchins and coral and a few fish. It was incredible.
Saturday we went back to Manila and Sunday we flew home. It was a restful, wonderful, insightful trip. It's raining here and the sun is nowhere to be seen. I know it will be summer soon enough here, but I miss the Philippines. The water. The coke in glass bottles that were collected. The people were incredibly nice, and most spoke English extremely well. Next time maybe we'll actually go hiking like we had planned. Instead of one day near the water, we spent 6. That's vacation if ever I've known it. Happy Chinese New Year!
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