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Published: February 12th 2006
These last couple of weeks have been a mixture of the rushed and relaxed. To start at the beginning, which you have doubtless realised rarely happens in my blogs, arriving in Cebu, I gave myself a similar challenge to Manila of getting to my hostel in Cebu City without the use of a taxi. Naturally, arriving during a monsoonal downpour gave me second thoughts, but they both passed quickly, and so first I went in search of a tricycle to Lapu-Lapu City, though I am at a loss to the use of the word 'city' here. It was more of a random collection of backstreets, which I travelled through on the back of a bike, rucksack still firmly attached to my back, and more than one confused stare from a local. Unlike many travellers that, ironically, actually don't like travelling, I'm not one of them - not yet anyway (ask me again when I reach India). On local transport particularly, I enjoy the partial unexpectedness of it; it's a great way to see a lot and get a feel of an area and its people, even if it can often take twice as long. Thus, 3 hours later, with two jeepney transfers and a lot of help from locals (as I arrived without a map or any prior knowledge of names of local districts - I come prepared, as always), I got to the busy centre of Cebu City.
I was only there one evening to begin with, but it gave me some time to visit the Basilica Minore del Santo Nino and the Carbon Market. The Basililca Minore blah blah is home to Philippine's oldest religious relic, and being a Friday, in addition to lots of candle burning, I got to witness how religion is adapting to the modern age here, with hundreds gathering to sing hymns from a huge LED display above the altar. The Carbon Market was just as great as all the other markets in Asia, and I greedily enjoyed the evening tasting and trying whatever took my fancy from the many food stalls and sellers.
Staying in a hostel that also charged rates by the hour, I left early to catch, finally, my first Filipino ferry to Tubigon on Bohol Island, home to two things I wished to see: 1) The Chocolate Hills and 2) The Tarsiers. The former is a collection of clay-filled mounds resembling Hershey's Kisses if it wasn't for it still being the end of the wet season, and so resembled green-icing covered Hershey's Kisses. Spread across a vast plateau in inland Bohol, all 1268 of them are formed from a complex process of limestone weathering over millions of years, creating the spectacular karst landscape seen today (or as legend describes, are the deposits of a giant water buffalo with troubled bowels), that was well worth the side trip. The 'resort' itself is built on top of one of these sweets, affording good views all around, and did I mention the swimming pool?
Staying here for a silhouetted-style sunset, the end of the evening took a slightly unexpected turn of events, when I came across two lizards on my balcony. Although not Monitor Lizards, they certainly weren't geckos at over 1ft in length, and bright blue with red spots all over (Will, any ideas?). Trying to get a photo of one, I accidentally managed to scare it into finding the only hole leading into my room. Bugger. No way was I going to bed til Mr Spotty Lizard here was back outside! I tried poking it in what I would like to say a fearless way. However, that would be lying, as I cautiously and haphazardly poked it with a pen that I wished was twice as long, especially when it lashed out quickly, showing off its big mouth and teeth, and I fell off my chair in fright. A private room thus has its advantages by not humiliating oneself as a fool in front of others. Anyways, I eventually led the now slightly pissed off lizard back outside, got the photo and had enough sleep to wake up for a cloudy sunrise.
Before saying goodbye to Bohol Island on my brief two-night stopover, I also naturally had to go see the Tarsiers. Near the sanctuary, Loboc, a small village, has tarsiers caged up ready for the worst type of tourist. Of course, this is illegal and I did not visit this place. However, the sanctuary is doing some great work on the other hand, and over the years has released many dozen tarsiers to the wild. When I visited there were 10 growing tarsiers in a 1Ha enclosure, of which I said hello to 3, with the help of a guide with great eyesight. Besides their large, Marty Feldman-style eyes, you immediately notice 2 things about them - how utterly utterly titsily witsily small they are (they could just about fit into the palm of my hand, with an average weight of 31g) and how they take the word 'cute' to a whole new level. This might have something to do with waking them up mid-sleep, being nocturnal, and mostly the only movement we saw was the slow owl-like turning of their heads. Nevertheless, like all of nature's creatures, they're remarkable; for example, when not being prodded by digital cameras, they can jump over 3metres, and one of their eyes is bigger than their entire brain! However, contrary to popular belief, they are not the world's smallest moneky, as they are more closely related to lemurs and lorises, not being a species of monkey at all. They were definitely on of the most fascinating animals I've ever seen.
The rest of my time has been spent doing absolutely nothing. And what a good feeling being lazy is! After restlessly moving from place to place nearly every couple of days for the majority of my travels so far, I felt I needed a serious break for a few days, and sun, sea and sand usually does the trick. Unfortunately, most easily accessible beaches are advertised as being beautiful, as long as you don't mind sharing this beauty with 100 others. For those of you who know the Philippines, places like Borocay, Malapascua or Maolboal. Instead, I went to an island called Bantayan, north of Cebu, where the tourists are lacking (so far) but the beaches just as bright. It's a working island, with 4 towns, fishing boats along the shore, the sound of cockerals roosting on and on and on (and on) and an exporter of over 10 million eggs. A couple where I was staying (a few huts just back amongst the beach in the palms where the only danger to tranquility comes from falling coconuts) said this was their favourite beach, just ahead of the Perentians and Ko Pha Ngan down at #5, so I think I chose well.
No decent snorkling sadly, but I sat, read, wrote, swam, ate, read, sat, did some thinking, swam, and slept for 5 days, by bright sunlight by day and candlelight by night due to recent powercuts, making the island feel like being back in 2002 to one resident - how places change quickly, and it's hard not to feel guilty at being part of this change and wondering what the island will look like in 5 years time. I also befriended a local Swiss/Filipino couple who have just started up a new restaurant, and besides being known as "tourist #8", I would go to the market with them in the morning, all 3 of us on the back of a motorcycle, and we'd come back with 4 live chickens dangling from the handlebars, or some fresh fish. They offered to cook anything I wanted while I was there: shrimp, sweat n sour fish, curry, even spag-bog, all with fresh ingredients and tasted great! (Plug-in time: restaurant 'Amigo Place' opposite the Sugar Beach Resort). So you get the idea - I wound down for a few days, relaxed the muscles, let some air into my rucksack and drained my mp3 player battery.
On my final day I also managed to find something very popular in Filipino culture, which I'm glad I experienced, even if it does invoke abhorent feelings to the average westerner - a cockfight. The actual fight itself only has about a minute of frisky action before a winner is not-so-subtly decided (either by death, lots of blood or running away in fear). But the lead up took over 2 hours, with lots of men hanging around in circles holding their 'birds' (choosing my words carefully here to refrain from this blog turning into a pornographic story), playing with themselves, spitting - being men basically - while shouting and laughing at each other. It's times like that I wish I spoke the language. A friend and I were hoping to place a bet to make it more interesting, but it appears the art of betting was too confusing for the likes of me who's gambling experience consists of the Grant National, a few rounds of Poker and a game of Bingo. Besides, apparently, you can't actually win anything - if you 'win', you just get your money back. Hmm - a little phoney if you ask me. But it's actual serious business over here. Many spend more money on their 'bird' than their entire family - medicines, feeds, their own bus seat etc. It's a crazy world we live in.
Anyways, I'm back in Cebu City now, having left Bantayan Island yesterday after a small village fiesta, where you have to pay each time you want to go on the dance floor to dance to a song (the more popular a song, the more you pay - bloody cheeky). A good place to have a beer and say goodbye. I fly back to Manila later today, to visit some random International Bamboo Organ Festival (I do seem to find this random stuff, don't I?!) before flying to the capital of the Backpacker World on Tuesday - Kao San Road, Bangkok. Oh dear....
Much love,
xx
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Sarah
non-member comment
Even though some of the other blogs have been far more action packed - the last 2 have definitely been my favourite as even though I am jealous, its really lovely to hear you are having a good time in what has to be one of my favourite (although this doesn't really say much - I would include most countries I have been to in this category) countries...beware the traveller bubble you are on your way to - and remember Thailand is a great place (it actually is despite the sarcasm that follows) to meet other white people, dabble in sex tourism and eat Israeli food....(ignore me I am just wanky - make sure you go to the forensic museum) - hope you keep on having a good time....and thanks - distractions from work are always welcome...xxx