Philippines Island Hopping!

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Three weeks in the Philippines provided me with only a brief glimpse of this very diverse, fascinating country of 7,107 islands (at low tide). Back in Canada now, reflecting on my Island hopping experiences, this is a country worth more than tertiary explorations.
My journey began on February 17th, landing in Cebu City, spending a few days there sightseeing, trying to decide where to go next. I stayed downtown initially at the GV Tower Hotel, until moving on to the more pleasant uptown location at the Mayflower Inn. The use of English is prevalent in the Philippines, which makes travelling in this God fearing country of some 93,000,000, fairly easy and enjoyable. I also haven’t been called “Sir” so often since my time in the military years ago. Every sentence is punctuated with Sir. Yes Sir, No Sir, Three Bags Full Sir! My first stop was the Basilica Minore del Santo Nino to view the revered Christ Child statuette from the time of Magellan, on display behind glass in a rectory beside the main hall. I paid 30 pesos to visit the small museum with artifacts on display such as "Priest’s Robes", “Centuries Old Keys” and “Broken Pot”. I walked over to the crumbling ruin of Fort San Pedro, built in 1565, the oldest Spanish fort in the country. Walking back into town at dusk, I stopped at the grand Cebu Cathedral for a glimpse of the golden alter, as the church bells chimed 6:00 p.m.
The quintessential food of the Philippines consists of a lot of chicken and pork, whether it is fried, grilled, or bar-b-qued, usually with rice, which is a main dietary staple served at the many fast food restaurants such as, Jollibee and Chow King. One night I went to the Sideline Garden Restaurant to sample a local favorite called Sizzling Sisig. I asked what it consisted of and the explanation was, “chopped pork with peppers”. Sounds good, I’ll have a plate with rice thanks. I was wondering what the crunchy bits were as I continued to spit them onto my plate. It wasn’t until the next day, reading a newsmagazine that I discovered the true ingredients; chopped pork head and liver!
The beers are quite good and cheap, maybe one dollar per bottle, with San Miguel Pilsen my fave, although San Miguel Light was also quite good. I did try a few of the Extra Strong, Red Horse, but too many of those and you feel like you’ve been kicked in the head by a wild horse in the morning! The Tanduay Rhum produced locally is also dirt cheap, and a Premium, 15 year old bottle can be had for 78 peso, or less than $2! In fact, if you want Coke in your drink, you must pay an extra tariff to cover the cost of the Coke! Otherwise, you can drink the smooth rum straight or on ice.
My explorations around Cebu also took me up the 40 story Crown Regency Hotel for lovely panoramic views of the city, and for those so inclined, a thrill-seeking experience on the Edge Coaster. I chose to have a couple of San Miguels while watching the Sky Angels’ show, performed for 3 other guests. In fact I didn’t see many other travelers at all in Cebu, until my buddy, Dennis showed up some days later, having just swum with the massive whale sharks at Donsol.
Due to the scarcity of maps to be found in the hotels, I was often provided with “sketches”, hand drawn by the very helpful hotel staff, to assist me to get orientated and on track. Good idea when you haven’t got a compass to find your way home late at night. Although, there must be a security issue in this country when even the chicken shops have armed guards keeping the “mischievous elements” away, as one taxi driver confided in me. Security personnel are mostly armed with revolvers, but depending upon the nature of the business and cash flow, folding-stock shotguns and even automatic weapons were on display.
Local transport consists of cute little “tricycles”, motorcycles with covered side-cars, and Jeepnees, basically stretched US Army jeeps, carrying 16-18 passengers for 7 pesos per trip. Most of the Jeepnees are decorated in outlandish colours and designs. Family names adorn the front end, and slogans emblazoned on the sides like this one spotted in Cebu; “Pray to Our Lord Jesus, Save Yourself and Your Family”. The exchange rate is about 42 pesos/USD, so a ride is dirt cheap. For longer distances, the air-conditioned, Cerus Liner, features modern, but cramped busses with 5 seats/row, normally built for four people. And due to the widespread corruption that has been rife in the country over the years, our bus was boarded many times in the course of a short 4 hour journey by many VTI, or Government Transit Inspectors, verifying ticket sales and passenger loads.
Dennis and I decided to pull up stakes and move onto Sugar Beach on Negros Occidental, stopping overnight at the pleasant coastal city of Dumaguete. Sugar Beach is a remote collection of a handful of small, thatched-hut resorts, near the fishing town of Sipalay. And except for the chirping of the Geckos, the crowing of the roosters, and sound of the nearby surf, this place is a real gem for some quality rest and relaxation. To access Sugar Beach, you must first take a tricycle from Sipalay for 9 kilometers, followed up by a short outrigger boat ride to the shores of Driftwood Village. Then a few hundred meters walk along the beach to your resort. We stayed at the rustic, but well appointed Driftwood Village, run by a Swiss, Peter, and his local wife, Daisy, plus most of her sisters and relatives. This is a place for “chilling”, not doing anything at all, just relaxing and absorbing the serenity of being in such a remote place. Driftwood Village features a fuzzball table, pool table, and no distracting internet coverage to spoil the natural beauty of the surroundings. Other activities included dips in the tranquil Sulu Sea, sunning under the palm trees, and drinks at the authentic Driftwood Bar, furnished with shaped pieces of driftwood for that full Robinson Crusoe experience.
Finally, on February 24, I began my journey to Boracay, taking the bus to Bacolod and the ferry to Iloilo on Panay Island. I had to swat the occasional cockroach off my seat and one even crawling up my leg! Iloilo is another pleasant coastal city to spend an evening. I stayed at the backpacker recommended Family Pension House for under 600 pesos/night, in an old style wooden shop house structure. Only problem experienced in Iloilo, were the many mosquito bites that I experienced overnight. I chatted with an excitable group of well-dressed young people, out for their Prom Night. They explained how the fire at the hotel where the party was, put an end to the proceedings! I asked who was smoking which elicited a few laughs.
The 25th of February is a National Holiday in the country as they celebrated the Peoples’ Revolution that saw dictator Ferdinand Marcos ousted on this date in 1986. After another long travel day by bus and ferry, I arrived in busy but world renowned Boracay, which initially put me off, especially after the peaceful tranquility of Sugar Beach. But after a day or two, I began to appreciate the lovely, white sand beaches, the many bars, restaurants, and shopping available, plus a livelier social scene. I stayed at the really comfortable and pleasantly appointed Roy’s Rendezvous, after bargaining hard for 1200 pesos/night. It was next door, sharing a bottle of Tanduay Rhum with Joyce, that I feasted on a local favorite, called Balut, in effect a boiled chicken egg with a well developed fetus inside! She said not to look at what I was eating, which only made it worse. But I did manage to get the delicacy down without choking!
After two more days of rain, I decided to move on, taking the long four hour ferry to Roxas on Mindoro, followed by another four hour mini-bus ride to Calapan. Some of the other travelers pressed onto Puerto Galera, but I called “stumps” as my travel day was done. The Lonely Planet recommended hotel was full, but they suggested the Morning Breeze Hotel down the street. The Morning Breeze staff asked how many hours I wanted the room for? The menu described various rates depending upon 12 or 24 hour stays, plus items such as cigarettes, alcohol, and even condoms available! Basic little concrete box rooms, with no top sheet on the bed and only a little threadbare hand towel. I did get room service of a hamburger and a beer while I examined my surroundings. It was nearly midnight when I decided to go out and see what this coastal, provincial city had to offer. I had the tricycle driver drop me off at a mini-mart to buy some snacks and water. I met many local men hanging out and got to chatting with Suss, who claimed to be an off-duty police officer. He asked if I wanted to get a beer at a local bar he knows, so I agreed to accompany him to I.C. Marquez Calero, which turned out to be a Videoke Bar, full of young, local hostesses. We were joined at our table by a handful of the girls to party with, drinking down a tray full of San Miguel Light beers, singing karaoke to English language love songs like No More Rhyme by Debbie Gibson. We were having such a great time, I stayed until 0600 when the sun began to rise! What a party! When I woke up just a few hours later, I had to check out before my 12 hours was up to avoid further room charges, and moved to the locally recommended Anahaw Island View Resort. Much more comfortable accommodation on the beach, listening to the soothing sounds of the surf.
After a couple more days in the quiet, non-touristic community of Calapan, I moved onto Puerto Galera and Sabang Beach. A much different scene as the place is full of foreigners, bars, and restaurants. I indulged in a big seafood dinner of calamari, Red Grouper, and prawns, seaside at Angelyn’s Restaurant, with my Calapan travelling companions, Bany, Cecile, and Jona. We stopped at Broadway Disco for a drink, and received a surprise to see pole dancers onstage rather than the expected dance floor! A rather different sort of “Disco” than I’m used to! Sabang didn't have much of a beach and not exactly the scene I was looking for, so I cleared out the next day.
Onto Manila, a massive metro population of over 11 million, quite polluted, with many beggars and homeless people in the streets. Other than that, my stay was pleasant enough as I took up residence in the decent, mid-range Rainbow Hotel on Adriatico Street in Malate, complete with a rooftop swimming pool and great views of Manila Harbor. I walked along the Baywalk beside Roxas Blvd taking some pictures of the sights as I walked along. Within a few minutes, two of Manila’s finest police officers approached me to “invite me to the US Embassy for an interview”! What’s this all about I asked? It seems I was getting too close with my camera to the fortress-like US Embassy and someone inside reported me for investigation. I was a bit unnerved, but had nothing to hide as I showed the friendly, polite, Police Officers Bravo and Castanaga, the results of my touristic snap shots. They found non-incriminating views of swimmers in Manila Harbor, fruit vendors, and other sundry shots. We took some pictures together, had a few laughs, and I was on my way with a promise to stay in touch. And now, I’m back in Canada, where winters grip has still not let go, experiencing rain and single digit temperatures of +6 degrees. It’s been over one year since I left Canada on February 28, 2010, and in addition to jet lag, I’m feeling a reverse culture shock as I readjust back into my Canadian lifestyle. However, I’m already planning my next series of adventures, so stay tuned!

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Photos

SPC Sisters, Dumaguete
Commeration of the 1904 landing of the Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres

Local Bus Ride From Dumaguete
Young people on a road trip to deliver a 40 inch flat screen TV to family in the country!