Blogs from Palawan, Philippines, Asia - page 36

OK, I seriously do not have much to write this week. We learned how to study the Bible this week. We had team-building activities on Friday afternoon. I was mad at several people this week, and then God thwarted me for it afterwards. Severe sleep deprivation and falling asleep in class found their way into the week as well. We had a Summer Of Service team from Australia come and stay with us for a few days, so the extra 15 people made for an exceptionally busy base. I'm considering getting a tattoo. Perhaps in the dumpsite. I've gotten comments from people at home like 'I can't believe you are brave enough to do that' and 'I'm proud of you, I could never have the strength to do that.' Let me tell you, I'm neither brave ... read more

It's been a while since I've written, not because I haven't had the time, but because my last visit to an Internet cafe was a last-minute excursion. If I hadn't so many emails and messages to respond to, I would have written it there, but the computer access at the base is the only reason I am able to do as much as I do. So this is me pre-writing my blog to recap the past two weeks. Christmas and New Year's On December 24th, in the morning, the DTS helped the staff host a Christmas party for HANDS, one of our base’s ministries to help single mothers and of course their children. We had music, dance, games and food, which are pretty much inherent to any organized Filipino celebration, regardless of occasion. In the evening, ... read more

We organised the package tour before we left Perth. It included transport from Puerto Princesa to Sabang, three nights accommodation, and tours to the underground caves, waterfall and mangroves. The road going to Sabang was terrible. Most of it was dirt and rock and hadn't been graded for a long time. It had been raining before we arrived at Palawan so the dirt turned to mud and in some parts I thought the driver, Bot, wouldn't get through. But we always managed, with a big smile on Bots face the whole time. The scenery was amazing though. We passed a lookout for Ulugan Bay and passed people working in the rice fields and rice drying on the side of the road (it took up half the road). There were mountains all around us. We stayed at ... read more

Four hours by boat over choppy water and we reached the sleepy village of Port Barton. In hindsight, coming here was a mistake. There was very little to see or do. It was a haven for older men and their twenty-something Filipino companions. The men spent their days in the hotel bars getting legless. The men would sit at one table swapping tall stories and drink their beer and whisky chasers. Meanwhile the Filipino women would gather at another table with their orange juices and swap gossip. Finally, when the men could only mumble and barely stand, they would be escorted to bed. It is quite a sight to see a tiny Filipino girl support a swaying man across a bar, especially when the man is twice her size with a beer belly the size of ... read more

Our next stop was Palawan, an island province in the far Western waters of the Philippines. The island is 800km in length, and has been called "The Final Frontier" of the Philippines. Most of Palawan is an untouched wilderness and it did not disappoint! The only downside is that Palawan is the "cockerel capital" of the world. The little menaces are everywhere. Cockerels are supposed to crow at daybreak, but someone obviously forgot to give these ones a wristwatch. 1am... "cock-a-doodle-doo!" 2am... "cock-a-doodle-doo!" 3am... "cock-a-doodle-doo!" Every place we visited over the next two weeks was infested with the damn cockerels. I was tempted to buy some gaffer tape and seal their little beaks shut. Then I thought using elastic bands over the beaks would be more humane, because the cockerels could then stretch their beaks open ... read more