We only have a few days left in Calamba and Kit has told us to expect a busy time. Last night we had dinner with Dr Joel Lazaro who is a Developmental Paediatrician and one of the speakers at the seminar on Saturday, 2nd. He has a beautiful house (designed by Kit’s son, Raoul) and decorated with Chinese artifacts inherited from his grandmother. We ate Italian and it was a great night.
Marilyn had offered to teach Kit’s cook, Winnie, a few simple meals so decided that spaghetti bolognaise was a good place to start. It was arranged that they would go out together to the supermarket to get the food and it would be prepared for tonight’s meal.
However, Kit announced that we had been invited to the Induction of RC Sto Tomas, dress formal. Marilyn had sent all her formal clothes, including the one she bought in SM Department Store, back to Australia so there was no other answer but to go back to SM and find something else.
I was going to the Calamba Rotary meeting at lunchtime so she and Rhoda set off in the Peugeot sports car to find a dress and do the shopping. They didn’t get back until 6 and then had to start the cooking. Everyone was involved: Marilyn, the three helpers, Rhoda and Rex. There was chaos in the tiny kitchen. Kit wisely went for a nap and my contribution was to put together a plate of antipasto. All good stuff!
The bottle of Italian red was opened and I sat back to enjoy the fun. It was a great meal and Winnie took careful notes so that she can reproduce it in the future. It’s certainly a change from rice although when the overnight guard was offered a serve, he refused the pasta and had the sauce with rice. It’s hard to change the habit of a lifetime.
Tonight, the Rotary Club is having a party to farewell us. Each time they do this the karaoke machine comes out and we have to embarrass ourselves by singing. Oh well, its only once a year.
Tomorrow we’re going to Villa Escudero, a famous tourist attraction, and Sto Tomas Rotary Club in the evening. Marilyn will have a chance to wear her new dress but I will wear the barong tagalog which is very simple.
Saturday is the seminar and we’re expecting between 60 and 100 participants, and on Sunday we will head up to Santa Rosa to meet Geoff and Chit who will take us to their house in Manila before we get the plane back to Australia on Tuesday. We know that Rex will miss us so I’ve written a social script for him with a countdown of the last few days.
Because Marilyn off-loaded about 12Kg of books and clothes (including all her formal gear) to Siaren, we’re not expecting to have trouble with packing but that task is still to be addressed.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Monday, September 27, 2010
Monday, 27th September .....
3.54am – a huge explosion outside our window woke both of us from a deep sleep. Marilyn rose 12 inches from the mattress. What on earth….? Almost immediately, a noisy diesel engine burst into life.
It’s something to do with the electrics, I said, and that’s the emergency diesel generator kicking in. We looked out the window but all seemed as it should be. The little sari sari store across the road was already open with two or three customers hanging around. Do Filipinos never sleep?
Our alarm was set for 5 so, when we had reassured ourselves that we were in no immediate danger, we thought we could grab a few more minutes sleep. Marilyn decided it would be sensible to pack our stuff so that, if a real emergency popped up, we would just snatch our bags and run.
Our plane leaves at 8 o’clock so we’ve allowed ourselves time for a shower and breakfast before the hotel car takes us to the airport. The charge for this very nice hotel is only $40 per night, with breakfast and airport transfers thrown in.
It’s something to do with the electrics, I said, and that’s the emergency diesel generator kicking in. We looked out the window but all seemed as it should be. The little sari sari store across the road was already open with two or three customers hanging around. Do Filipinos never sleep?
Our alarm was set for 5 so, when we had reassured ourselves that we were in no immediate danger, we thought we could grab a few more minutes sleep. Marilyn decided it would be sensible to pack our stuff so that, if a real emergency popped up, we would just snatch our bags and run.
Our plane leaves at 8 o’clock so we’ve allowed ourselves time for a shower and breakfast before the hotel car takes us to the airport. The charge for this very nice hotel is only $40 per night, with breakfast and airport transfers thrown in.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Sunday, 26th September …..
One of the disadvantages of having a room at the front of the hotel is that the passing traffic is just a few metres away, and it seemed to run non-stop all night. People like me, who sleep the sleep of the dead, are not bothered but light sleepers like Marilyn wake to every sound. Note: buy earplugs today.
It has also rained all night and, when I look out the window at 6.30, there is no volcano to be seen. However, it cleared by 7.30 when we went down to breakfast, so all is well. Several Rotarians arrived around 8.30 and we set off to visit the Legaspi Sped Centre. The staff were generous to open up on a Sunday morning to allow us to have a look and the teacher-in-charge, Teresita Almayda had made some snacks for us. Marilyn was delighted to see some ham sandwiches and enjoyed them enormously.
The school, like so many others, has outgrown its space. It opened in 1984 with 40 students, and now has 271. The staff has made a real effort to make the rooms attractive with bright colours and fresh curtains but the reality is they are inadequate for the number of students who are installed in them. A couple, catering for 10 students each were only about 6m long x 2m wide.
The President of the PTA explained that the priority is to improve some fencing between this school and the adjoining high school, and to build a roof between two classroom blocks to provide shelter in sunny or wet weather. The T.I.C had bigger dreams; she wanted a new broadacre site where a proper school could be established. Sadly, it’s hard to see how this dream can be realized.
With a sense of how much more needs to be done for special children in Legaspi as in every other city in the Philippines, we were taken to see the big attraction of the region: the Mayon volcano. Mayon comes from a word in the native language which means beautiful, and it certainly is.
The shape is almost a perfect cone and the broad black stripes of dried lava down its sides are spectacular. We looked at it first from the plain, and then from a lookout on a small hill. From every angle it is majestic.
Legaspi shows the signs of previous eruptions as well as damage from successive typhoons. Some areas previously settled have now been abandoned and they now look like bombsites, black and lifeless.
Still, Legaspi, from the lookout on Lignon Hill is a beautiful city and reminded us of Townsville, looking down from Castle Hill. It’s been a great visit and the Rotarians have been more than generous with their hospitality.
We were dropped back at our hotel by noon, so we decided to be brave and get a taxi to take us to the mall and pick us up later. No problem! We wandered around, had a bite of lunch and Marilyn had her nails done. We find the malls in the Philippines interesting and are always amazed at the variety of shops. Filipinos are a nation of entrepreneurs and we've never seen so many franchises. This one is particularly interesting.
We met a Norwegian man in the beauty salon. He had lost a leg in an accident so was in a wheelchair waiting for his turn to have his hair cut. He was full of information about all things to do with living in Legaspi and encouraged us to contact him if we ever decided to settle here permanently or semi-permanently.
It has also rained all night and, when I look out the window at 6.30, there is no volcano to be seen. However, it cleared by 7.30 when we went down to breakfast, so all is well. Several Rotarians arrived around 8.30 and we set off to visit the Legaspi Sped Centre. The staff were generous to open up on a Sunday morning to allow us to have a look and the teacher-in-charge, Teresita Almayda had made some snacks for us. Marilyn was delighted to see some ham sandwiches and enjoyed them enormously.
The school, like so many others, has outgrown its space. It opened in 1984 with 40 students, and now has 271. The staff has made a real effort to make the rooms attractive with bright colours and fresh curtains but the reality is they are inadequate for the number of students who are installed in them. A couple, catering for 10 students each were only about 6m long x 2m wide.
The President of the PTA explained that the priority is to improve some fencing between this school and the adjoining high school, and to build a roof between two classroom blocks to provide shelter in sunny or wet weather. The T.I.C had bigger dreams; she wanted a new broadacre site where a proper school could be established. Sadly, it’s hard to see how this dream can be realized.
With a sense of how much more needs to be done for special children in Legaspi as in every other city in the Philippines, we were taken to see the big attraction of the region: the Mayon volcano. Mayon comes from a word in the native language which means beautiful, and it certainly is.
The shape is almost a perfect cone and the broad black stripes of dried lava down its sides are spectacular. We looked at it first from the plain, and then from a lookout on a small hill. From every angle it is majestic.Legaspi shows the signs of previous eruptions as well as damage from successive typhoons. Some areas previously settled have now been abandoned and they now look like bombsites, black and lifeless.
Still, Legaspi, from the lookout on Lignon Hill is a beautiful city and reminded us of Townsville, looking down from Castle Hill. It’s been a great visit and the Rotarians have been more than generous with their hospitality.
We were dropped back at our hotel by noon, so we decided to be brave and get a taxi to take us to the mall and pick us up later. No problem! We wandered around, had a bite of lunch and Marilyn had her nails done. We find the malls in the Philippines interesting and are always amazed at the variety of shops. Filipinos are a nation of entrepreneurs and we've never seen so many franchises. This one is particularly interesting.
We met a Norwegian man in the beauty salon. He had lost a leg in an accident so was in a wheelchair waiting for his turn to have his hair cut. He was full of information about all things to do with living in Legaspi and encouraged us to contact him if we ever decided to settle here permanently or semi-permanently.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Saturday, 25th September …..
After a surprisingly good sleep (without an air-conditioner!) we had a cold shower, a long walk on the beach and a good Filipino breakfast. I did without the rice, the baked fish, the dried fish and the spicy sausages but enjoyed the fried eggs and chicken in sweet sauce. The coffee was excellent and there were plenty of bananas, water melon and pineapple.
Sany, PP of RC Naga East, who was driving, had suggested we might leave at about 10 but, once a decision is made that we won’t be staying, there is no point in hanging around so we were on the road by 8.45.
Not far from the resort, there was a large van leaning over into the ditch. It seems it had broken an axle or lost a wheel. Another truck was backed up to it and three or four men were in the process of off-loading thousands of melons, one by one, from the disabled truck to the new one. Labour is cheap in the Philippines and they don’t often bother with crates and forklifts which are expensive.
A bit further out of town we came to a steep, winding, downhill stretch and discovered the regional longboarding championships were being held. In this context, longboards are a type of skateboard modified for this sport, held on a public highway with some degree of difficulty.
We couldn’t resist stopping for photographs and set ourselves up near the Finish line to watch. The first pair came screaming down the hill, misjudged the final bend and plowed into the crash barriers. These were the only useful crash barriers on the whole course; elsewhere they had randomly thrown around what looked like sandbags. One of the pair picked himself up quickly, got back on his board and looked like winning, until the last second when he was overtaken by someone who had maintained his speed right to the line. We watched a few more and were suitably impressed.
The competitors wore padded jackets and crash helmets so they are aware of the risks but we still saw one fellow with a badly grazed shoulder. As I said to the monsignor, young men will always look for new ways to hurt themselves.
OK, the monsignor is a member of RC Naga East and was traveling with us. Ever since I heard the line, ‘as the actress said to the bishop’ in the first series of The Saint with Roger Moore, I’ve always wanted to drop those words into a conversation.
We met up with Hoover again in Naga and set off for Legaspi. He suggested we stop for lunch at Biggs Diner (I think) where they had a cardboard cutout of an Australian surfer called Reuben Buchanan (I think). Apparently he set up their water sport complex and became something of a hero in the area.
Also on the way, we passed a pig riding in a sidecar. Small farmers might only have one pig and a motorcycle and sidecar is an economical way of transporting them to market (or, more likely, to the slaughterhouse). If another human has to be transported as well, he sits on the roof.
We had been booked into a very nice hotel in Legaspi with good views of the Mayon Volcano from our window. The hotel has a great coffee shop so we’re happy campers.
A group of 6 or 7 Rotarians, including Assistant Governor Vic Vic Dugan and representatives of two of the local clubs, arrived to welcome us on their way from a RYLA camp. It was too late to do anything so we were left to have a quick meal, a shower and an early bed. The TV seems to be on the blink so this will make 25 consecutive nights when we haven’t watched TV. We’re going for a record!
Tomorrow, we will be collected by members of the city’s other two clubs for visits to SPEd Centers and, we hope, the Mayon volcano.
Sany, PP of RC Naga East, who was driving, had suggested we might leave at about 10 but, once a decision is made that we won’t be staying, there is no point in hanging around so we were on the road by 8.45.
Not far from the resort, there was a large van leaning over into the ditch. It seems it had broken an axle or lost a wheel. Another truck was backed up to it and three or four men were in the process of off-loading thousands of melons, one by one, from the disabled truck to the new one. Labour is cheap in the Philippines and they don’t often bother with crates and forklifts which are expensive.A bit further out of town we came to a steep, winding, downhill stretch and discovered the regional longboarding championships were being held. In this context, longboards are a type of skateboard modified for this sport, held on a public highway with some degree of difficulty.
We couldn’t resist stopping for photographs and set ourselves up near the Finish line to watch. The first pair came screaming down the hill, misjudged the final bend and plowed into the crash barriers. These were the only useful crash barriers on the whole course; elsewhere they had randomly thrown around what looked like sandbags. One of the pair picked himself up quickly, got back on his board and looked like winning, until the last second when he was overtaken by someone who had maintained his speed right to the line. We watched a few more and were suitably impressed.
The competitors wore padded jackets and crash helmets so they are aware of the risks but we still saw one fellow with a badly grazed shoulder. As I said to the monsignor, young men will always look for new ways to hurt themselves.
OK, the monsignor is a member of RC Naga East and was traveling with us. Ever since I heard the line, ‘as the actress said to the bishop’ in the first series of The Saint with Roger Moore, I’ve always wanted to drop those words into a conversation.
We met up with Hoover again in Naga and set off for Legaspi. He suggested we stop for lunch at Biggs Diner (I think) where they had a cardboard cutout of an Australian surfer called Reuben Buchanan (I think). Apparently he set up their water sport complex and became something of a hero in the area.
Also on the way, we passed a pig riding in a sidecar. Small farmers might only have one pig and a motorcycle and sidecar is an economical way of transporting them to market (or, more likely, to the slaughterhouse). If another human has to be transported as well, he sits on the roof.We had been booked into a very nice hotel in Legaspi with good views of the Mayon Volcano from our window. The hotel has a great coffee shop so we’re happy campers.
A group of 6 or 7 Rotarians, including Assistant Governor Vic Vic Dugan and representatives of two of the local clubs, arrived to welcome us on their way from a RYLA camp. It was too late to do anything so we were left to have a quick meal, a shower and an early bed. The TV seems to be on the blink so this will make 25 consecutive nights when we haven’t watched TV. We’re going for a record!Tomorrow, we will be collected by members of the city’s other two clubs for visits to SPEd Centers and, we hope, the Mayon volcano.
Friday, 24th September …..
It’s a pleasant run down from Naga to Kit’s Resort and you get the impression that not much has changed in the life of the local people in that area, even though those of us from the outside world are struggling to keep up.
Certainly there have been enormous changes at the resort – the main Casa Nipa has an extra four bedrooms, there are now three dormitories with a total of 99 beds, extra pavilions, outside toilets and showers, and so on. Still, she has managed to keep the rural feel and it is certainly not 5-star in western terms.
Kit’s team had worked hard to set up facilities for the expected 100 people.
One of the pavilions was set up for dining, a stage had been built and sound equipment installed, kitchen facilities were provided and a place to wash up.
The beach was as delightful as we remembered. Marilyn and I had a swim before dinner but everyone else thought we were daft. Filipino Rotarians like nothing better than sitting around talking. I confess that I find this part of socializing hard and I avoid it if I can.
The main event of the reunion was held on Friday night. We were instructed to come dressed in our Hawaiian clothes. I looked suitably gormless in a tiny-bit-too-small orange shirt but Marilyn was the Belle of the Ball in her red muu-muu with flowers in her hair (note musical reference to San Franciso and/or Punk Rocker). We had decided that we would have a raffle to raise money for the local school. There were 12 or 14 prizes in the end, ranging from a hand-carved statue by Luis Ac-Ac to a giveaway plastic mug from the National Bookstore. Kit said it might be hard to get extra pesos out of Rotarians but she hadn’t taken Marilyn’s marketing magic into account.
She first started with hard sell: these are prizes you can’t afford to miss, etc. Then she moved into the bargain: one ticket for 100 pesos, 3 for 200 pesos, 8 for 500 pesos. She was mobbed. The customers flocked around the stage, waving notes and begging to give them away. After the first rush, she had just 8 tickets left so I handed over my 500 pesos, hoping that I wouldn’t win anything.
When it came to the prize-drawing, one forlorn voice called out, ‘Are there any more tickets? I missed out.’ Never one to miss an opportunity, I offered him my bundle of 8, the 500 pesos was handed over so, in effect, we sold those tickets twice. We ended up with 6200 pesos ($155) for the school and a lot of satisfied customers. The funds will add to other money we have raised to put insulation in the roof of the school.
Children from the school danced and there were two local student bands, one of which had won the regional Battle of the Bands. I wouldn’t have thought that a small village could produce 2 bands of this quality – 6 guitarists, 2 keyboard players, 2 drummers and 3 outstanding singers. One group started their set with Lady Gaga – brilliant. They were still bopping when we turned out our lights at about 11; they were starting to sound a bit ragged but lack of energy wasn’t the problem.
The stage was set up facing the sea and I think the whole village had turned out to stand on the beach, behind the barriers, to see the show. Many of the villagers were employed by Kit as cooks, bottle-washers, waiters, security guards and so on – a bit of income and a sense of being part of it. They were apparently very proud of their uniforms – colour-coded t-shirts.
Certainly there have been enormous changes at the resort – the main Casa Nipa has an extra four bedrooms, there are now three dormitories with a total of 99 beds, extra pavilions, outside toilets and showers, and so on. Still, she has managed to keep the rural feel and it is certainly not 5-star in western terms.
Kit’s team had worked hard to set up facilities for the expected 100 people.
One of the pavilions was set up for dining, a stage had been built and sound equipment installed, kitchen facilities were provided and a place to wash up.The beach was as delightful as we remembered. Marilyn and I had a swim before dinner but everyone else thought we were daft. Filipino Rotarians like nothing better than sitting around talking. I confess that I find this part of socializing hard and I avoid it if I can.
The main event of the reunion was held on Friday night. We were instructed to come dressed in our Hawaiian clothes. I looked suitably gormless in a tiny-bit-too-small orange shirt but Marilyn was the Belle of the Ball in her red muu-muu with flowers in her hair (note musical reference to San Franciso and/or Punk Rocker). We had decided that we would have a raffle to raise money for the local school. There were 12 or 14 prizes in the end, ranging from a hand-carved statue by Luis Ac-Ac to a giveaway plastic mug from the National Bookstore. Kit said it might be hard to get extra pesos out of Rotarians but she hadn’t taken Marilyn’s marketing magic into account.
She first started with hard sell: these are prizes you can’t afford to miss, etc. Then she moved into the bargain: one ticket for 100 pesos, 3 for 200 pesos, 8 for 500 pesos. She was mobbed. The customers flocked around the stage, waving notes and begging to give them away. After the first rush, she had just 8 tickets left so I handed over my 500 pesos, hoping that I wouldn’t win anything.When it came to the prize-drawing, one forlorn voice called out, ‘Are there any more tickets? I missed out.’ Never one to miss an opportunity, I offered him my bundle of 8, the 500 pesos was handed over so, in effect, we sold those tickets twice. We ended up with 6200 pesos ($155) for the school and a lot of satisfied customers. The funds will add to other money we have raised to put insulation in the roof of the school.
Children from the school danced and there were two local student bands, one of which had won the regional Battle of the Bands. I wouldn’t have thought that a small village could produce 2 bands of this quality – 6 guitarists, 2 keyboard players, 2 drummers and 3 outstanding singers. One group started their set with Lady Gaga – brilliant. They were still bopping when we turned out our lights at about 11; they were starting to sound a bit ragged but lack of energy wasn’t the problem.The stage was set up facing the sea and I think the whole village had turned out to stand on the beach, behind the barriers, to see the show. Many of the villagers were employed by Kit as cooks, bottle-washers, waiters, security guards and so on – a bit of income and a sense of being part of it. They were apparently very proud of their uniforms – colour-coded t-shirts.
Thursday, September 23rd …..
Naga is a very nice city and our host, President Hoover Ricar is a very nice man. He picked us up at the airport and has been carrying us around ever since. Nothing seems to be a trouble and he is proud to show us his town and the various projects his club is involved with.
Immediately after getting off the plane, four hours late, we suggested we go straight to the Naga SPEd Center to meet the principal Girlie Maristaza.
She and her staff are certainly doing a wonderful job under severe difficulties. We saw classes for Hearing Impaired, and Vision Impaired students, and there were other classes catering for mixed groups of Cerebral Palsy, Intellectual Disability, Behaviour Difficulties and Autism. The children were delighted to see us and we had to carry out the traditional Filipino blessing – allowing the child to take our hand and touch it to his or her forehead.
In 1978, when Rotary became involved, the centre only had a handful of students. Now there are about 280 with a projected enrolment increase of 2% per year. In the early days, Rotary built a 2-classroom block and these are still effective spaces. As numbers increased, rooms were shared by two classes; currently, some classrooms have been halved again and four groups share the same tiny space. There are plans for the building of new classrooms but no funding is on the horizon.
This morning, we met two Rotarians from another club, RC Naga, Camarines Sur. Earl and Jenny Harris took us to the Center for the Blind which is one of their pet projects. We met a number of clients of the centre, who come to access the technology and other resources. One 4th year secondary student is studying Psychology and his computer had the facility of reading his books to him. Earl told us that it is one of just a few centres of this type and people from all over the region travel to use the facilities.
We seemed to have lost the morning so Hoover took us to the Camarines Sur Water Sports Centre for lunch. This was built by the provincial government (the governor is a Wake Board fanatic) and it is a wonderful resource. The cable which drags the skiers around was out of commission so there were lots of disconsolate young men hanging around waiting for some action. Hoover told us that some of them were members of the local dragon boat crew.
I hadn’t been looking forward to the afternoon when it was announced that I would be meeting parents of students with autism who would ask me questions about their particular situations. It’s not really possible to give advice for a child you’ve never met but you don’t want to be seen to be fobbing people off with platitudes. Anyway, it went alright although some of the stories were heart-wrenching.
We didn’t get away from here until about 5 and there was only time to buy some of the local delicacy, pili nuts, and a t-shirt for Rex before we were dropped off at Senor Enricos for a short break before heading off to the Rotary meeting.
The meeting was great, not unlike ours but with the usual local differences. They sang Imagine without embarrassment but didn’t have a fine session. I explained how this worked and gave them a couple of examples of the sorts of things which attract a fine, and cause a little discomfort to the person being fined.
A big day, and it was already bed-time when we got back to our room. Senor Enricos is a modern B&B establishment owned by a local dentist, who is a Rotary member. It is very plush and I highly recommend it. Senor Enrico introduced himself as dentist by day, hotelier by night, door opener, security guard and breakfast cook as well.
Immediately after getting off the plane, four hours late, we suggested we go straight to the Naga SPEd Center to meet the principal Girlie Maristaza.
She and her staff are certainly doing a wonderful job under severe difficulties. We saw classes for Hearing Impaired, and Vision Impaired students, and there were other classes catering for mixed groups of Cerebral Palsy, Intellectual Disability, Behaviour Difficulties and Autism. The children were delighted to see us and we had to carry out the traditional Filipino blessing – allowing the child to take our hand and touch it to his or her forehead.In 1978, when Rotary became involved, the centre only had a handful of students. Now there are about 280 with a projected enrolment increase of 2% per year. In the early days, Rotary built a 2-classroom block and these are still effective spaces. As numbers increased, rooms were shared by two classes; currently, some classrooms have been halved again and four groups share the same tiny space. There are plans for the building of new classrooms but no funding is on the horizon.
This morning, we met two Rotarians from another club, RC Naga, Camarines Sur. Earl and Jenny Harris took us to the Center for the Blind which is one of their pet projects. We met a number of clients of the centre, who come to access the technology and other resources. One 4th year secondary student is studying Psychology and his computer had the facility of reading his books to him. Earl told us that it is one of just a few centres of this type and people from all over the region travel to use the facilities.
We seemed to have lost the morning so Hoover took us to the Camarines Sur Water Sports Centre for lunch. This was built by the provincial government (the governor is a Wake Board fanatic) and it is a wonderful resource. The cable which drags the skiers around was out of commission so there were lots of disconsolate young men hanging around waiting for some action. Hoover told us that some of them were members of the local dragon boat crew.
I hadn’t been looking forward to the afternoon when it was announced that I would be meeting parents of students with autism who would ask me questions about their particular situations. It’s not really possible to give advice for a child you’ve never met but you don’t want to be seen to be fobbing people off with platitudes. Anyway, it went alright although some of the stories were heart-wrenching.
We didn’t get away from here until about 5 and there was only time to buy some of the local delicacy, pili nuts, and a t-shirt for Rex before we were dropped off at Senor Enricos for a short break before heading off to the Rotary meeting.
The meeting was great, not unlike ours but with the usual local differences. They sang Imagine without embarrassment but didn’t have a fine session. I explained how this worked and gave them a couple of examples of the sorts of things which attract a fine, and cause a little discomfort to the person being fined.
A big day, and it was already bed-time when we got back to our room. Senor Enricos is a modern B&B establishment owned by a local dentist, who is a Rotary member. It is very plush and I highly recommend it. Senor Enrico introduced himself as dentist by day, hotelier by night, door opener, security guard and breakfast cook as well.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Tuesday, 21st September .....
Our host, Kit, has been planning for months to hold a reunion at her resort in Bicol. It’s apparently much larger than when we saw it last in January, 2008 and she is able now to cater for 100 guests. She always had the notion that 100 was the right number but when she counted the beds, she found that there were only 75. The invitations had already been sent out so what was she to do?
I know what I would have done – send out a notice to say that the first 75 people to register could have a bed, anyone else would have to stay in a hotel in Daet, 30 minutes away. But that’s not what Kit would do.
She simply gave orders for another dormitory to be built. Huh? She had lost about 500 trees during the last typhoon so there was timber on hand and nipa is not hard to acquire. There were local builders able to start work immediately so there was no problem. I suppose there would be no problems from the local council either, so she increased the capacity of the resort by 25% within a couple of months.
Every time she goes out now she buys more stuff to make sure everything will be just so. She has bought sheets, pillows, towels, plates, cutlery, coffee machine, hammocks, etc. She has had badges made for every participant. Her driver, Alejo, drove a truck down last weekend loaded with stuff. After he arrived, he rang Kit to tell her she needed more parking so she told him to stay and sort it out. He just got back yesterday. In the meantime, he cleared and leveled enough ground for 50 cars, with no heavy machinery or equipment. There’s a real can-do attitude in this country and it’s a shame it hasn’t translated into more prosperity.
Kit’s house helpers are busy at the moment stringing together flags to decorate the buildings. They were up late last night on the job and are still at it this morning.
We’ll only be there for a day and a night but nothing will be left to chance. We can’t wait.
In the few weeks we’ve been here, Kit has had phone calls from people wanting to book the resort for large numbers. The local tourist association wants to bring 300 people there for a conference and there are a couple of other government agencies talking about 1 or 200. The demand is going gang-busters and Kit is in on the ground floor. She’s even discovered her resort is noted on the latest edition of the tourist map of the area.
I know what I would have done – send out a notice to say that the first 75 people to register could have a bed, anyone else would have to stay in a hotel in Daet, 30 minutes away. But that’s not what Kit would do.
She simply gave orders for another dormitory to be built. Huh? She had lost about 500 trees during the last typhoon so there was timber on hand and nipa is not hard to acquire. There were local builders able to start work immediately so there was no problem. I suppose there would be no problems from the local council either, so she increased the capacity of the resort by 25% within a couple of months.
Every time she goes out now she buys more stuff to make sure everything will be just so. She has bought sheets, pillows, towels, plates, cutlery, coffee machine, hammocks, etc. She has had badges made for every participant. Her driver, Alejo, drove a truck down last weekend loaded with stuff. After he arrived, he rang Kit to tell her she needed more parking so she told him to stay and sort it out. He just got back yesterday. In the meantime, he cleared and leveled enough ground for 50 cars, with no heavy machinery or equipment. There’s a real can-do attitude in this country and it’s a shame it hasn’t translated into more prosperity.
Kit’s house helpers are busy at the moment stringing together flags to decorate the buildings. They were up late last night on the job and are still at it this morning.
We’ll only be there for a day and a night but nothing will be left to chance. We can’t wait.
In the few weeks we’ve been here, Kit has had phone calls from people wanting to book the resort for large numbers. The local tourist association wants to bring 300 people there for a conference and there are a couple of other government agencies talking about 1 or 200. The demand is going gang-busters and Kit is in on the ground floor. She’s even discovered her resort is noted on the latest edition of the tourist map of the area.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Sunday, September 19th .....
Another formal occasion tonight, at the Philippine College of Rotary Governors, a prestigious association of past and present District Governors. Marilyn now has the right clothes but I’m wearing a barong as I don’t have a coat and ties as suggested on the invitation.
It’s being held at the Sofitel which overlooks Manila Bay and is definitely the place for exclusive functions. There’s an enormous wedding taking place in their main ballroom so we’re relegated to the Sunset Pavilion, a large white permanent marquee which is a delightful venue. If I had been told there were 600 people at the wedding, I would not have been surprised. No expense spared! The thought keeps flitting through my brain: I hope the marriage lasts, otherwise, what a waste.
We’ve got 180 of the Philippine Rotary’s best and brightest at our venue and so we start on the interminable round of invocations and introductions and addresses and thanks, and inductions, and so on. Even though it was set down for 6 o’clock, the knowledgeable ones didn’t arrive until 8, understanding that nothing starts on time and the first hour or so are the most tedious.
Highlights included the entertainment. An extraordinary group called the Angelos sang. Four young men, opera-trained, who sang with passion. Move over El Divo, you’ve got some competition. There was a good middle-of-the-road band and a ‘veteran’ female singer who murdered Burt Bacharach. I wonder how she felt being introduced as ‘veteran’.
One of the interesting elements of the Filipino culture is that nobody stops talking to listen to speakers, or singers. Having made a few speeches here, I can tell you it is disconcerting rabbiting on when not even the front row is listening. Also, speakers here are not don’t seem to have the same tricks to grab attention as we might see in Australia. Of course, they’re talking in a second or third language and it’s not surprising that they are hesitant. There’s no surer way to lose an audience than to appear hesitant. The most effective speaker on the night was, in fact, their guest from Taiwan, PRIVP Gary Huang (you don’t need to know what his title means). Even though he spoke in English, he used light and shade and forceful expressions and kept the background conversation to a dull roar.
The organizers had gone to a great deal of trouble to get some great prizes for the raffle. There must have been 40 minor prizes, and we didn’t win any but we had our eye on he major prizes which included flights for two to Bangkok, a washing machine, and a small TV set. A lot of people left early and we scavenged some tickets which had been left behind. Also, if you weren’t there to claim the prize, another ticket would be drawn.
Fanfare! We will now draw the major prizes, and the first winner is ticket number 062. That’s mine, says Marilyn so off we go to collect it. Up on stage for photographs of the presentation and the chairman was proud to tell we had won – two budgies in a cage!
They were labeled English Bugies (pronounced English Boogies) but we knew exactly what they were. We were told that they were worth about 20000 pesos ($500) so we done well.
It was a bit of a cramped ride home with three of us in the back seat of the Honda Accord and the budgies in the front. It looks like Rex has another present. He must think it’s Christmas very day.
Yes, of course, I thought of all the jokes about smuggling them back into Australia and I do, in fact, have a pair of speedos but nobody here knows what budgie smugglers are and I’m not about to enlighten them
It’s being held at the Sofitel which overlooks Manila Bay and is definitely the place for exclusive functions. There’s an enormous wedding taking place in their main ballroom so we’re relegated to the Sunset Pavilion, a large white permanent marquee which is a delightful venue. If I had been told there were 600 people at the wedding, I would not have been surprised. No expense spared! The thought keeps flitting through my brain: I hope the marriage lasts, otherwise, what a waste.
We’ve got 180 of the Philippine Rotary’s best and brightest at our venue and so we start on the interminable round of invocations and introductions and addresses and thanks, and inductions, and so on. Even though it was set down for 6 o’clock, the knowledgeable ones didn’t arrive until 8, understanding that nothing starts on time and the first hour or so are the most tedious.
Highlights included the entertainment. An extraordinary group called the Angelos sang. Four young men, opera-trained, who sang with passion. Move over El Divo, you’ve got some competition. There was a good middle-of-the-road band and a ‘veteran’ female singer who murdered Burt Bacharach. I wonder how she felt being introduced as ‘veteran’.
One of the interesting elements of the Filipino culture is that nobody stops talking to listen to speakers, or singers. Having made a few speeches here, I can tell you it is disconcerting rabbiting on when not even the front row is listening. Also, speakers here are not don’t seem to have the same tricks to grab attention as we might see in Australia. Of course, they’re talking in a second or third language and it’s not surprising that they are hesitant. There’s no surer way to lose an audience than to appear hesitant. The most effective speaker on the night was, in fact, their guest from Taiwan, PRIVP Gary Huang (you don’t need to know what his title means). Even though he spoke in English, he used light and shade and forceful expressions and kept the background conversation to a dull roar.
The organizers had gone to a great deal of trouble to get some great prizes for the raffle. There must have been 40 minor prizes, and we didn’t win any but we had our eye on he major prizes which included flights for two to Bangkok, a washing machine, and a small TV set. A lot of people left early and we scavenged some tickets which had been left behind. Also, if you weren’t there to claim the prize, another ticket would be drawn.
Fanfare! We will now draw the major prizes, and the first winner is ticket number 062. That’s mine, says Marilyn so off we go to collect it. Up on stage for photographs of the presentation and the chairman was proud to tell we had won – two budgies in a cage!
They were labeled English Bugies (pronounced English Boogies) but we knew exactly what they were. We were told that they were worth about 20000 pesos ($500) so we done well.It was a bit of a cramped ride home with three of us in the back seat of the Honda Accord and the budgies in the front. It looks like Rex has another present. He must think it’s Christmas very day.
Yes, of course, I thought of all the jokes about smuggling them back into Australia and I do, in fact, have a pair of speedos but nobody here knows what budgie smugglers are and I’m not about to enlighten them
Saturday, September 18th .....
There’s a Book Fair being held at the Mall of Asia and today is our only chance to get there. Apparently, there are big discounts to be had and Rhoda is keen to go so we plan to leave at 11 o’clock. We’ve arranged to meet Geoff for lunch so it’s all go. We’ve also been invited to a formal occasion tomorrow evening and Marilyn has to wear a long dress. There’s not one in the suitcase so we have to find time to see whether it’s possible to buy a suitable one off the peg.
Kit and her family always have their clothes made and we’re advised that it might not be too easy to find what Marilyn would like. Still, it’s that or fall back on the mother-of-the- bride outfit she wore to Siaren’s wedding.
First, though, we have to meet Geoff at what’s called the Wet Market, on the waterfront opposite the Mall. There is a small fish market there with local and imported fish but the main business of the area is restaurants catering for people wanting to see the famous sunset over Manila Bay.
We arrive early so look around for a place to sell us a drink. One of the restaurants offers cocktails so we settle down with Lemon Daiquiris waiting for Geoff. It’s quite a nice place so we decide to have lunch there. The menu lists a lot of fish dishes, all in Tagalog, but with very small prices, like 100 pesos ($2.50). It can’t be true and we find out that this is only the price to cook whatever you have bought from the market next door.
We short-circuit the system, choose what we would like from the menu and the chef sends a kitchen hand to buy the necessary fish – 2 servings of prawns and 2 servings of salmon. Marilyn has tempura prawns, Rhoda has hers cooked in chili and soy sauce, Geoff’s salmon is grilled with chips and mine is cooked in a soup. A great lunch and surprisingly cheap. Unfortunately, the Western Australian chardonnay was ‘cooked’, a common problem in hot climates when the wine is not properly stored. It was the dearest thing on the bill as well.
After that fortification we headed off to the Book Fair. Every man and his auntie was there. You could hardly move but we managed to find half a dozen good buys and some educational toys before the claustrophobia became too much. Geoff had bailed out even earlier. We left our parcels at the Fair and went over to the S&M Department Store.
If we thought the Book Fair was busy, we were not prepared for the S&M sale. What a madhouse! There were huge piles of clothes at 50% off with frantic Filipinos digging through them, with anxious assistants trying to keep some order. It was quieter in the Ladies formal wear and, surprisingly Marilyn found three possible dresses in the first rack she looked at. This is going to be easy, I thought. Not so! The department only had 2 fitting rooms and there was a queue of about ten women patiently waiting for their turn. The assistant tried to push Marilyn to the front, and nobody was complaining, but Marilyn insisted on taking her proper turn – very egalitarian, we Australians. It’s a bit disconcerting to see Marilyn in a line of a dozen Filipinas. She is usually the tallest and her ash-grey hair stands out against the plethora of brunettes.
You wouldn’t believe it – the first dress she tried on was perfect. She tried on another one to please the assistant but the decision was made with no fuss. In the Philippines, the assistant comes into the changing room with you to help with zippers and buttons, knowing there are always a dozen others to look after the other customers.
OK, a nice red dress, now we need shoes to match. Upstairs, it looked as if everybody from the Book Fair had come over to join in the fun. Of course, no matter how many people there are, it is always easy to find an assistant, if not 2 or 3. They gravitate to foreigners, so it didn’t take Marilyn long to find a couple of pairs of shoes she liked. It must have been bedlam in the back room with dozens of assistants all trying to find the shoes they needed. S&M is notorious, apparently, for skimping on non-productive space, so there are too-few fitting rooms, and tiny backroom space for storage.
I left her to it and headed for the toy department where I had to find a model BMW for a raffle for Kit’s Reunion. I’ve said it before but Filipinos love their kids and can’t bear to be without them. The Children’s Department was chock-a-block with young families – fathers carrying their babies on their front like kangaroos, toddlers in strollers or, worse, those horrendous car things that parents hire and push around in department stores, 7 and 8 year olds having a wonderful time getting in the way and the occasional 12-year old, stopping to text every few steps. I couldn’t get close to the model cars for the kids who hovered 3-deep picking up every model and discussing it with friends. Like all toy departments, there’s a lot of looking and playing but not much buying. I enlist the help of another shop assistant who brings in three of his mates and the right car is soon found.
We haven’t got all we wanted but we’re exhausted and decide it’s time for a meal and home. We find a Tapas restaurant where we dine well, enjoy the fireworks which go off every Friday and Saturday nights about this time and then back to the car with our parcels. Seven hours parking cost us 30 pesos (75c)
Marilyn’s happy that she has a beautiful new dress and shoes, Rhoda is happy with her new books and Rex will be happy when he sees what we have bought for him. I’m happy that it’s been another great day out. To an outsider who has been here 6 times now, the Philippines seems to be coming out of its long period of recession at last.
Kit and her family always have their clothes made and we’re advised that it might not be too easy to find what Marilyn would like. Still, it’s that or fall back on the mother-of-the- bride outfit she wore to Siaren’s wedding.
First, though, we have to meet Geoff at what’s called the Wet Market, on the waterfront opposite the Mall. There is a small fish market there with local and imported fish but the main business of the area is restaurants catering for people wanting to see the famous sunset over Manila Bay.
We arrive early so look around for a place to sell us a drink. One of the restaurants offers cocktails so we settle down with Lemon Daiquiris waiting for Geoff. It’s quite a nice place so we decide to have lunch there. The menu lists a lot of fish dishes, all in Tagalog, but with very small prices, like 100 pesos ($2.50). It can’t be true and we find out that this is only the price to cook whatever you have bought from the market next door.
We short-circuit the system, choose what we would like from the menu and the chef sends a kitchen hand to buy the necessary fish – 2 servings of prawns and 2 servings of salmon. Marilyn has tempura prawns, Rhoda has hers cooked in chili and soy sauce, Geoff’s salmon is grilled with chips and mine is cooked in a soup. A great lunch and surprisingly cheap. Unfortunately, the Western Australian chardonnay was ‘cooked’, a common problem in hot climates when the wine is not properly stored. It was the dearest thing on the bill as well.
After that fortification we headed off to the Book Fair. Every man and his auntie was there. You could hardly move but we managed to find half a dozen good buys and some educational toys before the claustrophobia became too much. Geoff had bailed out even earlier. We left our parcels at the Fair and went over to the S&M Department Store.
If we thought the Book Fair was busy, we were not prepared for the S&M sale. What a madhouse! There were huge piles of clothes at 50% off with frantic Filipinos digging through them, with anxious assistants trying to keep some order. It was quieter in the Ladies formal wear and, surprisingly Marilyn found three possible dresses in the first rack she looked at. This is going to be easy, I thought. Not so! The department only had 2 fitting rooms and there was a queue of about ten women patiently waiting for their turn. The assistant tried to push Marilyn to the front, and nobody was complaining, but Marilyn insisted on taking her proper turn – very egalitarian, we Australians. It’s a bit disconcerting to see Marilyn in a line of a dozen Filipinas. She is usually the tallest and her ash-grey hair stands out against the plethora of brunettes.
You wouldn’t believe it – the first dress she tried on was perfect. She tried on another one to please the assistant but the decision was made with no fuss. In the Philippines, the assistant comes into the changing room with you to help with zippers and buttons, knowing there are always a dozen others to look after the other customers.
OK, a nice red dress, now we need shoes to match. Upstairs, it looked as if everybody from the Book Fair had come over to join in the fun. Of course, no matter how many people there are, it is always easy to find an assistant, if not 2 or 3. They gravitate to foreigners, so it didn’t take Marilyn long to find a couple of pairs of shoes she liked. It must have been bedlam in the back room with dozens of assistants all trying to find the shoes they needed. S&M is notorious, apparently, for skimping on non-productive space, so there are too-few fitting rooms, and tiny backroom space for storage.
I left her to it and headed for the toy department where I had to find a model BMW for a raffle for Kit’s Reunion. I’ve said it before but Filipinos love their kids and can’t bear to be without them. The Children’s Department was chock-a-block with young families – fathers carrying their babies on their front like kangaroos, toddlers in strollers or, worse, those horrendous car things that parents hire and push around in department stores, 7 and 8 year olds having a wonderful time getting in the way and the occasional 12-year old, stopping to text every few steps. I couldn’t get close to the model cars for the kids who hovered 3-deep picking up every model and discussing it with friends. Like all toy departments, there’s a lot of looking and playing but not much buying. I enlist the help of another shop assistant who brings in three of his mates and the right car is soon found.
We haven’t got all we wanted but we’re exhausted and decide it’s time for a meal and home. We find a Tapas restaurant where we dine well, enjoy the fireworks which go off every Friday and Saturday nights about this time and then back to the car with our parcels. Seven hours parking cost us 30 pesos (75c)
Marilyn’s happy that she has a beautiful new dress and shoes, Rhoda is happy with her new books and Rex will be happy when he sees what we have bought for him. I’m happy that it’s been another great day out. To an outsider who has been here 6 times now, the Philippines seems to be coming out of its long period of recession at last.
Friday, September 17th .....
It must have been the wedding of the year. We called in to see Siaren on the Thursday night and she was flying high – so excited and anxious that everything would go well. She was determined that she would be married on her birthday but she might have been having second thoughts when it was thundery and rainy overnight.
However, by early afternoon, it was sunny again and all was set for the big event. The Iglesias ni Cristo church is a very impressive structure. In a country where most churches have a shabby lived-in feel about them the churches of Iglesias ni Cristo are always immaculate. They vary in size, depending on the size of the community, but are all built in a similar style. The Calamba church is a mid-range one with seating for maybe 200 and a large choir section behind the pulpit.
Siaren had a very large entourage all looking spectacular in their wedding clothes. The theme was red and silver and even the groomsmen wore red undershirts with their barong. The service was in tagalog so we didn’t understand anything but we were told it contained references to obey, remain silent, and so on which really puts the pressure on Siaren to change her ways. She is certainly the bossy one in that relationship.
Ayala Greenfields was a great choice for the reception – very classy with wonderful views of Calamba and Laguna de Bay. The wedding planner had obviously seen the movie, Father of the Bride and based his performance on Francke – very camp and over the top. Siaren even sang, From this Moment.
Siaren and Jan requested that gifts be in the form of cash, some of it placed in a wishing well and more pinned on the bride and groom during the bridal dance. The wedding must have cost a fortune so financial help would have been appreciated and, also, it would have been too hard to carry multiple toasters and sets of towels back to Tasmania.
I was one of three people listed to make a toast. The other two spoke but it was only after my speech that the toast was proposed. Siaren had gift bags prepared for all the sponsors and other special guests – red carry-bags with a tin of cookies, bars of chocolate and a container of drinking chocolate, and a shopping bag and drink container with their pictures on it. We kept the drink container and shopping bag and gave the chocolates to Kit’s helpers to share out.
Siaren and Jan had also had coffee mugs made with their photographs on them and most of the guests were given these to take home as souvenirs.
As Siaren said to one of the guests, Married at last!
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Monday, 13th September .....
Be ready at 8 o’clock we were told, and we were. A quick breakfast and into the mini-van, ready to go. Alvin and Ness from last night were there again as well as three young women who work for the same company as the first couple. Their company is a bank and has paid for the five employees to come on this trip.
We also collected John and Fiona from another hotel, so we have 9 in the party. Our tour guide was picked up in town – an impossibly handsome young man who had the three single girls giggling all day. When he fluttered his eyes and flashed his white teeth, and the girls giggled, I thought we had landed in a Mills and Boon romance.
John and Fiona are from Lincolnshire and are making their way to PNG to visit Fiona’s brother and attend what might be the last Goroka Show. Things are fairly chaotic in PNG at the moment and Fiona particularly was worried about the danger.
We’re on our way to the World Heritage listed Underground River and it’s a 2 hour drive to the other side of the island. The road is good and we pass through some lovely, interesting country. Most of the houses are made of nipa and bamboo, We discovered last night that nipa is made from the fronds of a palm-like mangrove tree. It’s easily made, is lightweight and, when it deteriorates, it’s easy to replace.
As we got closer to the underground river, we came to some classic karst country – dramatic, white-faced cliffs and towering crags. The town of Sabang depends on the tourists attracted by the river and has good infrastructure to support international visitors.
We left Sabang in a powered outrigger boat for the ten-minute trip to the cave entrance, then donned lifejacket and funny helmet for the boat trip into the river. That’s two days in a row we’ve had pictures taken with outlandish outfits.
This is must-see attraction. The whole set-up is extraordinary and couldn’t have been designed better by Hollywood. Our little boat took the whole party and was paddled by one man who gave a running commentary. The river is navigable for 8.2 Km but we only went in 1.5 Km. We were warned to keep our mouths closed in case the thousands of bats peed down on us but it was hard because so much we saw was jaw-dropping.
After the remarkable trip, we made our way back to Sabang for lunch at one of the resorts. Marilyn had splashed her trousers when she jumped out of the boat so she decided to buy something else to wear to avoid sitting around in wet trousers for the rest of the day. She found a nice beach dress at one of the stalls on the beach but couldn’t find anyone to pay. Eventually, with the help of our tour guide, Mak, someone at the resort reception took the money – 300 pesos with a discount of 20 pesos, probably for being honest.
On the beach we met this wagon drawn by a carabao (water buffalo). The driver of this ancient vehicle was talking on his mobile phone at the same time.
It was after 3 o’clock when we dropped off John and Fiona and we would have been quite happy to go home, but no, there’s more. We hadn’t got our money’s worth yet so off we went to a Crocodile Farm and Nature Reserve, the house of the late-governor which has beautiful views of Puerta Princesa, a famous bakery, the recently-developed boardwalk in town and the Cathedral.
Needless to say, we were buggered and, after a quick meal at the hotel (much better than last night) we took to our beds earlier than normal. Alvin and Ness, and the other three girls were going out with Mak to sing Karaoke but they are much younger than we are.
Palawan is a beautiful place and certainly as clean as anywhere else we have seen in the Philippines. The mayor has imposed a fine of 200 pesos on anyone caught littering. The residents have gone along with this and the town has benefited. We’re keen to come back because there is still so much more to see.
Mak told us a story about a group of terrorists from Mindanao who plotted to kidnap some rich tourists from an exclusive resort a bit north of here. When they arrived, they couldn’t get past the security so they came back to Puerta Princesa and asked some locals if there was an exclusive resort closer to the city. Somebody mentioned foreign tourists often stayed at one place so off went the terrorists to try their luck.
It seems they managed to grab about 10 hapless tourists and held them hostage. If it weren’t so serious, it would be laughable. Since then, of course, security has been dramatically improved and the crime rate here is the lowest in the Philippines. Many countries in the world have the reputation as being dangerous and you can’t avoid them all. If you did, and stayed home, you take the risk of being run over by a bus, so there’s not much point.
We also collected John and Fiona from another hotel, so we have 9 in the party. Our tour guide was picked up in town – an impossibly handsome young man who had the three single girls giggling all day. When he fluttered his eyes and flashed his white teeth, and the girls giggled, I thought we had landed in a Mills and Boon romance.
John and Fiona are from Lincolnshire and are making their way to PNG to visit Fiona’s brother and attend what might be the last Goroka Show. Things are fairly chaotic in PNG at the moment and Fiona particularly was worried about the danger.
We’re on our way to the World Heritage listed Underground River and it’s a 2 hour drive to the other side of the island. The road is good and we pass through some lovely, interesting country. Most of the houses are made of nipa and bamboo, We discovered last night that nipa is made from the fronds of a palm-like mangrove tree. It’s easily made, is lightweight and, when it deteriorates, it’s easy to replace.
As we got closer to the underground river, we came to some classic karst country – dramatic, white-faced cliffs and towering crags. The town of Sabang depends on the tourists attracted by the river and has good infrastructure to support international visitors.
We left Sabang in a powered outrigger boat for the ten-minute trip to the cave entrance, then donned lifejacket and funny helmet for the boat trip into the river. That’s two days in a row we’ve had pictures taken with outlandish outfits.
This is must-see attraction. The whole set-up is extraordinary and couldn’t have been designed better by Hollywood. Our little boat took the whole party and was paddled by one man who gave a running commentary. The river is navigable for 8.2 Km but we only went in 1.5 Km. We were warned to keep our mouths closed in case the thousands of bats peed down on us but it was hard because so much we saw was jaw-dropping.
After the remarkable trip, we made our way back to Sabang for lunch at one of the resorts. Marilyn had splashed her trousers when she jumped out of the boat so she decided to buy something else to wear to avoid sitting around in wet trousers for the rest of the day. She found a nice beach dress at one of the stalls on the beach but couldn’t find anyone to pay. Eventually, with the help of our tour guide, Mak, someone at the resort reception took the money – 300 pesos with a discount of 20 pesos, probably for being honest.
On the beach we met this wagon drawn by a carabao (water buffalo). The driver of this ancient vehicle was talking on his mobile phone at the same time.
It was after 3 o’clock when we dropped off John and Fiona and we would have been quite happy to go home, but no, there’s more. We hadn’t got our money’s worth yet so off we went to a Crocodile Farm and Nature Reserve, the house of the late-governor which has beautiful views of Puerta Princesa, a famous bakery, the recently-developed boardwalk in town and the Cathedral.
Needless to say, we were buggered and, after a quick meal at the hotel (much better than last night) we took to our beds earlier than normal. Alvin and Ness, and the other three girls were going out with Mak to sing Karaoke but they are much younger than we are.
Palawan is a beautiful place and certainly as clean as anywhere else we have seen in the Philippines. The mayor has imposed a fine of 200 pesos on anyone caught littering. The residents have gone along with this and the town has benefited. We’re keen to come back because there is still so much more to see.
Mak told us a story about a group of terrorists from Mindanao who plotted to kidnap some rich tourists from an exclusive resort a bit north of here. When they arrived, they couldn’t get past the security so they came back to Puerta Princesa and asked some locals if there was an exclusive resort closer to the city. Somebody mentioned foreign tourists often stayed at one place so off went the terrorists to try their luck.
It seems they managed to grab about 10 hapless tourists and held them hostage. If it weren’t so serious, it would be laughable. Since then, of course, security has been dramatically improved and the crime rate here is the lowest in the Philippines. Many countries in the world have the reputation as being dangerous and you can’t avoid them all. If you did, and stayed home, you take the risk of being run over by a bus, so there’s not much point.
Sunday, 12th September …..
I am writing this on a Cebu Pacific jet flying us to Puerto Princesa, the capital of Palawan. We could just as easily be on a Jetstar A320 except for the traditional game played by the passengers. The stewardess asked for an item, and the first person to hold it up won a prize (it was a little yellow drawstring bag). She called for a Sick Bag and a belt, but the best item called for was a picture of Kit Aquino’s father and, remarkably, somebody had one. I might have the names a little wrong here but I do know that Benito Aquino (P’Noy) is the new President of the Philippines so it must have something to do with him.
We are traveling light with just carry-on luggage each. Mine was a little heavy so the girl at the desk asked me to take out 2 Kg. I transferred those bits and pieces to my backpack and got the tick of approval. I’m not sure how that helped reduce the weight on the plane.
We were amazed at the amount of stuff the locals were intending to carry on board. Everyone seemed to have a double pack of Krispy Kreme Donuts. The check-in chick asked if we would put our little suitcases in the hold. I think she was anticipating the fight for locker space and was trying to make it as easy as possible.
Oops, I have to close up the computer as we are coming in to land.
Back again. We arrived 18 minutes early, collected our bags and met our tour guide who dropped us off to our pension. Very Filipino!
We were told that we would be picked up at 6.30 to see the fireflies. No other information. Marilyn asked whether we should have dinner first. ‘Yes, ma’am. Have dinner, then we go to see the fireflies.’
Bit of a rush and not a particularly palatable meal but we were waiting ready and on-time. I should say the firefly tour was a late addition. The tour package was based on arriving in Puerta Princesa on a morning flight, and included a cruise around Honda Bay in the afternoon. Because we are allergic to early starts, we took the afternoon flight and missed the cruise. As a replacement, we were offered fireflies.
We were joined by a young Filipino couple from Manila who were staying at our pension, and three others from another hotel. First stop was to a local restaurant where we were served with an enormous meal, apparently included in the package price. Certainly, a lack of communication. We had already eaten, of course; however, we do our best and off we go, not knowing what to expect.
On the way, we passed the Wide River Prison, known as the Prison without Bars. Locals claim it is the largest prison of its type in the world. Apparently, some the prisoners have their families living there, and are able to continue to earn a living by making handicrafts and selling them to visitors. I don’t know much more about it and will have to do some research.
Eventually, we arrived at the Mangrove Eco-Centre, which was set up to preserve the mangroves. The Firefly Tour was one of the money-making activities which keep the place running.
We were given lifejackets and a funny hat and loaded into a little wooden boat with outriggers, paddled by a young volunteer who was very knowledgeable about the river, the mangroves, the fireflies which live in the mangroves and the stars.
It was a magical night. Absolutely calm on the river, no engine noises and just the slop of the paddle. When the paddler switched on a red light, the trees lit up with fireflies. The sky was brighter than I have ever seen, and we saw Saturn and Antares and 10 million other stars. We were very late getting back so we fell into bed.
This is Antony, our paddler.
The Firefly Tour is a world class tourism activity, but almost unknown outside the local area. The Philippines certainly has a great deal to offer.
We are traveling light with just carry-on luggage each. Mine was a little heavy so the girl at the desk asked me to take out 2 Kg. I transferred those bits and pieces to my backpack and got the tick of approval. I’m not sure how that helped reduce the weight on the plane.
We were amazed at the amount of stuff the locals were intending to carry on board. Everyone seemed to have a double pack of Krispy Kreme Donuts. The check-in chick asked if we would put our little suitcases in the hold. I think she was anticipating the fight for locker space and was trying to make it as easy as possible.
Oops, I have to close up the computer as we are coming in to land.
Back again. We arrived 18 minutes early, collected our bags and met our tour guide who dropped us off to our pension. Very Filipino!
We were told that we would be picked up at 6.30 to see the fireflies. No other information. Marilyn asked whether we should have dinner first. ‘Yes, ma’am. Have dinner, then we go to see the fireflies.’Bit of a rush and not a particularly palatable meal but we were waiting ready and on-time. I should say the firefly tour was a late addition. The tour package was based on arriving in Puerta Princesa on a morning flight, and included a cruise around Honda Bay in the afternoon. Because we are allergic to early starts, we took the afternoon flight and missed the cruise. As a replacement, we were offered fireflies.
We were joined by a young Filipino couple from Manila who were staying at our pension, and three others from another hotel. First stop was to a local restaurant where we were served with an enormous meal, apparently included in the package price. Certainly, a lack of communication. We had already eaten, of course; however, we do our best and off we go, not knowing what to expect.
On the way, we passed the Wide River Prison, known as the Prison without Bars. Locals claim it is the largest prison of its type in the world. Apparently, some the prisoners have their families living there, and are able to continue to earn a living by making handicrafts and selling them to visitors. I don’t know much more about it and will have to do some research.
Eventually, we arrived at the Mangrove Eco-Centre, which was set up to preserve the mangroves. The Firefly Tour was one of the money-making activities which keep the place running.
We were given lifejackets and a funny hat and loaded into a little wooden boat with outriggers, paddled by a young volunteer who was very knowledgeable about the river, the mangroves, the fireflies which live in the mangroves and the stars.It was a magical night. Absolutely calm on the river, no engine noises and just the slop of the paddle. When the paddler switched on a red light, the trees lit up with fireflies. The sky was brighter than I have ever seen, and we saw Saturn and Antares and 10 million other stars. We were very late getting back so we fell into bed.
This is Antony, our paddler.
The Firefly Tour is a world class tourism activity, but almost unknown outside the local area. The Philippines certainly has a great deal to offer.
Saturday, September 11th …..
We were getting a bit stir-crazy yesterday after our two days at home so convinced Rhoda to drive us to Alabang for a wander through the Mall. She had been to an all-night party so she went back to bed and told us she would be ready at 3.30. We finally left at 4.30. We also took Rex and his Yaya which filled the little Honda Jazz up quite well. I had mentioned that I wanted to buy a couple more shirts at Robinsons but Rhoda suggested we go through Santa Rosa where there was a Marks and Spencers outlet.
It wasn’t a particularly big shop but next door to it was a Debenhams, and it was strange to see two such British shops in the Philippines. Their clothing was very good quality, but I was looking for much lighter material for the climate. Marks and Spencers had a sale – of long-sleeve flannel shirts! Who would buy them?
Off to Robinsons and, in quick time, I had found any number of shirts in my size. I ended up with 3 polos, 2 loose tees, and 3 short-sleeve cotton shirts. I also found a hat and 2 pairs of sunglasses. I know it seems over the top but I had not brought enough casual gear, knowing that I could buy good stuff cheaply here.
Malls in the Philippines look after kids very well. The bottom floor had a train, there were merry-go-rounds and mobile animals to ride, and lots of shops specializing in what kids like. Rex ‘needed’ to go to the bookshop because he ‘needed’; some packing tape and pencils. Who are we to argue? It could have been much worse.
After a ride on the train we found a restaurant and had pizza and pasta for dinner. My pizza was interesting ; it was as thick as a cheesecake and had layers of ham and pineapple in a white sauce, with extra melted cheese on top.
When we got back to Calamba we found that one of Kit’s ‘helpers’ had gone out to get something from the shop and hadn’t got back. Everyone was worried and one of the other girls went out to look for her. She eventually turned up quite surprised that we were worried. She had expected no one to be home until late so took he chance to see her friends and sing karaoke. You can bet she won’t do that again.
It wasn’t a particularly big shop but next door to it was a Debenhams, and it was strange to see two such British shops in the Philippines. Their clothing was very good quality, but I was looking for much lighter material for the climate. Marks and Spencers had a sale – of long-sleeve flannel shirts! Who would buy them?
Off to Robinsons and, in quick time, I had found any number of shirts in my size. I ended up with 3 polos, 2 loose tees, and 3 short-sleeve cotton shirts. I also found a hat and 2 pairs of sunglasses. I know it seems over the top but I had not brought enough casual gear, knowing that I could buy good stuff cheaply here.
Malls in the Philippines look after kids very well. The bottom floor had a train, there were merry-go-rounds and mobile animals to ride, and lots of shops specializing in what kids like. Rex ‘needed’ to go to the bookshop because he ‘needed’; some packing tape and pencils. Who are we to argue? It could have been much worse.After a ride on the train we found a restaurant and had pizza and pasta for dinner. My pizza was interesting ; it was as thick as a cheesecake and had layers of ham and pineapple in a white sauce, with extra melted cheese on top.
When we got back to Calamba we found that one of Kit’s ‘helpers’ had gone out to get something from the shop and hadn’t got back. Everyone was worried and one of the other girls went out to look for her. She eventually turned up quite surprised that we were worried. She had expected no one to be home until late so took he chance to see her friends and sing karaoke. You can bet she won’t do that again.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Tuesday, 7th September …..
One of the big events in any Rotary Club’s calendar is their Changeover from one president to another. In the Philippines, they call this their Induction. In recent years, many clubs have played this down and had a less formal ceremony but clubs like Calamba still make a big night of it.
But, before we get to the Changeover dinner, we were invited to have lunch with members of the club and the District Governor. They had spent the morning going through the club’s plans for 2010-2011 and we came in on the end of that process. There were smiles all round as Calamba is an active club and very well-regarded in the district.
All the members wore the barong tagalog, and the women had the female version, so it was a pretty good-looking turnout. I don’t think the DG had expected this as he was informally dressed and one of his aides was in jeans. So, Calamba won the points for appearance.
While we were there, Alida turned up from Lumban with my new barong, very flash with a matching undershirt. One of the problems with the barong is that it is almost transparent so men wear undershirts to protect their modesty. The undershirts are usually white, with short sleeves, while the barong has long sleeves. The effect is not particularly attractive, especially in photographs where the flash highlights the opaque undershirt.
Alida had made me a long-sleeved undershirt in the same colour as the barong material and that is a much better pairing.
Here are Marilyn and me with our good friend, Kit Reventar.
The night’s festivities were called for 6 o’clock and were held at a resort in the hot springs district of Pansol. Normally, people book these resorts for swimming but we had reserved one of their conference rooms. At 6.30, most of the people had arrived but by no means all. Punctuality is not a recognized virtue in the Philippines. All of the Calamba men were wearing black suits and the women had long ball gowns. Other guests wore the barong so I was certainly not out of place. One of the other guests was Tom King, the Mayor of Walnut City, California which is the sister-city of Calamba. He had been brought along by the Mayor of Calamba who is a Rotarian. Tom was pretty bemused by the whole thing and couldn’t wait to go home for a sleep. He was astounded that the Mayor of Calamba traveled with a police escort; in Walnut City, I gather he had to use his own vehicle with no ceremony.
We sat at large round tables which made it easy to talk, and talk they did. Even during the formal speeches, the conversation did not diminish. Unbelievably rude but apparently accepted by the Filipinos. The PA system was turned up to its maximum in an attempt to be heard but that only made the guests talk louder. In between speeches, they had a singing trio, again with maximum volume so it was a pretty noisy night.
This photo is with the new President, Maddy, and his family.
It was good to see Geoff McLennan from Deloraine who is now living in the Philippines. He has just returned from a Rotary get-together in Darwin and was starting a round of visits to club inductions. We hope to make plans to spend a few days with him and Chit in Manila.
Over previous visits, we’ve come to know the spouses of the members of RC Calamba and this was a chance to see them all again. An old friend, Val Herce, rarely attends the club meetings now but made a special trip to this induction, and it was great to see him again.
It was a long night, punctuated by many speeches and presentations. We don’t make a fuss about presentations in Tasmania but in the Philippines, Rotary clubs and individuals are very motivated by the chance of an award and they are proudly displayed. The Governor talked about an award that his club had given to a street sweeper at one time and this man was so proud of it that it was displayed at his funeral. Many of the awards at club level are paid for by the president so it can be quite expensive to be a Rotarian.
But, before we get to the Changeover dinner, we were invited to have lunch with members of the club and the District Governor. They had spent the morning going through the club’s plans for 2010-2011 and we came in on the end of that process. There were smiles all round as Calamba is an active club and very well-regarded in the district.
All the members wore the barong tagalog, and the women had the female version, so it was a pretty good-looking turnout. I don’t think the DG had expected this as he was informally dressed and one of his aides was in jeans. So, Calamba won the points for appearance.
While we were there, Alida turned up from Lumban with my new barong, very flash with a matching undershirt. One of the problems with the barong is that it is almost transparent so men wear undershirts to protect their modesty. The undershirts are usually white, with short sleeves, while the barong has long sleeves. The effect is not particularly attractive, especially in photographs where the flash highlights the opaque undershirt.
Alida had made me a long-sleeved undershirt in the same colour as the barong material and that is a much better pairing.
Here are Marilyn and me with our good friend, Kit Reventar.The night’s festivities were called for 6 o’clock and were held at a resort in the hot springs district of Pansol. Normally, people book these resorts for swimming but we had reserved one of their conference rooms. At 6.30, most of the people had arrived but by no means all. Punctuality is not a recognized virtue in the Philippines. All of the Calamba men were wearing black suits and the women had long ball gowns. Other guests wore the barong so I was certainly not out of place. One of the other guests was Tom King, the Mayor of Walnut City, California which is the sister-city of Calamba. He had been brought along by the Mayor of Calamba who is a Rotarian. Tom was pretty bemused by the whole thing and couldn’t wait to go home for a sleep. He was astounded that the Mayor of Calamba traveled with a police escort; in Walnut City, I gather he had to use his own vehicle with no ceremony.
We sat at large round tables which made it easy to talk, and talk they did. Even during the formal speeches, the conversation did not diminish. Unbelievably rude but apparently accepted by the Filipinos. The PA system was turned up to its maximum in an attempt to be heard but that only made the guests talk louder. In between speeches, they had a singing trio, again with maximum volume so it was a pretty noisy night.
This photo is with the new President, Maddy, and his family.It was good to see Geoff McLennan from Deloraine who is now living in the Philippines. He has just returned from a Rotary get-together in Darwin and was starting a round of visits to club inductions. We hope to make plans to spend a few days with him and Chit in Manila.
Over previous visits, we’ve come to know the spouses of the members of RC Calamba and this was a chance to see them all again. An old friend, Val Herce, rarely attends the club meetings now but made a special trip to this induction, and it was great to see him again.
It was a long night, punctuated by many speeches and presentations. We don’t make a fuss about presentations in Tasmania but in the Philippines, Rotary clubs and individuals are very motivated by the chance of an award and they are proudly displayed. The Governor talked about an award that his club had given to a street sweeper at one time and this man was so proud of it that it was displayed at his funeral. Many of the awards at club level are paid for by the president so it can be quite expensive to be a Rotarian.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Monday, 6th September …..
We’ve been here for 4 or 5 days and we haven’t yet been to Hope Intervention Center so, as there was nothing else planned, today is the day.
We had heard that there had been some improvements since we were last here in January 2008 and we were delighted to see that the school is looking great. A second storey has been added to the main building to provide a Lifestyle Center for the parents of the children and other local residents. The intention is to offer training in areas which might provide skills to make getting employment easier. The Center was built with a 4-million peso grant from the City Government and will be managed by the Rotary Club. They have already ordered 6 new high-speed sewing machines which can be used for rug-making and will offer courses in Auto-Cad for High School students.
A roof has been built to cover the space between the main school building and the library, and the whole property has been fenced. All-in-all, the school looks prosperous and efficient.
There were two groups of children at the school when we arrived. We sat first with a group of ten students who were working through a lesson in identifying taste. The teacher, Edwin, had cleverly tied it in with a gross-motor exercise and everyone was involved.
Next door, nine children were having a snack of boiled egg and rice. It was intended to encourage the children to accept a wider range of food but one or two students were not happy. One of the boys was refusing to take food from the teacher and insisted on eating the rice himself, one grain at a time. It became a real wrestling match (the boy won).
Teacher Nene had sent out for a snack for Marilyn and me – hamburgers and large coke. I was just about to take a bite from my burger when a hand shot out `and grabbed a chunk of it. One of the boys was so fast that no-one even saw it happening. The teachers were mortified but Marilyn wanted to reward the enterprise and left her hamburger for the boy, Angelo, to have when school was over.
Enrolments at the school have risen to 70 students and there is a long waiting list. They have frequent visitors wanting to observe and get ideas and there are moves afoot to start similar schools in other areas. Marilyn and I will be traveling to Naga next week to talk to Rotarians and teachers there about possibilities. Who knows, we might be visiting the Philippines for years to come.
We had heard that there had been some improvements since we were last here in January 2008 and we were delighted to see that the school is looking great. A second storey has been added to the main building to provide a Lifestyle Center for the parents of the children and other local residents. The intention is to offer training in areas which might provide skills to make getting employment easier. The Center was built with a 4-million peso grant from the City Government and will be managed by the Rotary Club. They have already ordered 6 new high-speed sewing machines which can be used for rug-making and will offer courses in Auto-Cad for High School students.A roof has been built to cover the space between the main school building and the library, and the whole property has been fenced. All-in-all, the school looks prosperous and efficient.
There were two groups of children at the school when we arrived. We sat first with a group of ten students who were working through a lesson in identifying taste. The teacher, Edwin, had cleverly tied it in with a gross-motor exercise and everyone was involved.
Next door, nine children were having a snack of boiled egg and rice. It was intended to encourage the children to accept a wider range of food but one or two students were not happy. One of the boys was refusing to take food from the teacher and insisted on eating the rice himself, one grain at a time. It became a real wrestling match (the boy won).Teacher Nene had sent out for a snack for Marilyn and me – hamburgers and large coke. I was just about to take a bite from my burger when a hand shot out `and grabbed a chunk of it. One of the boys was so fast that no-one even saw it happening. The teachers were mortified but Marilyn wanted to reward the enterprise and left her hamburger for the boy, Angelo, to have when school was over.
Enrolments at the school have risen to 70 students and there is a long waiting list. They have frequent visitors wanting to observe and get ideas and there are moves afoot to start similar schools in other areas. Marilyn and I will be traveling to Naga next week to talk to Rotarians and teachers there about possibilities. Who knows, we might be visiting the Philippines for years to come.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Sunday, 5th September .....
I can’t get used to the idea of planning a day out to start at 2 o’clock in the afternoon but that was how today was arranged. It wasn’t a problem because we spent the morning reading and doing nothing much waiting for the call for lunch which came at 11.55. Kit told us that we would go to the Nuvali Estate to see the land and houses she and Rhoda are selling, then go to Tagaytay to buy coffee, then come back to Nuvali for dinner.
On the way, plans were changed so that we headed for Tagaytay first. We had Rex and his nanny with us and Kit felt that it would be best if we did things in a different order. I hadn’t realized that Tagaytay has a mini-zoo and we needed to be there in daylight to get the best advantage.
Tagaytay is set on a ridge overlooking Calamba on one side and Lake Taal on the other. In Lake Taal is an active volcano. The climate of Tagaytay is much cooler than down on the plain so they are able to grow a better range of vegetables and they have a thriving fresh flower industry. Tourism is also a big part of their economy. The first stop was the Tagaytay Market which is well-known for its beef.
The pictures don’t do the scene justice. The beef is laid out on wooden shelves, in the open. People are shuffling around, raising dust and there are flies everywhere. The chopping blocks are simply tree trunks. One table was covered with tripe and customers helped themselves to the bits they liked. Our health inspectors would have a fit.
Kit sent Alejo (her driver) off to buy a foam box and she bought a heap of steak to take home.
She also wanted to buy fresh-ground coffee for her forthcoming reunion weekend at her resort. The coffee is grown locally and ground while you wait. It left a wonderful smell in the car on the way home. While she was negotiating all these purchases the rest of us went off to buy pineapples (15 for 100 pesos), mangosteens, oranges (look great but very dry) bok choy and cos lettuce, which we don’t see on the plain.
I also found time to buy a few DVDs.
Then off to the zoo. The proprietors make no bones about the fact that this is not a major wildlife experience. However, they do have tiger cubs which you can cuddle and feed with a bottle, an ostrich, an alpaca (a long way from home), and some beautiful birds. The salmon-crested cockatoo from Indonesia is stunning, as is the Golden Pheasant, and the Hornbill is something to behold. They also have a twelve-foot boa constrictor which sits on the mantelpiece eying off the passers-by.
Some of the animals looked a bit surly and the cages were pretty primitive but, all-in-all, it was worth the visit. `
It was starting to get a bit late so we gave afternoon tea a miss and set off back down the valley stopping once so that Marilyn could buy some bananas from a roadside stall. Tagaytay bananas are called senoritas and are tiny, thin-skinned and sweet. We bought two full bunches, one ripe and one green for 250 pesos.
Nuvali is extraordinary. It is only one of many residential developments which are transforming the lifestyle of Filipinos. Government regulations insist that every development has to have 20% of low-cost housing. As you would expect, these are built in enclaves separate from the estates for he middle-class and the more wealthy. They’re not like Australian estates. All communities are gated with 24-hour security guards. Blocks of land, or lots, can be as small as 40 square metres, and only the most wealthy would expect 500 square metres.
On a 40 m block, the developer will build a 2-storey home with a total size of 35 sq metres. It will have 2 bedrooms and the house and land package will cost about $20000. Closer to the other end of the scale we saw an estate where the land is sold separately with a covenant that homes must be built above a minimum cost ($50000). The residents have access to a community complex of gymnasium, play facilities, pools, conference and party rooms.
The beauty of one of the pools was marred by 2 cane toads swimming around.
As it was getting darker, we didn’t see inside any homes but hope we can do so soon.
The day finished with dinner at a very nice restaurant.
On the way, plans were changed so that we headed for Tagaytay first. We had Rex and his nanny with us and Kit felt that it would be best if we did things in a different order. I hadn’t realized that Tagaytay has a mini-zoo and we needed to be there in daylight to get the best advantage.
Tagaytay is set on a ridge overlooking Calamba on one side and Lake Taal on the other. In Lake Taal is an active volcano. The climate of Tagaytay is much cooler than down on the plain so they are able to grow a better range of vegetables and they have a thriving fresh flower industry. Tourism is also a big part of their economy. The first stop was the Tagaytay Market which is well-known for its beef.
The pictures don’t do the scene justice. The beef is laid out on wooden shelves, in the open. People are shuffling around, raising dust and there are flies everywhere. The chopping blocks are simply tree trunks. One table was covered with tripe and customers helped themselves to the bits they liked. Our health inspectors would have a fit. Kit sent Alejo (her driver) off to buy a foam box and she bought a heap of steak to take home.
She also wanted to buy fresh-ground coffee for her forthcoming reunion weekend at her resort. The coffee is grown locally and ground while you wait. It left a wonderful smell in the car on the way home. While she was negotiating all these purchases the rest of us went off to buy pineapples (15 for 100 pesos), mangosteens, oranges (look great but very dry) bok choy and cos lettuce, which we don’t see on the plain.
I also found time to buy a few DVDs.
Then off to the zoo. The proprietors make no bones about the fact that this is not a major wildlife experience. However, they do have tiger cubs which you can cuddle and feed with a bottle, an ostrich, an alpaca (a long way from home), and some beautiful birds. The salmon-crested cockatoo from Indonesia is stunning, as is the Golden Pheasant, and the Hornbill is something to behold. They also have a twelve-foot boa constrictor which sits on the mantelpiece eying off the passers-by.
Some of the animals looked a bit surly and the cages were pretty primitive but, all-in-all, it was worth the visit. `
It was starting to get a bit late so we gave afternoon tea a miss and set off back down the valley stopping once so that Marilyn could buy some bananas from a roadside stall. Tagaytay bananas are called senoritas and are tiny, thin-skinned and sweet. We bought two full bunches, one ripe and one green for 250 pesos.
Nuvali is extraordinary. It is only one of many residential developments which are transforming the lifestyle of Filipinos. Government regulations insist that every development has to have 20% of low-cost housing. As you would expect, these are built in enclaves separate from the estates for he middle-class and the more wealthy. They’re not like Australian estates. All communities are gated with 24-hour security guards. Blocks of land, or lots, can be as small as 40 square metres, and only the most wealthy would expect 500 square metres.
On a 40 m block, the developer will build a 2-storey home with a total size of 35 sq metres. It will have 2 bedrooms and the house and land package will cost about $20000. Closer to the other end of the scale we saw an estate where the land is sold separately with a covenant that homes must be built above a minimum cost ($50000). The residents have access to a community complex of gymnasium, play facilities, pools, conference and party rooms.
The beauty of one of the pools was marred by 2 cane toads swimming around.As it was getting darker, we didn’t see inside any homes but hope we can do so soon.
The day finished with dinner at a very nice restaurant.
Saturday, 4th September .....
Today’s plan was to take Rex to Manila to see his mum and, at the same time, get a couple of things we needed for our hectic social calendar. We’ve been caught like this before: on our first trip in 2004, we arrived with a suitcase full of clothes to be told we are invited to a ‘do’ and the dress is Hawaiian. At that time, I had to rush out to the local department store to buy a shirt, which caused great excitement in the menswear section as they dug around for one which might fit me. By the end of the process, I had nine young women and a couple of young men serving me. We finished the exercise with a group picture of the team who served the foreign giant. I ended up with a suitably lairy shirt which was OK but just a little tight under the arms. It did the trick, went back to Tasmania, and lived in the bottom of the wardrobe, never to be worn again, until it was donated to Vinnies at the beginning of 2010.
So, here we are in exactly the same situation. I have to find a Hawaiian shirt and Marilyn a long, floral dress. It’s mad, I know, but it gets worse. We’ve also been invited to a function where the men have to wear a black suit. I’ve double-checked, but I don’t have one of those in my suitcase either. We might have to miss that one, or I’ll turn up in my flash barong and put them all to shame. They’ll look like an undertakers’ convention, anyway.
Back to the Hawaiian shirt problem: Kit tells us that we will be near a store called Landmark where we’ll be sure to find exactly what we want. Well, maybe it’s not exactly what I want but it will pass. It’s orange, floral and a reasonable fit -715 pesos, about $18. I also tried on many polo shirts sized from XL to XXXL. The marking seems to be random because only one fitted me – 429 pesos, about $10.70.
One thing we have noticed here is the large number of staff who work in the stores. There seems to be an assistant lurking at the end of each row. They all have their own section so when I asked for a Hawaiian shirt I was directed to a young man who looked at the meagre selection and informed me there was nothing to fit me. In fact, I did find one which was marked Large but was more generous than that. When I took it to the counter to pay for it there were 7 young women operating two tills. One took the item, handed it to another who rang it up on the till. Another put it in a bag and a fourth checked the transaction. The last person seemed to be overworked because she was checking the transactions of both tills. She was obviously senior too because she had a red pen to tick off the sale docket.
The malls in Manila are fantastic. It’s a national pastime to go to the Mall, for a movie or a meal, for shopping or just meeting your friends. They are enormous and there are great open spaces to accommodate the crowds they get at particular times. You can see a movie for $4, have a meal at Jollibee for $2.50, a burger at Maccas for 60c, so it’s not expensive to have a family night out occasionally.
After the shopping, a meal at Yellow Cab – 5 adults andd 1 three-year old, 1169 pesos, less than $30, Kit decided we would drive Rachel home. That was fine but it was in the wrong direction so made the trip back to Calamba interminable. The traffic is unbelievable and there are few policemen so everybody ignores the rules. The lines on the road are just for decoration and the rule about driving on the right-hand side is only a suggestion. However, traffic snarls are so regular, people have just become used to them.
One interesting feature is the number of enormous billboards along the main highways. They tend to be tall rather than wide and are lit up at night. At the moment, there seems to be a great number advertising new homes (more about that later) but there are a few gems like the one pictured which suggests you might find true love in a can of corned tuna. I suppose that is as good a place to look as any.
It’s 9.50pm as I write this. Rex is still up and I can hear him singing his national anthem just one more time before he goes to bed.
Tomorrow, we’re going to see a new residential development close by. Kit and her daughter Rhoda are agents for the developer, involved in the sales and want to show us the sorts of houses which are being offered in the market.
So, here we are in exactly the same situation. I have to find a Hawaiian shirt and Marilyn a long, floral dress. It’s mad, I know, but it gets worse. We’ve also been invited to a function where the men have to wear a black suit. I’ve double-checked, but I don’t have one of those in my suitcase either. We might have to miss that one, or I’ll turn up in my flash barong and put them all to shame. They’ll look like an undertakers’ convention, anyway.
Back to the Hawaiian shirt problem: Kit tells us that we will be near a store called Landmark where we’ll be sure to find exactly what we want. Well, maybe it’s not exactly what I want but it will pass. It’s orange, floral and a reasonable fit -715 pesos, about $18. I also tried on many polo shirts sized from XL to XXXL. The marking seems to be random because only one fitted me – 429 pesos, about $10.70.
One thing we have noticed here is the large number of staff who work in the stores. There seems to be an assistant lurking at the end of each row. They all have their own section so when I asked for a Hawaiian shirt I was directed to a young man who looked at the meagre selection and informed me there was nothing to fit me. In fact, I did find one which was marked Large but was more generous than that. When I took it to the counter to pay for it there were 7 young women operating two tills. One took the item, handed it to another who rang it up on the till. Another put it in a bag and a fourth checked the transaction. The last person seemed to be overworked because she was checking the transactions of both tills. She was obviously senior too because she had a red pen to tick off the sale docket.
The malls in Manila are fantastic. It’s a national pastime to go to the Mall, for a movie or a meal, for shopping or just meeting your friends. They are enormous and there are great open spaces to accommodate the crowds they get at particular times. You can see a movie for $4, have a meal at Jollibee for $2.50, a burger at Maccas for 60c, so it’s not expensive to have a family night out occasionally.
After the shopping, a meal at Yellow Cab – 5 adults andd 1 three-year old, 1169 pesos, less than $30, Kit decided we would drive Rachel home. That was fine but it was in the wrong direction so made the trip back to Calamba interminable. The traffic is unbelievable and there are few policemen so everybody ignores the rules. The lines on the road are just for decoration and the rule about driving on the right-hand side is only a suggestion. However, traffic snarls are so regular, people have just become used to them.
One interesting feature is the number of enormous billboards along the main highways. They tend to be tall rather than wide and are lit up at night. At the moment, there seems to be a great number advertising new homes (more about that later) but there are a few gems like the one pictured which suggests you might find true love in a can of corned tuna. I suppose that is as good a place to look as any.It’s 9.50pm as I write this. Rex is still up and I can hear him singing his national anthem just one more time before he goes to bed.
Tomorrow, we’re going to see a new residential development close by. Kit and her daughter Rhoda are agents for the developer, involved in the sales and want to show us the sorts of houses which are being offered in the market.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Friday, 3rd September .....
Marilyn had promised to teach Rex the Australian National Anthem but warned him that he needed to finish his homework first. When he came home, he quickly lined up his four exercise books on the table. Apart from some basic language and number, he also had some Science – to identify Vertebrate and Invertebrate animals. Not bad for a 3-year old.
I had found a version of the Australian national anthem on You-tube so Rex settled down to watch it. He was interested in the photographs of the Opera House, Uluru, koalas and kangaroos. An aussie-lover in the making.
This afternoon, we decided to drive to Lumban, a small town famous for embroidery. Because of the number of formal functions we will be attending, I needed to get another barong tagalog, the traditional Filipino costume, and Lumban is the place to go to get the best quality. In 2004, one of the most recognized embroiderers from the town had come to the Craft Fair and we had become quite friendly with her so it was a good chance to see her again and give her a little business.
Kit said it was about an hour away so it seemed a reasonable idea. The alternative was to buy one ready-made in a shop but that was not in Kit’s thinking so Lumban it was. On the way we picked up two of Kit’s Rotary friends so it was quite a party.
Lumban is a typical little town – narrow, crowded streets and busy people. Alida’s house was down a narrow alleyway and jammed in between other similar houses. On the ground floor, there were a number of women doing hand embroidery but we were taken through into the house where she had laid out a snack for us – a noodle dish, and some soft white cheese. This was a local delicacy made from caribau (buffalo) milk. It was really quite good.
The best barongs are made from pina cloth which is woven from the fibre of a pineapple plant. It is very fine like silk and the natural colour is beige. The front of the shirt has an embroidered pattern, usually in a natural colour too, and the rest of the material has small embroidered patches regularly set out. The patterns can be quite simple or very ornate. The process is that you choose the piece of cloth you like, and the barong is made from that.
Alida showed us some barongs she is making for the Filipino president so she is clearly highly regarded in the field. I liked the pattern but it is his exclusive design so forbidden for me to wear it. She also had other types of material, some with hand-embroidered patterns and some machine-embroidered. The prices range from $40 to $160. The cloth I chose was the most expensive. Typically, I had gone in expecting to spend about $50 but I had chosen the most expensive piece of cloth with the best hand embroidery. Oh, well!
The next step was to be measured so the tailor was sent for. He took one look at me and began a long tirade in Tagalog, clearly quizzing Alida about what deal she had offered me. Alida went into little-girl mode, pleading and explaining, all in Tagalog, of course. I heard the words Australia and foreigner, which hinted that she wanted to give me special consideration because of the good time she had spent in Australia in 2004. The tailor must have said No fifty times but he still came over and took my measurements.
I found out later that he wasn’t happy to have it ready in 4 days. He was going to Manila on Sunday and out of the area from Monday, so he would have to work hard all day Saturday and into the evening. Also, I was so big, there wasn’t enough material in the piece to get right around me. It would need another metre of cloth which would increase the price, though by $30.
I ended up ordering the formal barong and 2 casual cotton barongs for a total price of P10600, which is about $A265.
After that, we decided to visit another craftsman who had been to the Craft Fair, who lived in the village of Paete, not very far away. Paete is the noted village in the Philippines for wood carving. Luis Ac-Ac is regarded as the best craftsman in the village and probably the only one with a university degree.
He has an exhibition this weekend in Manila and has had a number of articles written about him in various magazines. He was delighted to see us again and insisted on giving us a beautiful hand-carved figurine, the second one in our collection.
The trip home took almost two hours so it was a relief to find our dinner set out on the table waiting for us.
The tradition in Kit’s home is that the cook prepares the meals for certain times and serves them. If you are here, you will enjoy hot food; if you are late, it will be cold. We don’t find it a problem.
Dinner tonight was chicken soup, crispy skin ham hock, prawns cooked in garlic and soy sauce, salad with quail eggs and rice (always rice!). It was all hot, and delicious.
Early bed again because it’s off to Manila tomorrow to take Rex to see his mother. She misses him dreadfully, of course, but has to concentrate on her studies if she hopes to pass her final exams. Rachel comes home once a month but Kit often takes Rex to meet her half-way.
I had found a version of the Australian national anthem on You-tube so Rex settled down to watch it. He was interested in the photographs of the Opera House, Uluru, koalas and kangaroos. An aussie-lover in the making.
This afternoon, we decided to drive to Lumban, a small town famous for embroidery. Because of the number of formal functions we will be attending, I needed to get another barong tagalog, the traditional Filipino costume, and Lumban is the place to go to get the best quality. In 2004, one of the most recognized embroiderers from the town had come to the Craft Fair and we had become quite friendly with her so it was a good chance to see her again and give her a little business.
Kit said it was about an hour away so it seemed a reasonable idea. The alternative was to buy one ready-made in a shop but that was not in Kit’s thinking so Lumban it was. On the way we picked up two of Kit’s Rotary friends so it was quite a party.
Lumban is a typical little town – narrow, crowded streets and busy people. Alida’s house was down a narrow alleyway and jammed in between other similar houses. On the ground floor, there were a number of women doing hand embroidery but we were taken through into the house where she had laid out a snack for us – a noodle dish, and some soft white cheese. This was a local delicacy made from caribau (buffalo) milk. It was really quite good.The best barongs are made from pina cloth which is woven from the fibre of a pineapple plant. It is very fine like silk and the natural colour is beige. The front of the shirt has an embroidered pattern, usually in a natural colour too, and the rest of the material has small embroidered patches regularly set out. The patterns can be quite simple or very ornate. The process is that you choose the piece of cloth you like, and the barong is made from that.
Alida showed us some barongs she is making for the Filipino president so she is clearly highly regarded in the field. I liked the pattern but it is his exclusive design so forbidden for me to wear it. She also had other types of material, some with hand-embroidered patterns and some machine-embroidered. The prices range from $40 to $160. The cloth I chose was the most expensive. Typically, I had gone in expecting to spend about $50 but I had chosen the most expensive piece of cloth with the best hand embroidery. Oh, well!The next step was to be measured so the tailor was sent for. He took one look at me and began a long tirade in Tagalog, clearly quizzing Alida about what deal she had offered me. Alida went into little-girl mode, pleading and explaining, all in Tagalog, of course. I heard the words Australia and foreigner, which hinted that she wanted to give me special consideration because of the good time she had spent in Australia in 2004. The tailor must have said No fifty times but he still came over and took my measurements.
I found out later that he wasn’t happy to have it ready in 4 days. He was going to Manila on Sunday and out of the area from Monday, so he would have to work hard all day Saturday and into the evening. Also, I was so big, there wasn’t enough material in the piece to get right around me. It would need another metre of cloth which would increase the price, though by $30.
I ended up ordering the formal barong and 2 casual cotton barongs for a total price of P10600, which is about $A265.
After that, we decided to visit another craftsman who had been to the Craft Fair, who lived in the village of Paete, not very far away. Paete is the noted village in the Philippines for wood carving. Luis Ac-Ac is regarded as the best craftsman in the village and probably the only one with a university degree.
He has an exhibition this weekend in Manila and has had a number of articles written about him in various magazines. He was delighted to see us again and insisted on giving us a beautiful hand-carved figurine, the second one in our collection.The trip home took almost two hours so it was a relief to find our dinner set out on the table waiting for us.
The tradition in Kit’s home is that the cook prepares the meals for certain times and serves them. If you are here, you will enjoy hot food; if you are late, it will be cold. We don’t find it a problem.
Dinner tonight was chicken soup, crispy skin ham hock, prawns cooked in garlic and soy sauce, salad with quail eggs and rice (always rice!). It was all hot, and delicious.
Early bed again because it’s off to Manila tomorrow to take Rex to see his mother. She misses him dreadfully, of course, but has to concentrate on her studies if she hopes to pass her final exams. Rachel comes home once a month but Kit often takes Rex to meet her half-way.
Thursday, September 2
We didn’t get to bed until after midnight but still woke early. It’s hot and humid and the rainy season has kicked in with a vengeance. Like Townsville and Cairns, the humidity builds up during the morning and it rains every afternoon. So, it was raining when we arrived at Manila airport and again today.
We met Rex today and he amazes us with his personality and obvious intelligence. He goes to a Montessori school for a couple of hours in the morning and he is really switched on to learning. His current interest is learning the Philippines national anthem. Rex’s mother, Rachel is a 3rd year medical student in Manila, so Rex lives with his grandmother, Kit and is looked after by a nanny. There are also two other young women employed in her household so he is a pretty spoiled young man.
His aunt, Rhoda, has downloaded a U-tube video of the national anthem on to an iPad and Rex, only 3 years old, replays it over and over to help him learn the words. There is a constant debate in the Philippines about which language should be the most important in schools. At the moment, all schools teach in English with Tagalog being taught alongside. In the long-term, this is probably the most beneficial but it does cause hardship in rural schools where English is not spoken very much.
Kids from rural areas often struggle in high school when they come across a much more intense English-language environment and too many students drop out too early. Children like Rex will thrive because he encounters both Tagalog and English at home but lower socio-economic environments don’t provide the same support.
We went shopping this afternoon and Marilyn bought Rex a Philippines flag and an Australian one as well. Rex was delighted and has played constantly with one or the other. We knew he recognized the Philippines flag because he had been drawing it, but thought he would not know the Australian one. Marilyn asked him if he knew what it was and he answered immediately. None of the family could tell us how he knew but he went and brought back a book about the world and showed us the Australian flag among a string of other flags on the cover.
He devours information and knows the names of all the planets and can explain why Neptune seems to have some rings around it (satellites, he says). When asked, ‘What did you learn in school today?’ he says, ‘the continents’ and reels them off easily. He knows which is the biggest and which is the coldest.
We didn’t get home from the shops until after dark but that wasn’t a problem as our dinner was waiting for us. Kit employs young women from the fishing village we are supporting and helps them train in useful occupations. At the moment she has a cook, a maid and a nanny and she also employs a driver and overnight guard. Their wages are low but they are all pleased to have a job.
The busy-ness of the last few days is catching up with us so it is an early bed for us.
We met Rex today and he amazes us with his personality and obvious intelligence. He goes to a Montessori school for a couple of hours in the morning and he is really switched on to learning. His current interest is learning the Philippines national anthem. Rex’s mother, Rachel is a 3rd year medical student in Manila, so Rex lives with his grandmother, Kit and is looked after by a nanny. There are also two other young women employed in her household so he is a pretty spoiled young man.
His aunt, Rhoda, has downloaded a U-tube video of the national anthem on to an iPad and Rex, only 3 years old, replays it over and over to help him learn the words. There is a constant debate in the Philippines about which language should be the most important in schools. At the moment, all schools teach in English with Tagalog being taught alongside. In the long-term, this is probably the most beneficial but it does cause hardship in rural schools where English is not spoken very much.
Kids from rural areas often struggle in high school when they come across a much more intense English-language environment and too many students drop out too early. Children like Rex will thrive because he encounters both Tagalog and English at home but lower socio-economic environments don’t provide the same support.
We went shopping this afternoon and Marilyn bought Rex a Philippines flag and an Australian one as well. Rex was delighted and has played constantly with one or the other. We knew he recognized the Philippines flag because he had been drawing it, but thought he would not know the Australian one. Marilyn asked him if he knew what it was and he answered immediately. None of the family could tell us how he knew but he went and brought back a book about the world and showed us the Australian flag among a string of other flags on the cover.
He devours information and knows the names of all the planets and can explain why Neptune seems to have some rings around it (satellites, he says). When asked, ‘What did you learn in school today?’ he says, ‘the continents’ and reels them off easily. He knows which is the biggest and which is the coldest.
We didn’t get home from the shops until after dark but that wasn’t a problem as our dinner was waiting for us. Kit employs young women from the fishing village we are supporting and helps them train in useful occupations. At the moment she has a cook, a maid and a nanny and she also employs a driver and overnight guard. Their wages are low but they are all pleased to have a job.
The busy-ness of the last few days is catching up with us so it is an early bed for us.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
On the plane .....
We had booked our flights to Manila several weeks ago and Marilyn had rung Singapore Airlines at that time to request seats with extra legroom. They took note and said they would see what they could do. On Monday, before I checked-in on-line, Marilyn rang them again to reinforce our message that a bulkhead seat would be nice, or even one near a door. Again, the man she spoke to was very helpful and said that we had been allocated seats with extra legroom on both the Melbourne to Singapore leg, and the Singapore to Manila.
I had downloaded the seat plan for the A380 and the seat numbers didn’t seem to fit, but we assumed that the plane we were flying on had a different configuration so thought no more about it. Imagine our chagrin (I’ve always wanted to say that!) when we boarded the big plane to find that we were, in fact, seated in the row in front of the extra legroom.
There were 4 middle-aged Australians traveling together in the row we would have preferred and they weren’t happy. There were no overhead lockers for that group so their carry-on bags were just shoved wherever a space could be found. Grudgingly, one of them said, “Well, at least we get a bit of extra legroom.” The other problem was that their seats had been set back to form a thoroughfare from one side of the plane to the other so people kept stepping over their legs to get to the toilet.
Marilyn, of course, is not one to let things lie, so had a quiet word to one of the stewards who found two spare seats in front of a bulkhead and was very happy for us to occupy them so all’s well that ends well. We did notice that the business class compartment was almost empty and it might have been nicer to have an upgrade but if they gave us one, everybody would expect the same consideration.
I should say a word about the flight. The A380 is certainly a big plane. The SAL model is configured to seat 417 passengers. Everybody gets a bit more room and there are a few bigger spaces to stand around in. They say that the A380 can fit in 800 seats but I can’t imagine what that would be like.
We were in the upper deck. We seemed to enter the plane at about the middle, moved to the rear and climbed up a rather nice curved staircase to our seats. I think Singapore is one of the better airlines and the service and food this time was certainly up to their usual standard. Marilyn had decided we should request the healthy choice meal and that translated into gluten-free. That was OK but it meant we had rice cakes instead of bread rolls, and fresh fruit instead of lemon layer cake for dessert. Oh well, it’s for the better in the long run.
I am writing this on the flight between Singapore and Manila which is almost empty. We have good seats and have just enjoyed the gluten-free meal – fish in a ginger sauce with fresh vegetables, served with rice cakes and fruit salad. Marilyn has also managed to acquire two Tiramisu icecreams which were served to the less healthy passengers and they were delicious.
I had downloaded the seat plan for the A380 and the seat numbers didn’t seem to fit, but we assumed that the plane we were flying on had a different configuration so thought no more about it. Imagine our chagrin (I’ve always wanted to say that!) when we boarded the big plane to find that we were, in fact, seated in the row in front of the extra legroom.
There were 4 middle-aged Australians traveling together in the row we would have preferred and they weren’t happy. There were no overhead lockers for that group so their carry-on bags were just shoved wherever a space could be found. Grudgingly, one of them said, “Well, at least we get a bit of extra legroom.” The other problem was that their seats had been set back to form a thoroughfare from one side of the plane to the other so people kept stepping over their legs to get to the toilet.
Marilyn, of course, is not one to let things lie, so had a quiet word to one of the stewards who found two spare seats in front of a bulkhead and was very happy for us to occupy them so all’s well that ends well. We did notice that the business class compartment was almost empty and it might have been nicer to have an upgrade but if they gave us one, everybody would expect the same consideration.
I should say a word about the flight. The A380 is certainly a big plane. The SAL model is configured to seat 417 passengers. Everybody gets a bit more room and there are a few bigger spaces to stand around in. They say that the A380 can fit in 800 seats but I can’t imagine what that would be like.
We were in the upper deck. We seemed to enter the plane at about the middle, moved to the rear and climbed up a rather nice curved staircase to our seats. I think Singapore is one of the better airlines and the service and food this time was certainly up to their usual standard. Marilyn had decided we should request the healthy choice meal and that translated into gluten-free. That was OK but it meant we had rice cakes instead of bread rolls, and fresh fruit instead of lemon layer cake for dessert. Oh well, it’s for the better in the long run.
I am writing this on the flight between Singapore and Manila which is almost empty. We have good seats and have just enjoyed the gluten-free meal – fish in a ginger sauce with fresh vegetables, served with rice cakes and fruit salad. Marilyn has also managed to acquire two Tiramisu icecreams which were served to the less healthy passengers and they were delicious.
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