Not spent as much time writing about what I have
been doing, as been busy. Tried to put together some form of summary of what
has been going on though….excuse the briefness in some parts…..
Mon 22nd
Dec - Was
planning on going out last night, but ended up spending the evening on Skype
talking to friends. It's so easy to get stuck on the net sometimes, but it also
good to catch up with people before Christmas. Skype has revolutionized
communication I feel. Certainly for travelers it started the ball rolling with
free communication
Today I fly to Manila from Dumaguete with Cebu Pacific
aboard flight 5J626 departing at 8:55am and
arriving at Ninoy Aquino International
Airport (NAIA) this time. I booked this
on-line, which so easy with all of the airlines here. Just need your reference
number and passport when you arrive. Can also pre-book your seat too.
Wasn't sure what breakfast was going to be available at the airport so dipped
into the adjacent McDonald's then waived down a tricycle to the airport. 50
pesos for the 20 minute ride. Could have been quicker, but the roads are being re-laid
and I think the tricycle was pre-war and struggled with a 1 in 200 incline! The
airport is tiny and check-in took 10 minutes from entering the building. Not
big enough for conveyor belts, just weighing scales and a homely atmosphere.
Turned out to be P
plenty of eateries opposite the entrance, so a cup of coffee
in Happy Fred's whilst I waited for
boarding. Met an old guy from Nottinghamshire in the UK whilst I was checking
in. He was in line with his Filipino girlfriend, who he was going to marry next
spring. It was lovely at his stage in life to be happy.
Have I mentioned about security in this
country? It must be amongst the largest employers. Everywhere seems to have a
security guard. Cafes, restaurants, shops, they are everywhere. And in between
trying to look threatening, many with guns, they sweep the floor and pass pleasantries
with the customers. I have noticed this in other countries where poverty
exists, they need to include protection as part of their staffing. Good for
employment, but a shame it seems necessary. It was nice in McDonalds this
morning that the security guard was wearing a Santa hat. A nice festive touch
that went well with the gun on his hip...
The rain was falling intermittently whilst I waited, so a
good opportunity to people watch whilst waiting for it to stop. I like to see
the different forms of transport that pass by. The Jeepneys as usual are ornate
and a work of art in some cases. One Jeepney was
very unique and I spoke to the driver. Swish turquoise leather interior,
sparkling yellow and chrome livery. It was made in Manila and the only one on
the island. The Cyclos (bicycle with side car), are many and plentiful
due to the flat terrain, but generally in a poor state. Minivans (FX) are
common and in various styles. Motorbikes are the norm here although,
surprisingly there are many gas guzzling large cars, probably a status thing.
As normal, entering the departure area
requires a 'Terminal Fee'. This time 30 pesos. They have made an effort in
placing a nice little garden in front of the waiting hall window with a
waterfall.
Flight took off late at 9:25am and took 1hr
10min.
Bought one of those health drinks on the
plane. You know the ones...they make you think you are going to get fit and
lose weight with one drink. Banish fat, absorb all of those nasty things in
your system...and all for 50 pesos...feel better already!
The in-flight magazine was amusing. They had an article
about 'The Pinoys' Strange Holiday Habits' at Christmas. Pinoy is the Filipino
name for the Philippines people. They said that the Philippine celebration of
Christmas is arguably the longest and most festive in the world. What else
could be expected from a country that has a fiesta in every town for every weeks of the year
commemorating every Catholic saint and incident in Christ's life! In fact they
reckon that the Philippines only has two seasons: Christmas and the season
before Christmas!
During the flight they had a game to give away
Cebu Pacific merchandise. One of the games was a 'Quick Draw' type. Who was the
fastest to pull out of their wallet a photograph of their Mother-in-law. This
made me laugh. I know of nobody in the west who would carry such a photograph.
Failed on that one. Next...who had a photo of their Grandmother? Failed again.
What was odd was that in both cases there were many hands that went into the
air. Learnt a lot from that little game!
A couple of sweet girls were my companions for
the flight and wanted photos on their mobile phones of us together. Now what
will they be doing with them? A great conversation piece with their friends
maybe?
Normal coupon system at the airport for the
taxi, costing 330 pesos to take me to the 'Crow Bus Terminal' in Pasay Rotunda.
Sounded simple...the poor driver had no real idea where that was and got lost
many times and had to ask maybe a dozen times. He got stuck down one road so
narrow and the traffic wasn't moving...he made the mistake of trying to jump a
queue and completely blocked the road. Took us ages to get out of there. And it
was the wrong terminal anyway! Next he tried another place and that wasn't
right either. What was worse, was that he went there wrong way into a blocked
zone and was spotted by a traffic cop, who confiscated his license. He was so
distraught, he asked me for help to get him out of his problem. Now what could
I do to help him? The cop was actually running another one of those favoured
pre-Christmas present scams. Of course, the driver would have to pay him 500
pesos to get his license back. Wasn't going to help him out with that as it was
his fault. Anyway, one unhappy driver later and I got to the 'Crow'
station...not a single sign saying that, so no idea where the name comes from.
Wanted a bus to Silang, so as expected, boarded a bus with no signs saying
Silang but Tagaytay instead, which at least I know. Getting about by bus in
this country is a test of ingenuity. The bus was crammed and cost 66 pesos. I
needed to get off at an area called Bayan, so hoped for some help in telling me
when I was there.
As usual on the buses, the video entertainment
was people killing each other. No wonder the Philippines has a reputation of
troubles. All they watch is murder movies!
The level of traffic in Manila and its suburbs
is stifling. With around 20 million people battling their way at a snail's
pace, it is a game of patience. Don't plan to be anywhere on time as the roads
can grind to a halt regularly. The journey to Silang should only take maybe 90
minutes. After 1 hour, we hadn't even got a third of the way. Great opportunity
for the street sellers, who board the buses to sell food and drink. You could walk
faster for much of the journey. The death and mayhem on the movie was
relentless. I suppose with so many people in this over-crowded place, the
natural way to create space is to kill each other...got a text message this
morning from someone in the south of the country saying it wasn't safe to go
out, as bombs were going off, but that person had gone home to a part of the
risky Mindanao province. See what I mean...they're trying their form of
population control down there! Glad I am in the north.
The afternoon was a bit unexpected. After a
quick settle in, one of Sheira's friends was visiting and we were whisked off
to her parent's holiday home in Tagaytay and picked up some food on the way.
Was a nice colonial style house on a private security controlled estate, with a
possible option to rent for a short while.
Back home and a bit of a dance session with
the girls, as her sister and cousin are also here.
Like other Christian countries, carol singing
is widespread and much the same as in the UK. A few came around during the
evening singing a mixture of Tagalog and English carols. It is normal to give
them 5 pesos for their efforts. A long day today and very tired so hoped to be
refreshed tomorrow after a good night's sleep.
Tue 23rd
Dec - Well the
theory was good about having a good night's sleep, but it didn't happen due to disturbances. A momentous occasion today as
bought myself an acoustic guitar at the SM mall. Been promising to do this for
a long time and held off as I would have to carry it from now on. I miss
playing a lot and so just decided to buy one and add to my luggage.
Stopped off in Silang town plaza on the way
back home to see the Christmas lights. They have erected a large illuminated
cone tree as they don't have natural pine or fir trees here. The Parol is the icon of Christmas and symbolizes
the star over Jesus’ head, so they have them everywhere and also street lantern
parades. The plaza is located in front of the Silang Church: an old place that
had been performing a wedding ceremony. When we arrived they were doing the
photographs and I managed to catch some photos myself of the couple and their
pretty bridesmaids.
Tried to get some money from ATMs whilst out
and failed. Turned out that my account had been blacklisted, as has happened before.
This time it was because they treat the Philippines as a high risk country. As
such the bank had noticed a number of transactions at ATMs across the country,
all genuine of course...but they froze my account until I confirmed back to
them that the transactions are genuine. Took a long call to the UK to get my
cash card unblocked. A pain but at least they are protecting my interests.
Back at home and a pleasure to have my own
guitar now to practice on. Made for a pleasant evening.
Wed 24th
Dec – Today
is the main day of Christmas although people still work. They never take a day
off here, and so markets are still busy as usual. The highlight of the day was
at 8pm when we went to Silang church for a musical evening of song and dance,
all presented in Tagalog and with projection screens for those at the back. It
carried on through until near midnight, but we had other things planned and so
left early. The tradition here is to have a celebratory meal after the midnight
mass called Noche
Buena. It normally includes many
traditional ingredients such as Queso de
Bola - Cheese ball, Lechon - Roast
pig, Rellano – Meatloaf and Ensaymada – A type of sweet Bread. Not
everyone follows with tradition though, as we didn’t. I had my fix of red wine,
so that felt better.
Thu 25th
Dec – Relaxed
day with some visitors from Sheira’s family and a walk. Was able to Talk with
my family back in the uk over Skype in the afternoon (8 hours time
difference). So nice to hear their
voices and miss them all. This is my second Christmas away from the UK and it
isn’t any easier than last year.
Out for a lovely meal at the nearby Balinsasayaw restaurant. What makes this special is that it is
built on a slope with Nipa Huts
(traditional bamboo huts) as the dining areas. We had one to ourselves. They
are open to the elements, and as it was raining with a cool breeze, made for a
fresh meal. The waiters are hailed with a bell, and they had to deliver the
orders under an umbrella. Early next year we are to visit the provinces where
we will be staying in Nipa huts.
Fri 26th
Dec – Have no
idea what I did today…it was all a blur….oh yes…off to the market where they
were offloading a massive stock of pineapples and bananas. A mountain of them
being bought up by people and transferred into the backs of Jeepneys and vans.
Apart from that….a blur.
Sat 27th
Dec – Tagaytay
in afternoon. On the way there the Jeepney was occupied by a couple of guys
with covered wooden boxes on wheels, which were brightly painted. Turned out to
be a form of lottery to win a chick. On top of the box is a grid of the
alphabet. You place a 10 peso coin on a random letter, and then draw out from a
pot a random piece of paper with a letter on it. If the two match then you win
a baby chick of your choice. Now, the bizarre thing is that the chicks have
been died the colours of the rainbow. Sheira did a couple of attempts and won a
pink chick! Now winning is one thing, but then you have a chick to look after. So,
we departed the Jeepney with more than we boarded, and for the rest of the
afternoon we had to carry a squeaking chick around! First stop was Starbucks at
the Tagaytay Taal viewing area. From then on the chick was christened Starbucks!
You can imagine the attention the little thing got, especially from the
kids…Not every day you see a pink chick having a Capuccino…A bizarre afternoon
as I say.
A brief tour of some of this area’s s lovely restaurants
overlooking the mountain scenery such as Leslie’s and Bon Giorno, with its Nipa
hut dining areas. Will be returning many times I guess to sample the
cuisine. That bloody chick didn’t stop
tweeting all afternoon and evening….it could end up as breakfast very soon! We
are taking bets….
That’s it for now folks….IF I don’t get to contact you all
soon…I wish you all a very happy new year, and may it be filled with everything
you wish for.
