The Philippines

A bit of preface… Upon arriving at a given airport, we declare that we’re harboring no plant life and typically exit the customs area to a sea of unscrupulous taxi drivers and swarming hotel touts. We push through the crowd in search of a local commuter bus which will drop us off near (but never at) our destination. After an hour on the bus, we’re dumped at the city center where we begin our backpack-slugging quest for an often unnumbered building on an invariably unnamed street in order to secure lodging at a potentially undesirable hotel. If all goes as planned, it’s taxing – if not, it just sucks.

Our arrival in the Philippines was quite different; there, we were visiting friends – David & Nickie - who made arrangements for our arrival, and for our entire stay. We were met by their smiling driver who swiftly loaded us into a car and drove us past the hordes of decaying city busses as we sighed in relief. Upon our arrival at their home, we were greeted with a warm meal, good company and a proper bed. If all travel could be this easy…

Following a much needed day of poolside recuperation, the four of took a short flight to the island of Cebu, where we spent a few gleaming days at a seaside resort. From there we embarked on a windless catamaran sail and a jaw-dropping snorkeling trip. Despite the stunning aquatic life, the highlight of our snorkeling trip was watching David fend off an angry, 3’ Titan Trigger fish, determined to take a toe as toll for swimming too close to its’ nest. Fortunately, no one was harmed, though the screams from Ellen’s snorkel tube are still ringing in my head.

Before returning to Manila, we took a day trip to Bohol to see the expansive, rolling “Chocolate Hills”, famed for their picture-perfect spherical shapes. An unexpected highlight was a stop to witness native Tarsiers – the smallest primates on earth. These tiny, tree-bound creatures look to be a miniature product of a love affair between of Yoda and a Kuala bear.

Back in Manila, we had a few much-appreciated days of socializing and relaxing before taking another day trip to the incredible Pagsanjan River. Used in the filming of Apocalypse Now, the Pagsanjan flows through a lush, tropical river canyon where one might expect to find treasure-hunting expeditions or spear-toting natives. The passage of this river by a small wooden boat, paddled – as well as pushed – upstream, was an incredible experience.

After the effort involved in leaving Thailand, our visit to the Philippines was just the recharge that we needed. Our visit to the Philippines was truly a vacation from our vacation, and we really had a blast. Thanks to David and Nickie!

Link to Phillipines photos