The Philippines: Part 2

Finally getting around to this...

Days 2-3: Cebu

After our full-day tour of Bohol, we boarded the evening Cebu-bound Ocean Jet, a fast ferry (~1.5 hours) set up on the inside like a passenger airplane, complete with drop-down tray tables and a movie screen. They showed Kung Pow: Enter The Fist (yes, the one with the kung-fu fighting cow), which has to be the most ridiculous movie ever made. Just ridiculous.

We stayed at the Cebu Midtown Hotel , which had a nice view of Cebu City.

The next day, we went around Cebu City.

First stop was "Tops," a high elevation spot just outside Cebu City, from which the entire city and its surroundings are visible. (Notice how I used "stop," "tops," and "spot" all in one coherent and relevant sentence. Genius.)

The Taoist Temple, located in an upscale neighborhood called, well, Beverly Hills, of course!

This is Magellan's Cross, inside which is supposedly the original cross from his ship, the first European vessel to land in the Philippines back in the 1500s.

Fort San Pedro, built by the Spaniards also in the 16th century.

We also visited the Church of Santo Niño, which was built around a several-hundred-year-old holy wooden figurine of the baby Jesus. But I have no pictures. :(

Next (and final) part: Manila!

The Philippines: Part 1

I have just returned from 6 days in the Philippines, where I was visiting my brother, who is spending the summer in Manila. Needless to say, it was awesome. We spent the first 3 days on the islands of Bohol and Cebu, followed by 3 days in Manila. It was a relatively short trip, but we did a lot, so here's a recap in three parts.

Days 1-2: Bohol

"Bo-who and Ce-what?", you may ask. I have anticipated this question and prepared an appropriate response:

(Click for a bigger version)

I arrived in Manila at around half-past midnight, and we caught a plane to the town of Tagbilaran in Bohol just a few hours later. The hour-and-a-half flight was uneventful, but I did witness this at the terminal in Manila before boarding:

According to the CIA World Factbook, the Philippines' population of ~88 million is 80.9% Catholic. It is the only Christian country in Asia, and the evidence is everywhere, including a 10:00 am Sunday mass held at a designated airport terminal. This is what you are seeing above.

Upon arrival in Tagbilaran, we went straight to our resort on Panglao Island, a tiny little thing just off the eastern coast of Bohol. The island is known for its white sand beaches, clear blue water, and the relative absence of tourists. The rooms were inside clever imitations of tropical huts.

On the beach, I found a kayak and instantly became Arjunson Crusoe:

After relaxing the rest of the day, we spent the next one on a full tour of Bohol. Below are some highlights.

Site of the 1565 Legazpi-Katuna Blood Compact:

One of Bohol's natural wonders, the Chocolate Hills, so named (by stupid Americans back in the '40s) because they resemble Hershey's Kisses. I prefer the local legend that attributes them to the "boobs and bums" of ancient fallen amazons. Nice.

A man-made forest of oak, a natural wonder because it makes me feel short:

Rickety bamboo bridge over a river:

Now, this is probably my favorite sight of the trip. These are tarsiers, one of the smallest species of primates (*thanks, Jeanne). Bohol is one of the few places in the world that they are found. I want one. By the way, I have a small video clip of one eating a cricket I fed it, if anyone's interested.

Next was a boat ride along that river with the rickety bridge. We had lunch and entertainment in the form of a marveloso Filipino man with a guitar who had a liking for American tunes from the '50s. Along the way, we saw kids that were sitting up on trees dropping into the river spectacularly as we passed. Show-offs.

Example of a typical Boholano house. They like to put out lots of flower pots in front:

The Baclayon church, built by Jesuits in the 16th century:

I think we covered everything in Bohol except for dolphin and whale-watching. We were told by our guide that the Philippine government has designated the island as a natural reserve and limits development on it. Even Tagbilaran is barely a city. The effect is a stunningly green-and-blue piece of natural paradise which I enthusiastically recommend to anyone planning a trip to the Philippines.

Next update: Cebu.

North Korea & Desi Trash

The NYTimes has a fascinating editorial piece by Nicholas Kristof up on their site dealing with his recent trip to Pyongyang, North Korea. More interesting than the written article are the approximately 5 minutes worth of Kristof's "video blogs" shot in the capital. I highly recommend you check out at least the videos. In particular, the subway is truly a marvel to behold. Also, damn, North Korea has some cuties hiding out there. No doubt they are brainwashed psychopaths. But damn.

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In other news of the garbage variety, I stumbled upon this gem: Your Guide To Dating An Indian. Firstly, IBCA - that's a new one for me. Second, I've noticed all these stereotypes are also applied to Korean men (and perhaps to all immigrant men). Third - okay, forget this. Here are some truly enlightening direct quotes:

"They are too cheap."

"They want to go around screwing people by lying and deception and that's why they go back home to get their so called "virgins" to marry."

".. sometimes they make funny sounds which are perfectly acceptible in India but not here..."

"Through sharing our stories, we can begin in our solidarity for maintaining good name of Indians in America and elsewhere and my exposing the bad, we can save the essence of our culture."

What are these "funny sounds," I wonder? Maybe she means "yaar," in which case she is wrong. "Yaar" is a way cool sound.

I like the last one best. This chick actually thinks she is doing a public service announcement.

Come on, yaar.

For London

In Praise of Bush

Never thought I would say this, but there is some good that Bush has done in the world. With regard to giving aid to Africa, Bush has been somewhat generous, particularly when compared to Clinton. This is the hot topic these days, what with the G-8 conference starting tomorrow (and the recently concluded awesome Live 8 festivities that I wish I could have attended). Here's hoping he continues the trend.

Oh, and here's the Kristof editorial that prompted the entry:

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/05/opinion/05kristof.html

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