The Philippines


In February 2004 I went to the Philippines with my now-wife Ariel. We spent a few days in Puerto Galera, including White Beach and Sabang, before going to Boracay for a week. We continued to Iloilo and Guimaras before returning for a day in Manila. By the end we were getting a little tired of cheapie transportation on bad roads and flew back to Manila. There we had the ultimate fate: on-board Filipino karaoke.

 


<i>Seeds Lead to Grain..</i><br>In the countryside, rice and grain is dried in the sun onsheets on the highway. Try not to drive over supper! <i>Grain Leads to Beer..</i><br>This beer was 12.25 pesos in Manila, about 25 US cents. The<i> label</i> costs more than that in Canada. <i>Beer Leads to Marriage.</i><br>In San Augustin church in Intramuros, Manila, there's a lineup of people waiting their turn to commit marriage. Banca Boat, Boracay<br> It looks nice, but the green water at Boracay can get a little <i>weird</i> after a while. Did someone forget to mow the ocean? Ariel & Me, Aninuin Beach, Puerto Galera<br>We had a fish dinner on Aninuin Beach, next to White Beach. Such imaginative names! Why not "Wet Ocean"? City Street, Batangas<br>You can go anywhere on the taxi-buses, which wait until they fill up to go. I'm doubting there's a word in Tagalog for "we're full". Grains for Sale, Calipan<br>The Filipino food we had was extremely sugary. Is it a dentist's nightmare.. or a dentist's paradise. Sunset, Boracay<br>Beautiful sunsets. The sky seemed to somehow <i>expand</i> at twilight in Boracay. And Boracay's pretty tiny. It could use some expansion. The fence around our bamboo hut on Boracay. <br>Ten dollars a night and all the barking dogs you like. Iloilo Mall<br> Some of the largest shopping malls in the world are in the Philippines. And a software pirate's dream! Puka Grande, Boracay<br> Nice quiet beach on the north side of the islet. I'm assuming the name doesn't mean "big barf." Tricycles, Puerto Galera<br> They're a sort of private taxi, if you want the very best and can't want to wait for a bus to fill. Air Tanks, White BeachThe Puerto Galera area was full of German scuba divers. Can't they dive in German oceans instead? Curved Walkway, Sabang<br> When you see such beautiful Spanish architecture, all you can say is, "how many trike riders have bonked their heads.." Jammed Tricycle, Kalibo<br> And this was on the highway. I was a little worried if our airplane would be like this. Greenery, Guimaras Island<br> Guimaras is a tiny island and is unusual as there are no palm trees there. Maybe people ate them out of boredom. Tamaraw Falls, Puerto Galera<br> Compared to Mexico, the falls we saw in the Philippines were pretty small. Someone's not turning the crank fast enough! Coral, Sabang<br>For some reason I find coral hard to photograph well. It's not like it runs away from you. Coral Cove, Boracay<br>The eastern and quieter side of Boracay. It really does have a <i>Gilligan's Island </i>look to it. Tricycle Back, Puerto Galera<br>This one looked pretty shiny and chromed for a vehicle normally carrying 78 people on it. Boy on Street, Boracay<br>Everything a tourist needs, or doesn't need, in the street shops near the beach. Oddly, I had a cookie and it was bitter—quite different from the usual sugar-ganza. Floating Bar, Sabang<br> Sabang can seem seedy when you see the hundredth German scuba diver with a girl-for-hire. But there are cheesy fun things like this floating bar. Banca Boats at Dusk, Sabang<br>Once the floating bar is done for the day it's nice to see a sunset not colored by car fumes. St. Anne's Church, Iloilo City<br> Beautiful church made with coral rock in <i>Ill-oh-Ill-oh</i>. The town so nice, they had to name it twice. Cargo Boat<br>The man looked relaxed. Who wouldn't rather travel with rum than tourists? Boracay Strip<br> I'll trade it for ten Vegas strips. And it's nice to be able to afford dinner. Manila Cathedral, Manila<br>Such a pious website this is, with three church pictures in a row! St. Anne's Dome, Iloilo<br>Something's got to be a pillar of the community, right? Jaro Cathedral, Iloilo City<br>Filipino cathedrals aren't in zocalo squares like Mexican ones are, but they're impressive and have the bling-bling. Yellow Boat, Boracay<br> I took the photo because the colors seemed a little strange. Maybe the <i>camera</i> was sunburnt. Boracay Twilight<br>The closer you get to the equator the prettier the sunsets are. But they don't last long. Blink! Jaro Cathedral, Iloilo City<br>It was pretty in the sunlight, but it looked like it had a lot of lights. You can't get far from neon in Asia. San Agustin Interior, Manila<br>We did more than see churches in Manila—there was a great mall. I just thought this would be more interesting than pictures of noodle restaurants. Door Painting, San Agustin, Manila<br> It looked rough on the chipped paint. Or else it was very, very elaborate graffiti! Hotel Room Balcony, Roxas<br> We stayed one night to meet the morning ferry, us and several thousand bugs. St. Anne's Ceiling, Iloilo City<br>And then you bang into something because you're always looking up. Church architects<i> do</i> have a sense of humor. Boracay Market Street<br> Boracay was well stocked. And it's nice not to see lines of 7-11s for a change. Aninuan Beach, Puerto Galera<br> The water wasn't as warm as Bali, but no sound of surfboards.. just surf. Intramuros Street, Manila<br>You'd think I have a crush on Queen Victoria. Her name is everywhere on my site. Sabang Cliffs<br>Some parts of Sabang are more accessible than others. Fish for Sale, Sabang<br>"I don't know, is it fresh?" It looks a little heavy laying on that scale. Being a Filipino fish, maybe it was already full of sugar. View from Makate Mall, Manila<br> Manila does have a modern downtown with skyscrapers, and one ginormous mall to view it from. Other than that, well.. back to the beach. Terry's Desert, Sabang<br> We had a desert with co-workers Terry & Shirley. They ignited the mango with uh, just a little local booze. Just how flammable<i> is</i> bamboo?

 

Boracay
I liked Boracay a lot. It's not a place for nightlife and the water is coolish in February, but the little island is easy-going and the food and hotel choices are plentiful and cheap. It still stands as the best sunsets I've ever seen in my life.



This'll be the player
Banca to Puerto Galera (February 2004) 0:26
Sunset on Boracay (February 2004) 1:10
Iloilo Traffic (February 2004) 0:39
San Augustin Church, Manila (February 2004) 0:27