On Second Thought . .

Perhaps we are settling in; perhaps the colors and clear tropical seas have seduced us.  Perhaps learning a little about the historical development of this country and its multi-national cultures and bloodlines has made us find more affection for this island country. 

Yes, the weather is still hot, but we have learned to stage our outings as brief ones, timed when the heat is not so virulent.  That helps.  We’ve relented, and instead of walking from place to place for exercise, as is our usual fashion, we pull out our exercise bands and lift in air conditioning.  Then we call a Grab rideshare to get where we are going – it’s efficient and not expensive.  In short, we have found ways to make it work here, with pleasure.  We like this place so much that we have extended our VISA and are making plans to visit a couple of other major Filipino islands between now and July 12. 

In my previous post, I mentioned that there are 4,000 islands here.  Correction:  There are over 7,000 islands in the Philippines, but only 2,000 are inhabited.  Still, that’s quite a number.  That makes choosing which to visit difficult, but I think we have picked out some good ones. 

A few days ago, we went on an island-hopping excursion, and what a pleasure that was!  We boarded a motorized wooden boat and visited three small islands: Nalusuan, Hilutungan, and Caohagan.  We snorkeled in perfectly clear waters and fed fish, causing a tornado of colorful fish to swarm us for food.  Creepy but enthralling!  At our first stop, locals came aboard and offered us trendy, tropical jewelry and fresh-caught shellfish for purchase to add to our noontime meal.  In every place we visit, we know people need to make a living.  They do.   I bought a pearly bracelet, the like of which I have seen for sale in several locations since then . . . probably all made in Bali, the place where most stretchy beaded bracelets are made and sold wholesale to anyone by the hundreds.  I don’t care, it’s pretty, and I like it. From another vendor, we bought a Spider Shell Lambis and a Moon Sea Scallop, caught by the seller in his 4 am dive that morning.  When our crew cooked lunch on the boat’s charcoal grill, he added our shellfish to the mess.  Their grilled chicken quarters and shrimp & pork skewers were delectable; our shellfish was overcooked, dry, and rubbery.  Oh well. 

On another day, it was raining when we woke up.  The outside temperature was cooler.  This, we figured, was the day to take a walking tour of Cebu City.  We are getting the hang of this.  It was a perfect day to see the sights of the city and not sweat our butts off.  The temps were completely bearable, and the tour was surprisingly fun, educational, and amazing. 

First stop was the National Museum of the Philippines – Cebu, housed in the Old Customs House. The land where the museum stands originally was a beachfront.  When the USA came here in 1899 following the Spanish-American War, the U.S. bought the Philippines from Spain for $20 million. There was resistance, of course, but American forces defeated the revolutionaries and continued their occupation of the Islands for the next 40 years, to develop a Pacific military presence in Asia and a base for trade and business investment. While here, the U.S. filled in the beach, made a deepwater port, built buildings, including the Customs House, added wide streets, and installed critical infrastructure systems.  In an effort to “civilize” or “uplift” other nations, the U.S. established the foundation for the Filipino educational system based on the use of the English language.  This happened to be a God-send since English enabled inhabitants of this nation of 2,000 islands to communicate, trade, and share culture.  Today, Filipinos are literate.  They have a basic literacy rate of 93%; that’s just 6% below the literacy rate in the U.S. People here hold high regard for education and understand that the only way to a higher quality of living is through education. State universities here are free.  No tuition.  Take that and run with it.   

The history of the Philippines is clearly depicted in the museum.  Its development from tribal island clans grew out of trade. The first people to arrive here were nomads from Africa, India, the Middle East, and Indonesia. They came during the time our globe’s continents had not yet separated into the 7 we know today, and like animals in the Great Migration in Africa today, nomads walked the land following plant and animal food sources.  The early nomads imparted foods, culture, and bloodlines on the indigenous people they encountered here. Later, explorers/traders from the Malayo-Polynesian arrived.  They imparted food, plants, culture, and again added to the bloodlines.  Afterward, Magellan arrived in search of spice, and the Spanish followed seeking gold and territory.  Every country, every people, including modern occupiers like America and Japan, left a mark and a heritage on this country.  That explains the physical and facial beauty of these people, their varied foods, and why they are so adaptable to change. 

After a day of learning, we invested another day in fun. Picked up at 4:20 am, we joined a small group on a three-hour drive through beautiful mountainous country to the beachside town of Moalboal. On the way, we stopped to see Mantayupan Falls, the tallest waterfall in Cebu and one of the most beautiful, and still water-filled, in these last few days of the dry season. Once in Moalboal, we grabbed a mask and snorkel and took to the sea to look for sea turtles and sardines. Each morning, sardines by the millions swim in this cove; they sweep and dive in a synchronous ballet, swimming close to human beings but never touching. When the sardines sense the presence of sea turtles, they dash away. And we saw plenty of turtles. They are splendid, graceful creatures. Sea turtles don’t bother the sardines, but the mass of people chasing the turtles frightens the fish!

While we thoroughly enjoyed our swimming excursion, the best part of the day was meeting Arvin and Mel, tourists from Manila here to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. They and our official tour guide, Elvi, made our 6-hour round-trip ride to and from Moalboal great fun. We all connected almost immediately. There were no gaps in conversation; we shared information about our homelands, told each other about our families, our foods, and traditions, and told stories of our travels and our younger days. In just one day, it is possible to meet and make new true friends. This has happened to Stan and me more times than we deserve. But we are grateful for meeting these dear people. Compared to us, they are youngsters, but successful business people and parents of six children, all 25 years and younger. We plan to meet up again in Manila just before we depart the Philippines.

In closing, we have learned a few words widely used here. Some reflect Spanish roots; some are words from indigenous dialects, and some are used in many countries in this part of the world, like Salamat!

But to you, dear reader, our friends Rhonda in ATL, Richel, Chris & Elvi, our tour guides this week, and new friends, Arvin and Mel, Stan and I say, Salamat and Mabuhay! (thank you and long life!) And God bless you!