We are now on Phuket island in the southwest of Thailand. We plan to write a longish blog about Chiang Mai (fantastic, loved it) and Phuket (jury is still out) during our long bus rides to Malaysia. In the meantime, enjoy some stories about terrible drivers in SE Asia.
We have reached our wits end. Every time we get in a car we feel like we are risking our lives. SE Asia has some seriously terrible drivers and people don't seem to value their lives as much as we do...
For example, on the taxi ride from the Airport to our Hotel in Phuket we are cruising along when both lanes of the road ahead were occupied in relatively heavy traffic. The driver addressed this perceived road block by accelerating heavily and PASSING IN THE SHOULDER AT 125 km/hour (75 mph). Thankfully, he did slow down and drove safe after our protests from the back seat.
Admittedly gun shy, we approached the taxi stand at Central Festival (a modern shopping centre) in Phuket City this evening with some apprehension. The scene at the stand was as follows.
There were maybe 12 men congregated around the stand wearing the same floral patterned shirt; two are sitting behind a desk where the prices are listed and the other 10 were hassling tourists for rides. We expected these to be the drivers. Also hanging around was a middle aged Thai woman who was mumbling unintelligibly and stumbling around like she was either intoxicated or mentally handicapped (sorry if that sounds offensive, but it is an apt description). She was clearly blind in one eye. We felt bad for her and assumed that she was trying to sell us some of the goods from her basket or trying to see if Erika wanted a pedicure.
After we negotiate the price, we are assigned a driver. We said, "who is going to drive us?" and they pointed at THE HALF BLIND AND POSSIBLY DRUNK AND/OR MENTALLY IMPAIRED WOMAN! We immediately said “uh uh, no way” and started to walk off. They assigned another driver, who did attempt to pass a truck by going over a painted median into on-coming traffic, at night, in the rain. Thankfully, he also slowed down and drove reasonably after we protested from the back seat. Seriously, a half blind lady...
A good driver in SE Asia is priceless and we are willing to pay. We had a taxi driver named “Aye” in Chiang Mai who we hired four different times because he drove like a sane human being. We found “Tin” in Phuket this morning and are paying him 1500 Baht tomorrow to chauffeur us all day because he drives like he wants to see tomorrow.
More on Thailand later. We have 7 hours on a bus to Hat Yai ahead of us...
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Gentle and majestic Asian elephants up close
We got to see something so wonderful and touching today we couldn’t help but write about it right away.
For many pictures of elephants, follow this link. http://picasaweb.google.com/tonycesare/ElephantNatureParkChiangMai?authkey=Gv1sRgCK7d8uedurriFQ&feat=directlink
We spent the day at “Elephant Nature Park”. It is a reserve outside Chiang Mai and was established by Lek Chailert –a woman who made it her life’s work to protect Asian elephants. A major focus of the park is education, some of which we are passing on below.
Elephants are the symbol of Thailand with significant religious, royal and cultural significance. They “built Thailand, acting as tanks during war time and bulldozers during peace time”. 100 years ago Thailand had 100,000 elephants. By the late 1980s this number decreased to 25,000, most of which worked in the logging industry. Since the outlawing of logging in 1989 (an environmentally friendly move that has been great for the country’s forests) the working elephant population has fallen to about 5,000. While the ~ 1500 wild elephants remain protected in Thailand, working elephants are considered livestock and are unprotected. Elephant mahouts (the handlers) have had to turn to street begging, trekking (carrying tourists on their backs) and logging camps in the surrounding countries for work. The conditions are generally deplorable, which has resulted in the rapid loss of elephant life. Some elephants are kept on amphetamines to keep them awake and working around the clock; others are beaten and prodded with large nails; and many are continuously under stress living on city streets and carrying tourists at trekking camps. Additionally, almost all working elephants are separated from their mothers at a young age in order to be “broken” in a brutal ritual designed to make them completely subservient to their owner. The video of the “breaking” was gut-wrenching and brought tears.
Lek has a different approach. She established the nature reserve to rehabilitate injured working elephants and protect abandoned young elephants. The people at the park only use positive reinforcement and are dedicated to making a change in the Thai elephant tourism industry. They realize elephants are vital to tourism but they want to make a change to establish a positive situation good for the tourists, mahouts, and most of all –the elephants.
Through the generous help of donors, volunteers and eco-minded tourists, Lek built a nature reserve that now houses 32 elephants. All 32 elephants are able to roam the grounds and interact positively with tourists and other elephants. There are no unnatural activities the elephants have to do and instead the tourists are able to feed and bathe the animals, and observe from a respectful distance. Volunteers can stay for up to several weeks if they want to help out with the day to day activities. There was no elephant riding at this park, but that was okay by us.
For us, it was just a day trip, but a day we will always remember. We were able to feed “Jokia” and “Mae Perm”. Jokia is a blind female elephant whose eyes were poked out by her owners in a work camp as punishment after the poor conditions caused her to lose her baby, and she refused to work. To feed Jokia we had to first caress her trunk so that she could know where the food was coming from. She was so gentle despite the enormous size and appeared happy with her best friend Mae Perm – the two never leave each other’s side (hence we got to feed them both). We saw an elephant that lost half of her back foot in a landmine explosion at a logging camp and another elephant had clearly suffered broken legs and hips due to an accident during a forced mating at a work camp. Many of the other animals suffered emotional abuse, but are now on a firm road to recovery due to the love and care of the handlers at the park. At the camp, the elephants are free to establish family groups and interact like natural elephants in an environment protected from all abuse. Although the animals are on the road to recovery and appear to live happy lives now, Lek said that some may never recover from the emotional and mental abuses that they endured for years.
There is no way to explain how majestic and beautiful the animals were and how awesome it was to see them in this way. Some elephants were mischievous (the teenagers), others were gentle and friendly. They had their own personalities, their friends and family groups; the juvenile elephants would play and the adults would keep them in line.
As day visitors we were able to feed the elephants in the morning and afternoon; a process that entailed handing the elephants large amounts of bananas, melons and pumpkins which they would grab with their trunks and place into their mouths. We also got to go into the river with them in the morning and afternoon and bathe the elephants. This was a process which entailed wading into a river next to a standing, sitting, or laying down elephant and throwing buckets and buckets of water on their heads and backs. The brave tourists (like Erika) even got up to the Elephants and helped scrub them while they were in the water. The elephants clearly enjoyed the refreshing break from the hot sun.
We also saw two young babies –an 11-month and a 1-month old. When the 11-month old bathed we had to all move to viewing platforms because of the protective mothers, but it was awesome to watch the young elephant splash in the water and play with his mom and aunt. The one month old was ADORABLE. She kept running around between mom and her aunt and rolling in the dirt and even fell asleep in Lek’s lap.
After two feedings, two bathings, and lots of elephant watching, we came back to Chiang Mai with hearts full of love for these beautiful animals and a hope for a better future for all Asian Elephants. If you make it to Chiang Mai we highly recommend a visit to the park. If you do not, please keep in mind the elephants of Thailand – they need everyone’s help to secure a better future. This has definitely been one of our favorite things in our travels so far.
For more info: http://www.elephantnaturepark.org/index.htm
We spent the day at “Elephant Nature Park”. It is a reserve outside Chiang Mai and was established by Lek Chailert –a woman who made it her life’s work to protect Asian elephants. A major focus of the park is education, some of which we are passing on below.
Elephants are the symbol of Thailand with significant religious, royal and cultural significance. They “built Thailand, acting as tanks during war time and bulldozers during peace time”. 100 years ago Thailand had 100,000 elephants. By the late 1980s this number decreased to 25,000, most of which worked in the logging industry. Since the outlawing of logging in 1989 (an environmentally friendly move that has been great for the country’s forests) the working elephant population has fallen to about 5,000. While the ~ 1500 wild elephants remain protected in Thailand, working elephants are considered livestock and are unprotected. Elephant mahouts (the handlers) have had to turn to street begging, trekking (carrying tourists on their backs) and logging camps in the surrounding countries for work. The conditions are generally deplorable, which has resulted in the rapid loss of elephant life. Some elephants are kept on amphetamines to keep them awake and working around the clock; others are beaten and prodded with large nails; and many are continuously under stress living on city streets and carrying tourists at trekking camps. Additionally, almost all working elephants are separated from their mothers at a young age in order to be “broken” in a brutal ritual designed to make them completely subservient to their owner. The video of the “breaking” was gut-wrenching and brought tears.
Lek has a different approach. She established the nature reserve to rehabilitate injured working elephants and protect abandoned young elephants. The people at the park only use positive reinforcement and are dedicated to making a change in the Thai elephant tourism industry. They realize elephants are vital to tourism but they want to make a change to establish a positive situation good for the tourists, mahouts, and most of all –the elephants.
Through the generous help of donors, volunteers and eco-minded tourists, Lek built a nature reserve that now houses 32 elephants. All 32 elephants are able to roam the grounds and interact positively with tourists and other elephants. There are no unnatural activities the elephants have to do and instead the tourists are able to feed and bathe the animals, and observe from a respectful distance. Volunteers can stay for up to several weeks if they want to help out with the day to day activities. There was no elephant riding at this park, but that was okay by us.
For us, it was just a day trip, but a day we will always remember. We were able to feed “Jokia” and “Mae Perm”. Jokia is a blind female elephant whose eyes were poked out by her owners in a work camp as punishment after the poor conditions caused her to lose her baby, and she refused to work. To feed Jokia we had to first caress her trunk so that she could know where the food was coming from. She was so gentle despite the enormous size and appeared happy with her best friend Mae Perm – the two never leave each other’s side (hence we got to feed them both). We saw an elephant that lost half of her back foot in a landmine explosion at a logging camp and another elephant had clearly suffered broken legs and hips due to an accident during a forced mating at a work camp. Many of the other animals suffered emotional abuse, but are now on a firm road to recovery due to the love and care of the handlers at the park. At the camp, the elephants are free to establish family groups and interact like natural elephants in an environment protected from all abuse. Although the animals are on the road to recovery and appear to live happy lives now, Lek said that some may never recover from the emotional and mental abuses that they endured for years.
There is no way to explain how majestic and beautiful the animals were and how awesome it was to see them in this way. Some elephants were mischievous (the teenagers), others were gentle and friendly. They had their own personalities, their friends and family groups; the juvenile elephants would play and the adults would keep them in line.
As day visitors we were able to feed the elephants in the morning and afternoon; a process that entailed handing the elephants large amounts of bananas, melons and pumpkins which they would grab with their trunks and place into their mouths. We also got to go into the river with them in the morning and afternoon and bathe the elephants. This was a process which entailed wading into a river next to a standing, sitting, or laying down elephant and throwing buckets and buckets of water on their heads and backs. The brave tourists (like Erika) even got up to the Elephants and helped scrub them while they were in the water. The elephants clearly enjoyed the refreshing break from the hot sun.
We also saw two young babies –an 11-month and a 1-month old. When the 11-month old bathed we had to all move to viewing platforms because of the protective mothers, but it was awesome to watch the young elephant splash in the water and play with his mom and aunt. The one month old was ADORABLE. She kept running around between mom and her aunt and rolling in the dirt and even fell asleep in Lek’s lap.
After two feedings, two bathings, and lots of elephant watching, we came back to Chiang Mai with hearts full of love for these beautiful animals and a hope for a better future for all Asian Elephants. If you make it to Chiang Mai we highly recommend a visit to the park. If you do not, please keep in mind the elephants of Thailand – they need everyone’s help to secure a better future. This has definitely been one of our favorite things in our travels so far.
For more info: http://www.elephantnaturepark.org/index.htm
Friday, May 22, 2009
Happy to be alive and in Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai is nice. We have been here a half day and already we can see why people enjoy this area of North Thailand so much. There is heaps to do here and we are staying in a great place. We will report on all this later. In the mean time, we up-loaded some photos from the Philippines and Thailand to the posts below.
Our final experience in Bangkok was the taxi ride to the airport. It started with us having to haggle with the driver. This was followed by the driver trying to change the price while en route. When he hit the freeway he drove LIKE A MANIAC, tail-gating everyone while weaving in and out of traffic at very high speeds. At one point we were doing almost 140 km/hour in a 80 km/hour zone before Erika told him to slow down (Tony was ready to threaten physical violence at this point). Of course, there were no seat belts in the car. We were honestly terrified and once we got to the airport we were happy to get on a plane and leave Bangkok behind. Thank goodness for the serenity of Chiang Mai.
Looking forward to elephants tomorrow.
Our final experience in Bangkok was the taxi ride to the airport. It started with us having to haggle with the driver. This was followed by the driver trying to change the price while en route. When he hit the freeway he drove LIKE A MANIAC, tail-gating everyone while weaving in and out of traffic at very high speeds. At one point we were doing almost 140 km/hour in a 80 km/hour zone before Erika told him to slow down (Tony was ready to threaten physical violence at this point). Of course, there were no seat belts in the car. We were honestly terrified and once we got to the airport we were happy to get on a plane and leave Bangkok behind. Thank goodness for the serenity of Chiang Mai.
Looking forward to elephants tomorrow.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Temples, tuk-tuks and tasty temptations in Bangkok
For more pictures follow the below link: http://picasaweb.google.com/tonycesare/BangkokThailand?authkey=Gv1sRgCO2UlPa6yL2wDw&feat=directlink
Where do we start with Thailand? We have only been here a few days and already it is obvious that this is a beautiful, diverse and complex country. Right now we are in Bangkok, the capital and largest city. This is a vibrant and frenetic city of almost 10 million people, dotted by monuments, temples, and over 700 high rises and it is criss-crossed by freeways, sky-trains and canals. We have done our best to keep our bearings and see some sights without being overwhelmed by this fascinating city.
There are some easy conclusions to be made based on just a few days here. For example-- the temples in Bangkok are beautiful and intricate buildings on par with the cathedrals of Europe; the food is de-lic-ious; and the majority of Thais are friendly people with easy and warm smiles – who very well may be trying to take advantage of our tourist naivety.
95% of Thais are Buddhist and have been for over a millennium. The visual testament to this are the numerous temples spread across Bangkok. They are brightly-colored and intricately-decorated. Combined with the ever-present smells from food stalls (and sometimes trash in the streets), it is a total sensory overload. We ventured into two of the best known Wat (meaning ‘temple’ in Thai) in Bangkok; Wat Phra Kaew and Wat Pho. Wat Phra Kaew is the Kings private temple (Thailand is a Constitutional Monarcy, the current King is the longest serving Monarch in the world) and is famous for housing “The Emerald Buddha”. It is actually Jade, but this does not diminish its beauty. The small Buddha is clothed in different outfits according to the season and is treated with reverence by the local Thais. Wat Phra Kaew is also on the grounds of “The Grand Palace” which is the Royal Residence. On site are a number of additional Buddhist monuments and temples as well as a painted mural depicting Buddhist and Thai stories. A short walk along the river from the Grand Palace is Wat Pho, home to the famous “Reclining Buddha”. At 46 metres (151 ft) long and covered in gold leaf it is an awe inspiring sight; his feet alone are 3 metres (10 ft) long and inlaid with intricate mother-of-pearl carvings. Of course the exterior of the temple was beautifully intricate, as were all the other carvings, buildings and statues on sight. There is honestly too much to take in during a short period and we expect one could live for years in Bangkok without truly appreciating even a small number of temples. One large temple we did not get to go into was Wat Arun or “The temple of the dawn”. This temple has the highest prang (equivalent to a “steeple”) in Bangkok and was for many years the tallest building in town, but we did get to see it from a longboat on the river. Buddhist Monks are also commonly seen and easily visible in their orange robes and shaved heads intermingling with the general population.
Thai food: it is good, it is everywhere, and we have no idea what we can and cannot eat. Given Tony’s bout with food poisoning in the Philippines, Erika’s allergies to seafood and the language barrier, we are hesitant with food stalls. Instead we decided to take food into our own hands, literally, by taking a cooking class. We made four dishes (Rice Crackers with Topping; Pomelo Salad; Massaman Curry with Chicken; Stir-fried chicken with basil) and all were delicious. The course was fun, with 11 likeminded travelers from around the world getting together for a morning over some stoves and woks. The cooks had a good sense of humor and kept us smiling and stir-frying. If you are ever in Bangkok we recommend the Baipai cooking school for an enjoyable experience.
To escape the skyscrapers and concrete of Bangkok we also got out of town for a day on a 40 km bike tour in the countryside outside Bangkok. The area we visited has a large Muslim population and our guide told us that everyone gets along well with temples and Mosques in close proximity, and schools with Muslim children near schools with young Buddhists. The beginning of the ride was a bit treacherous as we had to ride along a 1-meter wide path open on both sides that was elevated about a meter above a canal. Riding a bike on a 1-meter path becomes much more difficult when the platform is elevated high above a dirty canal. Throw in periodic obstacles like trees and people, it was pretty nerve-racking. After one very, very, very close call with Erika and a walker on the path (we thought she was going into the drink) everyone made it out unscathed. After the initial nerves were quelled –when we were off the raised platform -- the ride was easy and we were treated to beautiful countryside, rice patties, local birds, a large water monitor lizard (1.5 meters) and great conversation with our guide. Again, if in Bangkok, “Spiceroads” bike tours is a nice way to spend an enjoyable day outside the city and away from the dreaded “touts”.
Now, a bit about the bad side of Bangkok – all the street hawkers are trying to take advantage of the travelers. We’re not used to having to haggle for everything and we felt quite naïve, as shown by our inability to speak the language and our propensity to look at maps in public places. We have now learned the hard way… no one is really trying to help. Do not trust a cheap Tuk-Tuk (a small scooter like taxi) driver to sell you a ride to “see the sights” – they will only take you to overpriced shops selling crap you don’t want. They will also lie through their teeth to get you into the Tuk-Tuk and will follow and pester you until you acquiesce. Do not trust the guy helping to arrange a long-boat ride on the river --the 1.5 hour ride at a “cheap price” is neither cheap nor 1.5 hours (but enjoyable none the less). Always force the taxi drivers to start the meter and always ask hotel staff for expected prices. Always arrange transport to and from the airport –a 200 Bhat (~ 25 Bhat per Aussie dollar) taxi for locals was 450 Bhat for us. This was cheap compared to the 1500 Bhat originally proffered by numerous drivers telling us it was a “cheap price”. Fear not… we are getting better at haggling and we are a bit more savvy with the locals. We are learning.
Finally, no discussion of Bangkok would be complete without a mention of the sleazy side. “Soi Cowboy” one of the more notorious Red Light districts is between our hotel and the closest subway station. We have walked through it at night a few times. The bright neon lights, and awkward interactions between young Thai girls and creepy white guys is almost amusing, though you always feel like a shower is in order after getting back to the hotel; but maybe that is also the heat, humidity and general grime of this crazy city.
Tomorrow we fly north to Chaing Mai. Elephants anyone?
There are some easy conclusions to be made based on just a few days here. For example-- the temples in Bangkok are beautiful and intricate buildings on par with the cathedrals of Europe; the food is de-lic-ious; and the majority of Thais are friendly people with easy and warm smiles – who very well may be trying to take advantage of our tourist naivety.
95% of Thais are Buddhist and have been for over a millennium. The visual testament to this are the numerous temples spread across Bangkok. They are brightly-colored and intricately-decorated. Combined with the ever-present smells from food stalls (and sometimes trash in the streets), it is a total sensory overload. We ventured into two of the best known Wat (meaning ‘temple’ in Thai) in Bangkok; Wat Phra Kaew and Wat Pho. Wat Phra Kaew is the Kings private temple (Thailand is a Constitutional Monarcy, the current King is the longest serving Monarch in the world) and is famous for housing “The Emerald Buddha”. It is actually Jade, but this does not diminish its beauty. The small Buddha is clothed in different outfits according to the season and is treated with reverence by the local Thais. Wat Phra Kaew is also on the grounds of “The Grand Palace” which is the Royal Residence. On site are a number of additional Buddhist monuments and temples as well as a painted mural depicting Buddhist and Thai stories. A short walk along the river from the Grand Palace is Wat Pho, home to the famous “Reclining Buddha”. At 46 metres (151 ft) long and covered in gold leaf it is an awe inspiring sight; his feet alone are 3 metres (10 ft) long and inlaid with intricate mother-of-pearl carvings. Of course the exterior of the temple was beautifully intricate, as were all the other carvings, buildings and statues on sight. There is honestly too much to take in during a short period and we expect one could live for years in Bangkok without truly appreciating even a small number of temples. One large temple we did not get to go into was Wat Arun or “The temple of the dawn”. This temple has the highest prang (equivalent to a “steeple”) in Bangkok and was for many years the tallest building in town, but we did get to see it from a longboat on the river. Buddhist Monks are also commonly seen and easily visible in their orange robes and shaved heads intermingling with the general population.
Thai food: it is good, it is everywhere, and we have no idea what we can and cannot eat. Given Tony’s bout with food poisoning in the Philippines, Erika’s allergies to seafood and the language barrier, we are hesitant with food stalls. Instead we decided to take food into our own hands, literally, by taking a cooking class. We made four dishes (Rice Crackers with Topping; Pomelo Salad; Massaman Curry with Chicken; Stir-fried chicken with basil) and all were delicious. The course was fun, with 11 likeminded travelers from around the world getting together for a morning over some stoves and woks. The cooks had a good sense of humor and kept us smiling and stir-frying. If you are ever in Bangkok we recommend the Baipai cooking school for an enjoyable experience.
To escape the skyscrapers and concrete of Bangkok we also got out of town for a day on a 40 km bike tour in the countryside outside Bangkok. The area we visited has a large Muslim population and our guide told us that everyone gets along well with temples and Mosques in close proximity, and schools with Muslim children near schools with young Buddhists. The beginning of the ride was a bit treacherous as we had to ride along a 1-meter wide path open on both sides that was elevated about a meter above a canal. Riding a bike on a 1-meter path becomes much more difficult when the platform is elevated high above a dirty canal. Throw in periodic obstacles like trees and people, it was pretty nerve-racking. After one very, very, very close call with Erika and a walker on the path (we thought she was going into the drink) everyone made it out unscathed. After the initial nerves were quelled –when we were off the raised platform -- the ride was easy and we were treated to beautiful countryside, rice patties, local birds, a large water monitor lizard (1.5 meters) and great conversation with our guide. Again, if in Bangkok, “Spiceroads” bike tours is a nice way to spend an enjoyable day outside the city and away from the dreaded “touts”.
Now, a bit about the bad side of Bangkok – all the street hawkers are trying to take advantage of the travelers. We’re not used to having to haggle for everything and we felt quite naïve, as shown by our inability to speak the language and our propensity to look at maps in public places. We have now learned the hard way… no one is really trying to help. Do not trust a cheap Tuk-Tuk (a small scooter like taxi) driver to sell you a ride to “see the sights” – they will only take you to overpriced shops selling crap you don’t want. They will also lie through their teeth to get you into the Tuk-Tuk and will follow and pester you until you acquiesce. Do not trust the guy helping to arrange a long-boat ride on the river --the 1.5 hour ride at a “cheap price” is neither cheap nor 1.5 hours (but enjoyable none the less). Always force the taxi drivers to start the meter and always ask hotel staff for expected prices. Always arrange transport to and from the airport –a 200 Bhat (~ 25 Bhat per Aussie dollar) taxi for locals was 450 Bhat for us. This was cheap compared to the 1500 Bhat originally proffered by numerous drivers telling us it was a “cheap price”. Fear not… we are getting better at haggling and we are a bit more savvy with the locals. We are learning.
Finally, no discussion of Bangkok would be complete without a mention of the sleazy side. “Soi Cowboy” one of the more notorious Red Light districts is between our hotel and the closest subway station. We have walked through it at night a few times. The bright neon lights, and awkward interactions between young Thai girls and creepy white guys is almost amusing, though you always feel like a shower is in order after getting back to the hotel; but maybe that is also the heat, humidity and general grime of this crazy city.
Tomorrow we fly north to Chaing Mai. Elephants anyone?
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Cebu, Manila (again) and enteric prokaryotic organisms
For more pictures follow the below link: http://picasaweb.google.com/tonycesare/CebuManilaAndTagaytay?authkey=Gv1sRgCKHIltOUo9X7Gg&feat=directlink
It has been a while since our last post. During this time we spent a few days in Cebu, Manila (again) and are now in Bangkok, Thailand. Erika’s mom and her friend Judy have boarded the long flight back and should be nearing Carolina.
Cebu is the capital city on Cebu Island, which is located centrally in the archipelago. This historically important city is where Magellan landed in late March 1521 establishing European contact with, and Catholicism in, the Philippines (Arab traders had been coming to the region for some time). Magellan befriended Rajah Humabon, the chieftain of Cebu, convinced him to join allegiance with Spain and began baptisms of the local tribesmen. Unfortunately for Magellan, Cebu was all he got to see. On April 27, 1521, Magellan attacked Rajah Lapu-Lapu, a rival of Humabon. The Spaniards were summarily routed, Magellan met his fate, and his body was never recovered.
Today, Cebu is the center of tourism in the Philippines. Unlike Manila, Cebu city is enjoyable to visit with numerous things to see; coral reefs and beaches for water sports, mountainous terrain and forest, and many historical sites. It also has a 5-star hotel, where we stayedJ. Unfortunately, in Cebu Tony got to experience one of the constants of Asian travel: food poisoning. We will spare the gory details but can say he was physically unable to do much in Cebu. While this dampened the enjoyment of Cebu for everyone else, at least we were in a really, really nice hotel and we were able to take advantage of all of the hotel amenities.
Tony was feeling well enough to return to Manila and climb up a live volcano! In blazing hot sun, Erika, Tony and Judith climbed to the top of Taal Volcano, and the view at the top was worth the effort. The volcano is an hour outside Manila in Tagatay. We took a small boat across a beautiful large crater lake with a small mountain protruding from the water. Climbing to the top of that mountain revealed a smaller second crater with sulfuric water, steaming vents and all the hall marks of a volcano. It was a very hot walk uphill, but we opted to NOT use the small overworked/underfed-looking horses that were available from the locals and instead enjoyed a little leg work. On the way back into Manila we stopped along the side of the road to sample some of the area’s delicious homegrown fruit we bought from local vendors –the sweetest pineapples, mangoes, bananas and lanzones that you could imagine!
Tony’s health turned again, but this time he opted for chemical warfare, and is now making a full recovery with the help of some strong antibiotics.
Our final two days Manila… well, nothing changed in the time we were away. It was still pretty polluted, it was still full of gigantic malls and the traffic was still a nightmare. We recommend upon arrival in Manila, immediately board the next plane out to one of the many beautiful places in the Philippines.
Final thoughts on the Philippines
· BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU EAT!
· Tourism in the Philippines is almost exclusively for the locals. Without Erika’s mom, it would have been a little more difficult to get around (and get any decent deals). If you are not going with a Filipina it would be wise to prepare very well.
· Boracay is touristy but beautiful. In low season, it’s a small paradise.
· Palawan is rugged and beautiful. The Philippines will be wise to protect the natural beauty there and foster its growth into a world-renowned ecotourism destination.
· We will have to go back to Cebu one day and dive or snorkel around its many beautiful reefs!
· Manila (mom always said if you can’t say anything nice…) could use a facelift
· It was a good introduction to SE Asian travel. We were broken in by travelling with a local, we had our first battle with illness, we learned how to bargain a little bit, Tony got to meet the other side of Erika’s family and we enjoyed some the beauty that The Philippines had to offer.
We are now in Thailand and are already tackling its biggest city. Next post from Bangkok.
Cebu is the capital city on Cebu Island, which is located centrally in the archipelago. This historically important city is where Magellan landed in late March 1521 establishing European contact with, and Catholicism in, the Philippines (Arab traders had been coming to the region for some time). Magellan befriended Rajah Humabon, the chieftain of Cebu, convinced him to join allegiance with Spain and began baptisms of the local tribesmen. Unfortunately for Magellan, Cebu was all he got to see. On April 27, 1521, Magellan attacked Rajah Lapu-Lapu, a rival of Humabon. The Spaniards were summarily routed, Magellan met his fate, and his body was never recovered.
Today, Cebu is the center of tourism in the Philippines. Unlike Manila, Cebu city is enjoyable to visit with numerous things to see; coral reefs and beaches for water sports, mountainous terrain and forest, and many historical sites. It also has a 5-star hotel, where we stayedJ. Unfortunately, in Cebu Tony got to experience one of the constants of Asian travel: food poisoning. We will spare the gory details but can say he was physically unable to do much in Cebu. While this dampened the enjoyment of Cebu for everyone else, at least we were in a really, really nice hotel and we were able to take advantage of all of the hotel amenities.
Tony was feeling well enough to return to Manila and climb up a live volcano! In blazing hot sun, Erika, Tony and Judith climbed to the top of Taal Volcano, and the view at the top was worth the effort. The volcano is an hour outside Manila in Tagatay. We took a small boat across a beautiful large crater lake with a small mountain protruding from the water. Climbing to the top of that mountain revealed a smaller second crater with sulfuric water, steaming vents and all the hall marks of a volcano. It was a very hot walk uphill, but we opted to NOT use the small overworked/underfed-looking horses that were available from the locals and instead enjoyed a little leg work. On the way back into Manila we stopped along the side of the road to sample some of the area’s delicious homegrown fruit we bought from local vendors –the sweetest pineapples, mangoes, bananas and lanzones that you could imagine!
Tony’s health turned again, but this time he opted for chemical warfare, and is now making a full recovery with the help of some strong antibiotics.
Our final two days Manila… well, nothing changed in the time we were away. It was still pretty polluted, it was still full of gigantic malls and the traffic was still a nightmare. We recommend upon arrival in Manila, immediately board the next plane out to one of the many beautiful places in the Philippines.
Final thoughts on the Philippines
· BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU EAT!
· Tourism in the Philippines is almost exclusively for the locals. Without Erika’s mom, it would have been a little more difficult to get around (and get any decent deals). If you are not going with a Filipina it would be wise to prepare very well.
· Boracay is touristy but beautiful. In low season, it’s a small paradise.
· Palawan is rugged and beautiful. The Philippines will be wise to protect the natural beauty there and foster its growth into a world-renowned ecotourism destination.
· We will have to go back to Cebu one day and dive or snorkel around its many beautiful reefs!
· Manila (mom always said if you can’t say anything nice…) could use a facelift
· It was a good introduction to SE Asian travel. We were broken in by travelling with a local, we had our first battle with illness, we learned how to bargain a little bit, Tony got to meet the other side of Erika’s family and we enjoyed some the beauty that The Philippines had to offer.
We are now in Thailand and are already tackling its biggest city. Next post from Bangkok.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Palawan: Mar, Monkeys and more!
For more pictures follow the link: http://picasaweb.google.com/tonycesare/PalawanPhilippines?authkey=Gv1sRgCMDt-t3A3K2cKw&feat=directlink
Palawan is one of the large islands on the western side of the Philippines; it is billed as “the last ecological frontier in the Philippines” and we could see why. The flight in was beautiful. On approach the plane was cruising by jungle covered mountains and coral reefs fringing islands. Upon landing we were treated to what Tony thought was a more authentic Filipino experience than Manila or Boracay. The airport was tiny and HOT! The baggage claim was nothing more than area full of people trying to pull their luggage off of a small truck. As we left baggage claim local merchants were trying to sell us their goods –including large machetes!
Immediately we thought we should do a bit of exploring. Luckily we soon met Mar-- short for “Mario.” Mar is a tricycle driver in Palawan and he probably makes about 1000 pesos per week (which is about $20USD). He picked us up from our hotel and drove us to the shopping center, on to lunch and back to the hotel. Along the way he convinced us to take a city tour with him that included the crocodile farm, the butterfly park, a look out on a hill overlooking the city, and Bakers Hill (a complex with a bakery, gardens and lots of funny statues). His tricycle was a bit rickety and had some trouble putting up the hills with 3 side-saddle passengers –especially in the POURING rain -- but he was always good natured and super friendly. He spent from 11 am to 6 pm showing us around, waiting for us while we ate or checked out the sites and telling us interesting facts about the area. At the end of the day, we paid him 1000 pesos for taking us out for a cool day around the small city.
On our second day we took a boat to ANOTHER small island paradise called Dos Palmas. Dos Palmas is a resort of Palawan and had everything you would expect on an island paradise. J White sand beaches –check. Palm trees lining every coast –check. Fruity drinks –check. Beautiful coral and fish to see while snorkeling –check. We had a fabulous, relaxing day playing in the water and getting some sun, followed by dinner in Puerto Princessa that night. FYI: Dos Palmas was the island where the “Dos Palmas Kidnappings” occurred in 2001, but there was no evidence of any problems when we were there.
The final day we took a ride to the Underground River on the South China Sea side of the island. We crossed the mountains in a van ride that seemed harrowing at times. Lines, lanes, signs, and all traffic laws are merely a suggestion in the Philippines and cruising through the mountains on bad roads makes your heart beat a bit quicker sometimes. We saw lots of Jeepneys with people sitting on top and hanging off the back while the bus careens through the mountains. Water buffalos tilling fields and beautiful mountain scenery. At the underground river we were treated to a boat ride through the longest navigatable underground river in the world. But, we also saw… MONKEYS! Real live Macaques in the wild --something Tony was really looking forward to –and they surely didn’t disappoint! Playful and energetic; cunning and scheming; jumping all over and even stealing some tourists’ food. They were like little cheeky little kids!
After another harrowing ride home we wanted to go to dinner – and who happened to pass by to pick us up? MAR! He took us around to the restaurant, the bay front and was kind enough to pose for some pictures. It was a good way to end the time there.
Next up: Cebu.
Immediately we thought we should do a bit of exploring. Luckily we soon met Mar-- short for “Mario.” Mar is a tricycle driver in Palawan and he probably makes about 1000 pesos per week (which is about $20USD). He picked us up from our hotel and drove us to the shopping center, on to lunch and back to the hotel. Along the way he convinced us to take a city tour with him that included the crocodile farm, the butterfly park, a look out on a hill overlooking the city, and Bakers Hill (a complex with a bakery, gardens and lots of funny statues). His tricycle was a bit rickety and had some trouble putting up the hills with 3 side-saddle passengers –especially in the POURING rain -- but he was always good natured and super friendly. He spent from 11 am to 6 pm showing us around, waiting for us while we ate or checked out the sites and telling us interesting facts about the area. At the end of the day, we paid him 1000 pesos for taking us out for a cool day around the small city.
On our second day we took a boat to ANOTHER small island paradise called Dos Palmas. Dos Palmas is a resort of Palawan and had everything you would expect on an island paradise. J White sand beaches –check. Palm trees lining every coast –check. Fruity drinks –check. Beautiful coral and fish to see while snorkeling –check. We had a fabulous, relaxing day playing in the water and getting some sun, followed by dinner in Puerto Princessa that night. FYI: Dos Palmas was the island where the “Dos Palmas Kidnappings” occurred in 2001, but there was no evidence of any problems when we were there.
The final day we took a ride to the Underground River on the South China Sea side of the island. We crossed the mountains in a van ride that seemed harrowing at times. Lines, lanes, signs, and all traffic laws are merely a suggestion in the Philippines and cruising through the mountains on bad roads makes your heart beat a bit quicker sometimes. We saw lots of Jeepneys with people sitting on top and hanging off the back while the bus careens through the mountains. Water buffalos tilling fields and beautiful mountain scenery. At the underground river we were treated to a boat ride through the longest navigatable underground river in the world. But, we also saw… MONKEYS! Real live Macaques in the wild --something Tony was really looking forward to –and they surely didn’t disappoint! Playful and energetic; cunning and scheming; jumping all over and even stealing some tourists’ food. They were like little cheeky little kids!
After another harrowing ride home we wanted to go to dinner – and who happened to pass by to pick us up? MAR! He took us around to the restaurant, the bay front and was kind enough to pose for some pictures. It was a good way to end the time there.
Next up: Cebu.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Hot, crowded and full of malls: Manila…. BUT Boracay was an island paradise!
For pictures follow the below link
We made it to Manila on Monday (May 4) where we met Erika’s mom (Emma) and friend (Judy). This is Erika’s 6th trip to the Philippines in the past 8 years, but it was Tony’s first foray into SE Asia. To be honest, Manila was a disappointment. It is a huge city (between 11 and 20 million in the metropolitan area depending on where you draw the boundaries) and is not aesthetically very nice. The sky is always grey with a haze of pollution and the heat and humidity can be oppressive. To combat this, people in Manila spend a lot of time in shopping malls; as did we. When in Rome…
It would be unfair to say Manila does not have interesting things to see: bright and audaciously decorated Jeepneys (Small buses); numerous motorized tricycles (a motorcycle with a large side-car for transporting up to 4 people, or about 9 if you are local); people everywhere, many of whom are selling goods in stalls on the street or car to car at stop lights; chickens, stray dogs and cats; and guns – lots and lots of guns. There is security everywhere and they are all packing. The security checkpoint on the way into the apartment complex where we were staying included around 10 side arms, and a 12-gauge shotgun. This is not to say there are not creature comforts in Manila. They have ESPN. It is the channel between FOX sports and the Cock-fighting channel. That is not a joke; there is a cock-fighting channel in the Philippines in case you feel like watching animals fight to the death on live TV.
Luckily we only spent one day in Manila before moving on to the small island paradise of Boracay. We took a one hour flight to Kalibo then a great van ride for 60 km to catch our boat to Boracay. The van ride felt like SE Asia as we passed men tilling fields with Water Buffalo, green mountain sides and palm trees and cars swerving all over the road (road lines and markings are simply a suggestion in the Philippines).
It would be unfair to say Manila does not have interesting things to see: bright and audaciously decorated Jeepneys (Small buses); numerous motorized tricycles (a motorcycle with a large side-car for transporting up to 4 people, or about 9 if you are local); people everywhere, many of whom are selling goods in stalls on the street or car to car at stop lights; chickens, stray dogs and cats; and guns – lots and lots of guns. There is security everywhere and they are all packing. The security checkpoint on the way into the apartment complex where we were staying included around 10 side arms, and a 12-gauge shotgun. This is not to say there are not creature comforts in Manila. They have ESPN. It is the channel between FOX sports and the Cock-fighting channel. That is not a joke; there is a cock-fighting channel in the Philippines in case you feel like watching animals fight to the death on live TV.
Luckily we only spent one day in Manila before moving on to the small island paradise of Boracay. We took a one hour flight to Kalibo then a great van ride for 60 km to catch our boat to Boracay. The van ride felt like SE Asia as we passed men tilling fields with Water Buffalo, green mountain sides and palm trees and cars swerving all over the road (road lines and markings are simply a suggestion in the Philippines).
Boracay itself is a popular holiday destination for upper middle class Filipinos and straight out of a Corona beer commercial. The beaches have white sand; the water is a beautiful aqua blue and so clear that you can see right to the bottom; the palm trees are abundant as well as the fruity drinks; and everything is cheap –relative to any western prices. We went island hopping and snorkeling, walked a lot along the fine white sand beaches, haggled with the locals for jewelry and beachwear and did a lot of chillin’. It was a great escape from the cities and very relaxing. Just what was needed for Tony after a long trip to New York and back.
Some other interesting things we saw:
The transvestite fire dancing show at the beachside bar in Boracay. Amazing fire-dancing combined with the transgender performers, driving techno beats, and a late-night venue made us feel like we were in an art house movie.
A Typoon. We had been there two days when the rain and wind started. It was actually quite beautiful to watch and while it caused some serious damage up north we were relatively unaffected.
“Donations, sir, ma’am, donations!” Without a doubt the most adorable part of Boracay were the children who made the lanterns. Each night local children would make lanterns in the sand and ask passersby for “donations”. We would give them a few pesos and ask for a picture, which they would oblige. They were all cute with big smiles and clearly knew how to get a peso or two from the visiting Americans. The same kids seemed to be in the water all day and would swim up to our outrigger canoes as we were parked while island hopping, then jump off the outriggers and have us take their pictures.
Unfortunately we had to leave Boracay and go back to Manila. But… this was only for one day and now we are in Palawan. More about this beautiful island in the next blog...
Some other interesting things we saw:
The transvestite fire dancing show at the beachside bar in Boracay. Amazing fire-dancing combined with the transgender performers, driving techno beats, and a late-night venue made us feel like we were in an art house movie.
A Typoon. We had been there two days when the rain and wind started. It was actually quite beautiful to watch and while it caused some serious damage up north we were relatively unaffected.
“Donations, sir, ma’am, donations!” Without a doubt the most adorable part of Boracay were the children who made the lanterns. Each night local children would make lanterns in the sand and ask passersby for “donations”. We would give them a few pesos and ask for a picture, which they would oblige. They were all cute with big smiles and clearly knew how to get a peso or two from the visiting Americans. The same kids seemed to be in the water all day and would swim up to our outrigger canoes as we were parked while island hopping, then jump off the outriggers and have us take their pictures.
Unfortunately we had to leave Boracay and go back to Manila. But… this was only for one day and now we are in Palawan. More about this beautiful island in the next blog...
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
We’re back…
and coming to you live from Boracay in the Philippines.It has only been nine days since our last post but a lot of travelling has happened since then. Erika spent a few day in Perth, then traveled to Hong Kong with a day in Singapore. Tony flew a total of 40 hours from Perth to New York and then Hong Kong to catch up with Erika. After we both spent a day in Hong Kong together, we flew to Manila in The Philippines and then on to Boracay. That is 9 flights and 2.5 days in the air between the two of us!
Tony’s trip to New York fulfilled the required scientific schmoozing and it was fun to hang out with our good buddy Matt in Brooklyn. The coolest (no pun intended) part of the trip was “polar route 1”. Cathay Pacific New York to Hong Kong avoids the pacific jet stream by flying over the top of the planet. The views were AWESOME! Huge ice flows in the Hudson Bay; snow covered far north Canada; the pristine and blinding white polar ice cap; Siberia with many frozen rivers and lakes; the endless stretches of the Gobi desert in China; and finally landing in beautiful Hong Kong. Seeing the Polar ice cap was a moving experience.
Erika spent her time walking around Perth, Singapore and Hong Kong while battling a cold. Fear not – she was not the one confirmed case of the swine flu in Hong Kong. That was in the hotel next to hers where all 300 guests are still quarantined.
Hong Kong was a very cool city. It is large and densely populated situated on several islands that surround a harbor. The feats of engineering in Hong Kong would impress the Colorado Cesare men; massive bridges and tightly packed sky-scrapers built right on the mountain sides. Hong Kong was a city of contrasts; gleaming steel and glass buildings next to dilapidated tenements, western restaurants and stores next to Asian markets and food stalls. Tony wished he could have spent more than a day there, and Erika wished she wasn’t down with a cold. We are looking forward to coming back under better circumstances J
We have now made it to The Philippine archipelago and are travelling with Erika’s mother (Emma) and her friend Judith. The four of us are having a great time and we will update on The Philippines on our next post.
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