Climbing volcanoes and legs on fire

My dear Canadian friend Janice, whom I met at Walai House had been going on and on about this Thai cellulite busting cream containing chilli peppers that worked wonders. The only drawback, she said, was waking up in the middle of the night to take a cold shower because her legs felt like they were on fire. "But it's working!" her Italian roomate confirmed one day, so thinking they were exaggerating a bit, I indicated I'd be interested in trying it out....particularly as I was heaidng for the beaches of the Philippines where the locals have never seen cellulite before (honestly, with all the fried chicken, pork and rice they eat here, I do wonder what it is that makes their skin so good!). So lovely Janice actually bought me a bottle as a farewell gift before heading off. Not wanting to waste any time, I lathered it on generously the morning of my departure flight to Kuala Lumpur. By the time I had walked down the stairs to the lobby I was dripping in sweat and wondering why on earth I felt so hot. I initially thought it was the hot summer months of Thailand getting to me and thought no more of it. But then after a while, I began to feel the fire through my legs and realised it was the cream. Oh well, I figured, since my legs and feet are always cold, particularly on flights, this would keep me warm...and keep the blood circulation going thus avoiding any of those flight maladies so common these days. (Any excuse'll do!). I actually got COLD on the flight, as usual. The cream "activates" with movement. I ended up on a bus into town, without a seat, and making myself room on the aisle floor of the last row, which is slightly raised and is, lucky me, above the motor. It took me a while to figure out that my profuse sweating on this air-conditioned bus was due more to the cream than to the motor.

My friend Gai stared at me in disbelief wondering how on earth my friend's testimonial had actually convinced me to try this in the first place. Despite the admonition, I secretly continued wearing it... at night... figuring my lack of movement in bed would keep the sweating and heat at bay. One morning, we all woke up early to climb the still active Taal volcano in Tagaytay. We were offered face masks before ascending because apparently the path was dusty and filled with horses taking people up. I bought one at the last minute as we were ready to climb like young trekkers that we are. I also wore my cap....you know, the say you must cover your head to prevent heat stroke, but what about the fact that hats keep your body heat in? It was noon. Once again I had managed to do vigorous exercise at the sun's prime time in the tropics. (China's Tiger Leaping Gorge trek revisited!). I began to sweat buckets...and I mean BUCKETS! Was it the time of day? the cap? the face mask? the socks and trekking shoes? the dust and the horses? I felt HEAT like never before. Indeed 2/3 of the way up I had to stop and got so dizzy I got sick. Being asked by my friends (who probably thought I was just unfit as anything) if I was tired, I honestly replied I was not....but confirmed I felt "very very hot". Of course, it took me a while to realise my mistake. That bloody cream! I had put it on the night before of course, not forecasting that it's 24 hour effects and activation wth movement would come and "bite me in the ass" the following day whilst climbing a volcano, of all things!! I sometimes wonder where my neurons have gone. Of course, my ego prevented me from taking a horse for the last 700 metres of uphill trek. By the time I got to the summit, all I could think about was sitting down and pouring water on myself. I hardly got a glimpse of the volcano's crater and certainly took no pictures.

aaahhh.... paradise

My Brother once told me that the beaches in the Philippines were the most beautiful on earth. I guess he must've learned about that through books and documentaries because he has never been. I think I'll charge myself with the task of bringing the entire family here some day because he was right on the money.

I came to the Philippines, referred in my guide books as "Asia's off the beaten track destination", after befriending three girls (Gai, Sue and Deb). They were travelling through Thailand last Novemeber and we met at the famous Walai House in Chiang Mai. They all live in the Philippines, although only Gai is actually from there. Deb rents a house on the beach and is planning to open a rejuvenation centre, while Gai and Sue both own resorts. They've all found their spot on the paradise and unspoilt island of Siargao, in the far southeast of the Philippines and overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Long promoted as a surfing spot thanks to it's "Cloud 9" reef, it is in fact far more than that; a remote and traditional island, overflowing with mangroves, pineapple and mango plantations, roaming carabau beef and a relaxed and laid back agricultural lifestyle. The towns are small and unpaved; the local roads are in fact the white sand from the beach. Life revolves around the fishing community who head out at sunrise to catch anything from lapu-lapu or milkfish to some of the tastiest mud-crab I've had in my life. It's funny...fish and shelfish is such a common everyday meal here that the real proof of wealth and status during fiesats and celebrations is being able to sacrifice, roast and serve your guests a spit-fire roasted suckling pig called "lechon" or a good old slice of carabau beef. After visiting the famed (and rather commercial and overcrowded) island of Boracay, I can say that having a palm lined, powder white sand beach all to yourself is a luxury beyond belief that invites to early morning sunrise contemplation and yoga facing the ocean. I could live here.

Wrecks and whale sharks

Thanks to our friend Parvin who brought his new underwater camera equipment, we were able to get snapshots of what we saw underwater last week! The first shots are of my friends and I diving a wreck in Puerto Galera. Then, of course, of one of the 5 whale sharks we swam with in Donsol. The experience was out of this world!

Intramuros - Manila , Pilipinas

Here are some images of my day tour of what is left of the old fortified enclave of Intramuros in Manila. At times it felt like I was walking the cobble-stone streets back home. Many of the names on the Jeepneys are still in Spanish and as you can see from one of the images, it is so hot some people have to resort to dropping buckets of cold water on themselves mid-stret!

Kuala Lumpur

On my way to the Philippines, I spent one afternoon and night in Kuala Lumpur. here are some pics of the Petronas Towers that I took at sunset that evening! Very impressive!

Ladies who lunch

I think I am becoming one of those ladies who lunch....at least in the Manila scene! I remember when I used to encounter people shopping or lunching or playing tennis mid-day/mid-week and wondered how they did it. I guess I have found a way to do the same myself...and it is fun! I woke up this morning with a midnight club invitation and not much else planned to kill time in between. Letting the day unravel before me is one of the most fun events these days. In the end, I got swept off my lounging post breakfast mode to "do lunch" at a nearby Pinoy (Pilipino) restaurant owned by friend of a friend. The food was VERY GOOD. Hospitality here is superb. I really feel like I am welcome in their circle. Tomorrow there's another party being thrown to "launch me" into their society of other friends! I feel like I am coming out for my sweet 16! I really don't know what garment I will find in my 6-month-and-still-going-strong backpacker sack that will honour such an event.

Well, this is all fairly recent...in fact a matter of 24 hours because I have spent the past week touring the near Manila locations with my friend Gai. Our whirlwind introduction to Pilipinas started with a culinary tour of the nearby province of Quezon, where we began with a wonderful breakfast in a rural hacienda perched over a creek, owned and decorated by a local artist. Pinoy breakfast: local "longanissa" (sausage), fried rice with fried eggs sunny side up, carabou beef steak, a local salad, grilled fish, another beef cut, more rice, more eggs, an omelette with pork, more rice, more eggs, more meat....phew! My latest thirst quenching discovery: fresh calamanci juice - a local version of fresh lemonade made with a minute but very sweet green lemon local to the islands. We then went on to another artist's studio and home to see his works and watch him make a tantalising appetiser for us: Banana flower caviar with the essence of barbecued coconut. FABULOUS! Lunch was over floating bamboo cottages, and included the staple pork chops, "Jardinera" which is a delicious quiche-like tart made of eggs and pork. BBQ Tilapa fish and local steamed rice. Local sweet desserts were left for later but as we were running late, we did not have time to try them all. All throughout, we visited traditional Spanish colonial churches and mansions, heard stories of beautiful women having to hide out in the basement during the Japanese occupation, and were even serenaded by a local playing Spanish guitar.

The history of the Philippines is quite something. My friend Gai graciously offered me the gift of a local book (The History of the Burgis) with an abridged history of the Philippines told through comics, photographs, newspaper articles and narration from the author...a bit like a scrapbook. During this trip, I seem to be developing an interest in history that I never thought I had. I suppose it is unique to be in an Asian country with so much latin influence....and American, and Malay and Chinese. It is hard to see the rich and the poor so starkly while walking in the old fortified and once grandiose Spanish enclave in Manila. It is hard sometimes to understand how Spain, and the US, and Japan and so many other nations managed to screw other countries as badly as they did. It is sad and sometimes even embarrassing, because as much as the nation is now independent and has it's own self governing problems, I cannot help but think that today's politics and the nation's psyche is in direct effect to the hundreds of years of having been taken advantage of, colonised, occupied and what not. Nonetheless, it is my first visit to a country previously colonised by Spain and now fully independent, and that of course has it's shocks to the system. I can honestly say though, that this is what makes tavelling such a fulfilling and enriching experience for me. The world is a complex and baffling place at the best fo times. However, the beauty of the people one encounters along the way also reminds me of the resilience of the human spirit in the face of hardship, past or present, and that always brings hope and joy to my heart.

Songkran

Chiang Mai's Thai New Year street water fest has inveitably become my benchmark for daytime fun in the sun! (and a welcome respite from the heat!) My friend Janice spotted the sunscreen pack that came with a free waterproof disposable camera at the local drugstore. So away we went, 14 of us on the back of the Walai House pickup truck to parade around the streets of Chiang Mai's old city and drench anyone in sight with a bucket-load of iced water.... or a good old gun squirt! It was, after all, time to get back at all those people who had drenched us at every street corner while we went about our daily motorbike rides along the city during the previous 2 days. The event lasted for days...we personally had enough of the pickup after 4 hours and many stops to pick up water from the moat (which was very dirty, but everyone seemed to be either bathing in or using it for their own waterguns!). I was surprised to emerge from the event without eye, ear or skin infections of any sort. Phew! If not, look at the water from the moat in the attached pictures!

In the afternoons of subsequent days, we took to the foam and water parties taking place 10 minutes from Walai House. I am happy to report that the San Miguel foam party stand was one of the busiest and in my opinion the one with the best jamming music and the funnest crowd! In our drenched and rather see-through clothing, I went from being hosed down by the water hose man every 5 minutes, to lathering myself and those around me in foam. I even had to resort to peeing in my pants in the middle of the street! A feeling I had not experienced siince childhood, and that felt rather fun...of course, with my black pants, and water everywhere in sight, massive crowds and shops shut (thus preventing a fast exit to a nearby toilet or bush) I wouldn't be surprised if half the crowd was peeing in unison at some point! It felt kinda sneaky, embarrassing, and fun at the same time!

Happy Songkran everyone. May this new year bring you all much happiness!