to be or not to be....without A/C

Air conditioning.....my love hate relationship with this modern comfort has just been overthrown! I have just realised why I should "never say never".

I've always disliked aricon...mostly cause it dries my skin and throat; sleeping with my gaping mouth open probably doesn't help and I wake up with a cardboard tongue in my mouth! I have also been known to get terribly sick with a cold everytime I've been exposed to it for long periods of time, so I have generally kept away and banned it during sleep. That, ladies and gentlemen (and oh boy will my family love this), has now changed.

The heat in the Philippines is so extreme that last week I woke up in the middle of the night and finally understood what those people mean, who say "it was so hot last night I couldn't sleep!!" ...I mean "really". One of my favourite things in life is for evenings to be so warm and balmy I can lie naked in bed at night, without covers, and doze off..sweat even. But Filipino heat and humidity is a few notches beyond comfort. My best friend is now a pai-pai like fan; a prennial fixture in my bag. Seemingly strong aircon in taxis as you step in seems to fade within minutes. "Going to the mall to get away from the heat" has acquired new meaning and significance for me. I feel like a menopausal woman with hot flashes. I've begun mixing electrolytes into my water as a matter of course cause the sweating is so extreme. I'm surprised I am not half my size by now....then again, baking banana bread on a near daily basis doesn't help in that department. But my skin looks fab. It's like being in a turkish bath 24-7. The other night, attempting to sleep in the same bed with my friend Deb, neither of us could sleep. It was 2 AM, it was HOT and we were hungry too! I offered Deb a frozen slice of toast (not much else around) She made a joke of putting them on her forehead cause it was so hot, and no joke, they thawed in less than 1 minute!! We ended up making popcorn and watching a movie....and vowing to switch on the aircon the following night, come hell or high water!

...and time just flies

It's been almost a month and despite not having updated the blog, I have kept notes in my little pocket book of things I wanted to delve into. Time is running.... fast and furious. I am nearing the end of my 1st leg of the trip...I'll be flying out to Ibiza for August and then celebrating my 30th birthday on Septemebr 14th. PHEW! Good times await. I know it in my heart. But I'll be back on the travel bug at the end of the Virgo month.... know that much.

In the meantime, the Philippines and it's people (Filipinos and foreigners living here) have taken my heart by storm like never before in my travels. I've already renewed my visa twice!...and this was never a country in my plans!!! That is what I love about travelling freely. I just don't know where life will lead, but I am open to going anywhere and everywhere at this point in my life cause I have found things just get better and better. I have felt so at home and welcomed in this country it is quite surreal. I don't know whether it's the old style names like Bonifacio or Epifanio that remind me of home, or the spit-roast suckling pig at feasts and fiestas....or whether it's the honest genuine welcome I continue to receive from total strangers. It's got me in awe. I've been to more parties here than I have in the past 8 months. I've even acquired a new skill (to be revealed when I get to Ibiza) which has got me super motivated and enthralled. I have met more gay men in this country than ever in my life....proving time and time again that even the most catholic of countries can be tolerant of the beautiful diversity the human race has to offer. It is spectacular.

We did a tour of Manila's Chinatown recently, known as Binondo, and had better fresh made dumplings than when I was in China! It was fascinating to tour this quarter of the city, the heart of commerce and business trading during Spanish colonial times. After all, it was the Chinese population that was employed to build and maintain the streets, homes, transport, cities... and to ensure the Spaniards were clothed, groomed, and wore shoes. I've always admired at how industrious the Chinese are. After a while, the Spanish Colonists realised they couldn't live without the Chinese population...and oh what a surprise, that's when trouble started. They got ousted to a ghetto and made to convert to Catholicism (otherwise they were considered heretics or unfaithful to the Spanish crown). Now, I tour Binondo and marvel at the Chinese influences in the most devote catholic churches, at the catholic and pagan themed amulets, at the chocolate factories run by chinese since the Spanish cocoa trade from Mexico, and well....a million more stories....all enhanced with Spanish names of foods, things and people on street corners. One of my favourite pictures taken is of the Binondo Chinese bridge on an American named street with a Calesa (Spanish horse drawn carriage) running past us.
Ahhhh...you ain't seen nothin' til you get to the Philippines. Pictures to come.

Chocolate Hills

Here is a picture of the famous chocolate hills of Bohol. These are uprisings of limestone rock from volcanic action, that have been carved through into these similarly shaped mounds by years and years of water erosion. They are one of the many fascinating natural wonders of this island. Another is the "tarsier" monkey, which is no bigger than the palm of your hand and has the weirdest stare I've ever seen! Lastly, a picture of "Nuts Huts", the nipa hut guesthouse on the Loboc river where I am staying. The view in this picture is from this morning's climb up the hill.

Lakawon island

These are pictures at sunset from Lakawon island, off the coast of Cadiz city in Negros; Carlo, my host, and I on the beach at sunset.