General Thoughts: Driving in the Philippines

First off, this should not be done by the untrained man or woman (come to think of it, no offense, but I have not seen one woman Jeepney, Pedestrian, Pedicab or Taxi driver since I have been here.  Then again, I don’t see too may woman Taxi Cab drivers in the state either).

Driving in the Philippines, like anywhere in the world, is up to you if you want to risk your life in a taxi/pedicab/jeepney… either way, you are going to have to do it.  If you would rather not, cancel your ticket to the Philippines and go to someplace where it is safer… like anywhere (my parents would disagree, they would say it can’t be worse than India).  Road lines are mere suggestions, they should not be taken seriously.  This was made apparent to me on my initial ride from the airport to my hostel.  It seemed the taxi was using the road lines to center his car, not as a divider.  Also related to road lines, the yellow line in the center of the road, used to divide traffic, should not be taken seriously either, as I am still not sure which side of the road persons in the Philippines are supposed to drive on.  Doors are locked, so peddlers on the street can’t hassle, or even take, passengers in a taxi.  Taxis need to turn on their meter when you get in or they might con you into paying more for your taxi ride than it should be; as I am sure they could get me pretty easily.  A fifteen minute cab ride in the U.S. can cost anywhere between $20 and $40.  In Manila, the cost is anywhere from 150 to 250 pesos ($3.50 to $4.75).

Side note:  My currency conversions are not exact, but more used as a frame of reference (Andy)… so back off all of you accountants (Cale)!

January 22, 2009 (Afternoon)-A Stroke of Luck! (I seem to be getting that a lot)

Well, the visa was a success, thank goodness.  I was not sure how that was going to pan out, but glad that it did.  Anywho, one of the guys from the hostel was meandering around the Robinson Mall (largest mall I have ever seen… 6 stories with a store every 20 feet, simply remarkable) and I just so happen to run into him in passing (by the way, he is probably the only guy I could stand to be around for more than an hour).  We chatted for a brief moment and proceeded to see what the other was up to in the afternoon.  Neither of us had plans (obviously), so we decided to hang out the rest of the afternoon, which was great, because I don’t typically like travelling around a new city by my lonesome.

After I purchased a phone (3,000 pesos or $60), we decided to go to the National Museum of the Philippines.  The cab ride conversation went something like this (note the name of the museum or this won’t be funny):

Me:  Can you take us to the Museum that is close to the immigration office?

Cab:  There is no museum next to immigration, I don’t know what you are talking about, do you have a name?

Me:  Oh, well, the museum is on the way to Immigration Office (the museum is about 1 mile from the Office and is a huge yellow building that says “National Museum” on the top)

Cab:  So you want to go to immigration?

Me:  Well, yeah, there is a museum over there, we will see it.

Cab:  I have not heard of a museum over there.

Me:  (I noticed)

 

Anyways, the Museum was full of tidbits regarding the Philippines culture.  It shed some light on the way Filipinos see the outside world and how they see themselves throughout history.  It seems to be the Filipinos are bitter at the Spanish (but not Americans surprisingly) for their colonization of, what came to be known as, the Philippines, I will have to look up more regarding this at a later time (more on colonization below).  I gathered this based on some of the artwork descriptions and some of the narratives generally posted around the museum.  If I could equate it to a part in American History, I would probably say (you may guess), that it is the equivalent of the English Colonizing “The New World”, even though it wasn’t new… someone was already there… I’m just saying.

Some other items to note regarding the Museum:

·      The museum used to be an old Post Office and is probably the size of Union Station in Kansas City (or even Grand Central in New York).

·      There was a sculpture that was of a Borock (spelling?) which is half man and half horse (check that).  Which I thought was ironic, because our new president is named Barack (oh oh).

·      There was the largest mobile painting I have ever seen by an artist by the name Hidalgo.  It seemed to be a painting of a gladiator match that was finishing (POST LINK).

·      Very religious culture and, I would say, half of the paintings were of religious figures or religious scenes (Jesus and so forth)

·      The modern art room was just as disturbing and ridiculous as American modern art (just my opinion, but really… a bed that someone spray painted with different colors is not artwork… it’s just a waste of perfectly good spray paint, not to mention the sheets).

After the Museum we proceeded to walk to the largest park in Manila (Rizal Park).  It was the Central Park of Manila, less about 2 million people.  The park is a long strip of land that I would say is around a half-mile long and a couple hundred yards across.  Down the middle of the park are man-made ponds that are rectangular.  In each pond (about ten of them, one after another) there were a series of water-jets.  So, in order for you to get a picture of it in your mind, think of it as the Reflection Pool (in Washington D.C. between the Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument) meets the Bellagio water show (famous for the ending scene in the Pitt/Clooney version of Ocean’s Eleven).  Kids had just been let out of school and they were playing in the park.  Various venders were every 200 feet and all sold the same thing (not sure what the thought process is, but it seems that every vender in the Philippines sells the exact same thing, with a few exceptions… I don’t get it, but is it what it is (I hate it when people say that, sorry).  It was quite fun and me and my mate (he’s Aussie) got a history lesson from a local man (without asking for it).  Henceforth we shall call this man Perry (side note:  I was going to call him Bijoux (Bonya), but I couldn’t remember Bijoux’s name when I was originally writing this.  If anyone would like to learn about Bijoux, please contact Ben Olsen.  Ben, you will know why as this story progresses).  

Perry approached me and Lucas in a frenzy.  We were just walking around and we accidentally made eye contact with him.  In the Philippines, if you make eye contact with someone, it is essentially (to them) saying, “I will buy whatever you are selling.”  So, needless to say, I blame myself, Perry came and talked to us about various parts of the Park.  He told us about their Philippine hero, Jose Rizal (hence, Rizal Park).  Rizal was the original Philippine hero for leading a nation into independence.  The problem was, he was not around to see his country as a sovereign nation, he was shot for treason and for some reason, six priests were shot with him (not sure why).  I am pretty sure, if there is a hell, that the persons who were involved with the shooting of the priests are there, just a guess.  The assassination of Rizal caused, what I like to call, a William Wallace effect.  Needless to say, with the uprising of Filipinos and too many islands to count, Spain relinquished it’s stranglehold (and gave up thousands of miles of gorgeous beaches) on the Philippines finally became an independent nation.  Perry was full of information.

After he was done telling all of this, it was on to business for Perry.  He proceeded to ask Lucas and me what we were doing that night (he wasn’t much into transitions).  Perry, the Pimp, offered to find Lucas and I a couple of “nice girls” to “hang out” with that night… without running, Lucas and I ran away, but we got some good pictures of the park on the way out.

Our last tourist stop for the day was the H20 (water) Hotel.  This was by far the most touristy thing that I had seen in Manila.  It was like, again, a too-scale version of Circus Circus in Vegas meets a Riverboat Casino (I prefer Ameristar).  It was quite possible the extreme opposite of anything I had seen yet.  It was clean, very clean and there was a little bit of order involved.  Now, I don’t know what the thought process was behind the building (or really any economic decision in the Philippines thus far), but it is just a big block on top of the ocean, supported by stilts in the water. 

It wasn’t really complete when Lucas and I meandered in, but we got the idea.  There were enough shops open to see what was in store for this “idea”.  The inside was very modern looking and all of the stores had various “H20” paraphernalia.  I wasn’t quite sure who came up with the idea to build this where it was, but there is no beach to relax on, the water off the ocean smells like the Great Salt Lake (bad, in other words), and the only redeeming value, as to proximity, is that it is close to the Immigration Office.  Don’t get me wrong, I hope it does well, but I am not sure the mastermind behind it.  There was one item that Lucas and I had to try however… Dr. Fish!  A couple of things (you can see the pictures):

1.     Lucas wore sandals that day (don’t ask, and don’t ever do it) and his feet were filthy.  If we were to go back a couple days later we may have seen a few belly-up fish.

2.     The fish eat the dead skin off of your feet.

3.     It costs 120 pesos for 20 minutes (approximately $2.75)

4.     The fish eat the dead skin off of your feet.

5.     Lucas made a good point, “If it is supposed to be cleansing to have them eat your dead skin, I don’t feel comfortable putting my feet in the same “bath” as everyone else (I didn’t have it in my heart to tell him I thought his feet were gross, ironically).”  This was said after we had already put our shoes back on…

6.     The fish eat the dead skin off of your feet… nuff said.

All in all a very good day.  I would say I have had my fill of Manila for now.  It seems to me that it is like visiting Dublin in Ireland.  Not really the place you want to be, but the place you have to go in order to get anywhere else.  Dublin is nice and all, but the true country is shown in the smaller towns (like Fort Scott), I shall see if this holds true for the Philippines when I get to Catarman.

One more item on the day, Lucas looks like Mike (Steinhaus) and we were talking and he said he had a dropped lung…  fortunately he didn’t leave it on the golf course… but I think he left with Dr. Fish.

January 22, 2009 - Visa Extension and other Items to Note (Morning)

Well, I had my first taste of the language barrier frustrations (Day 1 in Manila) today when I went to the “old Spanish Style” part of Manila, next to the Immigration Offices.  I was looking for a SIM Card to put in my phone for local use and these SIM cards are “available at any 7-Eleven”.  Problem is, there is no signage for any store…  So I would ask where a 7-Eleven was and (very nicely) people would not know what I was talking about.  Luckily, I found one when I was at my last straw (after looking for 2 hours).  I looked up and, voila!  A 7-Eleven!  I got lucky and was standing underneath one as an unplanned parade (looked like) passed me by on the street of about 2,000 people.  So I was on my merry way.

Now, as to not have a complete culture shock on my first day in Manila, I went to a Starbucks and tried to get my newly purchased SIM card to work, it didn’t, obviously.  So now, onto my next adventure… the mall!  Again, trying to not get too much of a culture shock on my first day.  This trip (to the mall) is more out of necessity than anything, as a text from my phone to a local phone costs around $3.  Also, I have read that Manila is known for being “One Big Shopping Mall”, so I have to see what that is all about (see more on “Robinson’s Mall”).

General Comment:  The people in Manila are extremely nice to me.  Everyone is always smiling and (hoping that I will take them up on it) offering up various goodies.  These goodies include, but are not mutually exclusive, kabobs (Haley), soft drinks, unmentionables and even small children (on a serious note, Manila is extremely poor and there are beggars and peddlers everywhere you go.  The streets are covered in “trash juice” and many people are well under developed (short and small… I don’t mean 5 feet tall, more like 3 feet tall), I would assume this is due to malnutrition.  All of this is overshadowed by how nice the people are.)  There is a reason Filipinos are known as “The Nicest People on Earth”.

By the way, it is really hot here.

While at Starbuck’s, I was talking to two very different sets of people.  One guy, who, I was sure was here to find a wife (real grease-ball and acted really tough… from Miami) was telling me all of these places to go.  I smiled and nodded and acted like I was interested in what he was talking about, cause that is what he wanted…  I could tell not too many people paid attention to him.  His time with me was short-lived, as a “random” guy came in and said, “I can process your visa for you for 6,000 pesos.”  The American became infuriated and told him that he could do it himself for 3,000 pesos (as he stated he paid last time he was here, see “wife” comment above)… He even had the receipt!  This guy was a real card to say the least.  Anywho, he left with the “random” and I was freed.  I am not sure what news station this guy is going to be end up on, but keep your eyes peeled.

The second set of people were the extreme opposite.  They looked to be college students at the local University.  Actually, they looked to be high school students, but since it is the middle of the day and one of them works at Starbuck’s, I can only assume they go to the University.  That is another thing, people here, as in most parts of Asia, look very young, I would say 5-10 years younger than they are.  I don’t know if it’s that Americans and Europeans just don’t take care of themselves or it is just the nature of the beast, but for the most part, it makes Filipinos a lot less intimidating, this helps with the acclamation into the culture… and their smiles.

Anywho, these two students were very friendly and talkative.  The man, who was bubbly, to say the least, wanted to talk about Obama and the inauguration (he also wanted to talk about “Gossip Girl”, which I am happy to say, I could provide no input).  He said he stayed up all night watching the ceremonies and Obama’s speech.  He was very excited (which seems to be the norm around here for Obama’s election).  Every cab I have been in so far (which has only been two) has had some story on Obama and some sound bites from his speech, quite astounding that they would care that much.  It is funny to talk to foreigners about politics.  In the US, for the most part, people have their sides (Republican or Democrat), but the people I have talked to here just assume that I was on the side for Obama.  Granted, I don’t care if he generalized, bit I think he thinks that Obama received 100% of the votes.  I wonder if the person elected into office in the Philippines receives 100% of the votes (or 70% or something)?  I shall have to research this.  I vaguely remember reading that most elected Prime Ministers of the Philippines get overthrown by military coups, so maybe that is what Hillary has in store for Obama… that was a joke.

Old Spanish Style Village (Intramuros)

This place was recommended to me by the person that came before me to Catarman.  It was a great suggestion.  The town is bustling, to say the least, with people and energy.  My favorite part was the old architecture and the people were extremely nice.  I stopped in for a Coca-Cola and a smile to a local eatery and the owner and her brother chatted my ear off, asking me about politics and America.  There was a parade through the streets and thousands of people everywhere (based on what I could tell, there didn’t need to be a parade for there to be people everywhere as the parade seemed to come as a surprise to everyone, including me).

There was a church (San Agustin Cathedral) that was very nice and founded by Catholocism (obviously).  I have read that the main Filipino religion is Christianity by a whopping 90% of the population, closely followed by Muslims (5%).  I did not get any pictures of these places, but I can assure you that these are definitely places to see while you are in Manila.  You get a very good sense of the people and how the culture really is in the area.  It is also a great way to pass time as you are waiting for your visa-extension request.

January 19, 2009-Departure day (SFO to Seoul to Manila)

Well, I wasn’t planning on this, but my departure day just so happened to be the same day that Obama is taking office.  As I wondered what this meant for my departure, I couldn’t help but think that there was the possibility of someone “testing” the newly sworn-in President on his first day in office.  I sure hope that this is not the case, but you never really know, do you?  I don’t think I have anything to worry about.

On another note, when the person who you talk to in regards to travel plans/visas/hotels, tells you not to worry about that stuff, you probably should look into it, just for your own personal reassurance.  First off, I am a bit freaked out about getting into the Philippines, as my departure date is outside of the standard 21-day visa, since I am staying for 57 days, this could pose a problem (with no departing flight in the 21-day period).  However, the person I am going to be in contact with in Catarman assured me that this would not be a problem; it is still a bit un-nerving.  Apparently, you can get an extended-stay visa when you are in the country in Manila.  If this is the case, I am sure I will not have a problem with getting an extended-stay visa and I will be set to go.

Other thoughts I have had so far is that I am a bit nervous to travel by myself, but it is not an experience I have not had before.  I travelled in Europe for a month by myself and made out just fine.  The only thing that is pressing is my uncertainty, but I keep telling myself that there are a lot of people that travel like this and people wouldn’t do it if it weren’t a fun and exciting experience.  So, I am looking forward to a fun and exciting experience once I get to Manila, the problem is, there is about 20 hours of travel between now and then.

That being said, I hope to update my posts in the next couple of days and let you all in on the happenings.  I would assume the majority of the anxiety will subside once I get to my final destination, Catarman, so I will keep you updated!

January 21, 2009- Made it (note the date)!!!

Well, after a good time in the Seoul airport and trying to figure it out (nobody spoke English, my own fault, I shouldn’t expect them to), I made it to my flight to Manila and just so happened to get some free wine on the plane (yesss).  After the 12-hour flight from SFO to Seoul, I embarked on another flight (5 hours) from Seoul to Manila, which arrived in Manila around 11 p.m. at night.  Upon arrival in the Manila Airport, I could already tell what was in store.  There were people everywhere and I hadn’t even gone through immigration yet.  Which brings me to my next point, if you are traveling to a foreign country and you don’t know how long your entering visa will be for, CHECK!  Until about a week before leaving, I was assuming (the mother of all f-ups) that I was going to get a visa for 3 months (as you get in Europe).  Well, I ended up reading up on this at the exact wrong time, five days before departure (it’s 21 days in the Philippines).

So, since I was enlightened to this just before leaving, I was panged by it the entire flight (or flights, what have you)… this is not something you want to worry about at the beginning part of your trip.  “Are they going to let me in the country?”  Turns out, Filipinos are relaxed by nature, so I was not too worried about it, but worried nonetheless.

I arrived at the Immigration desk and there was a line of about 50 people in front of me (50 in 20 different lines = 1000 people)… it was a zoo.  I took note of which one of the immigration officers looked like the “softest” and stood in that line.  I also took note of what items were being presented upon being summoned to the window.  Typically, the lady would just take whatever the person gave them (customs declaration, visa declaration (standard is 21 days) and passport).  Then, I was third in line and the Officer asked the two people in front of me to present their return-ticket to her… I began to panic.  So, I played it cool, even though the sign explicitly says “Present the following items:  Passport, Visa Declaration, Onward Destination Ticket (Return Ticket)”.  So, I smiled at the officer and she didn’t say anything and stamped my passport for 21 days…. Yessss!  I think if you don’t end up leaving the country, on the 21^st day they have all branches of national security hunt you down, put you on a livestock plane to India and then let that country deal with you.  But for my purposes, I just need to go to immigration tomorrow to get a visa extension.

Next stop, Friendly’s Guesthouse (hostel) and all of the warm amenities it provides.

Friendly’s was, to say the least, friendly.  The receptionist gave me my own room!  Which wasn’t what I booked, come to find it, and they promptly threw my stuff into the dormitory room while I was out with the owner and other backpackers getting a few refreshments (did I mention that it is 1 o’clock in the morning at this point and I haven’t gone to sleep since I was in San Francisco, nearly 36 hours earlier).  My thought process on going out was that I was energized by being in a new city and wanted to have a couple drinks so I could sleep a bit better… a couple turned into six, it was easy to down a 50 peso beer (around $1.00) and then another, and another, and another… you get the point.

I will let you know that you meet some pretty sketchy people in hostels.  My ratio when I was in Europe was about 5 normal people to 1 crazy, but my experience in Manila was quite different… about 1:1.  One guy was telling me that I should have just slipped the immigration officer a 500 peso bill and they would have stamped my visa as an extended-stay visa (not exactly how I wanted to do it).  Another guy has a couple of “insert your own sex adjective here” websites… one including the, I can’t believe I am typing this, Foreskin Avenger…  seriously.  This guy had also lived in the Philippines for two years and affectionately called it the armpit of the Philippines. 

I did meet two normal guys and so I talked to them the rest of the night (or morning, depending on how you are looking at it).  One guy, Lucas, was from Sydney and was trying to find a job in Southeast Asia and the other guy, can’t remember his name, was nice but couldn’t hear a word he said, the bar was playing loud music (I am so old).  Anywho, went to bed and on with the next day and more adventures… per usual.

I am getting very wordy, like my father…

January 19, 2009-Departure day (SFO to Seoul to Manila)

Well, I wasn’t planning on this, but my departure day just so happened to be the same day that Obama is taking office.  As I wondered what this meant for my departure, I couldn’t help but think that there was the possibility of someone “testing” the newly sworn-in President on his first day in office.  I sure hope that this is not the case, but you never really know, do you?  I don’t think I have anything to worry about.

On another note, when the person who you talk to in regards to travel plans/visas/hotels, tells you not to worry about that stuff, you probably should look into it, just for your own personal reassurance.  First off, I am a bit freaked out about getting into the Philippines, as my departure date is outside of the standard 21-day visa, since I am staying for 57 days, this could pose a problem (with no departing flight in the 21-day period).  However, the person I am going to be in contact with in Catarman assured me that this would not be a problem; it is still a bit un-nerving.  Apparently, you can get an extended-stay visa when you are in the country in Manila.  If this is the case, I am sure I will not have a problem with getting an extended-stay visa and I will be set to go.

Other thoughts I have had so far is that I am a bit nervous to travel by myself, but it is not an experience I have not had before.  I travelled in Europe for a month by myself and made out just fine.  The only thing that is pressing is my uncertainty, but I keep telling myself that there are a lot of people that travel like this and people wouldn’t do it if it weren’t a fun and exciting experience.  So, I am looking forward to a fun and exciting experience once I get to Manila, the problem is, there is about 20 hours of travel between now and then.

That being said, I hope to update my posts in the next couple of days and let you all in on the happenings.  I would assume the majority of the anxiety will subside once I get to my final destination, Catarman, so I will keep you updated!

In San Francisco

Hello Everyone!  

I made it to San Francisco and tomorrow morning I am moving onto the next flight... to Seoul, Korea.  Then onto Manila, Philippines.  Hope all is well with everyone!  Will post more when I arrive in Manila!

Best,

Jon