How much money does a person from the Philippines earn or make a day? From the least paid all the way to the president, I took to the streets to try and find out. The results, while holding no scientific nor Wall Street Journal like quality, are interesting nonetheless. I say per day, as when I ask people [...]
Ube in The Philippines There are many multicolored food stuff’s in The Philippines. In fact, the nation seems to have no regard for the dangers of artificial colorings and additives whatsoever. However, there is one natural color that keeps popping up everywhere. Including in food. And, that’s the color purple. Most of this comes from Ube. What [...]
I’ve both traveled and tried living in the Philippines. Throughout my journals you can see that I have had both a very positive experience, and what I can only call life lessons for this journey. The Filipino people themselves are very easy going, and it’s hard not to like them. On the otherhand, I’ve yet to actually [...]
The day workers night time street food Local street food stalls are certainly good to try out when traveling. There are usually two types: 1) The one locals regularly go to 2) The one setup for the tourist trade. This one often brings in locals looking for a night out too. But, there is a hidden third [...]
Banana Honey I like honey. It tastes good, and is packed with goodness. But as I travel it’s rare that I would actually buy a jar of honey. It’s not so easy to carry around, and it’s not the sort of thing you can eat a lot of, quickly. The only time I’ve bought it [...]
One called this place the Long Hua temple another called it the Lon Wa temple. It’s not that hard to write a guide book based on facts, but still they fail. The name outside is the Shaolin Kung Fu Temple. The taxi and jeepney guys just call it the Chinese temple. This is what got me [...]
Davao city doesn’t get much of a write up in my guide book. All I know of the place is that for some reason it’s popular with foreigners looking for a place to live. Sounds like I had a plan of direction after all. The guidebook mentioned that crime was low, it has several crocodile farms [...]
Lanzones Fruit from The Philippines The Lanzones fruit from The Philippines is seasonal, and usually only found in the southern islands. It grows and is sold in bunches that resemble grapes, but the Lanzones fruit is about twice the size. The yellowish skin is easy to peel, revealing a near translucent, segmented flesh underneath. The Lanzones [...]
Bukidnon is an area in north central Mindanao fabled for it’s cooler climate, which produces many of the regions fruit and vegetables. It’s also home to one of the secret treasures of the Philippines not mentioned in any guidebook. The only place with an ethnic festival in the entire country. Looking to see some real ethnic tribes [...]
Chicharrón from the Philippines It’s a universal snack food that drives some people crazy. It will probably be outlawed in some country soon for being too tempting and unhealthy. But then some of the best foods are just that. Chicharrón is deep fried pig skin. There’s very little else involved here. It comes in various [...]
I wrote here about the electrical outages affecting Mindanao in the Southern Philippines. General Summary: Lack of rainfall means a decrease in water for the hydro plant at Lake Lanao to provide enough electricity for the southern region. After I published this, I received a lot of email & messages via twitter ( @TLWH ). [...]
Pomelo fruit from The Philippines From the outside the Pomelo fruit looks like a Melon of some kind. The skin is surprisingly soft, and relatively easy to peel. Inside The Philippines version of the Pomelo looks like a giant pink grapefruit. Only it’s not bitter at all. The taste is certainly a part of the citrus family, but [...]
Taking politics into account when traveling, living overseas or searching for a country to call home is important. However, I have a rule. I will not write in-depth personal articles about a country’s politics. As a traveler I don’t think it’s my business to get involved with internal politics. It’s up to a nations citizens, in a free society, to [...]
Quail Eggs from The Philippines From Balut to duck & chicken The Philippines, it seems, is quite partial to eggs. Walk down any food stall, shopping center, or night market and you will see various types of egg being cooked. Quail eggs are usually gently steamed in large containers. The speckled shells are much thinner than chicken eggs so [...]
Seeing the Unseen: in it’s truest sense As long term readers of this journal and my exclusive RSS / Email updates will know I spent a lot of time making this travel journal accessible to those with sight impairments. Not only is there a high contrast sight impaired version of this travel blog here. But at the [...]
Seeing the Unseen: The Coconut Farmers Deep in the middle of Mindanao I was lucky enough to visit one such farm run by an elderly man called Steven. It ‘s a place no tourist has been to. At least Steven says so. And why would they. It’s not in a guide book. It’s got nothing [...]
Seeing the Unseen: Meet some of the people and places you might not know about during my travels in Mindanao, The Philippines The Philippines has a high unemployment level, and only a minimum social service to help. Finances are rarely included. If you don’t earn, you starve. Simple as that. In a lot of countries I [...]
Seeing the Unseen: Photographing Miss Camiguin Island at the Lanzones festival (a blast from the past) With this mini series I’ve been able to show you some people and places as I travel Mindanao. Here’s one that I previously didn’t have time to publish on my first visit to a tiny little island. Camiguin is [...]
Travel & electrical outages are manageable for the short term. For long term travelers and those living with random interruptions it can be a very different matter. A failing electrical supply has made the President of The Philippines turn Mindanao into a “state of calamity”, others want a “state of emergency”. Hence writing a travel blog without electricity is [...]
The River Miners of Mindanao: Seeing the Unseen Unless you happen to be traveling through a place and happen to stumble across something, point to it and ask. Even the most mundane things will likely slip by your peripheral vision as just that … mundane. But, stop. Look, point and ask. Then ask again. Before [...]
Seeing the Unseen: and finding something rare No matter how long you stay in a country, you will never truly know it. I know this to be true. There will always be something new to discover and see. It’s not all about what’s in the guide book’s “must see” list. The worlds largest flower (though [...]
Jeepney’s are unique road transportation vehicles used in the Philippines. A cross between a bus and a jeep! “Where do Jeepney’s come from?” It’s a question I’ve wanted an answer to since first jumping on board one of these gas guzzlers in Manila. Of all public transport vehicles I have taken, I like the jeepney [...]
Seeing the Unseen: “Girls in bikinis from the Philippines” I always wanted to write a title involving bikini’s, fashion models or just plain Girls in Bikinis, call it a guy thing! The Philippines is noted as having some of the best beaches in the world. Yet, one thing I noted when going to a beach [...]
Seeing the Unseen: I never knew the answer to “where does salt come from.” Well, besides rock salt and giant factories. Where does locally made sea salt come from? That’s more like it. White sand beaches, tropical boats, and tourist mecca’s are far removed here. Yet I find it more fascinating to visit such a [...]
Time to meet some people most travelers don’t see. I’ve spent a long time in the Philippines searching for home. Some of it was to prove to myself and to others that island life is not for me. From time in tropical Palawan to now in the southern most island of Mindanao. An area stricken [...]
To most people looking at the Philippines, from overseas, there are pristine beaches, lush rice terraces and all manner of diving opportunities. But, there is also one giant black spot; Mindanao. Just about every country has it black listed as a no go area. It’s not my place as a traveller to get into internal [...]
There are some animals in the world I really like. I knew the Tarsier was one of them even before I got to see one in person. What is a tarsier? According to Wikipedia they are haplorrhine primates, according to my guide book they are not primates. I believe there is a debate going on [...]
Great food from the Philippines … Maybe … for some! It was in Palawan at a local eatery that I asked a lady what type of meat was in one particular pot. “CDO sir,” she replied. “Fresh!” I looked at her with a confused frown. I’ll spare the translations. It took a good 3 minutes [...]
It’s a little strange to be back traveling, as opposed to being on an island and taking weekends or a few days to travel out. There’s a very definite difference to both. And to me, the former shouldn’t actually be called traveling. It’s a go between. Maybe I need to invent a new word. The rain woke [...]
A few months back I wrote about how to choose an island to live on. Now, I get to visit one of the islands that was on my list, but I choose not to live on. Was I right in choosing Palawan? Or would Bohol have been a better option? I’m sure there are easier [...]
My living on an island series is now over. It’s time to leave Palawan, and travel on. I’ve already written enough about the place to say that’s it’s very nice, but it’s not me. The living on an island part anyway. I hope my travel journals from there will have helped anyone else thinking of [...]
The biggest plus about my new place was that it was in the heart of the squatter area in Puerto Princesa. Stilt houses ran all along the bay. I didn’t call them squatters myself, this came from the house owner. I thought they were just regular houses by the water. Just off the main road [...]
I’d like to take this opportunity to wish all the readers and contributers of my journal / website the very best over the holiday season. Thank you for the great emails filled with your own stories, well wishes, and words of encouragement. In 2009 I opened up the journal / blog to comments, and it’s [...]
Gustaf is the infamous crocodile in Africa, the legendary man-eater that many have failed to catch. I like the idea of something from nature biting back at humanity. I’ve also seen crocodiles in the wild, and kept my distance. One needs to respect the crocodile, it’s sole purpose is eating live creatures and reproduction. It’s [...]
If one butterfly beats it’s wings on the other side of the world, can it effect you? That’s the basic idea of the “Butterfly Effect”. Also knows as the Chaos Theory, but butterfly’s are nicer sounding and imply more. Either way I do believe in the idea. Travel’s grass is always greener Back in Peurto Princesa I [...]
I was staying at a pension who’s nosy owner was getting to me. My gut confirmed this to me one night when a young local man lurked around my flimsy room’s door while I showered in the shared bathroom. Not only that but the fairly dire pension house smelled a little like the cross between [...]
El Nido to Puerto Princesa - I’ve traveled this route many times. My last would be no less typical. The choices are: book a mini van for 600, or take the bus for 300. I was on the bus. I was there and ready at 6am for a 7am kick off. And already problems. It was [...]
I am becoming mind numbingly bored. Living on an island is appealing to most from the outside looking in. I knew this before trying this little experiment. For me this side project on my own path to finding home was sparked by friends who kept saying to try it. Strangers reading this blog also sent [...]
“How do you connect to the internet so often when traveling?” It’s a question I get asked a lot from people planning their travel trips. Especially people going away for 3 months plus who want to bring a laptop, upload photos, and blog etc,. For those who don’t have laptops I wrote up an article [...]
Rex had mentioned cliff climbing to me. “No rope, no gear, just climb the cliff.” I treated his comment with a grain of typical skepticism. The cliff was likely to be a hill, and the rope comment was meant to generate interest or bravado. I also had a deep desire to reach the top of [...]
El Nido is beautiful, of that there is no doubt. I will take that back once the developers arrive. And from what I hear, they are on the way. I continue to write, and I get a lot done. But, I am feeling pressured. The weight of 4 + years of searching is bearing down, [...]
I like Squid. But I have no idea how to catch them. I thought it was through deep sea netting. But in local cantina’s all over the Philippines there are squid for sale. So I figured that theory went out the window. El Nido tour agency’s offer trawling tours, fishing tours and squid fishing tours. [...]
Eating out every night is not practical. For one thing, I like to eat during the day too. Eating restarunt food three times a day on an island gets pretty monotonous after a while. Also, buying and cooking for yourself is a lot cheaper. Warning, if you have a delicate stomach, you might not like this article [...]
My days are generally taken up with the laptop and writing. Electricity is good, and I am getting a lot done. But my initial fear of island life is always there. Boredom … Get up, eat. Enjoy beautiful view. Write. Eat left overs, feel too hot. Start on second liter of water. Write. Stop and [...]
Rex was true to his word, a few days later he was once again at my door with the offer of going to cathedral cave. I imagined a place with high walls and organ like formations. It sounded good. One of the things I noticed about Rex, is although his offers of taking me out [...]
After some time in El Nido I realized I really did need to bite the bullet and go island hopping. A side effect of cooking for oneself and eating in is not meeting anyone to share costs with for such activities. One of the most popular questions I kept getting was “Have you seen any [...]
I was woken up by a gentle tapping at my door. Groggy eyed I opened it to see a lady standing there with a sweeping brush. “Sir, your cottage is read.” I cringed. I still hadn’t discussed long term pricing with the old lady yet. Never move in until the price is set. But on [...]
I arrived in the late evening. After taking the wrong turn (there are only two) I found myself walking down main street El Nido. And, I immediately got a good vibe from the place. It was a touristy town, no doubt. Guides here, tour that, go here type signs were everywhere. But, not one was [...]
I searched and I read the guide book. All made mention that the road from Sabang to El Nido was terrible. Some mentioned 16 hour trips of bum numbing hell. Others mentioned having to take 1 tricycle, a local bus, wait 2 hours at a cross road, then another 8 hours in an overcrowded bus [...]
Sabang is a very small town. In fact, it’s more of a road and beach front than town. There’s no pharmacy … but there is a medical center. When I needed it, it was closed. But help is always at hand in the Philippines and I was told the nearest Pharmacy was a 3km drive [...]
I sat waiting for in the rain for over an hour. Across from me was a sign saying “Welcome to Puerto-Princesa Subterranean River National Park” and another one saying “The worlds longest ‘Navigable’ underground river” and … another tiny marker saying it was a UNESCO world heritage site. I shivered as my fever took hold. [...]
By the time I got to the sign telling me which way to go, Monkey trail or Jungle trail, I was already drenched in sweat and burning up with a fever. My throat sore and parched I felt like I had an ember glow around me. For the first time in about a year, I [...]
I stayed the night in Puerto Princesa and at dawn was on a local bus to Sabang. I couldn’t quite figure out why there were no air conditioned mini vans to an alleged tourist resort, yet to Brooke’s Point, not problem. And according to online forums the journey was going to be rough. In truth [...]
I walked up alongside the recreation hall and passed by a group of prisoners. “Taste honey?” For a second I stopped and wondered if they were using some prison slang to do with the man with boobs I’d just avoided. But it turned out to be innocent. Well as innocent as you can get in [...]
Yes there is a giant “Welcome to Iwahig Prison & Penal Farm” sign along the ordinary bland road coming into Puerto Princesa. I hopped out of the mini van from Brooke’s point at about midday. The sky was overcast and I wondered if I was about to get very wet visiting of all places a [...]
Brooke’s Point was a place I very much enjoyed visiting. Home? No. A place to stay a while, maybe. It certainly was the type of place I could settle and write a book in. No distractions, easy going; with a rustic charm. A tourist destination? I think many would be disappointed. There are no lush [...]
Dealing with Religion when traveling: As I have traveled & lived through countries with the main religions throughout the world I’ve notice little written about the two subjects. Travel & religion. Is there a need? Or is it one of those subjects that people really don’t like to ask, nor talk about? It is after all one [...]
Early morning in Brooke’s Point is a quite time. Life starts the same as it does in the rest of the country, as dawn appears. But, it seems that bit slower here, than in the rest of the Philippines. People don’t rush. There’s not much happening; so I guess there’s no point in rushing. As [...]
It was 4.40am when my alarm went off. I had no idea when dawn actually broke. I figured 6am. But also didn’t know how to get to the beach for sunrise. “Just go straight down this road, and then left.” The old pension house lady said. Dawn in Brookes Point Easy to say when it’s [...]
I wasn’t expecting much from Brooke’s Point. In fact one of the only reasons I was going there was that no one had anything to say about the place. Apart from Sir Jame’s Brooke himself of course, but then it is named after him. The minivan driver turned out to be a nice guy and [...]
My flight from Shanghai to Manila had been obscured by the fact that I had just finished my overland journey. Now that I was traveling again within The Philippines to Puerto Princesa, Palawan I remembered why I hated airline security. What’s more was the fact that it has become worse over the past 4 years. [...]
What are The Philippines made up of and why try to find home there? The Republic of the Philippines (to give it’s full name) is made up of over 7, 107 Islands. Give or take a few due to high tide and global warming. In fact I find it quite difficult to get exact details [...]
There are two topics that I have been asked, and sometimes told, by friends and via email that have been repeated frequently throughout my travels. 1) Why don’t you live on an island somewhere? 2) What’s it like to travel the world searching for home? (usually followed by “it must be great”) Well, that’s just [...]
It was a long argument, and Lu won. We would only be taking a day trip to Batad. I wanted to stay overnight, but she was all terraced out. We left early, on a jeepney, and then another until finally stopping off at the base of the trek. The trek was not so hard, we [...]
Banaue is a small town that’s featured in every guide book due to it’s UNESCO world heritage approved – Philippine Rice Terraces. As much as these sites are interesting, the tourist influx lowers their appeal to me. “How much?” “1,500 pesos, per room.” After China, and Nepal I was having problems adjusting to high room [...]
The morning mist lifted off the surrounding mountains to reveal the first of our beautiful Rice Terraces. The air was cooler than it should have been in the tropical Philippines. The sky was lined with thick cloud. In most places that would have been a bad omen. Or a least a shady day. For me [...]
It was the first time I was alone since arriving in the Philippines. After making sure Lu was okay at the hotel I was back at the coffins. I’d dodged a few of the guides again. Avoiding the pleas that it was impossible to locate them without a guide, and one chap telling me about [...]
The good folks at Nut’s Huts made mention of a caving trek. It turned out to be quite a good half day. The cave was nothing spectacular. Though after the caves in Sagada it was hard to top anything cave related. The trek itself was cooler than I’d have thought. Undergrowth, hills, and lots more [...]
After a Christmas Eve filled with fireworks, and gunpowder wielding children, Christmas day was strangely a Santa in the Philippines bit of down turn. Though the weather was overcast; so it was thankfully and blissfully cooler than usual. I think that I actually managed not to sweat for at least 5 hours.
After the previous debacle of having to pay 20 pesos just to enter Sagada, I was now being asked to pay 200 for a guide to the hanging coffins. I looked at Lu and surrendered. We paid, and headed off down the main town road past a quaint church I remembered what it was like [...]
Manila to Sagada We left Manila quite early on fairly nice bus. The open window was my air-con in the rising heat, as Lu sat on the other side of the window shivering. It was only open a crack, and still I sweated as I watched the hawkers outside. I’d heard from other tourists about [...]
My newly introduced travel partner, Lu Lu, was beautiful. Names aside, the Philippines certainly do have beautiful girls. Lu worked in advertising, and was just about to start off in a new firm. She was all for traveling to the North. And I was glad I passed the first Filipino test of saying I like [...]
Sucat – Manilla: Now firmly settled in a nice little cockroach free hotel in Sucat, Manila, I started to venture out for the first time. Not such a good thing for my Filipino buddy Vince. I was hoping for more today. It was the capital, so I wasn’t expecting my first Asian tropical rain forest [...]
Travel Journal Overview – The Philippines: After the first flight in a long time, and a new country I arrived in the Philippines. Like all good pre-departures people had filled my head with horror stories about Manila. Big, grid locked traffic, pollution, thieves, dirty and just about the worst place you would want to be. [...]
a new photograph every day
