The Longest Way Home Travel Blog

Local night food bbq stand in the Philippines

The food is well lit up, and there are usually plenty of people tending to it. The surrounding area may also have music playing or a TV blaring away. This is a local bbq stand at night in The Philippines. And, it’s really good.

BBQ Squid!

Some locals would often tell me not to eat here. These are the same people that simply did not even comment when they heard about I ate at the “local local” food stand. But again, I never got sick from eating here.

For the record the only places I did get a bad stomach in the Philippines is in fast food pizza and chicken restaurants in malls.

The typical food here would be: Chicken, a variety of fresh fish, Guso (seaweed), sizzling pork, lechon,  adobos and just about everything else you can think of from the Philippines. Depending on the size of the night stalls, and the occasion.

The prices here vary a lot. But an average piece of chicken would cost 35 pesos, squid 60 -120 depending on size, bbq stick of pork 14 pesos.

This is an additional post and one of a series highlighting Great food from the Philippines

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Mindanao Salt Maker

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 place as this than a beach. Maybe because I am not looking for a holiday, but a home. As such I enjoy seeking out the real side of life in the Philippines.

In the small town of Bay Bay in Mindanao, just past El Salvador I arrived via jeepney and with a 5 peso old beat up tricycle bounced along the dirt road to an open dry field. There was a small lake in the distance, and further still a tree line that hid the sea shore from view. Directly in front of me was a dry dirt field with row upon row of little rectangles. A gray white frosting appearing on some as a dozen or so men swept the rectangles with long floor brushes.

“Where does salt come from?” It was a passing question from ones youth that flew by a conversation as I traveled the Philippines.

“They make salt along the beach”

I tried to get more information from my Filipino friends with a gasp of curiosity. But my pleas were met with frowns of boredom. It was nothing special to them. But to me I’d never seen salt being made from the sea naturally. This was my opportunity to find out how sea salt is made.

Click here to read the full story …

Coming soon on Seeing the Unseen: Filipina girls in Bikini’s!!! A full story right here.

This is an additional post and one of a series highlighting the island of Mindanao & the people living their in The Philippines

Indigenous tribesman from Kaamulan (click to enlarge)

Time to meet some people most travelers don’t see.

Flash Flood Victims in Mindanao

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 by occasional violence, too frequent bad press, and many other negative aspects.

Many people email me to ask about my book, the site, and are very flattering with their words about finding this an inspirational journey. Truly I am humbled.

However; one of the things I have learned over the past 5 years is that it’s the people I meet that are the ones who truly inspire me.

I’d like to share with you these people here on my journal.

There will be a new series of articles appearing here based on my travel stories page from The People I Met, section.

Mindanao is the large island in the south

Seeing the Unseen: Real people and their lives that tourists and other travelers don’t always get to see, or choose not to. Places not mentioned in the guide books, and festivals that are run on no set day (though locals will argue that point )

I’ve amalgamated a lot of information about the Philippines during my time here;  but wish to focus on Mindanao with this new series.

I’ll be writing up an excerpt here with a link to the full story on each page.

There, you will find lots of photographs, a podcast, and the written story.

While living on an Island was not my idea, traveling and living in Mindanao is. It’s certainly something I prefer.

Here I have tried a different way of searching for home. My way. I prefer it to living on a tropical island by far.

I hope with this series you’ll get to see an inside scoop on some of the real people from the Philippines, their lives, and some places in the little visited region of Mindanao.

More to come on The Longest Way Home in the coming weeks:

• I will be writing some additional articles about some untold truths in the world of travel.

• I have what I think are a set of never seen before in-depth interviews with some pretty incredible travel related people that will shed some light on a topic not many touch on, but everyone wants to know!

• Plus, my journal updates on my continuing search for home; which has some important changes underway.

One last thing on upcoming things – please take this opportunity to subscribe to my updates via email. It’s FREE, it gets delivered to your chosen email address on a weekly basis. And, there’s some content coming that only subscribers will have access to (hint, hint, trust me on this one okay! ) Here’s the link to add your email address.

With Seeing the Unseen: I hope that, maybe,  it will help dispel some rumors, and show people what’s further south in The Philippines … I hope you’ll enjoy this, and some of the new features coming here.

The bizarreness of Mindanao

Coming soon:

The sea salt makers

Children fishing in Davao

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 politics nor disputes. Nor do I fill my journal here with such writings.

The basic outline is that there are several internal conflicts in the region resulting in kidnappings, prison breaks, bombings and other not so peaceful actions. Including the killing of more journalists than anywhere else in the world as of late 2009.

Rural Bus in Mindanao

Local bamboo ferry

Indeed in 2008 the President declared it a warzone, its still one today in certain regions. Or at least under emergency rule at one time or another – just don’t tell anyone as you’d never guess it was!

So what better place for me to go and live in for a while?

In truth it has nothing to do with it being a warzone more than it is unexplored. The place is not visited that often by tourists, nor travelers. Davao, is an exception and an extremely safe city. As is Cagayan de Oro which is the gateway to Camiguin island. Even Zamboanga City to the far west is a safe place, if you know how to travel safely.

I’ve found Mindanao to have more indigenous festivals than any other region in The Philippines. There are cool forested regions, the food is good and never have a I seen any misgivings. The army is certainly more present in Mindanao than anywhere else, but then that’s a good thing considering the troubles there. Stop and search procedures on buses take place regularly, though never very thoroughly.

Having lived and traveled in other hot zones like West Africa, Pakistan and during the riots in Tibet I

The Army is a presence in Mindanao

know all too well the pluses and minuses of such regions.

• They can be expensive due to the fact that few tourists go there, so the accommodation is usually equipped only for the business class.

• The people can be shy due to the over cautious attitude often needed in such places.

• As a foreigner I stand out and am talked about more than anyone else. My movements noted, and I will be the center of all things gossipy. This can be good, and bad. But I know how to handle it.

• Getting to some areas may be difficult, due to both communication and transport changes in such regions. e.g. Not everyone will quite understand why I would want to go into the highlands …

Devoid of backpackers, tour groups and package tourists Mindanao offers a refreshing cultural aspect of the Philippines that many people simply do not get to see or experience.

Whilst the beaches are not a touch on Palawan, nor are there massive rice terraces like in Banaue, there is a wealth of festivals and local culture that’s hard to get anywhere else in world. It’s hard not to feel alive in such a place!

Welcome to a new part of my travels and search for home in the Philippines. It’s time to see the places others fear to go and time to get to know some locals … And oh yea, did I mention that I might have secured some short term “work” cough, I mean “volunteer opportunity” cough, I mean …

Coming soon:

Seeing the Unseen: Introducing some people …