A weekend in Hong Kong

Taking the short 2-hour flight to Hong Kong at the beginning of March in the hope of doing a

spot of sightseeing proved to be somewhat optimistic to put it mildly.

After returning to Manila feeling a little disappointed, (as well as cold and wet after a 17 degree drop in the daytime temperature), a friend who used to live in Hong Kong confirmed that it's just about the worst time of year to go. The weather is miserable and the view is pretty much non-existent. I guess this is one time I should have done my research a little more thoroughly.

One of the most interesting experiences of the weekend for me was staying at the T Hotel on Hong Kong Island. The T Hotel is a government run facility where trainee staff receive official on the job training in the true sense of the word. Consequently, from the moment you enter the main door, you are continually lavished with an unbelievable level of service, enthusiasm and goodwill. At times it's almost a little too overwhelming, but it's nevetheless fascinating to spend a day there.

Taking an afternoon meal in the restaurant was almost surreal, as one trainee was put through his paces in front of our very eyes. We watched engrossed as under close scrutiny, he demonstrated how to wait on the guests. Openly observed by four fellow trainees making mental notes while standing right behind him, as well as an on-looking manager ever-ready to give advice, he laid the cutlery at a neighbouring table, before being sent back to move it just a few millimetres to the right. Ironically, the guest who was eating there hadn't even noticed that anything was amiss, and the entire scene had something distinctly Pythonesque about it. When I took a break from watching the action to go to the toilet, after returning I found that my serviette had been folded up and replaced as new on my table. The moment I sat down, a waiter appeared from nowhere again to unravel it and place it back on my lap. This happened every time I got up, even when crossing the room to get a glass of orange juice.

Upon check-in, a very young Mandarin-speaking trainee spent what felt like 15 minutes proudly explaining every single gadget in our hotel room in his pre-learned English. I really felt for him constantly stumbling over the Ls and Rs throughout his long explanation, but he managed to keep a smile on his face throughout this entire session of what must have felt like linguistic torture.

I can't ever remember staying anywhere even remotely similar where the entire staff endeavoured so much to create a lasting and favourable impression, and if I ever go back to Hong Kong, the T Hotel is unquestionably the place I'll stay. The staff are so helpful and eager to please, and the experience there is quite simply priceless.

Tribal Dancing

The Philippines are rightly renowned for their colourful and vibrant festivals. Dinagyang, which is unquestionably one of the most famous, is held annually in Iloilo at the end of January. Whist en-route, we stayed for two nights in Bacolod on the nearby island of Negros. My first experience there, (and I kid you not), was to spot a "Black Sambo" listed openly on a restaurant menu! Apparently I was the only one who found this offensive. Negros is evidently not a place that will be renowned for its political correctness anytime soon.

The journey across to Iloilo on Panay island is a 90-minute boat ride, and as always, the passengers are blessed via the on-board TV screen before departing.

The festival itself is an extravaganza of garish costumes, rythmic tribal drum beats, painted skin and some incredible dancing. It begins with a parade through the city and later ends with each of the tribes performing in the large stadium before a raucous crowd of enthusiastic spectators. It was quite a day.

Chinese New Year

The Chinese community celebrated the start of their New Year at the end of January. 

Witnessing the traditional dragon dance as part of the festivities 

in our hotel lobby was a really enjoyable experience. 

Midget boxing!

Manila certainly caters to some very strange tastes and preferences. Should you seek confirmation, look no further than a bar called Ringside on the edge of the red light district.

I told Kev about this place over Christmas dinner. From the moment he heard about it, he was frequently talking about going down there to check it out for himself. I'm pleased to say that I've never been in there. Admittedly, I do have some testosterone-driven fantasies that Manila could easily fulfil, were I able to ignore my conscience and better judgement. However, watching midgets punch each other isn't one of them and it never will be.

Kev, however, was determined to see it with his own eyes, so on his last night here, he and Jule took in a piece of the action. No sooner had they gone in the bar, than Kev found himself invited to referee the next bout. Needless to say he needed no second invitation.

Now I could be wrong but it definitely looks as if the midgets are wearing nappies in the photos! Whatever their attire, I got the distinct feeling the morning after, when Kev eventually surfaced with something of a brutal hangover, that he couldn't quite believe he'd willingly parted with so much money for the privilege of experiencing something so incredibly bizarre. Apparently, he'd had to show his appreciation by buying the midgets a shot apiece (or should I call the drink a 'short'!), after watching them box. Looking at the pictures that Jule took of him ringside, I have to confess that I am in no way tempted to follow in his footsteps. Next time I'm down in P. Burgos, I'll do what I normally do and have a tonic water while enjoying some of the more usual tourist sights that Manila has to offer.

Driving on Provincial Filipino Roads

It's no exaggeration to say that the amazing 7 day road trip we experienced after Christmas was only made possible by the fact that we had such a skilled driver behind the wheel of our hire car. Arnel's presence was extremely reassuring for so many reasons, not least because driving in the Philippines often quite literally means taking your very life in your hands. Below are just some examples of the hazards Arnel had to overcome while driving us around the provinces.

Rain-drenched slippery roads of deep mud and full of potholes were almost impassable in our 

Toyota Innova. At times there was even a steep drop off the edge. It was no small feat that
Arnel skillfully negotiated his way along several miles of this track
during the dead of night in pitch darkness.

Carbon-monixide poisoning was a constant danger when travelling behind a public bus 

embellished with the slogan 'Your safety and comfort is our main concern'!

Overhanging rocks can collapse at any time....

... and quite frequently do.

At such times it's important to keep a look-out for workmen who are actually catching
falling rocks even as you drive by. Dense fog makes it almost impossible
to see them until they are just metres away.

Any number of protruding objects can puncture your tyres on unfinished roads.

Road repairs are often carried out with mud rather than gravel or tarmac.

The dust is pretty horrendous for your lungs at times too.

Arnel - King of the Road

Overtaking trikes is a real nightmare, as they are so numerous and unpredictable. 

Some kids riding them look as young as ten.

Don't get too close to the back of a refuse truck, as you never know 

what (or who) will fall on your bonnet if you do.

Anything that moves is used as a vehicle, be it on roads or down alleyways. 

And for this very reason, as soon as you're back in the city, very little traffic moves at all.

El Nido

Our second week together was a complete contrast to the first. We traded the damp rice terraces of central Luzon in late December for the palm trees, bright sunshine and blue waters of Palawan in early January. The difference could hardly have been greater.

The elongated islands of Palawan lie in the west of the Filipino archipelago. From their most southerly point on Balabac Island, it is only 30 miles across the water to Banggi Island in Malaysia.

El Nido in the north is probably Palawan's best known and most exclusive resort. Depending on what you are prepared to pay for your accommodation, you can enjoy the luxury of a private beach and house if you so wish. Alternatively, you can travel on a very reasonable budget indeed. We decided to do the latter and it nevertheless proved to be an unforgettably fulfilling few days in every respect.

El Nido undoubtedly corresponds to most people's perception of the way the whole of the Philippines look. Should you be old enough to remember the backdrop for the Bounty commercial from yesteryear advertising 'the taste of paradise', then you already have an accurate picture of El Nido's surrounding bays, coves and inlets in your mind. If you love sun, sand and the open sea, it's a dream come true. I don't like the open sea I have to confess, but I still thought it was a dream come true. Admittedly the electricity in the entire resort is turned off every day between 6am and 2pm, but to be honest that just adds to the feeling of remoteness and isolation. The chances are you'll want to join one of the island-hopping tours which depart from the waterfront each morning anyway. As an added bonus, if you decide to lie-in each day, (as Kev and Jule did), you might even be lucky enough to miss the crowds and get a pump boat to yourselves at no extra cost. Since there were four of us, we also had the luxury of spending most of the day by ourselves with our own private boatmen who were very amenable to our rather liberal interpretation of time-keeping. Then again, it's worth remembering that 'Filipino time' is a concept that's universally understood here, irrespective of which island you are visiting. That is to say, things get done, whenever they get done and not before.

The Pet Cemetery of Negativism

After leaving Sagada, we were treated to spectacular views for the duration of the trip all the way to Baguio. The road continually snaked around mountain bends and for a substantial part of the journey, we were actually higher than the clouds.

Eventually we interrupted the arduous 15-hour drive back to Manila with a brief stopover in Camp John Hay, where we visited one of the most bizarre spectacles I've ever encountered in my entire life. 

The Lost Cemetery (or Pet Cemetery of Negativism as it has become known)

 contains 15 make believe gravestones. 

A large proportion of them are embellished with animal figures, 

hence the connotation of the pet cemetery.

The reasoning behind the concept is that this is a graveyard for negative thoughts. As a visitor
you are consequently encouraged to bury your own negativity here. After leaving 

you will therefore have a more positive outlook for the rest of your life.

I can't really say it had any effect on me. I just found the whole experience most bizarre.

The Banaue Rice Terraces and the Hanging Coffins of Sagada

Between Christmas and New Year we made the long trek north to visit the Banaue Rice Terraces which we had previously seen from the air. The terraces, which were carved into the mountains some 2,000 years ago, are often referred to as 'the Eighth Wonder of the World'. They are located 5,000 feet (1,500 metres) above sea level and cover an area approximately 4,000 square miles (over 10,000 square kms) in size. The terraces were built and are still maintained on extremely steep slopes and their mud walls incorporate the natural contours of the hills to form terraced pond fields. Their intricate irrigation systems reflect a mastery of engineering to such a degree that they were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995.

One hour north of Banaue lies the community of Sagada, famous for its caves and hanging coffins. Only a short walk away from the village centre, you can see the coffins hanging eerily from the limestone cliffs. It is rumoured that the dead have been 'buried' in this way for the past 2,000 years. Our guide informed us that the reasoning behind this is to enable a person's soul to live on by roaming the earth freely after death. Local people believe that burying a corpse beneath the ground will incarcerate your soul and prevent your re-birth.

Other coffins, which are not suspended from the cliff, can be found piled high on top of each other above the ground,  particularly in areas untouched by direct sunlight. These are said to contain the remains of those who died after contracting an unidentifiable disease. Local folklore states that exposing their coffins and therefore their souls to direct sunlight would release the pestilence into the atmosphere, where it would be free to infect others. In order to prevent this from happening, their coffins are stacked in shady, covered areas to contain the spread of the illness, whilst allowing their souls to live on.

Lumiang and Sumaging caves are also worth a visit when in Sagada, but be aware that like most places in the Philippines, safety precautions are totally non-existent. It was an exhilarating 2 hours below ground, but I was relieved at the end of it to reach the surface with my limbs all still attached.

The two clips below contain essentially the same film except with different music. The first one (like most of the other films on this blog) is best watched on YouTube by clicking the link in the bottom right hand corner. The second film can only be viewed here.

Subic Bay

On Boxing Day afternoon, we all headed over to Subic Bay, a short drive away from Clark. Subic Bay used to be the largest US naval installation in the entire Pacific until its closure in 1992, partially as a consequence of the eruption of Mount Pinatubo only 20 miles away. When it erupted in 1991, it did so with a force 8 times more powerful than the blast which saw Mount St. Helens spew ash 80,000 feet (24,000 metres) into the atmosphere in Washington State 11 years earlier. 


The consequences of the Pinatubo eruption were drastic and long-lasting. One day after the event, the whole of Subic Bay lay buried under 12 inches (30cm) of volcanic ash, as death and destruction rained down over a widespread area around the volcano. In the days following the explosion, 17 ships evacuated all 20,000 dependents from the naval base. Clark airfield, much closer to the eruption, could not be salvaged and plans for a complete withdrawal were immediately put into place there. Whilst Subic did recommence operations (albeit temporarily), disagreements between the US and Philippine governments could not be resolved. As a result the Stars and Stripes flag was lowered at the naval base for the very last time just 12 months later. 


Today Subic Bay has become a tourist destination, primarily for those interested in taking part in the competitions regularly held there or auditioning for the much sought-after places in the cheerleading after-hours entertainment brigades.   

The stakes are high so a quick discussion takes place to discuss poise, pose and posture before performing in front of the judges.

The result is a definite contender for the Mother and Daughter Best Bums Award 2011.

A disqualified entry in the most perverse dive discipline, as no actual physical assistance is allowed.

A prime example of expert choreographic tuition rendered to an onlooking novice 

during the YMCA aquatic dance rehearsals. 

A View of the Philippines from a Cockpit

One of the many highlights of our trip North was flying on 2 consecutive days in a single engine 1949 Navion-A classic aircraft. The plane affords all 3 passengers quite literally a bird's eye view of some of the most spectacular scenery in the Philippines. Moni, Kev and Jule flew on Boxing Day, while Moni repeated the flight with Arnel and I a day later.

The plane is flown by a retired United States Air Force pilot named Jimmy Boyd, who served with the military for 28 years and has over 4,000 hours flying experience with single engine aircraft.

Your day in the clouds starts at 7.30am, when Jimmy makes one last check of his instruments as you all strap yourselves in. The route initially takes you up over the crater lake of Mount Pinatubo, so we were able to observe the entire length of the river bed that we had walked up to reach the crater only the day before.

After looping several times in and around the crater, Jimmy proceeds to fly onwards to Baguio City, one of the Philippines most famous mountain retreats. In order to clear the surrounding peaks, at the highest point you reach an altitude of 10,000 feet in the plane.

Once you've passed Baguio, the Banaue Rice Terraces come into view, and from the air the sight is truly breathtaking. Jimmy takes his time, flying in circles and allowing you to savour the moment for as long as possible.

He then heads over to the coast, where you fly south over San Fernando City before proceeding above Lingayen Gulf in the South China Sea to view Hundred Islands below. The coral is clearly visible beneath the surface of the water. You land for lunch in the coastal resort of Zambales, where you are taken by trike to a restaurant overlooking the ocean and in the afternoon, you take the short flight back via Mount Pinatubo.

The flights operate from the former USAF airbase at Clark Field which was an American military facility from 1903-1991. At its peak in 1990 the base housed a total of 15,000 personnel on a permanent basis. However, just one year later the military withdrew when the US and Philippine governments could not agree terms to extend the lease, following extensive damage caused by the eruption of Mount Pinatubo. The base was systematically looted as a result and left abandoned until it was reopened as a small international airport in 2003.

Today Jimmy remains the only US pilot operating such flights out of Clark. His company, Navionair, is essentially a non-profit organization as he offers the service purely out of his love for flying. After enjoying the view from the cockpit of his classic Navion aeroplane, it's very easy to see why.