Spotlight on the Philippines

Welcome to our Spotlight on the Philippines! We arrived on October 21^st and made our way to Davao City on the southern island of Mindanao, where we stayed until the 26^th. We’d love to speak to you in person about our time in Davao, so please save your questions until we see you again!

Isaac and Kirstie in Lubuagan, northern Philippine. (C) Isaac and Kirstie Bickford

FYI, this post is picture-heavy and may take a minute or two to load. Don't forget to scroll all the way down for this country's quiz!!

From the 26^th until the 31^st, we were on the island of Luzon, in Manila and a little cluster of villages in the north called Lubuagan. We had a crazy airplane ride there—the pilot turned back due to a “minor problem with the aircraft” that prevented our landing at the small airport. It turned out to be fine, but we spent over three times as long in airplanes that day than we’d expected!

Narcotics-sniffing Dogs

The drug dogs we saw in airports in the Philippines weren’t what we expected. Instead of German shepherds, we saw only small breeds. It’s hard not to laugh when the uniformed customs officials walk by with a smiling poodle. Sorry, no picture. We didn’t think they would appreciate our photography.

Jeepneys, Tricycles, and Horse-drawn Carts

Transportation here was a little different from the other countries we’ve visited. There were no familiar tuktuks (see our Spotlight on Cambodia ). The Philippines equivalent is called a tricycle. It’s essentially a motorcycle with an overgrown sidecar. They provide moderate protection from wet weather, but don’t expect to stay dry in a downpour. At one point, we loaded four passengers, three suitcases and four backpacks into one of these. Isaac’s comment: “This might be the silliest thing I’ve ever done.”

A tricycle in Tuguegarao. (C) Isaac and Kirstie Bickford

Jeepneyswere new for us. They come in various shapes and sizes but most are essentially a Jeep or a minivan. The back is elongated with a row of seats on each side, facing each other, for passengers. They essentially operate as city buses with defined routes and a small per-trip fee. However, since they are independently owned and operated, they can be hired for special trips.

And horse-drawn carts? They're here, too! You'll have to make the trip up to Tuguegarao to see them, though; that's the only place left in the Philippines where they have them. We used pretty much every form of transportation available in the Philippines except for horses. :(

Kirstie, Isaac, and Sara - A tight squeeze in the back of a van. Sometimes it's good to be small. (C) Isaac and Kirstie Bickford

Comfort Rooms… Or ARE They?

Restrooms, bathrooms, toilets, washrooms, water closets, lous… In the Philippines they’re called “comfort rooms,” or CRs. Sound nice? We found the name to be somewhat ironic.

Toilets here were western style, but many were squatty-flush style (you have to pour water from a bucket into the bowl to flush). We stayed with one kind family in Lubuagan who had a nice bathroom, but it sometimes took four or five ladles of water to get it all down. On the jeepney ride back from Lubuagan, we stopped for a “CR break.” According to Jilleng, our guide and host, “men can just go anywhere.” And they did. The women had the option of a roadside CR, but as Jilleng put it, “That comfort room is not very comfortable.” Kirstie stayed in the jeepney.

The most creative toilet we’ve seen during our adventures was the one at the van station (after the aforementioned jeepney ride). Kirstie asked where the CR was, and the men pointed to this:

"only for the men."
(C) Isaac and Kirstie Bickford

But they emphasized that it was “only for the men.” On further investigation, we found that it really is just a tarped-off area over a little canal that ran through town.

Walls, Stairs, and Roofs

One of our favorite architectural features we’ve seen during our travels is woven bamboo walls. Some of the designs were intricate, and they were always unique.

Woven Bamboo Walls (near Davao City)
(C) Isaac and Kirstie Bickford

When we arrived in Lubuagan, it was after dark and raining. We jumped out of the Jeepney with our luggage and were told, “Wait here, we’ll go down in a minute.” We stood beneath the overhang of a neighbor’s home, and assumed we would be staying in another level of her home. Wrong. This is what “down” meant:

Stairs in the Lubuagan Community
(C) Isaac and Kirstie Bickford

The Lubuagan community is built into the hillside like this. The arrangement is beautiful, and it’s fun to meander the stairs and pathways to neighboring homes.

Another interesting architectural feature we saw in the Philippines was the reuse of advertisements printed on tarps. This is brilliant. Advertising campaigns are fleeting, but roofs need to last. Since the tarps last long past their original intended use, they are often reused in Asia as roofs and covers for motorbikes.

A zinc and reused-tarp roof in Lubuagan
(C) Isaac and Kirstie Bickford

BluJaz

We decided that no trip to the Philippines is complete without a trip to the beach. Fortunately, we had an afternoon free and headed to BluJaz, a resort/theme park on an island just across the bay from Davao. Admission was about $4 per person, including the boat ride across the bay. The water was warm, clear and blue. Check out our previous post to read about our dinner that night.

Sara and Isaac getting on the boat to head across the bay.
(C) Isaac and Kirstie Bickford

Isaac and Kirstie on the boat.
(C) Isaac and Kirstie Bickford

Kirstie and Isaac enjoying the lovely water
(C) Isaac and Kirstie Bickford

Palm trees and sunshine!
(C) Isaac and Kirstie Bickford

A little chunk of red coral
(C) Isaac and Kirstie Bickford

Quiz Time

It’s time for the quiz again. Thank you to everyone who has played so far! The winner of this quiz will receive recognition on our blog as well as on Kirstie’s facebook (if you have a facebook account and are her friend). So all her friends will know you are awesome! Feel free to use any resource to answer these questions (emailing Isaac or Kirstie excluded)—answers will appear soon!

1.  What is the official language of the Philippines?

2. What fruit is Davao known for?

3. When is Christmas celebrated in the Philippines?

..Isaac and Kirstie..