OLA: Marveling at Palawan's Beauty, Part 1

the entrance to the Subterranean River, 7th New Wonder of the World!

inside the Underground River

Palawan is the fifth largest (4,700 sq. miles) of 7,107 islands in the Philippine archipelago, after Luzon, Mindanao, Negros, and Samar. It juts out such that it has the westernmost point of the country.  Recently, it won a coveted spot in the 2011 National Geographic’s 7 New Wonders of the World for the world’s longest (8.2 km.) navigable Subterranean River! It is also home to the Philippines’ best dive spot: the Tubbataha Reef. Palawan is so isolated it is called The Last Frontier of the Philippines (just like Alaska is for the US. And it is beautiful for three special reasons.

One: It is a bastion of eco-tourism.

light at the end of the tunnel

For just under $100 each we took a one-hour flight to Puerto Princesa, the capital of Palawan, from Manila on a Cebu Pacific flight. The very next day, for just a little over $30 each, we joined a tour to the Underground River, a World Heritage Site, only a 2-hour van ride plus a 30-minute boat ride outside of the city. After a short walk through wooden planks in a forest inhabited by monkeys and monitor lizards, we took to paddle boats, marveled at the limestone karst mountain landscape outside and the stunning  formations inside its deep chambers, and sighed as the light at the end of the tunnel signaled the finish. Later we were treated to a scrumptious Filipino buffet on a beach resort on the way back to our hotels. 

an Asian bearcat

The efforts of Palawan at eco-tourism are quite admirable. The Palawan Wildlife Refuge and Conservation Center is home to about 2,000 endangered Philippine crocodiles (both salt and fresh water) in various stages of development. The largest at 17 feet is a 60-year old male. For just under a $1 per person, you can learn about them and the Asian bearcats, Asian white-bellied eagles, Philippine turtles, and other endangered species, endemic to the island.   

  

the Asian white-bellied eagle

a Christmas tree of fireflies

An interesting sidelight is the Firefly Watching Tour, at about $15 per person. After nightfall, sometimes even past midnight, more than 10 boats paddle waves of tourists to and fro the Iwahig River. This has been a protected area since 2008. Thousands of ‘lightning bugs’ cling to  nipa, nilad  (Maynilad, original name of Manila, means ‘with nilad’), and other trees on the lush 20 hectare mangrove forest on its banks, making a spectacle of Christmas trees year round! The river bed plankton also adds to the area’s luminescence when you dip your hands and wave them in the water on a pitch black night.

Pambato Reef in Honda Bay

Two: It is great natural playground!

We went on an island hopping spree for just a little over $20 each on Honda (meaning, open, deep as opposed to land-locked) Bay, home to 13 islands, 3 islets, emerald waters, and white beaches.  First stop was Pambato Reef, a man-made cluster of 2 floating connected huts where we fed schools of colorful fish and snorkeled around beautiful live corrals.

Snake Island off Honda Bay

Then our boat took us to Pandan Island where many pandan trees, whose leaves give rice and other dishes enhanced flavor and fragrance, prosper. There, not content with our Filipino buffet, we bought, for just $6, 6 crabs from a vendor who steamed them for us. Our last stop was Snake Island, shaped like a snake, its beach is 2 miles long.  Our guide pointed out an interesting islet: Lu-Li,  ‘lulubog-lilitaw’ meaning ‘sinking down/coming up’ depending on the tide.

the Lu-Li Islet of Honda Bay

Next: Part 2: Reasons Two and Three

WOW: Loving the Night Life in Manila!

Mall of Asia at night, from our car

‘I love the night life…I love to boogie…’ so goes the song. And, though it’s most appropriate in the Manila night scene (my gang and I used to roam Ermita, the tourist district up to the wee hours of Saturday mornings), Bill and I are more subdued on this trip.  But we still thoroughly loooooved it. All you night owls will, too! Being the call center capital of the world, Manila is buzzing with activity 24x7.

Savannah Moon dance floor

It’s disco for the young, but for us sexygenarians…it’s ballroom dancing fever. My dear friend Ann’s nth birthday celebration was an exclusive Birthday Milonga at the favorite hangout of Manila’s Argentine tango elite enthusiasts, Savannah Moon in Eastwood City. It was good they played some disco, rock n roll, swing, and Latin music so Bill and I were able to dance our night away!

World Pyromusical Competition at MOA 

At the famous Mall of Asia (third largest in the world, after 2 huge ones in China), the 2^nd World Pyromusical Competition (fireworks synchronized with music) was held. You should have seen the nightscapes glittering with entries from Australia and the Philippines (as host, not an entry). 2 countries were on display every Saturday evening and we were fortunate to have caught the last one!  Most of Manila must have been there and what ordinarily took us 30 minutes from the condotel to MOA took almost 3 hours. Lesson learned.

we were two of the millions watching

Contrast this to the quiet and elegant evening at gracious and elegant Nina Halley’s posh loft at Ritz Towers on Ayala Avenue, the main artery of the upscale part of the financial district of Metro Manila, Makati. We had wine and baked oysters on her veranda with a fantastic view of Manila by night.  Her buffet table was crowned by Spanish-infuenced cocido (beef stewed with plantain bananas, green  beans and cabbage, eaten with mashed roasted eggplants with plenty of garlic), baked pompanos, red egg salad, and lumpia shanghai (our tiny egg rolls). Brewed Batangas coffee, herbal tea with honey and cinnamon, and good dessert wine kept us company to the wee hours of the morning at her coffee room!

the view from Nina's veranda

Contrast this further to the noisy and informal sidewalk Thai restaurant that my beautiful daughter April loves to patronize.  Authentic Thai dishes are served at reasonable prices on red Monobloc tables and chairs while cars occasionally drove on the road between  the house where the meals are cooked and the sidewalk.  Just across the fence on the other side is another upscale section of Makati, Rockwell.

Bollywood, here we come!

I may have time to write about them later but we have already scheduled fine dining experiences at Burgos Circle, a new place in The Global City which is fast becoming the new business district to replace Makati.  And a dinner/fashion statement at Bollywood the in-Indian restaurant where my amigas and I will wear our new saris brought home by Dittas direct from Colombo, Sri Lanka where she is a consultant/CEO at an IT company.

photo show at the mall

Watching movies is also fashionably up-to-date with three theaters offering lazy-boy recliner chairs and flowing drinks and popcorn or whatever you may want to order.   We have been to one but we have also scheduled another which is supposed to have love recliners…for two! Another favorite past time are karaoke sessions in music lounges where you can book a room for a private party. With the Filipinos’ penchant for music, you had better book in advance or be content with Sunday afternoons when they are relatively free.

hanging out at Greenbelt Park

Then there are the parks! You already know that we are housed next to one, Greenbelt Park where we just chanced upon a photography show with free drinks one night. Our favorite hangout is also there, Felix, which serves all drinks at 50% off from 4-11 PM!  For coffee, you can choose between Seattle’s Best and Starbucks both fronting the green oasis at the middle where there is a stage that is used for mini-concerts. Evening masses at the open dome church is also cooler than morning or afternoon masses.

home away from the RV

There is really no dull moment at Manila by night. Whether you want more action like dancing or just simply watch concerts (Don McClean just had a concert in February and Justin Bieber is scheduled this month) you can find it here. For those who looooove the night life, Manila is definitely a place to be! And home is just right where the action is! 

WOW: Feasting on Filipino Food!

salad greens with all the trimmings
at Sonya's Garden in Tagaytay

Filipino food is not well known, unlike Thai or Vietnamese.  Our cuisine has native Malay, Chinese, and Spanish (we were a colony for 300 years), and American (we were a colony for 50 years) influences but does not really incorporate a lot of spices like our Asian neighbors do. Bill keeps on joking that we are truly compatible since Scottish food is the same. But, having been back in Manila for almost 2 weeks now, I have gained a few pounds because of our great familiar food!

turon, sweet potato bits, and chocolate cake

Our dear friend Ann’s birthday celebration was at Sonya’s Garden, a famous b&b, garden, and restaurant in Tagaytay, the literally cool town on the ridge of the world’s ‘smallest volcano within a volcano’ crater (Taal Lake) about an hour from Makati. They produce all the vegetables and fruits used in the meals served: greens with six dressings, pasta with two sauces, and for dessert, caramelized sweet potato bits and turon (bananas and jack fruit in lumpia shells and caramelized in brown sugar).

sinigang sinangag at top and
crispy dinuguan in the middle

The road from Tagaytay to Makati led us to a local chain of restaurants called Kanin Club where rice (kanin) is served in utterly unique ways. A favorite is sinigang sinangag, an oxymoron. The first word means sour soup and the second means fried with lots of garlic; in other words, fried soup! The rice is first boiled with sour soup and then fried so the rice tastes like the soup with all its condiments. They also had crispy dinuguan which literally means bloodied. It is usually pork sautéed in garlic and onions then stewed with pork blood, vinegar and chilis. Their version used chicharons or crispy pork cracklings!

chicken binacol

Then a reunion with friends at a local hotel chain, Legend Villas, was a feast of Filipino dishes, laid out on a sumptuous buffet table.  I stuffed myself with chicken binacol, a legendary thin soup made from chicken, pepper leaves, green papaya, garlic, onion, and lots of ginger and pepper! But, I tried to leave room for the other dishes I have long waited for (my cooking does not approximate the real thing!). I feasted on Spanish kare-kare: meat with a thick sauce of ground peanuts and toasted rice and lots green beans, bokchoy, eggplant and banana hearts.

Halo-Halo Bar

Vegetable ukoy, pork barbecue, beef salpicado, poached fish, Filipino salad, etc. were also there but I wanted to save space for dessert which was a complete Halo-Halo (literally, mix-mix) bar. No one visiting the Philippines should miss this. Back in the US we even bought an ice shaver and ingredients for Bill! A bowl of beans in syrup, caramelized sweet potato and banana cubes, cubes of coconut gel and gelatin, and toasted puffed rice are topped with shaved ice and milk. Then we add special toppings of leche flan (egg custard), sweet purple yam, and even ice cream!

street kiosk among office buildings

Salcedo Saturday food market

Contrast these to $1 a dish street food available at sidewalk kiosks along the busy streets where blue-collar workers queue for quick lunches and a Saturday market at the Salcedo Park in the middle of high-rise condos where local (and international) cuisine can be had for a song on Saturdays courtesy of enterprising residents. But I should mention the large selection of seasonal tropical fruits I have missed most: mabolo, chesa, makopa, kaimito, chico, santol, duhat, sinigwelas, mangoes, papayas, pineapple, star apple, coconuts, durian, guayabano, and many varieties of bananas.

coconuts, durian, and guayabano

I do not know why Filipino food has not become famous. Could it be that Filipinos are just not more entrepreneurial rather than the cuisine being too bland? Here’s what Bill, my Caucasian husband and guest blogger, says:  ‘I must admit that many of the fruits that Carol mentioned are not as appealing to me as a good orange, peach, nectarine, or apple.  However the mangoes are better than those usually available in the states, but I find little difference in the pineapples, bananas, papayas. But you should all have some of the Taiwanese mangoes which taste just as good as Philippine mangoes but are at least as big as big papayas!

kaimitos, mangoes, chesas, santols
chicos, macopas, and guavas

Perhaps the best reason that Filipino food hasn’t taken off in the US is the fact that the business aspects of the product/market mix have not been explored enough. Most appeal to a Filipino niche looking for their comfort food. Even if I have acquired the taste for them, most Americans would not like them. Marketing and presentation are critical.  Just as many Mexican restaurants have become “gringo-ized”, Filipino restaurants would need to modify (Americanize) in order to become truly established in the US.

24x7 hot pan de sal

Besides, Fiiipinos easily fit into the American scene, because of language and the long exposure to Americans.  It also seems that they all like to cook!  Whenever there is a gathering there is food, lots of food, so why go to restaurants?  But those Spanish-influenced dishes like salpicado, mechado, caldereta, cocido, and afritada are similar to our pot roasts and beef stew (with slightly different flavors) so they can become favorites, along with the standard  adobo (meat stewed in soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, onions, and bay leaves) and pancit (rice noodles, chicken, and vegetables ).

So, I also feasted on Filipino Food, including the ubiquitous pan de sal (sweet dinner rolls, mainstay of Filipino breakfasts and snacks) sold freshly baked at ubiquitous Pan de Manila shops 24x7! 

Needing Your Help, Helping While Cruising WOW

One of the disadvantages we quickly found out about the cruising lifestyle is the loss of attachment to our parish church and the stewardship with which we chose to help the community. Staying in a place for just 3 weeks max did not afford us enough time to build relationships and work on a ministry, at least not like our favorite Filipino-American Association of St. John the Baptist Church in Covington, Washington which we helped found, the Supper Clubs we participated in, and the Eucharistic Ministry.

We discussed our dilemma with Fr. Jack Walmesley of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish Church in West Seattle and he broached an idea that we will pursue upon our return from the Philippines to the RVing lifestyle, going North East three months from now.  We will document best practices in community outreach all over the USA. But my greater inclination is to find something that takes from a developed country like my adopted home, the USA, to help my underdeveloped birth home, the Philippines, as long as it fits our lifestyle and resources. That means giving more of our talent, not time or treasure.

We found a competition of Seven Fund, the Fisherman Foundation, and the University of Asia and the Pacific. $20,000 will be given to the BIG (Breakthrough Innovation Grant) idea that will best help alleviate poverty in Metro Manila (Manila and 15 surrounding cities). So my only daughter who still resides in Manila, April, and I worked on an idea we have been dreaming to do and she entered it in the contest. In the meantime, my husband Bill and I, now pretty seasoned travelers, worked on another idea that we wished the Philippines could offer those interested to visit the country and he entered it.

The contest ends March 15, 2011. One of three criteria is the quantity and quality of promotional outreach the idea generates, i.e., number of likes and quality of comments. May I take this opportunity to appeal to all of you who have come to like visiting this blog, to read the 2 appeals below and click on the link you like better (or better yet, click both links!) and click the entry’s Like button and perhaps leave a comment! We will greatly appreciate your help.

Bill and April discussing their ideas

APPEAL FROM APRIL: When my mother and I co-wrote The Good Story (which won the online contest of the Morality of Profit Project last year), we had the germ of an idea for a social enterprise. I entered this idea called PinoySEEde into Seven Fund’s Think BIG competition. Pinoy SEEDE seeks to establish a network that links the Source of Expertise and Experience to the Development of Entrepreneurs. It will be similar in platform to Facebook, but it will be a community of volunteer experts in business matched with struggling businessmen. IA thrust like this will help generate more jobs and ultimately create a strong middle class, the backbone of good economies. You may vote for this idea by clicking the link below, clicking the Like button at the top of the entry, and leaving a comment. Thank you so much!

http://www.breakthroughinnovationgrant.com/pinoyseede-linking-expertise-to-struggling-entrepreneurs/

APPEAL FROM BILL: Since I retired, I have had a desire to do something as part of my “payback”.  Being a Filipina, Carol’s plan had always been to somehow help the Philippines. She asked me to join this Think BIG contest sponsored by Seven Fund. We entered this project: GEM, a substantial website to attract tourism dollars. The ultimate goal is to create jobs and alleviate poverty in the megalopolis. Please go to the following link, click the “like” button at the top of the entry and make a comment. Quality inputs/promotional reach are in the criteria for selecting the idea that would get the $20,000 seed money. We would surely appreciate your help!

http://www.breakthroughinnovationgrant.com/gem-go-and-experience-manila/

  

Celebrating, Shopping in Massive Manila Malls OLA

parade along Ayala Avenue

yellow ribbons along Paseo de Roxas

We arrived on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the EDSA Revolution that toppled Marcos who ruled the country for 21 years, the last 14 under martial law, with his wife Imelda of 3,000 shoes. The trees were all tied with yellow ribbons in memory of Ninoy Aquino who, upon arrival from exile in the US, was felled by the bullet of an assassin at the Manila International Airport (now named after him). TV channels were playing videos of his speech about why he needed to come back to free his people, his hopes during his last minutes inside a China Airlines plane, and his dead body sprawled on the tarmac.

Ninoy at Ayala Ave cor. Paseo de Roxas, Makati 

Later in the day there were celebrations at the corner of Ayala Avenue and Paseo de Roxas in Makati which has become a podium for political expression by the lower and middle class. There, a statue of Ninoy lords it over the high-rises. His heroism led to the ascendancy of his wife Cory and the recent election of his son Noynoy as Presidents of a free Philippines. It was exhilarating to reminisce these moments in history when I was an idealistic yuppie participant. Our taxi driver was so proud. He felt that many countries (Egypt, Libya, and others) are now on the road to freedom because of our example!

Greenbelt Park Mall by night

our new home in Makati

But now we have settled in our new ‘home’ at the Prince Plaza 2 Condominium in Makati, the financial center of the Philippines. It is a comfortable 45 sq. m. (around 400 sq. feet) room, slightly larger than our RV! And it is right within the Greenbelt Park Mall, a complex of 5 malls around a green oasis with an open domed church in the center. During masses the malls and their shoppers are transformed into one giant community of worshippers! After all, the Philippines is 90% Catholic. But this post is really about a woman’s first impulse in a new country…shopping…which is one of its major attractions.

The Mall of Asia

The third largest mall in the world (after The South China Mall and The Great Mall of China in China) is The Mall of Asia with over 4.2 million square feet of floor area. It is in a reclaimed area known as Bay City in Manila Bay. An Esplanade faces the water and a boardwalk that features zip lines, performers, play areas, Segways, a Manny Pacquiao (the country’s hero-boxer) statue, and the famous Manila sunset. Inside are an ice skating rink, a Science Discovery Center, a Kid’s Universe, a convention center, an office complex, and over 1,000 stores in 2 levels of 4 buildings connected by walkways along the bay.

roaming around the boardwalk on a Segway

Beside the Greenbelt Park Mall is the larger Glorietta Mall, carved out of four buildings joined together into one complex creating a giant lobby at the center, both owned by the Ayalas along with 15 others. And nearby is Power Plant Mall at Rockwell Center, perhaps the most upscale of them all. In Ortigas is MegaMall, still the 8th largest mall in the world, owned by the Sys who also own Mall of Asia and 53 other shopping centers including SM City of North EDSA, the 7th largest and SM City of Cebu, the 12th largest.  Eastwood City is a unique little complex of office spaces and boutique but upscale outlets.

Manila Bay behind the mall

Then there’s Building 168, a mall within Divisoria - the Philippines’ Chinatown - where the goods, either Philippine handicrafts or shipments from China, are dirt cheap. One can easily get there via the above-ground MRT system now linking most of Manila and the 15 cities that comprise Metro Manila.  Two other tiangge-like (like flea markets) malls are the Greenhills Shopping Center which was converted into thousands of stalls and the new Tiendesitas (small tiendas or stores) which house Fashion, People, Food, Novelty, and Antique Villages. These are places to go to for bargains, other than the ukay-ukays!

Manny Pacquiao on the boardwalk

Metro Manila is truly a shopper’s paradise. Global brand names, Philippine handicrafts and designs, China and other Asian goods, and, yes, fakes that are so like the originals give everyone whatever is the best value for his money. Four of the Top 12 Largest Shopping Malls are here. And the Filipino people are so warm, friendly and hospitable that customer service in the country is legendary! Besides, every one of them, from the cab driver to the cleaning lady to the sidewalk vendor, speak English (actually, Taglish, a nice blend of Tagalog and English) which is in our constitution as our secondary language for business and for education.

a row of tiendesitas