Before, During, After for money

Before

1. Make sure to have $100 USD ( or safe amount of YOUR local currency)
2. Make sure you'll be able to ATM in destination countrie(s)
3. Check to see if your hotel(s) will take credit card or require cash
4. Print out a cheat sheet of conversions from Local to USD / come up with a simple way to do it in your head
   

During

1. ATM at the airport
   
2. ATM, don't ever go to a Money Changer
3. Keep ATM receipts, esp if your ban will reimburse

After

1. Know if you need to pay an exit tax to leave
2. Make sure to have $50-100 in local country ( not counting Exit Tax)
   

I so appreciate my own bed

We've been back for 2 weeks or so now. And there's nothing quite like being back in your own bed after some good travel. More updates this weekend.

As the rooster crows

Vince and I spent the remainder of the night after getting off the ship in a nipa hut. It was constructed of coconut lumber and had a nipa thatched roof. The front was open to the jungle. Being sans mosquito net, we slept with a sheet over our heads. It was raining, rather warm, and not much flow from the fan was felt with a sheet over our heads. It was at that point that we couldn't help but make an astonishing observation.

Being in the jungle, doesn't necessarily mean that we have to be away from all aspects of domestication. Notably, our hosts and well as all of their neighbors had roosters. The roosters it seems are able to crow with a period of approximately 10-20 seconds. After one has crowed for a length of time, cooperative efforts with other roosters allows the "serial collective crow" to be maintained. It is possible for this to be kept up for several hours since we first observed it starting at around 2:30 AM and continuing well into 7 AM. I think I heard every crow.

The Filipino Dude Ranch

Our next stop was at the Villa Escudeo resort. It is styled like one would find a dude ranch in America. The accommodations are constructed of bamboo and with a thatched nipa roof. The beds have surrounding mosquito screen and the expansive balcony looks out over the flowing river.

Lunch was served below the dam spillway. The tables and chairs were in about 6 inches of flowing water with a solar screen covering above. It was served in buffet style with various adobos, fish, etc. One of the memorable deserts were the caramelized bananas and the tapioca with brown sugar sauce and coconut cream.

Later that day they had a floor show consisting of the history of the Philippines displayed in dance. It started with tribal costumes and dance, transitioning to the era of muslimification, followed by Spanish influences. The multi-piece band with acoustic guitar type instruments was exceptional. Even better, they played a dinner serenade. Vincent's dad sent some money their direction and they played happy birthday for Vincent since he turned 33 that day.

From there we made a dash for Batangas to catch a ship to Odiongan the island that Vincent's dad is from. Since the ship didn't leave for some time, we traveled to Taal Volcano. It is billed as the smallest volcano in the Philippines. It juts out from the center of an enormous lake. We had lunch from high up, overlooking the lake and volcano.

After arriving back at the ship and finding out bunk. Yes, bunk. Let me stop and explain. We went de luxe class which consisted of a room with about 80 beds in bunk-bed fashion. It was also air conditioned which was perhaps the distinguishing factor making it de luxe since the other area had bunk beds but were open to the sea air. I was easy to spot since I was the only non-Asian on the ship. We had a picnic lunch of some of the fare we had purchased in the market and on the road to the ship. I slept pretty well; however, we arrived at around 2 AM in Odiongan and had to get off there. We were met by relatives of Vincent's dad and stayed at their place in "the country."

A little futher along in the trip

While on one of our jaunts, it seems that a very common site is buko pie. Buko is the green coconut that has the thin milk that you see folks chopping with a machete and sticking a straw in the top. The young coconut is soft and smooth and it gets harvested to make a pie. It is something akin to an apple pie but with less sugar. They are everywhere and we've put away 3 or 4. I've lost track.

We parused the market in Lucena and saw lots of old standy-bys as well as some new things. My favorite have to be the mangosteens, hard crimson exterior with white sweet wedges inside. We have also been downing lots of langones which are thin skinned, have wedges of translucent, sweet fruit and are oblong, about an inch long. We have gone though several batches of those.

While on the road we have also encountered a sweet rice roll which has a powdery exterior called Espasol. Let's face it, traveling is about the food, so we purchased a cassava cake. It is made from a tuber which has a smooth consistency. It's sweetened and has a caramelized top which remotely reminded me of a flan.

Sticker Shock

The prices here have really induced some sticker shock. It started with the all you can eat buffet I mentioned in the last post. That set us back US$3.50. Since I've whetted your appetite. 2 bags of groceries with a bag of bread with ube (purple tuber) mixed in like a marbled rye, 4 canned drinks of tropical fruit juice, a box of soymilk, 3 cans of coffee, peanut butter, 2 cans of tuna, a roll of paper towels, a package of dried mangos, and tea...and I swear I'm leaving something out, all of that for US$12.50. With prices like that I thought about Rob and asked what some domestic help would cost. Seems that someone to come over, clean, cook, watch the kids will run about$50-100 per month. The private driver that has been taking us around makes around US$12.50 a day from the person who arranged our vehicle and driver. Apparently that is good money since he's been working for the guy for 8 years.

I ... I don't know if I can describe any of it yet

So I'm in the town that my Dad grew up in. I've been to the town my mom grew up in from High school onward. We've slept in the crazy city that is Manila, we've slept in a rest house in the middle of the Jungle walking distance from the beach. We've ate foods and vegetables that I don't think I can even hope to pronounce without help much less spell. And in many ways, it's so not what I thought it would be. It's more, it's less. I think that maybe when I'm back from the heat I can describe it, or maybe I'll et to a point here where I can.

But regardless, one of the most amazing things is the transportation. From the no holds barred traffic where the rules are the rules of the jungle, Filipino style, to the ferry boat complete with people transporting live Texas rooster ( best kind for Cock fight ) and the Deluxe accommodations with AC. And of course, the Jypnee and Tricycle cannot be described. Even the books I've been reading do not do justice to the mortal fear and assurity that you feel at the same time. It's ... it's very zen.

But I think, that what I am appreciating most is the time with my parents. Basking in the love they have for each other, their joy in being here, and their joy in being one with their home ... it is infectious, it is exhilarating, it defies my poor descriptions.

For now, I am glad that we've had a week and have another.