F is for Filipino, Family, Food, Fun and Friendship

Those who know me, don’t bother to ask why we travel to the Philippines all the time; they think they know. I’m not sure I even know why, but during our last adventure I discovered more reasons to go back again.

I refer to our trip as an adventure, because it was. It was certainly no package holiday, organised by the local travel agent who can’t even locate the Philippines on a map. I will take the credit for the itinerary, thanks, but I will not take the credit for two cancelled flights, three typhoons, food poisoning and one jeepney accident. Those problems were definitely out of my hands, and let’s face it, they just added to the fun!

 Family Of course, when we travel to the Philippines, it would be unheard of not to visit the relatives: the cousins, uncles, aunties, grandparents and anyone who happens to have the same last name as you. We also met many families on our trip: some Filipino, some tourists, some poor, some wealthy. The strong bonds shared by members of Filipino families is something that I truly admire. It is evident in the way that families stick together, no matter what their circumstances and in the way that the individual makes sacrifices for the sake of the other members of his family. It’s only when you talk to Filipino families that you gain a greater understanding and respect for the mothers and fathers who choose to work thousands of kilometres away from their families in order to provide for them.

 Food I find it a little tricky travelling in the Philippines and not eating meat. Sometimes, from the reaction I get when I mention it, I wonder if having two heads would be easier to understand. The Philippines is all about food and sharing it with family and friends. It’s about making people eat so much that they feel that they will burst, and about not taking, “No, thanks, I’m full,” seriously. But for me, it’s all about bananacue: that sticky, sweet banana on skewers that you can buy on almost every corner.  Unfortunately for my husband, banana- cue does not give him the same warm, delicious feeling as it does me. That last bananacue he had in Boracay’s market may very well be responsible for 24 hours of pain and suffering. After a few cocktails, however, the sound of your spouse vomiting in the bathroom is a little easier to take, even a bit comical!

There are many wonderful places to eat in the Philippines. One such place is Isdaan, the Floating Restaurant Park at Gerona, Tarlac. Fresh seafood is served in nipa huts, as you are serenaded by all manner of performers, from traditionally dressed folk singers, to cowboys singing Elvis. If you are game, you can take up the challenge and walk the plank from one end of the pond to the other. If you make it, you receive two kilograms of cooked tilapia. If not, well it’s a wet ride home.

The other restaurant worth mentioning is the Waterfalls Restaurant at Villa Escudero in Laguna. What an experience, having lunch in front of a rushing waterfall , cool water on your feet, and delicious food to suit everyone’s tastes, even those weird vegetarians!

Fun The Philippines certainly offers many opportunities for fun. Let me run through a few of these activities, although I will add that I was generally the photographer and not a participant due to my fear of heights, speed, spinning, and generally anything that could kill me.

Each time we return to Boracay there seem to be more activities to choose from than the last. Two that we decided to try were zorbing and riding on the fly fish.

Zorbing involves sitting inside a huge inflatable ball with a few buckets of water thrown in. Once in, they plug the hole in the ball (to keep you and the water in) before pushing you down a hill. Sounds silly? Not as silly as the tourists before us who asked if they could lie down on the track and be run over by the ball on its next trip down the hill!

The fly fish is an inflated rubber boat that is pulled at high speeds by a motor boat around a beach or harbour. The ride on the speed boat was enough to knock me around, so I don’t know how my family coped with the high speed ride and the sometimes vertical aerial stunts of the fly fish.

The zipline on Bohol takes you for a 550 metre ride across a gorge with beautiful views down to the Loboc River and its famous floating restaurant boats.

Friendship Many new friends were made on our trip, and old friendships were strengthened. In Manila we met some Scouts who were part of the Ticket to Life troop in Malate. It is comprised of street children, who join Scouts to learn life skills. They also bond with other children and with leaders who guide them and help them make the right choices. The leaders, Sophia and Derek welcomed us with open arms, as did the children, who greeted us with a song. They played with my son, who is a Scout in Sydney, and exchanged badges and scouting souvenirs. Even though they did not have much of their own to give, they happily gave up their possessions as an act of friendship.

After thirteen years of sponsorship through World Vision Australia, I finally got to meet my sponsor child, Elben, in Cebu. He was accompanied by his parents, and it had taken them a gruelling four hour trip from their village to meet with us in the city. Although the communication was sometimes difficult, the joy of meeting for the first time was obvious. I know that we will always be friends, regardless of the distance between us.

 F for Filipino I have left out many of the details of our trip, but I have highlighted some of the main parts that will stay with me forever. On the trip home my husband asked me why I was still reading my Lonely Planet Guide to the Philippines. What a silly question! Of course I was already planning for our next trip. There are more than 7000 islands that make up the Philippines and we have seen less than ten, so I am starting my itinerary early. If you have any suggestions, please let me know.