Floods!

Its raining heavily today, reminding me of the floods last month.

Metro Manila is notorious for flooding.  Built on a plain between the South China Sea and a lake, much of the area lies at or just above sea level.  Many areas actually lie below sea level.  The metropolis has experienced decades of dense urbanization, but basic infrastructure has lagged far behind.   Illegal logging and deforestation in the mountains contributes to runoff.  As a result, heavy rains invariably bring floods to the city during rainy season (June - October).

The street in front of the house

A few days after arriving home from our road-trip, a typhoon swept across northern Luzon, the island we're on.  Very soon after that, another typhoon parked itself for several days to the northeast of Luzon.  Although it never came ashore in this country, it sat in the "perfect" position to bring in the dreaded southwest monsoon rains.  We had three days of torrential non-stop rain bringing a month's worth of rain in that time.  Some nearby areas measured rainfall of 2 - 3 feet in those three days.  This turned out to be one of the heaviest rainfalls ever recorded here.

In the garage

Before the southwest monsoon rains ended, half or more of metro Manila was under water, including the house where Tony's mom lives.  This was only the second time the house has flooded.  She had more than a foot of water on the ground floor, but managed to calmly wait it out on the second floor.  Fortunately, friends and neighbors were able to help get critical items up above the water.  Within a week after the flood, everything had been cleaned and dried out.  These photos were taken by Tony's brother, Bob, who also lives at the same house.

Living room couch propped up on kitchen chairs

Here in The Fort where we're a little higher up and have new infrastructure, everything was fine and we had no problems.  But I was beginning to wonder if maybe we shouldn't have rented a unit higher than the 16th floor!

Today's rain is also a result of southwest monsoons pulled in by a "super" typhoon that is currently headed for Hong Kong.  Hopefully we won't see the same volume of rain or experience such severe flooding this time.

Road-trip

I'd been wanting to get in the car and take a road-trip.  In August, we decided to head north for a few days of exploration.

Pamarta Hotel, Morong, Bataan

The first day took us through Olongapo, home of what used to be the US's largest overseas naval base, and then south to Morong, Bataan.  We found a nice new hotel on the beach, the Pamarta, and stayed there for the night.  Being mid week and off season, we were the only guests, but at almost $100, it seemed a bit pricey.  We wandered the beach, and I made use of the pool.  Not a whole lot to do there, but it was very pretty.  Morong is also home to the only nuclear power plant built in the country, but it never opened after protests and seismic fears in the 80's.  Apparently, it's quite a popular tourist attraction.

The next day took us north through the province of Zambales.  Although we traveled the coastal route, we rarely saw the ocean unless we made detours to the coastline.  Not what I expected after living with highway 1 in California all those years.  But the view of the rice fields and towns along the way was beautiful.  There were also a couple of lahars visible from the Mt Pinatubo eruption back in 91.  Remember that one?  It was one of the planet's largest eruptions that century and affected the weather worldwide for a year.  A day trip to Mt Pinatubo is another of our planned trips.

Bolinao Beach

We ended up the day in Bolinao, Pangasinan staying at the Punta Riveria on the beach.  The area and beach are very pretty, and we happened to be there at low tide when a very wide section of the coast was exposed.  It helped make for an interesting afternoon of beach combing.

On the third day, we headed to the Hundred Islands national park in Pangasinan.  Its a spectacular area dotted with small islands (124 actually at low tide).  Many of the islands are mushroom shaped from eons of tidal erosion.  We hired a small boat and guide in Alaminos for about $30 for the day.  He takes you wherever you want to go, or in our case since we had no idea, will take you to recommended spots.  It's about a 20 - 30 minute trip out to the islands, and then you can island hop around.  Many of the islands have small white sand beaches were you can swim, snorkel, picnic, or just sightsee.  Its definitely an area I'd like to go back to.

Hundred Islands

Hundred Islands

Good thing we took the trip when we did.  A couple days after returning, the area was hit with two typhoons causing lots of damage, mostly from the torrential rains.  More on that later.

 For more road-trip photos, CLICK HERE.

Davao

June took us to Davao.  It's on the southern island of Mindanao and the country's third largest city.  Like Cebu, it pales in comparison to Manila in size, congestion, traffic, etc.

We were there for Mely's birthday.  Planned and hosted by her sister, Erlin, the surprise party was a small intimate affair for more than 100 of Mely's closest friends.  Wow.  Erlin really knows how to throw a party complete with lots of food and an extensive entertainment program.  It was a really good time.

We were also able to see parts of Davao including lunch on Samal island, just across the water from Davao, and a trip up to Eden Nature Park on Mount Apo, the country's highest mountain.  Both are beautiful areas and worthy of a return visit.

For those who have heard of security concerns on Mindanao, the eastern half of the island, including Davao, is quite safe.  The western side has a muslim majority that has long pushed for autonomy, and that has included armed conflict for several decades.  It was the same when I was here in the 70's.  Its generally a good idea for westerners to stay clear of that side of the island.  There is a new negotiated agreement with the government and muslim leadership for shared autonomy in the area, so cross your fingers that things will finally settle down in that small area of the country.

CLICK HERE for more photos from Davao.

Cebu

Cebu from the Marco Polo

May marked someone's birthday.  We decided to head to Cebu, the second largest city in the country, and one I'd been wanting to visit.  I'd heard lots of good things about it and wanted to see for myself.  Mely, a good friend living further south in Davao, flew in to join us.  And by luck, Marina, another friend from the US, happened to be staying in town and also joined us.

We stayed at the Marco Polo, just up the hill from central Cebu.  Mely had already arrived and was meeting with someone for work related stuff in the lobby who, after their meeting, took it upon herself to play tour guide.  Ellen took us to lunch at Golden Cowrie, home of some really delicious local dishes. The deconstructed kare kare was a surprising treat.  She then drove us all over town and beyond showing us the hospitality that Filipinos are so noted for.  Thanks Ellen!

Tony, Mely, Marina, Bill

The following day, we decided to take a boat out to the nearby island of Olango and have lunch at one of the floating restaurants.  Instead of hiring a boat for lots of money, we took the 20 minute ride on the public bangka for a whole 15 pesos each, 35 cents US!  Once there, we took a tricycle (a motorcycle with a sidecar commonly used for public transit here) out to the "floating" restaurants.  They're actually not floating, but built just offshore on stilts.  Once you get out there on a small boat, you pick from fresh seafood available that day and they cook it there for you.  Turns out the pricing was a bit of a tourist ripoff, but we sure did have fun.  On the return boat trip back to shore, we hadn't factored in that the tide had gone out.  The small boat couldn't get to shore.  Three of us were able to just take off our shoes and walk the remaining 10 feet to shore, but Mely had jeans on and had to be carried on the back of one of the helpers.  Oh how I wish I'd gotten a photo of that!  It was a delightful way to bring in a new year.  

I was thoroughly impressed with Cebu.  Even though the second largest city, it pales in comparison in size to Manila.  But that means congestion, pollution and other urban ills are much much less.  It sits on the water, but has mountains just behind it.  Access to other tropical islands throughout the middle of the country is quick and easy.  It doesn't get the typhoons that frequent the north.  If we had friends or family down there, I'd consider moving to the area.

For more Cebu photos, CLICK HERE.

Anilao

A few weeks after Stephen's visit, we returned to Anilao for a weekend with JB and Ysa, the owners and good friends.  It's awfully hard to turn down an offer to spend time there with them!  

Nicknamed Kamalig, this seaside family retreat was designed and built by JB and Ysa as a place for family and friends to gather, relax and interact in a shared beautiful setting.  Boy did they succeed.  The entire place is oriented to enjoy nature, the ocean and most importantly, to share time with each other.  The main gathering area is the dining / kitchen area, totally open to the yard and the sea.  The "living room" is an open-air building with comfy couches and chairs, again open to the ocean.  One wall of the cabanas where you sleep totally opens up to views of the yard and water.  You feel like you're in a private five star resort.  

The beach is composed of broken coral and stones, so no sand castle building here.  But step out into the warm clear ocean, and you quickly find plenty of coral and bright colorful fish.  Mon, the caretaker, loves to take visitors to his favorite reefs and snorkeling areas on the kayak.  The area is now designated as a preserve after having been virtually destroyed by dynamite fishing years ago, and the coral and fish have returned and are again plentiful.  Snorkeling and diving are now the big local activities throughout the area.  

Tony, Diego and Manu

This trip was special because we got to spend time with Ysa and JB and their two kids, Manu and Diego.  That was a real treat.


For more Anilao photos, CLICK HERE.

Stephen's Visit

April brought our first visitor from the US, Stephen Billars!  Sure was good to see a familiar face from "home".

We headed first to Anilao, Batangas where a close friend of Tony has an incredible paradise by the sea.  About a 3 hour drive south of here, JB has created a weekend family compound on the ocean that he graciously let us use.  This was my second visit there, the first one being in 2011, but Tony and Stephen's first.  The place is amazingly beautiful, peaceful and so relaxing.  The caretakers, Mon and Chelma, and their kids add to its comfort and character.  We spent the next couple days eating, drinking, swimming, snorkeling, kayaking, reading and relaxing.  Perfect.

Next on the agenda was a day trip to Tagaytay, about an hour and a half southwest from Manila.  We hung out a bit at the family house and had lunch along the ridge at Antonio's.  The view of the lake and volcano from the restaurant was wonderful.

Our time in metro Manila had been either walking around The Fort or in Makati.  Although both areas are beautiful, they offer a rather sanitized skewed view of life in the Philippines with neither of them offering much of a glimpse of more typical living in the metropolis.  So off we headed on the heavily used local light rail system through town, walking through Rizal Park and then wandering through Intramuros, the old walled part of Manila dating back to Spanish times.  We finished the afternoon walking along Manila Bay and then through Malate for merienda at the Aristocrat, a local favorite restaurant.

We're looking forward to more visits, Stephen!

 CLICK HERE for more photos of Stephen's visit.

Boracay

In recent years, Boracay has received accolades and top ratings by international travel magazines as one of the best beach islands to visit worldwide.  But I'd also heard people say it has been over-developed.  I had to see for myself.  So in March, off we went to Boracay!

We flew into Caticlan, less than an hour south of Manila.  You can also fly into the larger airport at Kalibo, but you have to take a 2 hour bus ride from there.  Caticlan isn't big enough to handle jet aircraft, but its just a short boat ride across the straights to Boracay.  Much more convenient.  Once you dock at the Boracay pier, you take a tricycle to your hotel.

White beach is the well known area that is commonly the subject of travel magazines.  That's where we stayed.  The sand is a fine white powder, the water is crystal clear and the beaches are lined with coconut palms.  It really is stunningly beautiful. Facing west, the sunsets are as beautiful as I've ever seen.  But the reports of over-development are true as well.  The entire white beach area has been built up with small hotels, restaurants and shopping.  Yet it all seems to work together ok and didn't detract from our delight in being there.

The island is small enough that you can easily walk to Bulabog beach on the other side.  Much less touristy, its where the wind and kite surfers hang out.  From there, we also walked up to the top of Mt. Luho that has a panoramic view of the entire island.  Really enjoyed that.

The Shangi La, probably the top hotel on the island, runs a free shuttle to their place at the north end of the island, so we headed out there for drinks and dinner one evening.  That was a real treat.  We happened to be there at sunset when we saw a colony of fruit bats at that end of the island fly off in search of fruit for the evening.  They're often called "flying foxes" because of their size - huge!

In spite of the development, Boracay is a place we'll visit again.

CLICK HERE for more Boracay photos.

Hong Kong

Our first trip in the Philippines was to...  Hong Kong.  Go figure.  But a very good friend of ours, Kevin Souza, was going to be there on business and we couldn't pass up the opportunity and seeing him.  Besides, Hong Kong is only an hour and a half away and tickets are pretty cheap.  The trip also gave me an excuse to dig the jeans and jacket out of the closet for the first time in more than a month!

So in late January, we headed to Hong Kong, staying at the Xi Hotel, a smaller boutique hotel in lower Kowloon.  We liked it a lot, and the location near Nathan Road and walking distance to the Star Ferry was great.  We'd stay there again.  Kevin being on business trip and expense account stayed at the W and raved about it, but the location was quite a bit further out.

Boy does Hong Kong make being a visitor easy.  The new airport is quite a ways out from the city, but it couldn't be easier getting there on a train.  Signs and directions are clear, and there's always someone willing to help.  English is widely spoken.  Same goes for the subway system within Hong Kong.  Definitely get the octopus card for traveling on the public transit system.

We spent a couple days wandering Hong Kong island and Kowloon with Kevin and had a great time.  Highlights included the Star Ferry rides back and forth, the tram to the Peak, walking tours around HK island, the night-time light show on the harbor, the night market and several great meals.  We finished up our time together with high tea at the Peninsula Hotel and drinks up at the top of the hotel at the Felix bar.  Great view!

More Hong Kong photos are available by clicking here.

The Condo

Once figuring out that The Fort is where we wanted to be, finding a fully furnished condo came next.  There were quite a few choices since lots of the units here are purchased by investors and rented out, especially to expats.  Many we saw were really nice inside, but had little or no view.  Others had a great view, and a price to go with it.  We finally found a brand new 2 bedroom unit that was just being completed that suited us well on the 16th floor of The Sapphire Residences.

Like in the states, newer condos are not very big.  Ours is not quite 80 square meters, or about 850 square feet.  In the 2nd bedroom, there's barely space to walk around the queen sized bed.  But we do have a maid's quarters with its own bath, something that commonly comes with 2 bedroom condos and bigger in this country!  It makes for great storage and a place to put unruly guests.   

Rents in this neighborhood, probably among the highest in the country, were a bit of a surprise to me.  We're paying 70,000 pesos a month, about $1,600 at today's exchange rate.  Cheap by our San Francisco standards, but expensive for the Philippines.  But with a pool, gym, parking, furnishings and a great location, I find it worth it.  

I've always wanted to try out condo living, and I'm really enjoying it, but the jury is still out at least for me as to whether or not condo living is for me.  I miss having a garden and green space I can putz around in, and there's not a good area to set up space for projects.  But I sure do love the view!

CLICK HERE for more photos of the condo.

Our Neighborhood

As we explored metro Manila, a sprawling metropolis of about 12 million, for a couple months trying to figure out where to live, the search kept leading us back to Fort Bonifacio Global City, often just referred to as "The Fort" or "Global City".  A couple of decades ago, it was home to an infamous army base that housed Marcos' political detainees.  Bulldozed for development, it now houses dozens of commercial and residential high-rises with a central retail outdoor mall.  And the place continues to grow by leaps and bounds.

It looks and feels like you could be anywhere in the world.  Although I feared it might be too sterile, we really like the central location next to Makati, its walkability and the many stores and restaurants.  Many of the brands everyone knows in the US are a short walk away.  In their desire to be a global city, they even make a reasonable effort to enforce things like traffic regulations.  Cars mostly (sometimes?) stop for pedestrians in a crosswalk, virtually unheard in most of the Philippines, and people queue up for buses.  Wow!

CLICK HERE for more photos of The Fort.