Blog Title: the travels of stacey

Pack your trunks - we're going to Elephant Island!

Elephant Island was where Shackleton and his men were finally rescued. It is where I saw the jumping penguins which explains the fact that Shackleton and his men didn't go hungry.









































Whales!

Jumping Penguins!

If this works, this should be a slideshow of the jumping penguins I saw near Elephant Island yesterday.

Us in Antarctica

These pictures were taken by a professional photographer who is photographing for the brochures and websites. Of course they are unedited except I tried to straighten them a little. I'm sure he saved his best shots for the magazine. How did he get these? The ship lowered a tender. I am having a very hard time typing as I was just outside penguin watching and my hands are freezing!

Happy Antarctic New Year!

We made it! What a beautiful and peacefull start to our new year.

Ushuaia, Again

Yesterday, we left Ushuaia, the end of the world, en route for Antarctica. Today, we are back there, having encountered a storm. We played a comedian guitarist's show last night and it was really hard for him to stand on stage, it was so rocky. Last night a rogue wave hit the ship and broke 3 stateroom windows on deck 5. The people in the rooms were ok. The ship limped back to Ushuaia to get the windows fixed, and we still don't know if we will be able to see Antartica!

Christmas socks 'round the horn

This is the Christmas view from my porthole. I received another poinsettia this year.



You can see the Chilean Fjords in the distance.


Yesterday we rounded the horn. Just before that, we stopped here. I have no idea where this was or why we stopped here. We must just be on the border between Argentina and Chile.








Some kids take advantage of the empty pool deck and play soccer


I have a pizza and run into an old friend. He shuffles off to get me another present. I was expecting the same socks as last time - but when he gave me a pair of Christmas socks I was very happy!












For everyone who couldn't hear the audio on my last video, I think I fixed it below.

Merry Christmas!

We are spending Christmas in South America and New Year's will be in Antartica! Today is the big Christmas show, which we are putting together ourselves, and I had to write an arrangement of this song:



I have no idea what half of those lyrics refer to, but it's a catchy tune. The arrangement took me 2 weeks, because I can't navigate the program Finale too quickly.

Here are some clips of the rehearsal, Mum, your favourite guys are singing "Oh Holy Night" but check out Misha on the side, hogging the spotlight!

Dancing Store Clerks - Just Another Day at the Mall

While shopping for pants in the mall we encountered an unusual and disturbing phenomenon - Dancing Store Clerks.

Rice Field

Sherwin is the proud owner of a rice field which is a good business for his family. I have been looking forward to seeing it for a long time, and we finally got a chance to go there. However, since we don't have a vehicle we rented a taxi to take us there, at $50 for the day which I deemed very expensive but worth it.

We arrive at a neighbouring field and walk in.



We walk under the Mango trees, which the owners have just sprayed


Here is the field.














It is really muddy here. The mud is like clay. I set up camp on a bench.


I







Some workers caught a frog and I think, were saving it for dinner.




Papaya grows like a weed



I was excited to see an orchid in the wild





This adjoining land is for sale, for around $3000. They want to buy it, and his Mum and Dad picture their retirement there, in a small house.




It had squash, and a cool surprise


Can you spot the animal in this photo?




Don't go closer! Sherwin warned. It will shake!




Here is a Cacao tree







Someone is drying the seeds for eating


We have a picnic lunch




I see for the first time Ube, or purple yam growing.


Sherwin's Mum holds the Ube up for my photo



A ginger plant



Ducks and Turkeys like to swim in the rice field.









We hang out under the mango trees in the shade.

Kuya Ed's - A Filipino Buffet

I thought I would show you some more Filipino food - this is from "Kuya Ed's," or "Big Brother Ed's," a popular "eat all you can" place (they say it like that, not "all you can eat"). To eat here costs only 99 pisos, or 2 dollars. Of course you can add a yummy shake, made from fruit or avocado for extra.











One of the only greens I have seen yet so far is served deep fried. I think this is morning glory leaves. They look at me sideways when I ask for them raw.






A little station for making your own sauce on the side


Some shellfish


Some squid


I like the seaweed


Some oddball desserts


Baby Ira likes it!





Inday, Sherwin's sis and sister-in-law

Rubber Trees and Mangosteen

Behind the Aunt's house where we are staying there is a small Mangosteen farm. Yes, it's also for sale! $3,000 dollars.







Sherwin's sister and her friend are visiting us for the weekend




We take the silly dog for a walk.


We like to admire the fancy houses


We see a nice farm with a river. We wonder how much this would cost.






The silly dog doesn't walk much.









I have seen this from the car window before, but never so close up - these are rubber trees




Notice the bark cut in a spiral and the rubber sap drips down into a bucket. Almost like maple syrup! This is liquid gold for them.









We see some men loading their rubber onto a Carabao.

Diving Kids

I've seen kid beggars before, but this was altogether something new.



Hanging out outside the seafood restaurant, but in the water! The kids would dive for your coins. It was pure entertainment.





It got even better when I realized the kids would climb the steep wall and wave into the restaurant window. I don't know how they climbed that high!




Of course, it got even better - And it's easy to get rid of them from your window. Throw the coins into the water and watch them jump!

Seafood Market

Don't worry too much about us, we were fine, and spent the rest of our vacation around Davao, neat Mt Apo in North Cotobato, at Inday's unfinished house. The Bullet I wore or carried religiously for awhile. It then got lost in the contents of my bag and was later determined by airport security to be live ammo. That answered that question.

The rest of the posts are in random order, about the things we saw and places we visited - and food we ate, of course.

A woman boils doughnuts




Kidapawan is a fairly major city in these parts. It has a lot of buzzing Tricycles, which my guidebook referred to as pestilential. This amused me.









Women selling Calamansi, the native lime.






It is also home to a wonderful seafood market.



I was so happy to see fresh seaweed being sold there.























Sherwin cooked us a big feast.




We had everything - even mini crabs. I am still not sure how to eat them.


You can see my seaweed salad on the left.


This is tuna

And Papaya


Me and Inday clean up. I am learning how to do dishes in cold water, it's a whole different system!

Dancing Baby

The video of Dancing Ira at the hotsprings, as promised!

The Mainit Hot Springs

Here it is in the sunshine of day. The pool behind me is cold, and the one in front even colder.


This pool is boiling hot.



Some buildings there


You can get a family room or a double room for about 10 dollars.



The whole gang is up and ready for a hike. Of course, I think I was the only one who didn't know this.


The hike was a short walk to the original boiling mud, used by the indigenous tribes before. It was like a Jurassic scene.


That mud is really hot.


I guess this is the original pool. I would not dare go in there, it's so hot.









There are open cracks in the rock and mud bubbling away


Sherwin points out a vent giving off hot steam










Down the path there is a place where a cool stream meets the boiling mud.


The mud is supposed to be good for your complexion. Everyone smears it on.

Kat and Baby Ira





The dad of Ira, Sherwin's younger brother











There are still dangerous pools of mud boiling away



We go back and the 3 brothers cook lunch.


Actually, this is someone else's lunch, but don't it look good!


I notice the goathead bobbing in some soup. Sherwin's Mum worries that I am not eating.


We relax in the natural hot tub


Sherwin contemplates his life, perhaps, in the rain.


For an extra couple pennies you can go into another area, with more pools, a sulphur steam cave, lookouts to the boiling mud, and a waterfall.


The steam cave is hard to photograph


We climbed up a very muddy path to a waterfall.





The waterfall, from all the rain, has turned into chocolate!


The whole day I was thinking, boiling mud, cliffs, slippery rocks... not too safe for someone who's supposed to die today.

At the end of the day our rings are black. I secretly wonder if this is the curse, since it only happened to me and Sherwin. It was really creepy for a superstitious second.
My brain told me that sterling silver reacts with sulphur. Some toothpaste in the bus cleaned it up nicely.

But we had the time of our lives. And so far have lived to tell the tale.

The Danger Zone (For Goats)

We rent a big van to have a weekend at the hot springs. Sherwin's Mum has asked me to keep a bullet on my person at all times, for protection. I am not sure if this is a magical bullet, some kind of amulet, or just practical. I hate guns and bullets, but if that's what his Mum wants then I will carry it with me.


While we had the van, everyone decides to take a trip to see an uncle living fairly nearby. We drive through Cotobato, and into Sultan Kudarat. This is the danger zone, where tourists are recommended not to go. It's a heavily muslim area, you know, the one in the news, with rebel groups, guerrillas, bombings, tourist kidnappings.... I have to say that it's a hell of a lot safer for me to be there right now.



We arrive, and I am eager to use the bathroom.



I can wash my hands here.


There is a goat tied up next to a boiling pot. Not a good sign.









Inday, the generous Mum of Kat, Sherwin's sister-in-law, peels a cool root vegetable.



There are alot of prize roosters to be seen. These are for cockfighting, of course.





The kids, all cousins, gather around me and just stare.


We start taking pictures.






We get in the van to go somewhere. I am not sure where we are going. We end up at a church that the sister-in-law, Susan, belongs to. The disciples of this church have tattoos on their forehead, a feature I didn't notice immediately in Susan. You see, this is no ordinary church. It seems to be a unique religion, a combination of Catholicism, Karate, and Yogic principles.

I didn't realize at first that this visit had a purpose. I was told that the ex had put a curse on us. Sherwin was to die within 3 days and I within 5. I stifled a giggle. This was no laughing matter. Curses are not taken lightly around here. Sherwin's own Grandpa had died of a curse at a young age. Furthermore, the ex's family were well known in the village for their dark arts.

I realize the bullet must be protection against the curse.



The priest is seated in the church and seems to be open for questions. He is an impressive figure, seated in a white outfit, white fedora, and a long flowing white beard. He has what looks almost like an eye tattooed on his forehead, tattooed arms and various snake bracelets and bling. It turns out this man is the head of this church, and also the inventor and original grand master of Sphinx martial arts. He takes a lock of Sherwin's hair and puts it into an incense burner and swings it around him. "Don't forget his heels!" I cried out. He has already pinpointed things about Sherwin that he couldn't possibly know. He speaks about past witchcraft done to him and dark magic. I am called up to sit next to Sherwin. I am nervous, and I don't know why. He asks me how I feel about the curse. I told him, that I believed if I only harboured good thoughts and feelings inside me, the curse cannot touch me. If I can get rid of my negative thoughts, I am sure I will be safe, because it is only those negative thoughts that will hurt me. The priest nodded in agreement. He suggested some meditation, some yogic practice. I didn't need the incense, he agreed. He asked me if I had heard about his martial art. It's famous in martial art circles.

Here is the church itself. If you want to read the writing there, click on the picture to make it larger.



The priest's son poses for a shot.


The son and another disciple, they were of the most tattooed people there.


There was a really cool vegetable growing on a tree there. Sherwin's Mum recognized it instantly.


It was good and crunchy and sour.


We get back and the party is in full swing. The live goat is gone.



Time to check on the stew




The goat meat gets chopped up. All except the head. That was saved, and also shaved.

Sherwin adds lime vinegar and some spices.





A fish grills







We leave for the hot springs and everyone falls asleep in the van.


I try and capture the setting sun in the rice paddies


We get a giant family room for everyone. Everyone parties. Baby Ira dances for everyone, much to our delight.





I notice, and smell, the goat head in the corner. They took it with them. I'm not sure why. I keep my mouth shut.

We take Baby Ira for a walk. We see a big frog








Videos of Dancing Baby Ira to come!

Meet the Parents

We got on a plane to Davao, to meet the folks. I was nervous, and bearing too many gifts.




Sherwin's sister and sister-in-law came to meet us at the airport. We got a van to take us and our too-much-luggage to his town. A note for the future, airlines within the Philippines charge you for every piece of baggage you bring. I think you're allowed something like 10 pounds each. It was a long drive, through many banana plantations, until we arrived at their house. Of course, in typical Filipino fashion, everything takes longer than it should, including leisurely stops for food.

I arrive at his house, and put all my bags there, and meet Mum, Dad, and the little brother. His Mum apologies for them being so poor. I feel awkward, and funny about the too many gifts I brought.

Within 40 minutes of us arriving there, the text message circuit was in action. A very jealous ex of Sherwin's showed up with 2 minivans of angry people who wanted to "see me." No such luck for them. I was squirreled away unseen in the dark by his sister on a tricycle/bicycle to his brother's store, and then bounced between some homes of aunts and cousins in what seemed to be a family compound, while everyone else stayed there to fend off the angry mob.

Here I am finally in the backyard of the family compound-thing. The angry mob is gone at 1am and we have some beer with his Mum, aunts and uncles and cousins. They are all so nice to me.


Inside his cousin's house, with his sister and sister-in-law.



We take the opportunity to go on a road trip. Me, Sherwin, and his brother and family go to the foot of Mount Apo, where the mother-in-law of his brother has a house still under construction. We hire a taxi, leaving at 3am. It was a very bumpy ride, and we arrive 7am. As soon as we arrive, the poor taxi blows a gasket.

When they said the house was still under construction, I didn't believe them because every house looks like that. But this one actually was, and will be a very nice house one day with paint and tiles and everything. Everybody else joined us later that day.







We all have a slumber party and the time of our lives. Everyone gossips about the events of the previous night, although, I am not sure what happened because I can't understand them. The girls put on face masks.




I bring out some chocolates, which are such a treat. We have so much fun eating them and then discover the key to the chocolates, that piece of paper that says what shape is what kind.



That's baby Ira, the 2 year old god-daughter of me and Sherwin. She's one of those hilarious babies.


The 3 brothers watch TV. The younger brother, 12, stayed home with his dad to protect the house.






We have a giant dinner. This is, I think, my first time seeing real Filipino home cooking.

Back in Manila and some friends

Back in Manila, we tried another hotel - the Best Western La Corona. It was about 5 dollars more than our previous hotel, the City Garden, and a block away. With the extra 5 dollars there was free wifi. The other hotel charged 8 dollars for this. No way would I pay that much for wifi! I would rather have the hotel with free wifi. For 8 dollars extra.

Given the choice again, I would choose the first hotel, City Garden. At $50 a night it has a big room, hot water, a bathtub, cable tv and buffet breakfast. All the same as the Best Western. However the staff are much friendlier and helpful at City Garden, the elevator works better and the buffet breakfast stays open till 10am. Plus they have a grand piano in the lobby and a pianist nightly.

This hotel was right beside the famed midget bar, where the waitstaff are all small. It is called the Hobbit House. I didn't go inside, although I was curious. I don't really have any moral issues about it because it is probably very difficult for little people in the Philippines to find work. I hope they are not exploited and earn good tips from curious guilty tourists.




Although the area of town is scary and smelly to me, Sherwin doesn't notice it. I noticed that after around 40 days in the Philippines, I stopped smelling the sewage smells also.

At least the hotel is close to lots of food options. We have breakfast at the 7-11



Some kind of bean pastry, yoghurt and mango juice.


Dominos Pizza from the night before, they have a dine-in option.


Some of the local dentistry cracks me up. My favourite was one called "Cyber Tooth Dentistry." It was right beside an internet cafe and I couldn't figure out if it was the same place.

Here's another. Why leave things like dentistry up to the grace of God?


Some shared offices with other bizare services. 1 minute rush ID and dentistry.


As usual, we go to the Mall of Asia to meet our friends.


Some of my favourite stores are there. How 'bout Mr Quickie?


Or perhaps you prefer Mr Softy. They both offer a 'thumbs up'.


Or my favourite, Krispy Kreme. I just learned that if the red light is on, you get a free doughnut. Is this normal?







We meet our friends near a karaoke demo.






Ramil's wife knows all the tricks of the mall, and she showed me where I could get my hair curled for free!


Some Japanese fast food



Later, we go to a resturant to see a friend's gig.

Hah, pink and purple must be in.


We realised that this gig was an audition for her band, for some nights at the restaurant. Each band got a 20 minute spot to show their stuff.

The first band had the all too common girls in short shorts and bikini tops out front. For such a conservative country, I wonder how this is the norm with nightclub bands. Hard to sing when you're sucking in your tummy, I muttered to Ramil's wife.



The next band had a similar look, but strangely there was only one midriff-baring girl. This one I called "the Pantene commercial."


Here is our friend Nika and her band. Much cooler. And she can actually sing. I set them up for a request, on their request.


I walked up and handed them three dollars. Do you know this song? I asked. Of course they knew it, they were the ones who told me what song to request. They got the gig!



We had some seafood


Green mangoes can be dipped in shrimp paste


Some stuffed oysters


This is a famous soup of which I can't remember the name of. They loved it.

A look at Banaue, the town

Now that we've seen it all, it's time to go back to Manila. Our clothes and packs are dirty and smelly. Little did we know they would still never properly dry. I am currently headed back to the ship with a bag full of moldy clothes.

Here are some photos from around the town.

Another breakfast