Day 58 of the world cruise has found us in yet another country….the Philippines. And also past the halfway mark of this voyage. Sure has gone by fast. Anyway, the country of the Philippines consists of 7107 islands, scattered like jewels across the Pacific Ocean. The population is over 98,000,000 people that speak mainly Filipinoa. The capital is Manila, a huge city of over 13 million folks.
Once a Spanish colony followed by an American colony, the islands have their unique character. Some are covered by jungles, volcanoes, beaches, and coral reefs. Other like Manila, boast that they have the world’s 3rd largest mall (based on 29912 stats), complete with movie theaters, a ferris wheel, and an ice rink.
To avoid typhoon season, the best time to visit is September through May. There are many things to see such as rice terraces of a epic scale, or whale sharks on their annual migration. Corregidor Island and a tour to learn about WWII history, or the diving sites of WWII shipwrecks will keep you busy for a time. Easier is a ride in a jeepney, the wildly decorated stretched jeeps that serve as buses that can be found all over the islands.
If it is food you are looking for, try adobo, pork or chicken stewed in vinegar and soy sauce. It is their national dish. Drink tanduay rum served with coke and a twist of lime. It’s a Cuba-Libre Filipino-style.
Trademarks are San Miguel beer, cock-fighting, extreme Catholicism, coral reefs, coco-palm plantations, revolutions, and more beaches than you can count. Another trademark are Imelda Marcos’ shoes.
Today’s port was Puerto Princesa, on the island of Palawan. Claimed for Spain in 1872, eventually a military government was established by America when the country was turned over in 1898. A penal colony was opened, a prison without walls so to speak. It was more of a modern farm, where prisoners learned useful skills
Then WWII hit the Pacific, and this island became a player in the history. Much evidence is left these days, depicting that history. Fast facts show that 261,800 people live in the city, and they speak four languages, one of which is English. There are 62,247 households, and the main jobs include farming, fishing, commerce, trade, and tourism. January to April are the dry season, while May to December is the rainy season. Although our forecast called for isolated thundershowers, we never saw it. The topography is 24% flat to gentle, 11% moderate, and 65% rugged and very steep. That is evident in the photos of the view we have of the rest of the island from the bay we are docked at.
The tours offered today were just a few. One was a highlight tour for $100 and for 4.75 hours. That included a visit to the penal colony, a museum, and a WWII memorial park. The Immaculate Conception Cathedral was included as was a souvenir stop.
A boat tour to Honda Bay and surrounding islands was $155 for 7 hours. That included swimming, snorkeling, a white sandy beach and a picnic lunch.
The longest and most unusual excursion was to Subterranean River National Park for $200 and 8.5 hours. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, a 2 hour ride brought the folks to one canoe ride, to another canoe ride that took everyone through a 2 mile stretch of an underground river with caves. And although the tour description said there was a buffet lunch on the beach, it was actually held at a nice hotel, we heard later.
All of these tours came with a warning that due to limited tourism infrastructure, don’t expect too much as the tours are part of the city’s charm. The Amsterdam stopped here back in 2013, so in 5 years, we bet the excursions have improved. The only difference we saw was that the multi-colored straw sombreros the locals gave each passenger five years ago, have been replaced with a very nice shell necklace with a city medallion attached to the bottom. We think we got both of these gifts last time.
We recalled that most everything in this city was walkable without transport. This time there was a shuttle offered to a new shopping mall that opened as recent as 6 months ago. It was a 15 minute ride, depending on traffic, so we knew we could walk the distance almost as quickly.
Leaving before 10am, we soon discovered that the temperature was going to be in the high 80’s, but the humidity was so heavy, you could cut it with a knife. If this is the cooler time of year, we would hate to be here in the warm season. A nice informative map was handed out, and a couple of ladies at the tourist tent were most helpful. Once out of the gates, we were approached by 50 or more tricycle drivers offering us rides all over the city. Some did not accept “no thanks” too well, but indicated we could not walk that far. Yes, we know, as we have been here before.
Our destination was not the mall, but the Central Public Market in the center of town. This complex has to be one of the largest of its kind that we recall. And today being a Saturday, it was crowded to the max. Families were there buying fresh tropical fruit, veggies, staples, and fish or meat. The covered market is built on a hillside, with each type of food separated in sections. The produce and all related spices and sauces are the first stalls you see. Going in deeper, we found the pork section, where everything related to this animal is butchered and sold. From roasts to chops, to innards, legs, and even heads, nothing is wasted. Hams, bacon, and sausage are abundant. None of it was covered or refrigerated, and none of it smelled bad. Just fresh.
Each level above this section, had chicken, fish, but no beef that we saw. The fish area had to be as large as the pork. We had to be careful where we walked, since the aisles were narrow, and the concrete flooring was slotted so the water used to clean tables and cutting boards flooded the floors. We could only hope that when everything is sold for the day, all of the surfaces were sterilized. If nothing else, we did take note that all of their pre-cooked dishes were stewed or boiled well. The heat was incredible in here, so we moved as quickly as we could, trying to stay out of the way of the locals. The little kids were the cutest, as they love to connect with waving and smiling for their pictures to be taken.
Out in the streets, it was almost as crowded and bustling. Besides incredible traffic, the many little shops and cafes were full of Saturday shoppers. Mini-malls filled the spaces in between the small stores. The new indoor complex was called SM Mall, and very modern. It was not too large, but a huge addition to this compact city. The best aspect had to be the air-conditioning when we walked through the front guarded security doors. Many of our friends remarked tht we could be anywhere in the world with this mall. However, we did not take much time in here, as we really didn’t need to buy anything. Later in the day, Susie told us she found incredible bargains in this mall, even easy access to buying affordable prescription drugs. All you needed were the local pesos or a credit card.
We did spot a McDonalds next to a Jollibee, the most-often-seen double for fast food restaurants here in the Philippines. Two good aspects of McD’s are the fact you can get free internet there, and also use their restrooms, even without buying the food, we hear. Busload after busload of our passengers were filling this mall, so we left. The worst part was hitting that wall of heat once outside. Had it been closer to lunchtime, we may have stayed and tried one of the pizza places here.
Back-tracking was easier, because the tricycle guys were targeting the folks coming, not going back so much. Other forms of easy transit were small pick-up trucks with covered bench seating in the bed. Made for the size of the locals, they were not designed for tourists, as reported by our tablemates who are as tall as we are. Once they squeezed through the opening, they sat bent in half while sitting on the bench seats. No way can you sit up straight, because your head will hit the roof. But the ride to the Butterfly garden was about 30 cents each.
On the way back, we swung uphill to the Immaculate Conception Cathedral, the sight where the first mass was conducted in 1872. Long since gone, the original church sat here, until this one was built in 1961. This church was built as an angular structure, not the conventional design of most Catholic churches. One of the volunteer women caretakers sort of indicated that we needed to view the inside from the outside, so we went across the back of the now empty church and took a few photos, not disturbing anyone who might be praying.
Across from the church’s patio, is the Plaza Cuartel, a National Historical Site. It is a restored ruin of an old prison with a gruesome story. On the evening of December 14, 1944, Japanese soldiers brutally burned 150 American prisoners of war in the cells. Their remains have been buried in St. Louis County, Missouri since 1952. Only 11 fellow prisoners survived to tell the story.
On the way downhill, we passed by Princess Eulalia Park where a princess statue is erected – a perennial remembrance of the city’s founders in 1872. Back down at the pier, we entered through the commercial gate, and went through the terminal building, where passengers were attempting to go online. Asking our friend Jean, she said it was sloooooow. Not great. Makes sense because there were few people there.
We made it back to the ship on time for a dining room lunch, that included gallons of ice tea with lemon. No kidding. We had brought water with us, but it was not sufficient. The lunch menu is so nice in the dining room. We had one salad, one mini Philly cheesesteak sandwich, and one big bowl of room service chicken/spaghetti soup. It should be noodle soup, but they don’t use noodles. Gan, our happy waiter, made sure that it was full of diced chicken and plenty of spaghetti, since he is always afraid it would not be enough. Gosh, we just ate breakfast at 8am. But it would be a long stretch before dinner at 8pm, so we did add a small dessert before leaving.
All aboard was at 5:30pm, so we went off again at 4:30pm to check out the souvenir stands on the pier. Most all of the treasures were pearls of all colors, sizes, and quality. Unless you know what you are looking at, we felt the prices were too high. What we thought we costume jewelry, turned out to be valuable strings of silver or white fresh-water pearls. Best to save our money, and buy at a qualified dealer.
At 5:30pm, we had been invited to a special President’s Club Members exclusive, fun, and festive sail away party. It was called “Beat you to the Punch” sail away from Puerto Princesa. That makes sense now, because three types of Filipino punch was offered for this group. Except few took that drink and opted for their favorite wine, beer, or cocktail. The location was a cordoned-off section of the lower promenade deck, starboard side, aft. Eight raised cocktail tables were set up, but there was no seating for the older folks. Hard for them to stand for one hour, we think. The number of members invited was 47, including the 10 new people who will be inducted this trip. The eight tables would have worked for this size group. Now they made a bit of a mistake, since the invitation included bringing travel companions. What did that mean? Friends, family, boy or girl friends? Nobody knew. So the group was close to almost double it seemed, but no room for that many. Don’t get us wrong, we were glad to see some extras, but the venue should have been in a bigger place. Now that we are thinking about it, we realized that 5:30pm is the start of dinner time, and the staff probably figured not everybody would attend. They missed it this time. With this group growing as quickly as it is, they’ll have to reassess the gatherings.
Canapes were nice with six varieties of blue cheese and pate rounds, scallops in a spicy sauce, prosciutto wrapped shrimp, potato rounds in aioli, and caviar with lobster on spoons. That would hold us nicely until dinner. Barb and us stayed until all were gone, chatting with Christel, the guest relations manager we love.
Dinner found Rudi Sodamin’s favorite rosemary chicken entrée, which we both ordered. One of our tablemates, Paul, had a birthday today, so we shared a very sweet black forest cake topped with mounds of whipped cream.
Going outside to walk off a few calories, we found the decks had been lights out once again. Still in dangerous waters we guess.
Bill & Mary Ann
Arriving to the island of Palawan
Lowlands and hillsides
Arriving from the Sulu Sea
Many fishing vessels around the Puerto Princesa Bay
Partly cloudy skies
Docking at Puerto Princesa port
Here come the dogs
Philippine Ports Authority
Warehouses
Commercial port
Room for fishing boats and one cruise ship
The tourist information tents
Two gates to access the town
Buses for tours
Maps and info helpers under the tent
We were off-loading recyclables
Many vans and buses for ship tours
Puerto Princesa City Baywalk
Shell necklaces were gifted to all
Long walk to the terminal
Going to be one hot and humid day
Amsterdam docked
Walking to the city
This terminal building looked new to us
Phone cards or internet for the crew
Going out the first gate
The second gate
Now we are “tricycle” bait
The narrow streets to town
Still early…much was closed
Community Christmas tree on the Baywalk
Not the fanciest part of town
Almost deserted except for cars and trucks
Busy for a Saturday morning
Small convenient store – the crew shopped here
Further into downtown, the malls started
Fast food to go
Big bag deliveries
Outdoor market
Start of the produce market
Fresh carrots
One or two ounce sauces for cooking
Small watermelons
Empty Maggi packages used for decorations
A variety of eggs – pesos were 51 to $1 USD
Several types of rice
Fresh produce and inexpensive
Cabbages
Very narrow aisles
Tight spaces
A type of cucumber
Peppers and spices
Tiny eggs are quail eggs, the pink ones are salted eggs
Heathy variety
The chicken section
Using every single part of the bird or animal
Selection of pork products
Chickens with feet attached
Chicken sausages?
Butchers at work
Nothing is covered
Yep, that is a real pig’s head
Sausage in intestine casings
Not sure the cuts, but it is all pork
Plastic containers mostly used
Insides
Tails and legs
Legs of pork with trotters
Nothing is wasted
Start of the fish level
An abundant catch
Tropical
Not sure what they are
But there were lots of them
Assortment
Might be a barracuda
Octopus
Squid for calamari
Dried fish were really small
Smaller variety
Many plastic containers
Must be fresh, because there was no odor
Arranged nicely
Red snapper
