Videos Memories

You know when you come across old photos and you suddenly remember everything that the photos shows yet before that you have never  given a thought about that time or location for years and years?

Well not a photo this time but a video that I sent back to the UK when I was traveling Asia about four years ago.

I do not pretend its a master piece but the opening few minutes shows Bataan near Manila where it is alleged the highest cross in the Philippines belongs, and later a minute of non Philippines video that I cannot edit out.

The Bataan segment shows my surrogate son Harold jumping for joy to go such to such a place as we both struggle to hold the camera still because of the huge winds on that day.

However the last minute is of HUE HIN in Thailand which is also beautiful. The king lives here but he did not want to appear on the video.

A new way to stay!

I hear from a lot of people looking for a way to stay in the Philippines as basically a permanent resident.  If you are married to a Philippine Citizen, or a former Citizen, it’s very easy to get a Resident Visa (13 series visa).  If you are not married, it is very hard to get a permanent stay in the Philippines.  Sure, you can hop on the Tourist Visa treadmill, keep running and taking care of renewals of your visa all the time, etc.  It gets old, though, having to jump through hoops, and then having to leave the country at least one time every two years.

On Monday, though, President Arroyo took an action that may just make that treadmill obsolete.  President Arroyo has signed Executive Order 758, which may make it easy to stay in the Philippine for the long term.  Under EO 758 (details are limited at this time) people who provide employment for 10 Filipinos can stay in the Philippines indefinitely!  Yes, indefinitely - in other words, as long as you keep 10 employees for some kind of business, you can stay!  No need to keep making visa runs every two years, etc.

This can kill two birds with one stone too.  You see, a lot of people ask me how they can make money in the Philippines, enough to support their lifestyle.  Well, if you start a business in the Philippines, you can probably employ 10 Filipinos, and also earn enough money to support your lifestyle too!  There are so many underserved needs here in the Philippines, and there are literally hundreds of ways for you to fill those needs with a small business.  I have businesses here that I have started for under $100, so it can be done, and you can make a nice living here.  For a business that would employ 10 people, you will almost certainly need to invest more than $100, but your investment can still be relatively small, certainly much less than you would invest in such a business in your home country.

If you are looking for a way to stay here for the long term, this may be an option to look at!  It’s good for you, it’s good for at least 10 Filipinos that will have a job, and it’s good for the country in general!  Then again, if you are looking for what kind of business you could start here, why not check out my book, “49 Ways to Make a Living in the Philippines“.  It’s $49 (just $1 for each idea that I present to you!), and if you buy the electronic version, you can download it immediately after payment is made.  I’m not just trying to get money from you here, but I genuinely think that this book can help you make a go of living in the Philippines!  I offer a 100% money back guarantee if you are not satisfied, no questions asked!  How can you go wrong?

After a while, more details of this new way to stay for the long term should come out, and we’ll know the details!  What I see so far looks promising!

Good or bad for foreigners?

ASEAN is the Association of SE Asian Nations.  It includes the Philippines. Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. ASEAN is sort of like NATO and ANZUS, a treaty organization that bonds the countries involved in many ways.  NATO and ANZUS are more military related treaties, wheras ASEAN includes economic ties, cultural ties and other relations between the group of SE Asian Nations.  It is a pretty active organization too.

The other day, I was reading some Philippine News online, and came across an article that indicated that ASEAN is considering the possibility of issuing a joint visa, which would cover travel to any of the ASEAN member countries.  At first, I was thinking that this is really a convenience for travelers, and a good thing for foreigners who live in the Philippines, or other countries in the region, who don’t have residence visas.

You see, the vast majority of foreigners living here in the Philippines do not have a visa which legally allows them to stay here on a permanent basis.  Most people that I know who are expats here stay here on a tourist visa.  You see, when you enter the Philippines on a tourist visa, you can stay for 21 days.  However, you can also continue to renew that visa for a period up to 2 years, which means that you can basically live here for 2 years without having to leave the country.  Most people will make what they call a “visa trip” out of the country.  In other words, they will go home to visit family, or many will just take a short hop to Thailand, Vietnam, etc. for a few days holiday, then return to the Philippines.  When they re-enter the Philippines, the clock has been re-set and they can again stay for up to 2 years before needing to leave the country again.  In my case, I have a resident visa here, so I do not need to make visa trips, because I can live here permanently without ever needing to leave.

Now, going back to this new ASEAN joint visa which is being considered, there would be a single visa that would cover all of the countries in the ASEAN organization.  So, instead of getting a visa for the Philippines, then a new visa when you go to Thailand or Brunei, you would just get one visa and be able to visit all ASEAN countries.  Sounds great. One thing, though, was not mentioned in the article.  It would seem to me that you could no longer take a visa trip to Thailand or any other ASEAN country, because the visa would not “re-set” - instead, you would still be covered by the same visa all along!  Now, as I say, this area is not covered in the news article that I read, but it would only seem logical to me.  Since you are not issued a new visa when traveling from country to country in ASEAN, it would seem that you would have to go to a non-ASEAN country to re-set your visa.  I would say that Thailand is probably the most popular place where ex-pats go for their visa trips.

What do you think?  Wouldn’t this new visa actually end up making life more difficult for these “unofficial expats” instead of easier?  Certainly, it will ease regulations and red-tape for a normal tourist, but not for somebody living here.

What is your opinion?

My Mother’s Visit

They arrived in Manila and we had to go straight to Quiapo market to buy wedding provisions. Unfortunately, it rained that day, and, as those of you familiar with Manila know, Quiapo turns into a river when it rains. So, what do I do after we get parked? I plop my mother down in a tricycle to go shopping in the rain. Needless to say, both she and Bob were a little bit shocked to be wandering around in the market and riding a tricycle in 1 foot of water! Welcome to the Philippines! A Picture, so you get the general idea:

Quiapo in the rain

After returning to our house, the jet lag caught up with them, and we turned in early… Our flight to Tuguegarao left early the next morning. We took them on a tour of Cagayan and a bit of Ilocos Norte before the wedding, over a couple of days. Here’s a map of our route:

Shot of the Cagayan River from the plane

On landing in Tuguegarao, I took it slow, stopping to let them take pictures and really “see” the country. Several things stuck in their minds:

1. The sheer number of tricycles in Tuguegarao (It really is amazing for such a small town!) Add in the “comfort” factor in riding one!

2. The fact that everyone stopped, waved, and smiled.

3. Drying palay and corn on the road.

4. The heat. They live in Florida, but the heat really got to them. Both work in IT, and go from an aircon home to aircon car to aircon office. I think they really were surprised at how hot and muggy it gets here. My mother was on the verge of heat exhaustion much of the time, and I stopped for water whenever I could. (I got a bit concerned at one point.)

5. The veracity of the Filipino mosquito.

6. The attraction and joy of the simple life. This really surprised me too. More on this in a bit, but I think that they were surprised that places like this still exist.

7. The fact that your dinner may have a name before it is cooked.

8. How really close Filipino families can be.

9. The mostly untouched beauty of the Cordilliera and Sierra Madre.

10. Riding the banca across the Cagayan River.

11. Seeing all the carabaos.

12. Seeing the kids in rural schools, and just experiencing being around these kids.

13. Being stared at in areas that don’t see many visitors, and certainly not foreigners.

I drove up the National Highway from Tuguegarao to Abulug, and they stayed at a very small hotel in Pamplona: The only one with aircon rooms withing 30km of Abulug. Rebecca and her family were very nervous about them coming. Understandable in Rebecca’s case, being that she met her mother-in-law for the first time. But what was her family worried about?

Well, it comes back to an issue of money, social status, and class. I reassured them that there would be no problems. However, the family was worried that my mother would think poorly of them because they were poor. I will say this… Before we left, my mother said, “You know, I am almost envious of Rebecca’s family. No dysfunction. Everyone gets along. Everyone is happy. They really have something money cannot buy.” In my mind, this one statement says it all.

The next day, I drove them further up the National Highway to Claveria and Pugudpud. Pugudpud is starting to get some resorts and visitors, mostly from China, but Claveria is still just a small fishing village (Really, Pugudpud hasn’t changed all that much either.) The National highway between the two towns is steep, very twisty, and the scenery is dramatic. The road curves along the top of cliffs that plunge straight down into the sea. Both Claveria and Pugudpud have “white” beaches and lagoons for swimming. In Claveria, the village sits on the remnants of an old military base, built by the Japanese. While in Claveria, we saw the fishermen returning with the day’s catch, their wives waiting on shore. Simple life. Simple pleasures. This (white beach, palm trees, nice people) is what many people go look for in the Caribbean or Mexico, or Tahiti. In those places, over touristed and “modern”, that simple way of life no longer exists. How could a tiny island not change when a cruise ship discharges 2,000 passengers at once? This vision of paradise still exists and is very real here in the Philippines. It just needs to be searched for.

The day before the wedding, both Rebecca and I had some running around. Becky’s Aunt took Bob and my mother on a walking tour of Pamplona, introducing them at City Hall (They didn’t want to be a spectacle, but you sort of follow the lead) and stopping by the school to hear the kids practicing songs for International Week. After picking guava, rambutan, and okra in Becky’s uncle’s garden, we had to run to Aparri to the bank (everything is paid with cash up there… NO ATM’s except in Aparri). Since time was short, we took the ferry (banca) across the river… Yet another uniquely Filipino experience. You pass through a mixture of rice paddies, jungle, and fishing villages before reaching the other side of the river. This way is quicker than driving by one hour (From Abulug, you need to drive south to Lal’lo and the bridge, then north up the opposite river bank.) Tricycle and then ATM and a quick lunch.

Finally, they experience our wedding and the uniquely Filipino customs surrounding the ceremony. Again, this trip was an adventure. For a first trip to Asia, they were completely off the tourist trail. I hope they have pleasant memories of the Cagayan Valley and the people there. When my mother first arrived, she was shocked at why I would choose to live here. After her experiences in Manila (unavoidable, given our time constraints), I understand. After going to the province, I think she sees what I see. I will eventually live in Cagayan with my wife by my side. My mother and Bob already are thinking of returning to this “Paradise found”. Some pictures:

Local transport

Claveria

Drying palay

Ferry in Aparri

Becky and I at the ferry dock

Claveria fishing village

Church in Alcala (Just north of Tuguegarao)

Carabao keeping cool

Dress code at Immigration

Now as a guest here in the Philippines its very important to obey the laws and to try and fit in the culture of the land. Last week I had to visit my local immigration office and I am fully aware that the dress code is very strictly followed as in most government offices throughout the country.

Plaza in Davao

Now that means for us guys no shorts or sleeveless shirts and NO SANDALS, if you break this rule there is no obligation on anyone to service your needs and most likely you will be asked to leave by the security officers.

A European man tried to enter and was refused entry for the  above mentioned reasons and decided to  make a huge verbal fuss, and believe me he really was not thinking, as the immigration office with all its powers is not a place to make such a process as all he had to  do was go over the road and get the required clothing and problem solved.

I listened to him making all his fuss and the security officer was well trained to deal with us silly foreigners and never lost her temper and even offered to  to assist him by taking his  paperwork in and out of the office for him whilst he waited in the hot Sun.

I had little consideration for his dilemma until i looked around the room where I saw most of the ladies dressed in Sandals with nail varnish and bare legs and skirts that went up and up and up, i dreaded anyone leaning over the desk to fill in the application forms. LOL.

Now a dress code is reasonable but why oh why is it that only the male species can’t show feet and legs?

A jewel for the eyes

Today’s Guest Blog is from Jason Dance.  Jason intends to write a few guest blogs in the future for the site, and I’m sure we’ll enjoy them all.  Welcome aboard, Jason!

Jason Dance

Most people coming to the Philippines usually visit some of the well known places such as: Manila, Cebu, Boracay and Davao among other big names. What about the lesser known places where Filipinos hardly see any foreigners? Well, for all the expats in the Philippines or for the undecided minds wondering where to go; let me describe to you a small island in Samar called Santo Nino!

The first three words that come to my mind are “Peace and quiet”. I have never been to a place that gave me such a clear mind. It is located in Samar and 1 hour by boat from Calbayog. The only way to go there is by boat! The boat leaves once in the morning and departs once from Santo-Nino back to Calbayog. If the sea seems wild or a storm is brewing, the captain of the small boat will not set sail. On a side note, Calbayog is a very small cozy city with charming surroundings!

On the island there are no hotels, hostels or anything like that! My wife and I stayed at her aunt & uncles place. Everyone on the island knows each other…well almost. If you thought Filipinos are warm loving people the people there are 10 fold! They don’t really rely on electricity during the day because there is no electricity. The only time it comes up is from 5h30pm until 11pm. It’s usually during that time that people are at their homes doing their things together as a family. My wife’s Lola from mamas side and Lolo from tatay’s side are some the eldest people living in Sto.Nino as well. If you thought Filipinos sometimes stare at you well let me tell you that most of them have never seen a young white person before especially one as young as me. I am only 26 years old for those of you who are wondering.

We only spent two days there but it was such an amazing time! We went to the beach that was crawling with young one’s playing around and just being plain kids. Something that’s hard to see in the western world now. The beach is a long stretch and it’s a real eye gazer when you look out to the sea and you can see Calbayog but vaguely. The sand is not as nice as per say Boracay but it’s the sense of being at home that makes it look as white. The ocean water is clear as the sky unlike the port at Cebu where we live. At the Sto.Nino port, kids are in the water with bamboo guns that shoot water. I jumped in and the kids started to shoot at me until Anna my wife threw me one, so I could join in the action.

It was actually fiesta time…PERFECT TIMING! A fiesta is in simple terms a really good party that you will never forget! My wife’s uncle killed a pig for the occasion, which is extremely painful to hear especially when you’re sleeping and its 5am. There were groups of teenagers playing music and dancing in a circle at the beach. People were bringing there belongings by boat with family members of course. There was lechon for everyone, people gathering to drink beer or Tanduay, gossip and dipping our warm bodies into the ocean wondering if there where any sharks?!? There are but so tiny that they would never do anything. The weirdest thing you can encounter are people staring at you much of the time. It takes some getting used to especially if you’re travelling in less travelled areas such as Samar.

We explored the surroundings with Anna’s two childhood friends. Once we left the small city, there were lots of coconut trees and well mostly just good old nature! Many of the people that do live there are poor, but that never stopped them from being happy and to live their lives to the fullest. Most of the land has not been exploited, so you will mostly see trees everywhere. On several occasions, we saw children in some of the tallest trees I have ever seen. They were playing around but also getting some coconuts. We had the occasion to visit my tatay`s mothers grave site. His father built a shrine to commemorate his love to his wife. It is gated but anyone wishing to visit need only to open the gate as it is not locked. I was amazed of how white it was but mostly where it was built. The shrine overlooked Sto.Nino and the ocean itself!

I cannot say how fortunate I felt to have been there with my wife. I will always remember those 2 days in relative peace. For the record, I am the youngest foreigner to ever visit Sto.Nino! How can you forget such a place even more so when you’re in the books!

Our Trip to Batanes

Last week, I wrote that I would tell a little about our honeymoon in Basco, Batanes province. Batanes is in the Babuyan Straits, between Luzon and Taiwan. This corner of the Philippines is very remote (two hours from Manila by plane, or 24 hours by banca from Aparri), rarely visited, and culturally very different from the rest of the country: Different language, different customs, MUCH cooler weather, and even different architecture. In fact, in places, the province really resembles the Clare coast of Ireland or the Tierra del Fuego in Chile more than the Philippines. Batan Island holds the town of Basco, the provincial capitol. Here’s a map:

Fourteen interesting facts about Batanes:

1. The Yvatan language is a mixture of Ilocano, Ybanag, Itawis, and local dialects.

2. Batanes has a crime rate of zero. It has been years since any arrests have been made for anything, other than immigration violations. As a matter of fact, the jail is empty save for some Vietnamese who were captured on one of the outlying islands. The local police were not even immediately sure what to do with them, so a special room was set up, with a newly-painted sign over the door “Basco Special Facility for Unlawful Immigrant Entry”.

3. The most unique sari-sari store in the country is there… The Honesty Store. The store is un-manned: You take what you wish and leave payment in a bucket.

4. Traditional Yvatan houses are made of coral and stone, cemented by lime. The walls are over 1m thick and the roofs are made of grass (thatch).

5. Famous local delicacies include: coconut crab (They look like a big spider… really!); White Ube (not the common purple); Taro with coconut milk; Lobsters (more like big langoustines); garlic (tiny bulbs that are really potent); and locally-grown tumeric (for yellow rice. Very much like the Spanish or Cuban “Arroz con Pollo” rice).

6. There are many historic lighthouses in the islands.

7. Batanes was the first Philippine territory occupied by the Japanese during WWII. Since the islands lie in the Straits between the Philippines and Taiwan, they are strategically important and the area is a major shipping lane to this day.

8. There are many, many live coral reefs surrounding the islands, and the water is nearly pristine. Coral tide pools teeming with fish are on every beach. It is like swimming in someone’s aquarium. (We also saw a Pacific Sea Snake in one pool, 1.5m long, blue and black bands, and very poisonous. Jesus walked on water? So did Rebecca when she saw it!)

9. They raise sheep in Batanes (Not just goats).

10. There are no taxis in Batanes, and, for that matter, no traffic or traffic signals. There are tricycles and a few jeepneys.

11. There is a “Ghost Village”, SongSong, that was never rebuilt after a tidal wave.

12. The old US Radar facility (long abandoned) was famous for showing free hollywood movies to the local people on a stucco wall, like an impromptu drive-in.

13. Basco received gaslamps (for light at night) for the first time 18 years ago, and electricity only in 1998.

14. Basco receives an average of 14 typhoons per year.

We arrived at Basco and checked-in at Brandon’s Resort (formerly Pension Ivatan, and all the signs still say the old name). In Basco, there are a handful of hotels and guesthouses. No online booking, confirmation numbers, or anything. Call them up and they will be waiting for you. The arrival of the daily flight from Manila is the only excitement in town… Nearly everyone is there waiting, including the hotel proprietors. After a gruelling two-minute ride, you arrive in Basco, just in time for breakfast. Brandon’s has the only restaurant in town (Your only option, but the food is good, and cheap. For two, no meal was over 300 pesos). The restaurant owners hired a chef from the Dusit in Manila, and also own the Kusina Cagayano in Tuguegarao. The food is traditional Yvatan. I was ready for junk food after three days, but, since provisions not grown in Basco must be brought in, a cheeseburger was out of the question (no cheese or beef). Room is up 50 steps at the top of a hill overlooking the town. Hot water is from the little yellow device pictured below. I was scared of the damn thing. Rebecca used it, said “John, check to see if the water is hot.” I stuck my finger in the bucket, and got about 220 volts into me… OUCH!!!!

Arrival in Basco

The only restaurant (But it's a good one)

Water heater, or Satan's Bath Torture?

Becky, from our balcony

Basco, and Batan, are truly beautiful… Without question. Life is simple there. Natural beauty and simplicity is why you go to Batanes. The Yvatan people are also some of the nicest, and most genuine, people I have met in the Philippines, or anywhere else. Forget “Hey Joe!!!!” Everyone, from simple fishermen to the town elders, will always wave at you and offer a quiet smile. The town is spotlessly clean, pollution-free, and the type of almost idyllic lifestyle I sometimes yearn for. At breakfast each morning, locals came up to us in the restaurant, had a seat next to us, and started introducing themselves. Making friends there is natural, and not forced. Quite simply, people there have learned to treat their neigbors and visitors with respect and a refreshing selflessness… They are human. Change is coming to these islands soon. There are many proposals for mass tourism and large resorts floating around on the table. The local Yvatan are resisting large-scale tourism and are fearful of their way of life changing. I don’t blame them. Batanes is a special place, and once changed, what is lost is gone forever. I’ll close this article with more pictures… They can describe Batanes better than I ever could.

Basco Church

Yvatan woman in traditional dress

The day's catch

Philippines or Ireland?

A stormy beach

School bell from an artillery shell

Yvatan stone house

Yes, you can swim nekkid!

You have to climb to the beach

The Honesty Store

SongSong "Ghost Village"

When Old Walls Become New

Show me how to make old walls new. I know that that happens, but not how.

Last week, Davao City correspondent John Grant and I decided to take a walk in Intramuros, to tour the walled district and to step on Spanish-era cobblestone. “To waste a Tuesday,” I thought to myself, before we were able to hail a cab. You know, I had almost protested –Intramuros sounds a corny idea to young urbanites like me, because the site hardly has any romantic appeal, and if it does, it’s for the ancient, and for the granny-glass-wearing scholarly, and unlike us they would never risk sunburn by going at midday– but I kept quiet. I chugged on my bottle of C2 Green Tea Apple and furiously fantasised about air-conditioned spaces.

When the handlebar-moustached cab driver decided to take, unnecessarily, a longer route, with Love Radio and its either proletariat or unintentional humour at full volume, I still kept quiet. Some crimes are better left uncaught. He wants to go round in circles, fine; I’m not the one who’s paying for the bloody fare. So instead of travelling straight through Roxas Boulevard from Vito Cruz Avenue, then turning right on T.M. Kalaw Street, then left to Maria Orosa Street and into Calle Real del Palacio, we zigzagged through grey and strange thoroughfares, past nightclubs, karaoke bars, pool bars, bad restaurants, fly-infested eateries, dentist clinics, gloomy Internet cafes, Muslim-owned jewellery shops, Chinese- and Korean-owned pawnshops, money exchangers, twenty-dollars-a-night hotels, abandoned office buildings, and other holes in the wall in whose haphazardness, I thought, not even the enchanted city surgeons of Metro Manila Development Authority would be able to find hope – until, half an hour into the journey, we were welcomed at the gates of Intramuros by a security guard who was uniformed in a Spanish, sixteenth-century sort of way. A prim and proper Guardia Civil of Malaysian descent, with no trace of mestizo in him.

“Good afternoon, sir!” he greeted, not really addressing me.

I hadn’t been to this part of the city for such a long time. My uncle’s golden wedding anniversary, held in Sofia Garden at Patio Victoria and for which I had written the program script, was two years ago. And I had stopped visiting the third-floor Tradewind bookstore at Silahis Arts and Crafts Centre ever since I discovered the F. Sionil Jose-owned La Solidaridad in Ermita. Understandable, then, that Intramuros suddenly seemed strange in the October sunlight, with the stones looking so brittle, and the statues charmless, and the shadows oppressed. The clatter of horse-driven kalesas jolted me, as did the buzzing population of college students who loitered away the hours in and out and around the medieval halls of their schools. John mingled with and took snapshots of them while I stood veritably transfixed. Everything seemed unfamiliar, awfully unfamiliar, as though I was observing with a new set of eyes. I even mistook San Agustin Church for Manila Cathedral. And I consider my roots Catholic!

Actually, I could have gone to any part of the city and felt a similar feeling, that which might be described as the inverse of déjà vu: what I thought I had previously known would strike me as unusual. My job, after all, this writing gig for offshore clients in America, requires me to stay at home, face the computer all day, and write and behave according to pay-per-click doctrines.

This quiet, almost unreal existence must have estranged me from the world. Which is kind of sad, if you come to think about it. I now don’t even know where I belong! I went to old Manila, the old walls became new, and Manila became just another city in the Philippines.

Travel Maps

Maps have always fascinated me… Two dimensional depictions of places I might go, might have visited, might desire to visit. When you look at a map of the world, the Philippines looks so close to many places, yet, when you are sitting on an airplane, the distance becomes very real.

I love the maps that are on the planes. Most airlines have the seatback TVs, and there usually is a moving map showing your location, how far you’ve been, and how much further to go. I usually leave that channel “on” when I fly. If we are flying over somewhere very remote, like Greenland, Siberia, or atolls in the Pacific, I’ll open the window shade to have a look, sometimes to the annoyance of fellow passengers. I once flew from Tokyo to London during the summer, and was literally amazed at the vast emptiness of Siberia… under perfectly clear skies nearly the whole way. Last month, on my return from the States, seeing the Aleutian Islands from 30,000 feet gave me that same feeling. The desire to see something new or a place few have seen is very strong.

With my current job and the amount of travel I have, most flying soon becomes routine. I realize most people only dream of visiting places around the world, hence, the popularity of TV programs such as The Amazing Race or the various Michael Palin travelogues. When I was visiting my mother a few months ago, I left my passports (I have two… One is for Visas) on her kitchen counter. She asked to take a look, and just couldn’t comprehend how I could fill them up so much. A new passport lasts me 9 months, and you can add pages to US passports twice, extending my time to just over 2 1/2 years. I must admit, when I visit a new place, the first thing I do is look at the entry stamp. I also do one other thing…

There are several websites where you can make your own travel map, documenting where you have been. Now, though I’ve visited a number of places, most of my travel is to the same spots, over and over again. So, when I visit somewhere new, I update my online maps as a sort of “Souvenir”. I have never shown anyone my maps, save for Rebecca, and now, on this blog. So, here goes, with the link to the site where you can make your own maps immediately following each section.

World66 is a sort of “Wikitravel” site, www.world66.com, where you can create your own travel maps of the not only the world, but also, uniquely, European countries visited, US States visited, and Canadian provinces visited. Go to the home page and click on “My World66″ to create a map. The map borders highlight in red when you add them.

The next site is Passportstamp.com, www.passportstamp.com. Their travel map is different, in that you can add places where you only have transited, along with the ability to add multiple visits (I only add one visit per country on mine… no time to track my history). You can also compare your statistical rank with other travelers online. The Passportstamp maps also color code based on site popularity (ie: more people visit France than the Philippines).

Next, there is Trip Advisor, www.tripadvisor.com. Click on the “My trip advisor” tab and select “travel map” to make your own map. Trip Advisor’s map is different than the others… You add pins for each place you have visited, so you can add multiple cities within one country. For the Philippines, some rural areas are not well represented, but most places allow a pin.

Finally, there is Most Traveled People, www.mosttravelledpeople.com. This map is different in that you can add individual states and provinces from many countries, like Mexico, Brazil, and China.

I hope you found this posting interesting. It can be a bit of fun to keep your own travelogue. Give these links a try!

Tyleen’s Adventure - Part 3

Today’s guestblog is the final installment from Tyleen Reynders about her recent adventure in the Philippines.

Hi All of you readers
I thought I would send just 1 more article to finish off my trip to PI.
But I could write a lot more. My experience in the Philippines was so profound that it makes my decision as to where I will retire quite easy.

Some of the things that made my trip interesting or memorable ……

1. Finding out that there is NO toilet paper in washrooms or CR’s ….THANK GOD my friend Jocelyn was with me when I discovered this.(she apologized profusely for not remembering to tell me!!!!) BUT …. I had to wait for 10mins for her to come in to the CR to find out why I was taking so long….. I was not amused!!!! I quickly learned to travel everywhere with a full roll of TP in my hand bag!!! Now that I look at it …..it was a good excuse to buy a new large bag!!!
2. I was asked to be godmother at Jocelyn’s daughter’s wedding. To me it was a big deal. It was at a non Catholic church called Iglesia Ni Cristo. It was a new church/religion to me. It was very interesting service even though it was in Tagalog.  I found it curious that they are springing up all over, a beautiful expensive church in the middle of such desperate poverty. Yes …one could argue the Catholic Church has churches in poverty stricken areas. BUT according to the web there has not been a new Catholic church built in the Philippines in 20years. So the poverty grew up around the Catholic Church not the other way around. Like I said I am not criticizing just curious.
3. Getting my Nokia cell phone fixed for $3.00US at a authorized Nokia dealer..when my cell phone company  here in Vancouver  wanted $200.00 to fix it or I could get a new phone for free if I signed up for     another 3 years.
4. Having so many wonderful people start me off learning Tagalog.
5. Not having to drive!!!!! I have been driving since I was 16…..I am used to driving myself anywhere I wanted to go. I have driven back and forth from Vancouver to LA  about 20-25 times so I could visit a favourite auntie living there. But I have to tell you relaxing and reading in the back seat or being able to really enjoy the scenery was the best !!!!
6. Leaving at 4am to beat the traffic (MY GOD!!! And I thought rush hour here in Vancouver was bad!!!!) I went to Manila for the day and did some tours of Manila Bay and spent some of the time at the Asia Pacific Mall. I was on a mission to find something specific for my brother. I loved the mall. I wandered around for awhile just loving the variety of different stores. I especially loved the wonderful customer service. Noticing the time (my friend was picking me up at a certain time) I realized I needed to get serious about finding the Callaway Golf store. I asked a couple of people for directions and wandered around in circles for about 30 mins. Then I remembered the article Bob wrote on Filipino face. ……The people I had asked directions probably had no clue as to where the Callaway Golf store was located but kept pointing in some direction and didn’t want to lose face by telling me they didn’t know. I promptly asked a security guard (I still can’t get used to armed security guards) and he walked me to the right section and I found the store. My brother loves what I bought him very much so I think I am good re: presents for him at least until next year. I owe my brothers happiness to Bob. Without that article on ‘face’ I would not have found the store before it was time to be at the pickup point to go back to Cabanatuan City. My brother and I both thank you Bob !!!!
7. Discovering Buchi Buchi….it is the best treat ever!!!!
8. Now that I am back to the everyday grind I find myself becoming Ate (elder sister) to many of the new Filipino ladies that work at my Dental practice. We talk a lot about food,life,people and their homesickness. They are so envious of me being able to retire in RP in the next 1-2 years. (Little do they know I envy their youth!!!) We laugh and chat like we have known each other forever.  It is a joy to go to work to see them every day. I hooked up one of my new Filipino staff with my Filipina friend Jocelyn and they have become great friends. Rosemarie and her family have only been here 1 year and were very lonely for friends…. Well they have a whole bunch of new friends now. Every time I see Rosemarie she hugs me and says thanks. She doesn’t understand yet… that  I AM THE ONE BLESSED WITH NEW FAMILY
9. Seeing the gas prices skyrocketing in PI the same as back home. I will never complain about the gas prices in Vancouver again. I gasp out loud wondering how the average family survives having to pay those prices.

I am getting regular emails from the people I met while in the Philippines and getting news about their lives and Cabanatuan City. I live for the emails and long to go back.
I have just been informed by Jocelyn my Filipina friend that we hopefully might be going back in Feb or March of 2009. I kind of go when she goes.
Damn I can hardly wait!!!!!
This time it will be for 4 weeks. I will have the extra time to fly down to Davao and see Bob and Feyma and anyone else they can round up for a party!!!!!

Thank you for reading my Visitors Blog and I will let you know when I am coming to Davao so I can meet as many of you as I can.

Regards to all,
An expat in the making
Tyleen Reynders

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