Rotary Trip to Philippine Islands 2009
Friday 6th February 2009
We arrived at Hong Kong airport and the shuttle bus took us to the Eaton
hotel. After a short break for a wash and change we walked through the
market area not far from the hotel. We were looking, but not buying,
conscious of the weight restrictions on the flight to Manila. We came upon a
street cafeteria with a round table covered in yellow formica.
Adorning the centre was a toilet roll presumably to be used as serviettes
rather than a statement of the meal! We perched on stools and ate a
selection of Chinese delicacies washed down by San Miguel beer after which
we walked home to bed.
Saturday 7th February 2009
Up for breakfast; however we decided not to eat in the hotel at £20 a time!
We walked through Kowloon Park stopping to look at the pretty flamingos
and ducks. Then we walked on to Starbucks for a snack breakfast, which was
very welcome as it seemed a long time since we had eaten the night before.
We walked past the Peninsula Hotel (one of the traditional hotels in Hong
Kong) on our way to catch the Star Ferry across the harbour to Hong Kong
Island.
After a long discussion we decided to sign up for the Big Bus Tour. First we
took the tram towards the highest point on Hong Kong Island with a good
view over the harbour though it was a little misty. We decided not to pay the
extra to go on the viewing platform which looked a bit like a ski jump. After
the descent on the tram we took the bus for a tour around Hong Kong
Island. Eventually we got some ear phones and the commentary about the
sights. We stopped off for lunch, mainly sandwiches, but Michael’s club
sandwich turned out to be a concoction of noodle soup with different meats
and an egg floating in it! A walk down to the terminus saw us return across on
the ferry to Kowloon. Next we took a walk down the boulevard which
contained a commemoration of the stars of the Chinese film industry. The
second leg of the bus tour took us around Kowloon and eventually into
Nathan Street near the hotel. In the evening we went down to the harbour
to watch the ‘Light Show.’ We saw Sue and John Mackley and friends from
Melton. They were on a stop over on their way back from New Zealand; small
world! We then walked up to Knutsford Terrace for a meal at a smart
restaurant in the cosmopoliton dining area. Alas, no television broadcasting
the rugby!
Sunday 8th February 2009
We rose early in the morning, with three taxis to take us to the airport for
our flight to Manila. At Manila we checked in our bags again for the flight
transfer to Cebu and then left the airport, taking two taxis down to
Intramuros, the walled city built by the Spanish.We saw a short film on the
history of Fort Santiago.
We looked briefly at the Rizal museum, housing memorabilia of the Philippine
hero Dr Jose Rizal. Before this we had looked around the cathedral, a
Romanesque structure. Later we visited the church of San Augustin where
there was a wedding taking place. We looked in the museum and then walked
round to a restaurant where we had mostly sandwiches and a beer. This was
followed by an interesting taxi journey. Are there any rules of the road in
this city? Back to the airport, a flight to Cebu and a meal at an Italian
Restaurant kindly hosted by Benson and some of his family and friends.
Monday 9th February 2009
John went to do some Rotary business and Joe booked a game of golf, the
rest of us took taxis down to Fort San Pedro, a recently refurbished Spanish
fort built in the 17th century and reinforced in 1738 to repel attacks by
Muslim and European raiders. The fort is triangular shaped. From then it was
a walk to the Cathedral that was undergoing renovation.
From Cebu Cathedral we walked to Santo Nino Basilica formerly known as
San Augustin Church, which was built in 1565 to house the country’s oldest
religious relic, the Image of the Holy Child Jesus. Then on to Magellan’s
cross, a large wooden structure enclosing the crucifix that was left by
Magellan in 1521 to commemorate the first encounter with the west. Finally
a walk through a busy colourful market area and a taxi back to the hotel and
a drink.
In the afternoon we took a short walk to the Ayala Shopping centre. Richard
and Michael had a Swedish massage while the rest of us did some window
shopping in the Mall. Afterwards back to the hotel to join John and Joe.
The evening meeting was in Beverly Hills, a posh residential enclave. The
main purpose of the meeting was to welcome the incoming GSE team from
the USA but it provided an opportunity for discussions with Rotary officers
to initiate visits to Rotary projects.
Tuesday 10th February 2009.
We travelled to Boljoon to stay with Stuart and Antoinette Gould. A
delightful place situated on the rocks looking out to sea. John, Richard and
Joe went out with Stu for some scuba diving while the pool was enjoyed in a
relaxing afternoon by the rest of us.
Later in the afternoon we visited the church and museum which were under
renovation. The evening meal was organised by Antoinette and we sat and
talked afterwards.
Wednesday 11th February 2009.
Five of the group returned to Cebu. Michael, Joe and I stayed on for
another night. In the morning Michael and I visited the neighbouring
Granada Elementary School and were introduced to the head and his nine
staff teaching staff. They were looking forward to installing two computers
in a newly refurbished school building. The Head’s room was a gazebo with a
desk under! Both Michael and I participated in the lesson with Grade Six
pupils who were using English to answer questions in a science lesson. I
talked to them about Issac Newton’s birth place and house and promised to
send them some information. The classrooms were bright and had lots of
information on the walls. However they were short of books and some of the
classrooms were very cramped. The children were wonderful and extremely
polite and well behaved.
After lunch Antoinette took us to see how the mangoes were harvested.
Each fruit hanging on the tree had been individually wrapped in newspaper to
protect it from the insects. That visit was followed by a drive through the
town including the church which was now open for mass. We visited a widow
named Connie who was eighty one and had a fascinating collection of orchids.
We had our evening meal with Stu and Antoinette.
Thursday 12th February 2000.
While the majority were busy with Rotary business in Cebu Joe, Michael and
I travelled back with Stu and Antoinette in their pick up, stopping on the
way at the Carcar shoe surplus store. Antoinette bought some shoes but I
resisted the temptation, most unusual! While in Cebu we stopped at the SM
shopping mall. What should have been a straight forward withdrawal of cash
from the machine was complicated by the machine snatching back the cash
dispensed before we realised it was in the tray of the machine. I eventually
did get the money refunded. The BDO bank rang me from Manila at 7.15 am
in the morning to tell me they had refunded the money. We had a delicious
meal at a Thai restaurant owned by one of Antoinette’s many relatives. Then
back to the hotel to check in and rejoin the rest of the party. A taxi trip to
the Waterfront Hotel was followed by a buffet meal in a restaurant just
outside the hotel. Then we went back into the casino where Richard showed
us how not to play Pontoon.
Friday 13th February 2009.
We rose early for a visit to a centre for children with autism sponsored by
the Rotary Club. We were entertained by the children who sang us a
valentine’s song. We looked around the building which was designed by one of
the Rotarians. The school was well equipped. We watched the speech
therapist at work. The school was well staffed with a one to one pupil
teacher ratio. They had classes for the parents and siblings to help them
deal with autism.
Then we moved on to a school supported by charity donations which had links
with the special school. Some of the children with Autism were integrated
into this school. All the teachers seemed really enthusiastic which was
refreshing after the UK! After this we went down to the ferry terminal only
to be told that the ferry was not going because of a typhoon warning, so we
rebooked for 9.00am the next morning. We rebooked in at The Golden Prince
and had some leisure time. In the evening we went to the Thai restauant
Muay Thai. We had a room and sat on cushions with a well for our feet.
Saturday 14th February 2009.
We caught the ferry from Cebu to Tagbilaran. We were met by Rotarians
from Tubigon, which is halfway up the west side of Bohol. We had a buffet
lunch with President Grace and her fellow Rotarians including Dave and Baby
Collins. They then took us to the clinic with the ultra sound machine and the
equipment was demonstrated on three ladies.
The women were pleased and Kathryn was relieved that everything was
working. There were two small babies in the clinic born within the last two or
three days. It was an emotional time and it brought home to us how lucky we
are in the UK. After the visit we drove back to Panglao Island and the Alona
Land Cottages on Alona beach. Panglao Island is linked to Bohol by two short
causeways. Alona beach is Bohol’s primary accommodation area with its dive
cottages. Our evening meal was at one of the many restaurants. The food
was delicious sizzling beef and chips.
Sunday 15th February 2009.
John, Joe and Richard went off with Kurt from the Atlantis Dive Centre to
Balicasag Island, a reef fringed island and a divers paradise. Janet, Ann and
Kathryn opted for a relaxing day by the pool and on the beach. Michael and I
went for a small tour of the southern tip of Bohol to have a look at the Blood
Compact Marker commemorating the historic agreement between Rajah
Sikatuna and the Spanish expeditionary leader Legazpi. Then on to the
Baclayon Church, reputed to be the oldest stone church in the Philippines. It
was built by the Jesuits in 1727. The church had an interesting museum
housing a collection of religious relics, vestments and old librettos of church
music in Latin inscribed on animal skins. We also visited a small reserve to
see the Tarsier, the world’s smallest primate.
Finally we went to the Island Mall on the outskirts of Tagbilaran for lunch
and to purchase a wooden nativity. Richard, Ann and Joe went off to church.
The party choose another restaurant on the beach for the evevning meal.
We were entertained by the guiter and voice with a wide range of songs.
Monday 16th February 2009
We travelled across Bohol, via a visit to see the tarsiers and the Chocolate
Hills, to the Port of Ubay. In the summer the sparse grass on the Chocolate
Hills turns brown hence the name. We arrived in Ubay in good time so we
walked around the town. We spotted The Rotary Club of Ubay’s meeting
place. We walked around the market and then bought some take away drinks
in plastic bags! Then we sailed for Bato on Leyte. While travelling up the
coast of Bohol we passed some wooden structures in the sea which may have
been fishing platforms. On board we had a choice of watching a vampire
movie or a tennis match between Ancic and Murray. We arrived in Bato on
Leyte to be greeted by Rico Rentusa (the Mayor of St Bernard, who is a
Rotarian from Cebu). He and his staff Neil and Jinty drove us with a police
escort to St Bernard. There were armed police in the back of the police car
with our luggage around them. We stopped on the way to get some money
from a supermarket. In the evening we had a presentation about the mud
slide and St Bernard in general by the tourism officer Jane. We had a meal
in our hotel at Kissbone Cove.
Tuesday 17th February 2009.
After breakfast, we joined the Mayor and dignitaries at the third
commemoration of the disastrous mud slide which had killed so many.
After the mass and testimonials some crossed the river to the memorial
ground itself.
Some waded out and others, including Kathryn, crossed the river in the
bucket of an excavator. Then it was off to lunch with the local dignitaries
including our revered leader Sir John! Then after lunch we had an extensive
tour with Neil and Co to various clinics, some containing the beds from The
War Memorial Hospital. We also looked at schools in the Baranguys including
ones that had been constructed as settlements to replace those on the
hillside. The villagers while living in the new settlements have to go back to
harvest the crops. It was clear that the community of St Bernard was doing
a lot to improve the conditions for its people. In the evening we were
entertained to a performance about the disaster and the rehabilitation
afterwards organised by Rachel Avendula. It was performed by children,
some of whom had been orphaned.
It was an excellent if somewhat emotional performance and it highlighted
some of the problems faced by the children after the mudslide.
Wednesday 18th February 2009.
Up for breakfast and out in three small bancas around the bay off St
Bernard with Rico, Neil and Jane.The one we were in went through the water
rather than over it! At lunch we were presented with souvenier rocks from
the landslide. Then it was off to the Sogod Bay Scuba Resort run by Phil
McGuire an Australian. John and Joe went for an evening dive around the
Pier. The rest of us had our evening meal - chips with everything! Also Mango
Slammers and Double Gin and Tonics. Went to bed in a good mood.
Thursday 19th February 2009.
Up and off at 7 00 am on the banca across the bay to look for whale sharks.
Breakfast, for most a BLT, on board. Everyone went in the water for
snorkelling, we saw some corals and loads of jellyfish.
Back on the banca for lunch. John, Joe and some of the other party on the
banca went diving. The local spotters were doing their best to locate the
whale sharks. Also a local conservationist/guide joined us and talked about
how to swim with the whale sharks. Three or four, including Jane who had
accompanied us caught a glimpse of a whale shark passing under the boat.
Another search followed by some snorkelling. Then back across the bay to
the resort for dinner.
Friday 20th February 2009.
Up for breakfast, then a drive around the end of the peninsula through
Padre Burgos and Maasin. We passed Bato and drove on to Hidalgos to board
the MV Ormoc Star which we caught by the skin of our teeth. The crossing
to Cebu was spent perched on bunks, some on the top deck others down
below. We booked back into The Golden Prince then we joined the inaugural
training weekend for a scout troop sponsored by the Rotary club of Mandaue
North. President Gina, Peter, Jinky and the other Rotarians had brought in
experienced leaders from the Philippines Scout Association. They had taken
three groups of eight boys from the streets of Cebu and Manaue.
The Cathedral and St Nino patrols were from Cebu and the Snake patrol
from Mandaue. We listened to the inaugural formalities and a campfire at
the end of their first day. They were accommodated in tents on the site,
whether they slept is another matter.
Saturday 21st February 2009
A long journey, over 30 hours, back to the UK, with changes at Manila, Hong
Kong and Paris.