The Philippines, Part 2

Still alive down here :-)

Went up to the Batad rice terraces at Banaue, up in the middle of the mountains of northern Luzon. Basically the Ifagao tribe (former headhunters) terraced an entire valley or five and farmed them for the last 2000 years (in between beheading the odd Spanish/Japanese soldier who had the misfortune of wandering round). Apparently if all the terraces were put end to end, they would reach half way round the globe... I'll put up some pictures at some point. I have to say it was probably about the most remote place I've ever been too... 10 hour drive north of Manila, way up in the mountains (Although for much less effort you could just look at the back of a 1000 peso bill, which has a photo on it.)

On a side note, while we were wandering around the Ifagao village we ran into some elderly Japanese tourists from Fukuoka (whom could be seen a mile off by their 100% stereotypical Japanese tourist gear) whom I chatted with. The actually spoke pretty good English, and had been to Scotland (Skye of all places!)

Speaking of Japan, I entirely coincidentally ran into another exchange student from Kobe in a restaurant near our inn in Banaue!

Went back to Manila as well with my cousin who went off to her museum group and left me with the driver (called Rolly), so I went to the American War Cemetery, which is the largest American burial ground outside of the States. Around 17,000 US and Filipino soldiers who died in the Philippines are buried there, and another 30,000 missing in action are listed on the walls of the central monument. Pretty sobering stuff...

World War II really has had a massive impact on the Philippines. By the end of the war, Manila was the second most destroyed city in the world after Warsaw. Basically, the Japanese refused to leave the city, even though they had no chance of defending it, so the Americans pretty much bombed the place to the ground, and since then the place has never really recovered.

Happier things; met up with cousin again to have lunch at the Peninsula hotel in central Manila, where I had a very nice Margarita and some noodles. The Peninsula hotel is somewhat infamous for a rather amusing coup attempt a few years back, where some imprisoned Filipino generals walked out of their courthouse (having been on trial for a coup attempt the week before), along with the people who were supposed to be guarding them (obviously the pride of the Philippines), at which point they saunter into the 5-star hotel ("We'll take that suite up the top") and set about taking over the country. For about 30 minutes that is, until the government took it upon themselves to do a little "redecorating" by driving a tank into the lobby... it's fixed now.

Amusingly, when we got to the hotel they checked under the car and in the boot for bombs etc, and would only let us through after this. On the other hand, you could just drive straight out the other side when you left. I guess they figure any terrorists wouldn't be so ungentlemanly as to just drive in the exit...

Oh, and corruption in politics is so rampant here that it's just a joke. All senators and representatives have the same license-plate on their cars ("8") so are basically above the law. Also, the current president (Gloria Arroyo) is the daughter of a former president, and the current candidates to replace her include the son of Corazon Aquino (another former president), who's running mate is the grandson of another president, along with an impeached former president, back for some more... they like to keep things in the family here it seems...

Finally, my cousins have invited ALL of the Japanese staff here at the institute to dinner tonight to "test" me on my Japanese... gulp...

Oh, and I checked online and the Cherry-blossom bloom reaches Kobe the day after I get back :-). Which is a public holiday, so will be absolutely mobbed :-( Oh well...