Simon Aiken, whom some of you know, is having some splendid adventures
in the Phillipines, so i  am forwarding a letter he sent to about 20
people, "just for fun".
-Ross M.
 
Subject:
                      From: Simon Aiken
 
Surigao City, Mindanao.  Okay, what happened: got to Manila alright on
the 9th, but my flight to Butuan was cancelled due to lack of jet fuel.
I
asked to be put on the next plane 'somewhere', and they flew me to
Davao.  On the plane they gave me a newspaper, and the headline said:
"39 dead, 1 million homeless in Mindanao Floods".  Worst hit was
Butuan, which was 80% underwater.
 
Spent 2 nights in Davao - a city of over a million, and rapidly
expanding.  On the 10th I did a day trip to Talikud Island, which was
very successful indeed - didn't do any shelling, but persistent efforts
were rewarded by a meeting with the local "big guy".  This will be a
long term contact.  Bought some very interesting shells.  He escorted
me back to Davao and took me round some friends of his.
 
Newspaper headline that day was "Bin Laden Aids MILF", the MILF being
the Islamic group that causes big problems in Mindanao.  But, the
money from Bin Laden has gone to buy only mosques, schools and
hospitals, and not the European surface-air missiles which cost
billions of Pesos.
 
10 hour bus ride from Davao to Surigao City, 11th.  Stayed that night in
 
the worst hotel I've ever come across, by a large margin.  (100
Pesos/night - $2.50, #1.60.)  Ferry to Siargao Island on the 12th.
Stayed 1 night in the main town of Dapa, then moved to a surfing
resort, "Cloud 9" - the resort being named after the famous 'break' that
 
is there (consistently voted in the world's top 10 by the best surfers).
 
I was the only person there who didn't have caramel-coloured hair.
Made an excellent contact - an Englishman (aged 54) who collects
shells.  Visited 2 islands with him, and snorkelled last night.
Shelling
around Siargao was good.  No running water on that island, although
there is a proposition to get Cable TV!  Strange priorities.  Had food
problems - very limited selection.  Caramel hair colouring is freely
available however.
 
A wonderful nightclub in the town where I stayed (pop. c.5000) on
Siargao.  Singers and dancers perform against a wall that is covered
with lizards.  One of the funniest things I've seen in a long time was
when a dog saunted across the stage in the middle of a 'number', quite
oblivious to what was going on.  There is a 'cover charge' of 5 Pesos
(13 cents, 8p), but this is waived for Westerners.  That seems a little
unfair.  Beer was costing me 20 Pesos the first night, but after that I
was able to get it for "special price" of 15 Pesos (40 cents, 27p).
 
The Englishman brought an 18yo Filipina girl to the nightclub on Sunday
(Valentine's Day).  18 into 54 goes, er, 3 times.
 
This morning, 4.40am start - back to Surigao City on a severely
overcrowded ferry - had to stand of course, and we were packed in like
sardines for 3 hours.  I've now got a boat to Cebu City for 12.30pm
(4.30am GMT, 11.30pm EST on the 15th).  I may spend the night in Cebu
City, and look up some people I know - also, shopping is required.
 
Very difficult finding postcards.
 
After Cebu City it will be Bohol, Panglao Is, Balicasag Is, then back to
 
Mactan for the serious shell buying.
 
The travelling is getting me down.  My score so far: 34 boats, 16
tricycles, 10 motorbikes, 7 planes, 6 buses, 5 taxis and 1 trishaw.  It
is exhausting, and creature comfort (and hygiene) levels lead a lot to
be desired.
 
I love the Philippine attitude to safety - my, what fun a bunch of
American lawyers could have here.  On the 10-hour bus trip, there was
a big sign by the driver: "PRAYER is the key to our safety - PLEASE
PRAY...."  Yup, and after 10 hours I was, because the road through the
mountains kept 'losing' a lane over the side of cliffs.  Tricycles
almost
always have some sort of religious message inside; one I saw was
simply "Think God!"  A ferry I took around Davao had a big safety
poster:
"GOD will save you".  On the 2 big ferries I've taken to and from
Siargao, which is a VERY rough crossing, all the writing inside has
been in Mandarin only- even including the instructions about how to
open the locked door, which took me 5 minutes to figure out with help
from the crew today (I was squeezed in right by the door).  "Confusious,
 
he say: Lifejacket under seat. Perhaps."  But it's in Mandarin script so
I
can't actually read it.
 
-Simon