This time we went to Biliran, a small province just north of Leyte. The images here are severely compressed, hopefully they will still be of some use. We went with Qatar Airways and after a plane change at Doha, we arrived in Cebu.
Gargantuan malls are common in the major cities. This one is called Ayala and it's so big you can easily get lost.
Shopping is complicated. First you go to the department and tell the sales person what you want. They give you a small paper note. When you have finished shopping, you take the notes to the cashier. Meanwhile, personnel have brought your stuff there. One person punches the amounts into the register, another person checks that amounts match pricetags, and a third person supervises the other two. Takes forever. Food shopping is easier, works like in the US with exit cashiers.
This is the clothes department iin a medium sized supermarket. Note the ringed persons: they are all sales personnel. Sometimes there are more of them than customers. Which is possible, I guess, when their salary is $150-200/month.
The best way to travel between islands is by Supercat ferry. Tickets are about $15. Speed is 30 knots.
For a couple of extra dollars you travel Business class. Less crowded, better service. Recommended!
This is our house at Baso. It's regarded as luxurious by neighbors because it has concrete floor, plywood walls, metal roof and wood frame. It even has a WC. Many people live in houses built entirely of bamboo.
This is the gathering place outside the house where guests are received, you take meals, smoke and chat. The atmosphere is relaxed and friendly.
This is a sari-sari shop where you can get rice, drinks, tobacco. Rural shopping is limited.
Philippine dog model 1A. There is also a model 1B which is identical except for black/white color. Other races are rare.
For 25 dollars we bought this gas stove. It saves the family having to cook over a log fire, no more smoke and soot. A big improvement to life.
We had a 24 hour typhoon with constant heavy rain, thunder and wind. One person died when a house collapsed. Neighbors sought shelter in our house.
Typhoon means power outage. This is emergency light: bottle, kerosene, wick.
Thunder at night.
These signs are everywhere. They tell people what projects for improvement are being decided, how much money has been invested, and what politician takes credit. They don't say how much of the money the politician has embezzled.
The cemetary in Baso. Lots of sarcophagi all over, impassable for pedestrians.
These boys are carrying "tuba", a terrible sort of palm wine, up the mountain to customers.
Above Baso is a mountain with coconut plantations and a village called Canomay. The concrete road runs a kilometer, then it's another kilometer of motocross course. In 100+ heat it's hard work to go there.
This is the common laundry in Canomay. Water is gathered on the mountain and runs all the way down to Baso in the tube. Taps are here and there.
Coconuts being harvested.
This guy has tame birds. They fly around, when he whistles they come and land in his hand.
A tame bird.
A fruit growing on the mountain. They are the size of apples and taste something like apple and radish.
The jackfruit is the biggest fruit in the world. Tastes somewhat like canned peach and/or dried apples.
These gadgets grow outside our house. It's cocoa. The white stuff is sweet and edible. The purple/blue things are the beans. Think chocolate.
Fish is the most common food of the poor (which is nearly everyone). This is a small tuna, but usually the fishermen only had tiny sardine-type fish.
On a sunday we went to the local Catholic church.
There are about 15 fans in the church. The music was played on a synthesizer by a 15-year old kid.
There were about 5 kids to every adult at thiss mass. I guess with Catholicism, no condoms and only 2 channels on TV, the people haven't got much else to do at night.
Text on the image is in Swedish. Motorcycles are the most common transportation in the Philippines, but they are usually rebuilt to serve for heavy transports. Saddle is lengthened, shock absorbers are doubled, etcetera.
Six people on one bike. No helmets, no leathers, no boots. Probably no brakes either...
In the plains below the mountains they grow rice. In drier areas, it's sugar cane. From which is made a decent rhum that costs little more than a dollar per bottle.
Nice.
We made a trip to Tacloban City. This bus is not full, you can cram at least another 20 people into it.
Watchmaker's shop. He did for 2 dollars what Swedish watchsellers would do for $30.
This teller machine ate the wife's card. It was sunday so bank was closed. An hour later someone stole wife's cellphone while she was trying on clothes in a shop. Time for a visit to the police.
This is the police station. Note the mug shot corner. Pictures of caught criminals are posted on the wall to the left, labelled "neutralized offenders". The room has 9 desks but only one computer. A friendly officer took our report, writing by hand. Then we had to go to City Hall and pay $6 for registering the crime. Next day, they provided an English version dot-matrix printed from the computer, which was operated by a little old lady.
A nice school at Bunga, near Baso. Classrooms are bungalows built in a square formation around a park which is tended by pupils. Each part of the park corresponds to a part of the curriculum. Above is the math park.
Pupils were amused when I entered with the camera.
Time to ho home. Oh no! The plane is broken. Will take all night to duct tape it back together. Air company paid for a night in a hotel.
Crown Regency is a nice hotel especially when it's free and there is free food.
Next day we flew to Qatar. All the people working in the airport were Pakistanis. We had missed our connection to Stockholm, so we got another hotel night here in Doha. Local temperature was 115 F.
This is what Doha looks like. All buses and taxis painted white and turquoise. Ads covering whole buildings. The taxi drivers were all philippinos.
This is also what Doha looks like. Building sites everywhere. Tourist brochure said there were 3 attractions: "Aladdin's Kingdom" which is a theme park, a desert camel safari, and the old market. We skipped them all because it was just too hot.
The Emir of Qatar has an education from Sandhurst, 3 wives and 15 children. He is a moderate moslem. There are mosques everywhere but no prayer calls.
In the philippines there is always a saint hanging from the rear view mirror in taxis. Apparently Qatari taxi drivers have a different religion.
The hotel room we got in Doha was actually a suite. There were 2 flatscreen TVs, washing machine, refrigerator, freezer, toaster, microwave and other gadgets. Trouble was, all the wall sockets were 3-pin and all the appliances had 2-pin European connectors...
The hotel had a gym and a pool, but bathing in 100+ degree water did not tempt us.
All staff in the hotel were Philippinos. Even the doorman who was dressed up like a bedouin but didn't want to be in the picture.
The hotel restaurant has a choice between Western chair/table seating, or Arab cushion seating.
At the airport in Doha there was a lottery where you could win this Aston Martin DB9.
This 1,5 liter bottle of water cost $1,50 at the hotel. Gasoline was 71 cents/gallon.