Upon our arrival in Manila @9:30 pm on Monday, December 16, 1996, my sister Chelong, and brother-in-law, Joseton, met us with two vans. Culture shock slowly set in. At that time of the evening, the traffic didn't seem too bad. (I had heard that it was beyond awful these days). The weather was 80 degrees Fahrenheit. It was humid, but bearable.
We spent the first week in my sister's house in Pasig (a suburb of Manila), spending time with my two nephews and my new niece. This was my primary reason for visiting. I love my sister's kids. Isa is 24 now and Eileen's (my other sister who lives in San Diego) kids are all grown up, so it is fun to have little ones in the family again.
We began our Philippine adventure on island number one; Luzon. Luzon is the northern island, location of the largest city, Manila, the capital. And as all major cities (especially in third-world countries), the swelling population and heavy seasonal travel causes heavy pollution. We saw and breathed it. Many countries use excessive amounts of diesel fuel and leaded gas.
Our first excursion was to Pagsanghan Falls (about three hours from Manila). I have never been there, (I can't recall if I have, and it was too spectacular to forget). We were Pagsanghan Falls rookies and immediately greeted by a man who said he would guide us to our boaters, give us a good parking space and a place to change. The fees seemed very reasonable-"such a deal!", we thought. So they gave us our standard life jackets and pointed us to our boats, "this fee" the guide said, "allows you to be on the river and on these canoes. You have to take care of the boatmen, you have to negotiate the fee yourselves." Hmmm, okay. We were to have lunch, "you can choose from all kinds of food, American, Chinese, etc."
PAGSANGHAN FALLS
We were pulled by a pump boat (bangka-an outrigger boat with a generator as an engine). We floated down the whole river until we started seeing some whitewater. At this point, the motor boat let us go and the two strong. Sturdy boatmen start rowing up river. When it got too rough they moved to the eddy and (barefoot) lifted the boats over the rocks (with us in the boats). It was a beautiful ride, many cascades and waterfalls of all sizes.
The scenery was thick jungle, coconut groves, and carabao (water buffalo). (They filmed "Apolcalypse Now" in this location, so you can imagine!) We didn't get food until we got to the main fall, and we didn't have a choice; the menu was barbecued chicken, rice and a coke, served under makeshift plastic-covered lean-to and kept busy swatting flies. The waterfall was beautiful and the trip was more than worth it. By the way, the boatmen announced mid trip that the fee would be $40 each. Take it or be left!
We then proceeded from Pagsanghan to Tagaytay, where Taal Volcano is and where my sister has her weekend home. The next day we took another bangka to the crater in the middle of Taal Lake. Getting there was a breeze, it was beautiful (another first for me). We climbed up the ridge of the crater where there was another crater lake. We ate fresh coconut at the top. (There's nothing like a fresh young coconut!).
it was very windy. Heading back, the water was so choppy we all got completely soaked. We spent the rest of the weekend in Tagaytay with the whole family. Chelong and Joseton showed us the property where they are building their weekend home. It had many different fruit trees and coffee plants surrounded by a gorgeous rock wall.
Then we had Christmas! We celebrated Christmas on the eve with sister Chelong and family. my brother and other favorite nephew Apha, Isa's brother-Danielito, Dan and other relatives. And of course, good 'ole Santa. Fun was had by all. On Christmas day we rested and watched HBO all day while my sister and family visited with her in-laws.