Photos et lettres des Philippines, de France et d'ailleurs

On August 16, I got back my 4x4 vehicle at the mechanic after many misadventures. It had indeed been repaired a first time after having been kept two days. The vibrations were due, he said, to a belt worn rubbing against the compressor etc. He had also changed the brake pads and some other parts of the master cylinder. In short I was satisfied.
Imagine my surprise when I returned home to find that the vehicle was going to the left when I was braking and also finding it hard to turn right.
Once at home, I decided to return to the garage but no sooner had I had driven a few hundred meters that the direction of the Pajero became alarmingly loose and only partly responding. I should have stopped immediately on the side of the road, but here no assistance or towing therefore though, it was not smart on my part, I somehow traveled the 15 kilometers separating me from the repair shop at the speed of 20-30 km per hour.
This time the mechanic kept the car for two more days and it was returned to me in perfect working condition free of charge. It seems that a worn-out and defective bolt was responsible of this serious failure of the direction. I will never know the truth for sure but now I will insist on a road test after each repairing, which had not been the case.
So the 17th, around 7:30 pm, I could get to the port of Dumaguete to fetch my daughter Christelle and her 3 friends who had just arrived from Palawan via Cebu. All four were excited about the few days they had spent in Palawan. Although they were tired a busy schedule was awaiting them during their week at home as they wanted to pass their first diving PADI license. I had already made arrangements for them with Raphi, the manager of the dive shop of Thalatta Beach Resort.

(In front of the Pajero, the usual group picture. They are ready to go diving, from left to right, Laeticia, Gilles, Alexis and Christelle)

They accomplished all their examination and obtained a license that allows them to descend into the sea at a maximum depth of 18 meters. So on Sunday they were able this time to go and enjoy a dive at Apo Island, opposite my house and a marine reserve worldwide famous among the divers.

(Diving in Apo Island, Gilles, Laeticia, Alexis and Christelle. Photo taken by the diving instructor with Alexis'camera)

(Christelle happy and smiling under the mask. Photo taken by Alexis)

Time goes fast, and unfortunately for my youth, on August 24, their two-week vacation was exhausted and this time I drove them at the Dumaguete airport for their trip to Manila then Paris.
Suddenly on the 25th, my big house seemed very empty and August26, I made my bag and then left for Cebu and Dapitan.
I arrived in Cebu City around 8 pm after having taken the ship Ocean Jet boat that was an hour late as usual. Ultimately if you're not too much loaded with baggage, it is better to take the air-conditioned bus in of Lilo-an, south of  Cebu island, which is faster and is four times less expensive.
I booked a room at 800 pesos (14 €) for two nights at the Hotel Dynasty Tourist Inn and went to bed after having dined nearby.
The following day I went shopping at the SM Mall and I also took my plane ticket to fly the next day to Dipolog in the north of Mindanao. Then to buy other items I took a taxi to go to Metro Gaisano, another shopping mall located in the old historic Cebu near Colon Street.
It is while shopping with my camera slung across my shoulder that I began to converse with a young salesgirl named Erlene and who seemed more interested in two things, first was that I could take pictures of her for her Facebook account and second that I had a single son of 25 years old.
As her shift ended shortly afterwards, she gave me appointment outside before I take some photos in her boarding house not far away.
In their room of 6 to 8 square meters I met two of his colleagues with whom she shared this tiny space, Jessa and Jessica. The rent for this room was of 2200 pesos a month (40 €) to share in 3 while they earn 70 € per month with 6-month-contract jobs, in principle non-renewable. What remains of their salary is for the biggest part used for helping their families.

(Erlene and Jessica in their tiny room)

Their premises were not really suitable for a photo session, for that I proposed to take them to my hotel room. They agreed after much consultation in Visayas dialect and finally decided to go considering it would probably be difficult for me to rape the three of them.

(From left to right, Jessa, Jessica and Erlene. All single and looking for a husband. Any takers?)

After the photos were taken I invited them in a Philippine restaurant and it was like all of a sudden I became Santa Claus. It is true that after a hearty meal the bill was 10 € for the four of us. After promising to send them the photos by email, It only remained to give them 1.50 € for a taxi to return safely.

(Erlene 22 years old)

(Jessa 19 years old)

(Jessica 18 years old)

The next day I flew to Dipolog at 1 pm. It was a 40 minutes flight on a ATR 72 propeller plane where I was weighed as all other passengers at the check-in counter. The employee explained that it was precisely because of the nature of the aircraft that the gross weight had to be known by the captain.

(The ATR 72 propeller aircraft of Cebu Pacific)

We arrived in Dipolog in Northern Mindanao at about 1:45 pm and I then took a tricycle to get to Dapitan fifteen kilometers away.
I had booked as usual for one night, one room at 20€ at Villa Pilar hotel on Sunset Boulevard and in the evening I could watch a beautiful sunset before going for dinner at the kamayan restaurant that offers excellent Philippine cuisine at a very reasonable price, around 4€ with 2 beers.

(Sunset at Sunset Boulevard)

The next morning before taking the boat bound to Dumaguete, I went back to the park dedicated to the memory of Dr. Jose Rizal, the Philippine national hero who lived there three years in exile. He was later executed in Manila in 1896 by the Spaniards which sparked the Philippine people's revolt against the colonial occupying forces. In 1898, after a very brief period of freedom, they were again in the hands of new masters, the Americans. The Philippines finally became an independent state in 1948 after the Second World War and the bloody occupation of Japan.

(Statue of Jose Rizal)

(He was also a Freemason)

(The Casa Redonda, replica of the Dr Jose Rizal clinic)

As usual the boat 'Ocean Jet' was again an hour delayed and it was not until 2:30 p.m that I arrived in Dumaguete.

(The fast craft Ocean Jet finally arrived but one hour late)

Now I just had to wait for the arrival of my wife on September 14 and later of her sister Leng.
I do not usually comment on the news here but how can we ignore the sad day of August 23 with the kidnapping of tourists from Hong Kong and its tragic issue that made headlines of the news all around the world, once again giving a negative image of this country which deserves better. It is only surprising that such events do not happen more often here because any store, hotel, restaurant etc. hires security guards armed to the teeth for some dreaming of an opportunity to use their toys.