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

Her vacation finished, my wife left for Manila on October 8 and flew to Paris the next day. Suddenly our house seemed very empty and I planned to get away a few days to ease the transition and take some pictures.
I had heard of the Tugob Festival of Ormoc in Leyte and I left on October 18.
First I went to Cebu where I spent the first night and the next day at 11 am I boarded a fast craft and I was in Ormoc two hours later just in time for lunch.
I took a room at the Don Felipe hotel near the port, a bit old but comfortable where I got a large room for 1100 pesos (20 €). The same room occupied by a couple would have cost 1400 pesos, curious commercial policy; therefore I was allowed only one towel.

(My Don Felipe hotel room)

In the afternoon I took a few pictures of the fairgrounds across the hotel and the evening went to dinner at Sabin Resort 10 minutes from the city.

(Dinner at the Sabin Resort restaurant)

The next day October 20, was a great day because took placed the first Tugob Festival in the city of Ormoc. Tugob means abundance and this festival was to celebrate the abundance of natural resources, fisheries, minerals, coconut, rice and pineapples.
The festivities began the morning by a parade of the members of the municipality followed by costumed street dancers to represent the resources of the region.

(The Maritime College)

(The firefighters)

(The street dancing)

The afternoon show was held indoors at the Super Dome with at the end, an award to the best group. I got hardly a place in the stands and that's when he saw me so embarrassed to take my photos that the president of the local photography club invited me to join them in the space reserved for official photographers. So a big thanks to him and all the members of the Ormoc Photographic Society. The day ended with a firework display over the sea.

(The Ormoc Photographic Society)

(The SuperDome show)

The next day I returned for lunch to the Sabin Resort before leaving to Cebu. I spent the night there and finally reach Dumaguete and home Oct. 23.

(The Sabin Resort)

On November 4, I hit the road to get to San Carlos, 200 kilometers north to attend for the second consecutive year the Festival Pinta Flores.
I had a hard time to find a room and finally I was able to stay overnight at the Skyland hotel for only 12 € because it was raining inside the room. Funny! It is true that the weather was so horrible that I did not wait for the parade the next day and left to Dumaguete at 6:30 am.
At 20 kilometers south of San Carlos the weather cleared and the sun appeared so that once at the junction towards the town of Canlaon and the volcano of the same name with its summit at 2435 meters, I thought it was worth perhaps making a detour to photograph the volcano always seen previously under the rain or clouds. I was not disappointed and after taking pictures under a blue sky, I continued my journey across the mountains from east to west.
Finally it lengthened my trip of 100 kilometers but it was worth it.

(Kanlaon volcano from the Province of Negros Oriental)

(Kanlaon volcano from the Province of Negros Occidental)

(Mount Humayan)

The fortnight that remained passed very quickly and at 4.30 pm on November 20 after a four-month stay, I returned to Manila. At half past midnight on 21, I embarked with the company Emirates to Dubai and then to Paris aboard an Airbus 380.

(Dubai airport. Too bad, I didn't win this luxury car)

(The Emirates Airbus A380 photographed through the vindow)

Just back the cold appeared early and since I stay at home in the warm sorting out and editing my photos.

(Pic of our house taken this afternoon December 8 while writing this article)

My next trip to the Philippines is planned in March 2011. It will be summer there.