Philippines

BY-PASSING PULAO, WE PULL UP TO MANILA WHERE THE RECEPTION IS AMAZING,

LOTS OF PEOPLE ON SHORE. BANDS PLAYING. NOISE LIKE CRAZY.

THIS IS THE PHILIPPINES - WHERE A LARGE CHUNK OF CRUISE EMPLOYEES ARE FROM.

HIGHLY UNUSUAL FOR CRUISE SHIPS, TODAY, FAMILIES OF CREW MEMBERS ARE ALLOWED ON BOARD. PARENTS, GRAND-PARENTS, CHILDREN SIBLINGS.. THE SHIP IS ALIVE WITH PEOPLE WHO WOULD NOT EXPECT TO GET ON A CRUISE SHIP. SEEING WHERE THERE RELATIONS WORK.

I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE INTRODUCED TO SOME.

IT WAS QUITE SOMETHING.

MY OWN TOUR WAS TO TAGAYTAY. A VOLCANO INSIDE A LAKE, INSIDE A VOLCANO. A COUPLE OF HUNDRED KILOMETERS AWAY FROM MANILLA.

I AM IN A VAN WITH MAYBE 10 PEOPLE. WE HAVE TWO MOTORCYCLE POLICE OUTRIDERS. THROUGH THE CRUSH OF MANILLA TRAFFIC, WE CRASH RED LIGHTS. CARS ARE FORCED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO LET US BY. IT IS LIKE BEING IN A PRESIDENTIAL MOTORCADE. SOMEWHAT EMBARRASSING BUT WE HAVE NO CONTROL OVER THE SITUATION & SIT BACK & ENJOY THE SHOW.

WE STOP AT A CHURCH WHERE THERE IS A BAMBOO ORGAN....

AND A FANCY RESORT..

HERE'S THE COPS TAKING A BREAK...

AND THE LAKE.. A POPULAR WEDDING RECEPTION SPOT....

SOME SORT OF FISH OR SHRIMP FARMING IN THE LAKE....

BACK TO THE SHIP AFTER 6 HOURS OR SO & THE BAND'S STILL PLAYING. THE GIRLS STILL TWIRLING THEIR BATONS.

WE PASSED SOME INCREDIBLY POOR SHANTY TOWN AREAS AROUND MANILLA BUT THE PEOPLE STILL MANAGE TO SMILE.

NEXT DAY I JUST WALKED AROUND CLOSE TO THE SHIP. DID NOT TAKE MY CAMERA. NOT THE BEST PART OF THE TOWN TO WALK AROUND BUT NO ONE PAID ME ANY MIND.

I have docked at Manilla before & the dockside entertainment for arriving cruise ships is among the best in the world .. they really go all out to put on a welcoming show ..

I do not remember what we were visiting here but I did not go in .. I had a coffee and waited for people to come out ..

Back to the ship & the guys & girls are STILL dancing ..

They all seem to enjoy themselves ..

Today we are in Bohol & I have a trip to their very famous .... CHOCOLATE HILLS

But first we will be entertained, dockside, by the dancers .. here, getting set for the show & getting very wet too ..

The show has started ... .

Very good, ladies .. & in the pouring rain too.

They really do enjoy themselves I think & the rain is warm .

We are in the bus now & will soon be at the very famous .... CHOCOLATE HILLS of BOHOL

.... with a stop-off to see this very shy, tiny animal .. poor little baby wants to sleep.

That looks very much like RED IXORA .. the name of my girlfriends company in Myanmar

Through some lush countryside & we arrive at the very famous .... CHOCOLATE HILLS of BOHOL but of course we have to be entertained & fed & watered first ..

Very cute .. .. future Supermodels

Our first glimpse of the very famous .... CHOCOLATE HILLS of BOHOL . . . Oops! Did we come to the wrong place? These hills are NOT chocolate! Are they?

Here it is Our first glimpse of the very famous .... CHOCOLATE HILL of BOHOL . . . HILL, as in Singular .. but it is chocolate.

Oh well .. back to the show ..

Doing their Jimmi Hendrix impressions ..

You will have noticed that it has been raining .. hence the chocolate hills become the Green Hills -- the kids should learn the song 'There Is a Green Hill Far Away''

and after a very pleasant few hours it's back to the ship

I did have time to take a stroll into town & on the way back I had a beer with one of the crew .. we chatted & watched the birds on the water .. . he had to get back to work & I still had some Philippine money so I had another beer. The ship was only a spit away but there was a Tuk Tuk right outside the bar & I still had not spent all my Pesos so I had him drive me home .. He got the biggest tip of his career.