Moving on

Today, I catch a fast boat in the afternoon from Cebu to Bohol. From the port of Tagbilaran, it is a short taxi ride to Panglao Island, where I will stay for four days. The diving is world class so we shall see what happens.

Cebu is a lovely island. The hotel I stayed in is high on a hillside above Cebu City so it catches very refreshing breezes. The first few hours of the day are especially delightful, before the heat builds.

Yesterday, I explored a Spanish fort built in the mid-1500s and then carried on to the oldest church in the Philippines, which houses a much revered tiny statue of the virgin. People lined up for ages to make individual intercession in front of the glass case that contains the relic. It was interesting to observe the fervour of the devotees as they placed palms on the glass as close as possible to the virgin. May all of their prayers be answered, by that or any other means! Just as in Manila, earthquakes, fires and war have been hard on any ancient architecture. One tower of the fort had crumbled in the earthquake that shook Cebu in October of 2013. A hopeful sign declared that the government was prepared to rebuild the country's heritage. There was little visual evidence of the terrible typhoon that tore through Cebu in November of last year. Thousands died, particularly in neighbouring Leyte. It's sobering to follow in the tailwind of such a cataclysmic event but life must go on.

This is the entrance to the Fort San Pedro:

Visual evidence

Yesterday, I needed to find the main Post Office in Manila. It is an extremely large building but there are no letters indicating it is the Post Office, perhaps because the building has just been renovated outside. Once one gets close however, it is unmistakable!

Manila

I have been exploring this very large Asian city for the past few days. It looks and feels so different from the rest of Southeast Asia. Perhaps this is because of more than 400 years of colonial history. The streets are certainly busy but there seems to be no chaos. Everyone is friendly and helpful. There is plenty of evident poverty but I don't see desperation. I am very surprised by the evident youthfulness of the population. The old walled city, where I am staying, is full of educational institutions of all sorts and young people flock to and fro incessantly.

While roads are generally filled with traffic, driving is orderly, all the traffic lights work and are obeyed. It is possible for pedestrians to cross safely when the lights are in their favour. There is no constant honking of horns as in India.

This is a quiet side street in Intramuros, the old walled city within a city. Many people hire small forms of public transport, such as this tricycle.

Philippines

Last night, I reached Manila via Singapore. I got in rather late so have had trouble catching up with myself today! After reading a lot about Manila in advance, I was apprehensive about the crowding and the clamour but have found it a lovely city. It is very easy to get around in taxis and costs are reasonable. Of course it is very different here as both culture and history have forged a unique path. The arrival of the colonizing Spanish in the early 1500s, followed by an army of priests and soldiers, put an end to Islamization in this area. The Spanish were followed by the British, the Americans and the Japanese. The yearning for freedom was strong though and a modern nation was forged after WW2.

The city is certainly large and filled with traffic. The streets are orderly and the people very friendly and helpful to visitors. I am staying in Intramuros, the old walled city built by the Spanish in the late 1500s. The history of buildings, many long gone, is recorded in great detail everywhere. Earthquakes, fires and wars have been hard on bricks and mortar so what old architecture remains has been rebuilt any times. Almost the entire city was destroyed as the Americans defeated the Japanese in 1945.  I had a lovely walk at dawn around the entire perimeter of the old city. Large parts of the ancient walls have been repaired and from up top there is a lovely view of the modern city all around.

The iconic public transport is the jeepney and they are ubiquitous in the city. They harken back to the American military jeep but many embellishments have been added! There are several other very common modes of transport, mostly designed to get around the traffic that blocks the streets!

After a few days of discovery here, I fly to Cebu Island for a more laid back experience.

Senggigi

I have just spent a few days in Senggigi, Lombok's best known resort area. I stayed in a lovely new hotel with a 70 metre infinity pool for cooling off.

Senggigi was very popular during the 80's but has fallen into decline. Many establishments are boarded up. Garbage is not cleaned up on the beach. The atmosphere is rather drab. This is not a place to dally. The beach is a grey colour and usually full of boats like this.

As I prepared to sail to Gili Trawangan, a small island off the north east coast of Lombok, this friendly group of young Indonesian people were heading out for a snorkelling adventure!
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Gili Trawangan

Oh my! I think I have stumbled upon paradise! Again! This beautiful little island is stunning. To give  an idea of its size, I ran around the entire perimeter at dawn this morning in 45 minutes, and believe me, the heat requires a slow running pace!

I chose a very nice hotel on the quiet east side of the island. No vehicles are permitted so there is a very peaceful atmosphere as soon as one lands.  Transport is by horse and cart (cidomo), by bicycle or on foot. The hotel provides bicycles free of charge. I rented snorkelling equipment this morning and have already been out across the reef where I saw many beautiful fish. The coral has suffered enormously, either from changing climate or dynamite fishing in the past. It is trying bravely to regenerate but it will be a long journey.

There appear to be no tourists on the west side of the island. I had the reef totally to myself.

Crowds gather on the east side, where there is a long strip of bars, hotels, dive shops and various other distractions. It is easy to get there for a wide choice of restaurants and then walk back to the beautiful peace and quiet. This is a truly gorgeous place to relax.

Beautiful Bali

I arrived in Bali on February 9, 2014 from New Zealand. I headed straight to the renowned village of Ubud, a centre of the arts on this idyllic island for centuries.

Everywhere one goes or looks, there is decoration, embellishment and beauty. A lush tropical climate on a rich volcanic soil creates a terrarium-like environment for nature. The living must have been easy in this land of plentiful food and medicine for such a high culture to develop and endure. The arrival of Hindu and Buddhist wisdom on trade ships over a thousand years ago brought worship to the people. Everything and everybody attracts devotion. Elegant ceremonies and beautiful miniature offerings are made many times every day. There is time to honour beauty and culture at every opportunity.

The picture above was taken in a museum/temple dedicated to the history of art on the island. The synergy of nature and artifice is evident and the whole is wrapped in peace and contentment.

I stand, I sit, I kneel in admiration of all of this.

Healing hands

It has taken some time for the wounds on my hands to heal. I fell while running in New Zealand, just a few days before I left. The road surface was horrible so it was necessary to go to the doctor and take a course of antibiotics. The wounds made the first few days of yoga in Bali challenging but now I can manage without bandages!  

Bali has turned out to be an amazing place for me to visit. The colour, warmth, lush vegetation, vibrant lived culture, and the presence of devotion in the lives of everyone here just delight me. I promise to write more shortly. I am really struggling to try and get pictures into my blog and it is a source of frustration. But the machine must not win! Peace and love from this gorgeous spot on the planet.