Guest Blog

Today’s Guest Blog is from Rick Bowden.  Rick is a resident of Davao, and has been living here for about 6 months now.  I have had the opportunity to visit Rick’s house and enjoy an evening with Rick, his wife and family, and had a wonderful time (don’t worry, Rick, we owe you a dinner at our house!).  Rick recently climbed Mt. Apo, the tallest mountain in the Philippines.  Rick wrote about his experiences in doing that.  Enjoy the article! Thank you, Rick for taking the time to share this with us.

I achieved one of my aims in April this year by climbing Mt Apo.

Since I came to Davao first time in the year 2000 and seeing Mt Apo appear from the clouds at random places from all over the city and then finding out first that Mt Apo was the highest peak in the Philippines and secondly that a climb was physically possible, I wanted to do it. Various times I have read about the Apo climb on Bob’s blog, for example Ichi’s story about getting lost and having to turn his shirt inside out and from Macky’s comments, he has climbed (from memory) several times, so, when I came to Davao in January this year I decided I had to do it.

I have a young and fit brother in law Arnel, who was keen to accompany me, it was his first time too, to climb Apo and we were both willing but we needed some assistance, we needed help. We consulted with “Edge” outdoor pursuit, climbing shop in Matina and met Dom, who we hired as our guide. Dom is a young and fit athlete who I am pleased to know now as a friend but at the time, we were looking for guidance and a mentor in our quest, Ann (my wife) said he looked like a boy, I saw a competent young man, sorry Ann, I was right, he was perfect for us, a friend and guide and someone to rely on.

We talked about equipment and when to climb, which route to take and decided on Kidapawan trail in April. There are many routes up Mt. Apo, Arnel and I decided as first time climbers that the easiest would be best for us (it wasn’t easy) and so a weekend for the end of April was set. Being advised by Dom, we decided to take a local porter from Kidapawan, to help carry food and for extra security in case of sprained ankles or other more serious accident. Setting off at 4:00 am Thursday April 24th 2008, we made our way through Kidapawan to Lake Agko hot spring resort where we registered for the climb and hired “Lito” (Joselito) our porter, and off we set at approx 7:30 am.

I had talked to some experienced people before attempting Apo, like Henny, owner of De-Bonte Ko, who has climbed Apo many times and received some great advice and tips, but my first idea was to get fit and I had spent three months in the gym at Matina getting fit and I felt prepared. Dom, our guide is 22 years old with legs like pistons I was about to find out, Arnel is a naturally athletic 26 years old and Lito our porter in his early 30’s, but the porters are legendary and Lito walked up in either bare feet or flip flops and hardly needed a rest. That left me at 51 years of age, the old man of the party and by the end I needed every one of the 3 months sessions I had been through in the gym, it was tough.

The initial climb was pretty much straight up, through forests, ravines, through and inside river beds, with short rests on the way it took us 5 hours to reach Lake Binado and our first camp site. It was great to relax chill out and enjoy the cool air, Apo peak was a 2hr walk away. Arnel brought a Frisbee, he had seen pictures on the TV from Lake Binado and he was right there was a great Frisbee area; we played for hours in the afternoon, others joining in from time to time for the fun, a great way to unwind after the tough climb.

Dom was our chef, we had an early night and at first light we were up, breakfasted, packed up and on our way to the peak. During the first days climb there were not fantastic views because of climbing up gullies, through trees, the views were restricted. But from then on-climbing from lake Binado and upwards views were unrestricted and fabulous, but nothing compared with what was to come at the top.

We were there at the top for 10AM and in the clouds, it was cold, the wind was biting and jackets and gloves were required. At the top, there are a series of peaks, 9 I think, all of which are Mt. Apo and we spent the rest of the day climbing the various peaks for different views. The highlight was the view back down to Davao, where, Samal, Talikud and the city of Davao were clear and spectacular to see. People were looking up at us and this time, we were looking down on them and beautiful it was to see. We could view our part of the city, Bangkal and imagine where about our house was, quite a site.

We had a spectacular sunset but then next day, cloudy for the sunrise and so, no more views. You need some luck in the mountains to get the views, I have heard of some people climbing and then not seeing anything at the top at all as it is in clouds for the whole time.

I had managed the climb ok, keeping up with everyone, but on the climb down, the others all seemed in a hurry, for the first time we had heavy rain and it made the downward slope very slippery and my energy levels dipped sharply. Anyway we arrived soggy, damp but elated after a 5 hour “bolt” down the mountain. My first beer didn’t touch the sides.

It was a fantastic trip and I would recommend anyone to do it, but a few tips, first take a guide, second a local porter, for local knowledge, then talk to people who have done it (thanks again Henny for some valuable advice) to make sure you have the right equipment and lastly to enjoy it more I would recommend some training, it is fairly strenuous and that should not be ignored.

Yesterday, June 15 was the first anniversary of my best friend’s death. So, let me talk about him.

There are only two world boxing champions that I remember the names. One is, of course, our great Filipino champion, Manny Paqcuiao and I’m a big fan of him. Another one is Yusuke Kobori, who won the WBA lightweight title by knocking out the Nicaraguan champion in the 3rd round on May 19, 2008.

I had a friend who was a boxer. His name was Junji Murakami and also went by the name of “El Matador” because of his quickness and beautiful techniques.

On May 19, 2007, Murakami fought 7 rounds against Kobori in the title match of OPBF (Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation) Super featherweight Championship, and he lost. I was luckily able to watch his last fight since I was in Japan. I had a business trip at that time and I had to go back to the Philippines the day after the title match. In the following morning, he sent me off at Narita Air Port even he was exhausted with the damages he got in the fight. He had hit the mat twice that night.

              Three weeks after the title match, his fiancé found him dead at his apartment. According to the result of the autopsy, the cause of death was heart failure. But, everybody understood the real cause. I have heard that Kobori also attended Murakami’s funeral conducted few days.

              Kobori shifted to lightweight and exactly one year after the big day, he became the WBA lightweight champion. And now, he has conveyed his interest to fight against Manny Pacquiao.

              As I said, I’m a big fan of Manny. But this time, I support Kobori if they fight. How about you?

Although new school year has started, the college that I am working for is still accepting new enrollees. There is a reason why we have to extend the deadline of enrollment. This year, we only have one fourth of the enrollees compared to last year. I wondered why. The number of students in my college had been increasing past 5 years in a row, and I was thinking that we, teachers deserve to say it is because of the quality of education. We didn’t provide good education last year? Or, our marketing officer did something wrong? I was thinking WHY.

And in this morning, I picked up one of the Philippine newspapers and I found it. The newspaper says “Inflation soars to 9.6%”in the front page.” I presumed that is the reason. So, I texted one of my friend who is teaching at another college and asked her if the number of enrollees in her school decreased or not. She responded to me, “only 50% compared to last year.”

It’s not only our college with few students enrolled in this semester but also other private schools. In short, they shifted to public schools or, probably, some of them cannot afford to enroll even in public schools. Parents need to buy rice before they send their children to school. And enrollment fee for a college is also rising.

I never expected that inflation would influence education so directly. Our wages also have to be raised corresponding to the increase of commodity prices. But, how can it be? Private schools do not have money, too. It’s a vicious cycle.

For today’s Guest Blog, we have another installment from Jim Cunningham.  This is an article about Jim and Marilou’s visit with my friend, Father Franco in Buda.  I’m glad that the Cunninghams got to meet Father Franco, he is really a special friend that I love very much.

As a regular reader of Bob Martins blogs I was curious to meet up with someone who Bob mentions regularly namely Fr Franco who lives in Buda on the Davao/Bukidnon border area. On the way back to Talakag from our recent visit to Davao we took the opportunity to meet up with Fr Franco. As we approached the area that Bob had told us where Fr Franco is located we stopped and asked someone if Fr Franco was at home as once again we had not made an advanced appointment. Fr Franco came to meet us and after once again mentioning Bob Martin the door was opened. Following introductions Fr Franco explained the function of his market garden project and was kind enough to give us a guided tour of his facility taking great pains to explaining about the various herbs and vegetables that he grows and the reason for doing so. Fr Franco’s main project is to preserve tomatoes and convert them into paste and pickles etc for the catering industry at the same time giving employment to the local people. I must confess after tasting his product and listening to his vision for the future I just know he has a winner. We just had to buy some of his products to take back to our house in Talakag. Fr Franco also has another line of expertise and that is in the production of liqueurs the recipe only known to him and his great boss above. Whilst there he produced samples of his various liqueurs and insisted that we taste them the consequence of which was from saying goodbye to Fr Franco to arriving at Jolliebee in Valencia, I know nothing at all.

Fr Franco is an Italian priest who has spent 44 years working amongst the natives of rural Philippines. He is a man of vast knowledge of local plant and flora and has introduced his unique know how of European herbs and vegetables to his project. He is currently planting vines in order to grow and harvest grapes so he can make yes you have guessed it errrr communion wine, well I think that’s the plan. If successful and it turns out to be as good as his liqueurs maybe the next time I visit I will get back to Cagayan de Oro without knowing anything. People like Fr Franco are unique and bring hope to the indigenes by using their knowledge and converting their ideas into viable business ventures.  Our visit was very informative and most enjoyable and Fr Franco is certainly someone whom I will visit again in the future. Anyone interested in growing herbs and vegetables as well as citrus fruits should certainly try and visit Fr Franco as his knowledge of market gardening within the mountain region is excellent.

Today’s guest blog is from Paul Bax. Paul is a longtime reader of the Live In the Philippines Web Magazine. Paul has his own website that you may enjoy visiting. Paul tells of his adventure while visiting the Philippines in his story below. Thank you, Paul for sharing this with our readers!

The day has finally come to depart for my trip to Skip’s Beach Resort. The purpose of the trip is to attend a seminar/workshop to raise money for Skip’s charity, The Alfonso Fund, to help poor children in the Philippines who’s parents cannot afford medical care. Skip’s Beach Resort is located in the remote town of Daantabayan on the outskirts of Cebu. Skip is the third student of the late martial artists and film star, Bruce Lee. He is somewhat of a legend to his countless friends and associates whom he has helped move there and or introduced many to their wives. He has spent his last 17 years in the Philippines among the common man, opting to live amongst the every day Filipino rather then the alleged “upper class”.

Well, I “skipped” out of work early so I could finish any last minute packing and to grab a bite to eat before leaving. In addition, I wanted to spend a little time with both my wife and son (separate since they are not getting along). When it came time to leave the house my son actually seemed a bit choked up I was leaving. He asked me to bring him back a knife that he can carry on him. Just what he needs…not.

So after a nice drive with my wife to the airport we said our goodbyes and it was extremely hard to leave her. Sure, I am going to the land of the hot Filipino babes but still, she almost made me want to put my bags back in the car and say the hell with it. However, I had people depending on me to be there and had committed myself to the event. This was not just a martial arts event but also a humanitarian effort.

I entered Lambert airport and immediately had a brain fart. I tried to self check in and was trying to scan my passport through the wrong area on the machine. I proceeded to manually enter all the information. After deciding to upgrade to first class for $180.00, I was pleasantly surprised that my one checked bag would not see me again until we were reunited in Cebu. One less thing to worry about.

So I grabbed my first class seat, which was quite spacious and came complete with complimentary drinks and a meal. Of course I took advantage of the situation and slammed three bourbon and soda’s before the trip was over. Ironically, an older gentleman named Harlin sat next to me who reminded me a lot of Gene Wilder without the frizzy hair. He actually worked for American Airlines (which I was flying to LA) and we didn’t stop talking from our initial “hello”. He offered me some prescription strength stomach medicine which I took but will probably throw out before I leave the plane. I can just see me getting thrown in a Hong Kong jail because I was carrying a prescription with out my name. Looks like I will have to settle for Pepto Bismol. Harlin’s job was working in the prestigious, “Admiral’s Club” where he basically takes care of executives along with famous musicians and actors. A few names the threw out to me were Nelly, Ashante, Foxy Brown, Paris Hilton, the whole band of Van Halen and a few others that escape me.

After a flight that went really quick because of our conversation, he took me up to the Admiral’s club where he gave me the RX and his boss gave me a free drink voucher. Whew hoo! I paid for one beer myself, another stranger gave me his free voucher so I ended up having another bourbon and soda and two Mich Ultra’s. I handed the guy a five for all his hard work which he really appreciated. I told him he probably needed a tank of gas.

Once I found Cathay Airlines and checked in I converted some dollars to pesos so I was all set for Cebu. The rate was not as good as the published rate but it was good enough to avoid one more hassle.

So I then found my gate and noticed a guy wearing a Thai Boxing shirt. Turns out he is from Texas and his instructor is under Ron Balicki. He was headed to Thailand for a couple of fights. Apparently he had two fights already. His first experience was that he was not supposed to come out wailing on his opponent since the first two or three rounds are go get the bets going. We had a lot of talk about the Orient and what I was in store for. He seemed to think I would be fine with no issues for the remainder of my trip.

So I boarded the plane and everything was fine until my right leg kept cramping up. I have circulation issues with that leg for some reason. I asked to be moved and got a somewhat better seat but there are still some pain issues. I can not believe how long this flight is taking. 14 hours seemed like an eternity. As I type this I have a little over 2 hours left. I could be in Mexico by now!

For now I am going to turn off the laptop since it only has one of battery life yet and I do not know if my hook up will work at Skip’s but I am sure he will have all obstacles covered.

Oh, I almost forgot. I called Dr. Mac who is in good spirits. He transfered me to Skip who was astounded that I would be there so quickly or even there at all. Then he hit me with the shocker. Cebu airport is always crowded and it has taken him up to 6 hours to get out of there. Add this to my 3 to 4 hour bus ride there and I am looking at arriving late on Thursday. Ah, the trial and tribulations of a humanitarian.

Captain’s log, 5-2-08 (Cebu time): I made it through the airport without a hitch and found a taxi driver to take me to Skip’s for $1500 pesos. Quite a bargain. The ride was nothing less then a roller coaster ride with our car coming within inches of trucks and peoples arms and legs. Airport wait was only an hour or less.

The scenery is amazing and the landscape is beautiful. Unfortunately this is a very poor country and that is reflected in the housing. I will say that people walk the streets freely as do the children with no fear of the predators we have in the USA.

So, finally after asking for directions several times we found Skip’s resort. His son, Chip came out to greet me. Immediately as I stepped out of the car the humidity made my glasses steam up. I made my way to my room on the top floor which was quite spacious. Then after settling in I met Dr. Mac for the first time. He was under the weather so we kept our distance but he then referred me to the man we both came to see, Skip Ellsworth. After a firm handshake we sat down and started talking about my trip and it was like we had been conversing in person for years. I took a quick nap and later returned for dinner made by Belle which was wonderful. After some more great conversation, we called it a night. I ended up waking up at 4:30 am and had a nice webcam chat with my ever worried wife. She was worried about me in more ways then one but seems to be accepting my absence and dealing with it.

Later that morning I received a knock on the door from Chip telling me it was time for breakfast. As usual, Belle delivered a great bacon and eggs feast with pancakes (this happened every morning).

Chip and I headed out to the town and came upon a pool hall. After showing him who was the boss of the table we headed back. Dr. Mac and I had a picture session with Skip and then Belle, Chip, Belle’s brother and I headed out to the market where we picked up some mangos and other fruit. The locals were looking at my white legs in astonishment. I think they said I had a big nose (anything is big compared to their petite features) also. The equalizer was that all the women kept asking me if I was married. My standard joking response was “sometimes” which was greeted with wild laughter.

Later I tried a burger from a local vendor (Big Mac’s) which was great albeit a tad thin (think White Castle but smaller). Then we headed back to the resort to rest for awhile. I am already adjusted to the time change. I am not looking forward to changing back when I go back to Missouri.

During Friday Dr. Mac, myself and Chip went to the roof to practice and exercise. With the way Belle is feeding me it was much needed. After some warm-ups we worked on a few take downs and demonstrated a few of our favorite moves. Chip’s sister, Milet joined us and she turned out to be quite a scrapper for a 14 year old. She actually picked up a 70 pound bar bell and put it over her head. She probably weighs that much herself.

Later we had another awesome dinner from Belle and a nice chat between, Skip, myself, Dr. Mac, Chip and Belle. Dr. Mac gave me a few shirts that I was not expecting and Skip gave us both a Philippine flag pin.

Chip and I headed back to the pool hall but it was closed. So, I grabbed a Red Horse beer at the local store and we headed back flashing our new lighters that we had purchased earlier that day into the darkened night. What makes this lighter unique is that it not only provides a flame but also a light…and when flashed on a wall or any surface the light turns into a hot naked Asian babe. Skip totally approved of his son’s lighter. Now that’s a Dad.

So after that I called it a night. As I type this on Saturday morning, the rain is coming down hard. Looks like our work out may be inside.

Saturday’s work out covered some basic throws and take downs and covered the basics of falling and rolling. The day went off without a hitch. After a nice dinner with Skip, Chip and I headed out to the pool hall again where I learned the art of the “knowing where the table is crooked”. I had a lot of practice at that in my youth so it was no big deal.

We headed down to a local festival but it was too muddy to hang around. There was a strange fellow that asked both Mac and I do dance with him. We declined. After walking the streets for awhile Chip took me through a dark short cut through the village. After some more conversation with Skip we called it a night.

Sunday was the final day of the seminar and we had many workers from the resort join us. Belle. Aimee, Maurita, and Milet all took turns punching the pads while Mac and I coached them along as best we could. Aimee seemed to catch on the best and had down punching where her hand was and non-telegraphic movement. Belle had a strong punch on her while so did Maurita and Milet. Chip is coming along good also. The funniest moment was probably when Mac held the pad on his chest from a Wing Chun stance and I demonstrated a full power straight lead. Mac flew back about 8 to 10 feet until he ran into the couch and then promptly fell on his ass. Or in Mac terms, “his backside”. Mac will be upset if I don’t mention his take down he did on me (demonstration) the previous day.
With the seminar over we cleaned up and had ANOTHER great dinner from Belle. Chip and I hit the town again to play pool and slum around the streets.

Monday came with great anticipation since Skip was going to join us on a guided tour around town. He had not left his room for 4 weeks due to some medical issues but he was feeling well enough now to hop in the van and show us around. Our first stop was the local graveyard which is NOTHING like American graveyards. Basically, if you do not have the money to bury you relatives then you simply stick their remains in a bucket and that is the end of it. Judging by the dates on some of the graves, it appears the average life span is much shorter in the Philippines as opposed to the USA.

From there we went to the famous Maya pier where many people take boats to Macalupsa and other islands. Fishing tours are also offered. Belle hit a home run when she bought us all chocolate chip cookies as a snack. We proceeded to drive around the country side, viewing various landmarks and or homes of Skip’s friends (which are growing by the day).

Dr. Mac wanted to have an award ceremony of sorts where he would hand out certificates of participation and various other items. With that behind us, Chip and I headed out to another part of town we had yet to explore (at least with me). Before I knew it I had guys offering me “shots” and girls asking if I was married again. “Sometimes”. After visiting a few stores for drinks, the local pier, a basketball game and a Karoake bar it became quite dark outside so we headed back just in time for dinner.

Before bed I had a nice final chat with Skip and listened to his words of wisdom about life in the Philippines and life itself. He is truly a man of much wisdom and I cherish his friendship.
Unfortunately my taxi-driver was early so I had to say some quick goodbyes, take a few pictures and head out the door. Maurita opened the gate for me and gave me a firm handshake goodbye. The driver seemed happy to see me. We went off on our way and ran into some traffic but both the female and landscape scenery is always worth viewing.

After arriving to the airport two and a half hours early, I befriended a New Yorker who was, as always quite entertaining. He had no cash whatsoever on him after paying his exit fee. He upgraded his flight to first class for $180.00 and was officially in business class. We both decided to get some food but the restaurant would not accept credit cards and we walked away baffled. He caused such a stink that they took him back through security so he could obtain some cash. Ironically, once in the restraraunt, he found out that he could have ate for free at the buffet since he was technically in “business class”. We both found it amusing that the same girl who walked him all around the airport and who knew full well he was in “business class” did not have the common sense to tell him he could have ate for free anyway! What can you do.
So, after the horribly long flight back from Hong Kong to LA I managed to get a earlier flight back to St. Louis. Unfortunately my bag will be on the same flight I originally was on. Should be interesting retrieving that bag.

My final reflections on the Philippines are as follows: the country is beautiful and the people are kind and caring. Unfortunately there seems to be little opportunity here for jobs. Most of the houses are shacks or extremely small. People seem to care little about the environment since their is trash everywhere. However, the lack of fines and laws regarding such issues are what make the country much more free then in the USA. Big government stays out of the citizens lives…for better or for worse. It is my feeling that they people of the Philippines need to be more proud of their surroundings and not destroy their own paradise via throwing trash where ever they please. In the end though, life here is somewhat refreshing. Especially on the streets of Daanbantayan. Kids walk around without their parents with no fear of someone picking them up. People drink freely without worrying about a ticket for public intoxication. And the real owners of the roads and highways are the drivers who don’t have laws and lights dictating their every move. The Philippines…my new home away from home.