Holy Week is here: Crowds & Noise

Bantayan Island: Cebu Philippines

Olympus E-1, Olympus Zuiko 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 Digital: 1/250s f/3.5 at 45.0mm iso200
March 25, 2007

This is one of my most telling images, and I Juvie's previous post from last week is here:
Juvie's recent post & image here

I spent the entire day yesterday with LittleFish, Juvie's older sister, and we went to Madridejos at the very top of the Island where we spent the afternoon shopping in the thrift/second-hand outdoor markets (oki-oki markets) for clothes for all 8 children & 2 grandkids, as well as basic necessities for the house (she especially enjoyed getting 2 new shower curtains for P10 each, as she uses curtains or any type of fabric to create separate sleeping areas for her baby & her sister's baby (the house is a simple wood & bamboo shack - 2 light bulbs, no running water - you get the picture)

It was like Christmas Day for LittleFish as we went from tent to tent, and I think I enjoyed it more than she did - everyone got things they really needed, and after that I took her to lunch and treated her to real Chicken Curry & rice, and thanked her for being such a good friend to me.

After a long ride home via the east side of the Island (avoiding the traffic congested on the main highway road here), we went back to Mama Helen's house and gave everyone what we had got them, and the kids were the most excited, as they got clothing (tops & bottoms), as well as clothing for the 2 babies.

I ended up staying and talking seriously with Mama Helen & husband David & LittleFish until past 9:30pm, and I'll write more about those conversations later - we covered some serious issues, and discussed my return in November 2007 and where I would live, etc.

Holy Week is here & I'm sick of the crowds & the noise already - this beautiful little Island is now infested & congested with far too many travelers for the Island to bear - of the small amount of hotel rooms available here, all are sold out at 2 & 3 times regular rates, so people are starting to sleep on the beaches, in empty lots & on people's land, etc.

In town & on the highway, traffic is already congested - and because driving is un-disciplined here in Philippines, it's a serious safety issue now, as people are driving at high speeds & overtaking vehicles like they were living in the Wild West, with zero consideration for others.

Just trying to head into town yesterday, I was making my way along the dirt road at a slow speed, and was almost hit head-on by a Filipino teen, driving at a high speed on the wrong side of the road, wildly comming around the bend on a 110cc motorbike with THREE passengers onboard (YES, fast driving with FOUR people on a small bike)

I had nowhere to swerve my bike to avoid a crash - he swerved away at the last second from my lane and it's a miracle that asshole didn't kill me.
...I'm driving the full size Honda XR 200cc now, which is a hell of a lot larger & heavier then the small Honda Wave he was driving, so I'm sure they all would have been seriously hurt or worse had he hit me, and I'd be the only one blamed if that happened, as I'm the 'foreigner'.

While the crowds infest the Island, it's only going to get worse trying to drive anywhere today, Friday, Saturday & Sunday- so I most likely will wait until Monday when the crowds leave, to get back to updating things online.

Thanks for reading today - enjoy your Holy Week where ever you are, and be carefull if you are traveling!
DON'T DRINK & DRIVE!

PJAMES