the south china and visayan seas

(manila - bacolod - illoillos city - caticlan - boracay)

At 3pm on Tuesday I boarded Super Ferry 2 in Manila's South Harbour just behind the famous Manila Hotel. I was at the beginning of a twenty eight hour journey towards Boracay, which I was to share with a thousand Philippinos.

Our route took us from Manila down through the South China Sea, passing Mindoro, on to the Visayan Sea, first between the islands of Panay and Masbate, and then between Panay and Negros. We stopped at Bacolod to drop off some passengers, and next went to Illoillos City in Panay, which was my stop. We arrived safe and sound just after 8pm on Wednesday.

During the journey I was housed in a shared domitory area holding one hundred people. The dormitory was filled with closely arranged bunks, each with a thin leather mattress on top (I was too long for mine, something I had anticipated). To the left hand side by the exit was a television showing, amongst other things, Philippino 'Deal or No Deal.' I watched for a while, and noted that the available prize money was much much less than Noel Edmonds gives away, and the set looked more like 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.'

My bunk was just about in the middle of the dorm. In the bunk next to me was little baby Gerrard, nine months old, and on his way back to Mindanao with his Mama. Gerrard quickly became fascinated by the big white man laying next to him, and came over to see me every now and then to play games, do some reading, fiddle with my calculator, or to occasionally belt me around the head whilst giggling and squealing. Sometimes, just to vary things, he would cry extremely loudly, but he was so cute I enjoyed even this.

Gerrard went to bed early on Tuesday night, so left him to it and went and had a few San Miguel beers on my own in the ship's bar. I spent most my evening watching people sing Karaoke. I use the word 'sing' in a very loose sense. They were hilarious. Renditions of 'House of the Rising Sun.' Eminem. Mariah Carey. And more power ballards than you could count. I had to check my ears for bleeding several times. To be fair, there was one girl who almost bordered on adequate at one point, but her downfall was her intent to work through Witney Houston's entire back catalogue. Some of the numbers proved beyond her range, and she kept missing the big notes. She plugged on though. I'll give her that.

As well as Gerrard, I also got to know a guy (and his family) who lives in Illoillos. When the ship docked we caught a taxi together into the city. I was dropped off at a convenient but grim guesthouse called the Family Pension House. I wouldn't want my family staying there, and I'm glad I only stayed for the night.

This morning I caught an early bus up from Illoillos to Caticlan, taking me all the way across the island of Panay. Panay has some lovely scenary. It looks a healthy place to live. Everywhere tall green trees, and flourishing plantlife, and every now and then a tidy looking village of traditional bamboo or rattan houses with well tended gardens. At Caticlan I caught a bangcas across to Boracay and here I am. My final destination for the moment (two and a half days).

And that brings me up to date for now. Just to note, I've read another book: The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway.