Thursday 6th March 2008
Maasin
Leyte, Philippines

9am: It's raining as it has been since yesterday afternoon. Our laundry will be ready in an hour. First we have to row ashore, remove the debris and black sand from our feet before we can put our thongs back on, crawl through the earth floor passage of the beachside dwellers and work out how to get to the laundry. It's a one way street in the opposite direction of the laundry so we will have to find a suitable 'tricycle' with a driver who speaks a bit of English.
Yesterday we were fortunate in meeting tricycle driver Jerry who spoke very good English. We hired him for 3 hours to take us around. It was such fun riding around in this little thing. It's a bit cramped and we had to bend our heads to sit in it. We went a few kilometers away to the provincial capital to find the 'Big Chow Garden restaurant' for lunch. It was very pleasant there with overhanging flowering plants and a park with tennis court next door. We have discovered the best cheapest meal is bbq chicken for 85pesos ( $2.20). Almost half a chicken marinated in spices is cooked on a skewer over coals. This is served with garlic rice and a little sweet and sour cabbage. After lunch Jerry drove us around to do our errands - buy diesel, go to phone shop, post office, internet caf� etc.
Bill wonders why most Filipino hairdressers are transvestites?! In Palau we met several and here it appears to be the same here. Bill decided to have a haircut and beard trim at the local hairdressers up the road. There were about 6 staff lounging about reading, gossiping and texting on their phones. The two hairdressers working were both transvestites. The one who looked after Bill had long dyed red hair, 5 oclock shadow, earrings, plucked eyebrows, tight tight hipster jeans and stiletto heels. He/she did a great job and was very particular. About 45 minutes later Bill looked very dapper and the whole lot cost 100 pesos. ($3). A haircut on its own is 50pesos ($1.50).
We are thinking of going to Bohol island where we can possibly see the smallest primate - a tarsier- which has a furry body, tail like a mouse and a face a bit like a monkey and fits in the palm of your hand. Bohol is also famous for 'chocolate hills' which are really formed from limestone. It's raining, the visibility is 0 and we still have to go ashore......... The satellite phone beeped several times last night so we know there are email messages. ( I also need to put a few more photos on the website, particularly one with Caylan in it as the new one has only Joe! )
Bill had a chat to David our neighbour on 'Celtic Caper' This is his 3rd time around the world! No wonder his boat looks a bit needy of attention. He has never had any trouble through the Pacific or Southeast Asia. He said in parts of Africa and the Caribbean he came across some difficult Africans. David appears quite relaxed about life and doesn't seem to be in any hurry to go any where. He's been cruising for 20 years.

Wednesday 5th March
Maasin
Leyte Island
Philippines

The smell of burning rubbish greeted our nostrils as we entered Maasin harbour. We were pleased to see another yacht here. We met the occupants briefly - an older Welsh/Englishman with a young Asian girlfriend. He said he has been here 5 weeks and everyone is very friendly - no problem with leaving the dinghy on the little grey beach nearby. This has certainly been the case. Each day as Bill rows us ashore to the small grey beach littered in rubbish next to the wharf we have been warmly greeted by the people who live in the 'beachfront' shacks. We have been told by one of the men here that Maasin people are very religious and that's why it's a safe town. There is a big painted statue of 'Our Lady of Assumption' on the hill above town directly behind Valiam. She is lit up at night and as the Lonely Planet guide says 'looks like a benevolent apparition floating in the sky'. She was built to commemorate an old legend about an angel who descended from the heavens to turn back a typhoon. Early every morning (4am) we are woken by prayers and singing carried over the water by loudspeaker.The people who live in the beach shacks look after our dinghy and continually welcome us through their dark passageway to the street. A small bamboo gate slightly ajar next to a tiny eating place called 'Leahs' is where we go in and out to get to the boat.
The street is very noisy with 'tricycles' zooming along. They are motorcycles with a side car attached with a roof. There is enough room for a whole Filipino family or 2 large Australian yachties. We haven't tried one yet but intend to today to take our washing to a laundry.
We have tried each day to clear in but the person who handles yachts hasn't been in the immigration office yet. We have registered with the port and the coast guard. We will try Immigration again today.
We have been dining mostly at the only real restaurant in town 'Kinamot' which happens to be right on the beach front where Valiam is anchored. It is so cheap to eat here. A very nice meal with chicken, pork or fish, vegetables, rice, beer, iced tea etc rarely comes to more than $10. There is an internet caf� down the road which only costs 15 pesos and hour (30c). Its nice to be in a place not geared to tourists. However we are a bit of a novelty walking around and we often hear 'Americanos!' . We have bought local sim cards for our phones so we can call Australia for about 40c a minute. The trouble is sms to Oz costs the same! Bill and I can sms each other for free so this is handy communication if we go out separately.
They've been a couple of beggars approaching us, usually children. At first we didn't do anything but if we had some coins we would give those. However a local told us not to give money as it encourages begging which they don't like. It is difficult. Yesterday I was at the bakery buying bread and a boy/adult made signing gestures to his mouth. I offered bread but he didn't want it and looked annoyed. Another grubby waif followed us for a long way. She waited outside the internet caf� staring in at us. Bill said 'Hello' but she didn't give any eye contact and just sucked her finger. She may have had a disability such as autism and lives on the streets. She may have been fascinated with us because we look different....... Anyway she eventually lost us in the traffic.
Yesterday we met our friend Jerry's forestry colleague Nestor at the restaurant Kinamot. Jerry and Bill were at Uni together and Jerry arranged for us to meet Nestor. We enjoyed a feast for lunch with Nestor and some of his staff from the uni. We went on a field trip out in the countryside which was fascinating. I was interested to see a plantation of mahogany trees and a small scale sawmill which also made furniture.
We will get the laundry done today, update the website, buy diesel etc in preparation for our next bit of cruising. I'm looking forward to having a ride in one of the colourful 'tricycles'.