This is the first part of what I hope will be a three part series on my trip to the Philippines. This part is titled "People", and the other two will be "Places" and "Animals". At least that is my current intention.
PeopleLocalsI met a gentleman on a night van from Cabanatuan to Baler. He pointed out that it would be impossible for me to find a place to stay at one in the morning and offered a room in his home in San Luis for the night. I was initially unsure but decided to put my faith in humanity yet again.
All the faith in the world could not have prepared me for the hospitality I would receive over the next few days. I was treated like one of their extended family, and was hosted to dinner with them and again with their neighbours. I was brought on a tour of the area, including a picnic by the cool clear waters of Culayan Falls. It was a fantastic experience. I regret not insisting on repaying them.
Generally, the locals impressed with their eagerness to help. Archie of San Jose, Nueva Ecija, stands out in my mind. He went out of his way to show me the way around, and even offered to pay for my tricycle ride.
Other TravellersThe travellers that left the deepest impression on me were Stefan and Anna, a couple from Feldkirch, Vorarlberg, Austria. Vorarlberg is the wealthiest region in Austria and is situated in the extreme west of the country, bordering Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Stefan used to work in Liechtenstein, like many other Austrians from that region. They were on the tail end of a half year trip through Russia, Mongolia, China and the Philippines.
Anyway, Aaron and I met them on a cold rainy afternoon just after arriving in Sagada. They stopped us on the street to suggest that we stay at the Olahbinan where they were staying, and it was an excellent recommendation. They were always friendly, open, easygoing and unassuming. After Aaron left Sagada, I hiked with them to Mount Kiltepan and the Bokong Falls, including a brief off track excursion during which Anna insisted throughout that we were not lost. Not once did I feel left out or was I made acutely aware of the fact that I was with a couple. Yet I enjoyed observing their comfortable interactions with each other, even when the situation was not ideal. I would like to think that Nicole and I are similarly comfortable, and appear so to other people, but we still have much to learn from Stefan and Anna.
This allows me to skip to Chris, the German solo traveller from Rostock we met in Puerto Galera. I believe that Nicole and I outwardly portrayed an easygoing young couple, such that he approached us to chat, and that we did not disappoint his hopes for some company in a busy but rather impersonal resort town.
Back to Sagada, where I also met several Filipino travellers. Enzo and Carla were another young couple who were very nice to take care of me when I had quite a bit too much to drink. I was very fortunate to be in the company of such good people when I decided to be stupid and irresponsible. Stefan and Anna were also very helpful when I was enduring a dreadful hangover. Don and Alvin were two fathers who turned up with their children for one night, and surprised us all by partaking in the merry sins of youth once their kids were fast asleep.
After Sagada, I met Alice on the hike from Batad Junction to Batad and hiked with her for a little less than two hours. It was good to have an extended one-to-one conversation where voices and thoughts did not get lost in a noisy hubbub. She was an English language teacher from Scotland, taking a half year break to travel in Southeast Asia.
An interesting point is that we never asked for each other's names. It was not until much later that evening when the guests of Rita's Inn gathered on the porch that we realised this. A Filipino lady was somewhat shocked and considered it basic courtesy to always get a person's name first before acquainting oneself. Her American boyfriend John disagreed and said, "We're just travellers passing each other by."
I must agree with him. The rest of the evening was spent listening to a Polish couple on a year long round the world trip regale us with tales of their odyssey through Oceania. They might have had more travel experiences than anyone else I met on my trip (for example, couch surfing on a houseboat in Vanuatu), but somehow I felt they had less to offer than the other people I met. That night I really did feel like no more than a traveller passing by.
It is a common criticism of backpacking culture that backpackers usually end up meeting other backpackers and not really getting to know the country's culture. I think it is quite true. There is nothing wrong with it, however, and it is often easier and more enjoyable to hang out with like-minded people. One can also learn much about the rest of the world this way, and not just about one country. Nevertheless, a good balance ought to be struck.
Before I leave this topic I should mention Jane, the Singaporean solo traveller we met in Donsol. Experienced and worldly though she was, Aaron and I agreed that she was everything a Singaporean traveller should not be.
AaronWe had our troubles, but travelling with him was mostly pleasant. I concluded from this trip that travelling is best either alone or with one companion. When travelling alone, one is more open to new people and experiences. I found myself a lot more outgoing and daring when alone than with Aaron or Nicole. This is probably because there is no comfort zone of familiar people to fall back into. On the contrary, the comfort zone is provided by new friends, because even the company of a stranger is more comfortable than complete solitude. In seeking out this comfort zone one gets closer to the heart of a country and its people.
People also tend to be more welcoming and accommodating towards solo travellers. This could be for purely logistical reasons - it is usually easier to include one more person in any party or endeavour than two or three more. For example, the family in San Luis could not have accommodated any more than one person (myself), and they simply would not have offered if I was not alone.
A solo traveller is also easier to acquaint with (the focus is on one person) and usually has a more flexible schedule. He is less intimidating because he is in no position to judge anyone else, whereas if you try to make friends with a group, who knows what they will say about you in their rooms. No wonder then, that more people are travelling alone these days.
