I was a tad baffled by the large contingent of American Peace Corps staff who
moved into our guesthouse. I later learned they had been evacuated from Central
Visayas after the typhoon and were in Manila indefinitely. Although staying free of
charge, a few complained they had to sleep in a dormitory. Inquiring when they
would be returning, the answer was that they were uncertain as there was no way
they could be taken care of. And there I assumed they were the ones taking care
of the people.

I spent the entire day searching for a contact number to help the affected islands.
All to no avail as there appeared no way of communicating with the islands and
impossible to reach the relevant people. Best to leave the job to the professionals.
I’m sure they couldn’t still cope with inexperienced “helpers”.

Palawan Island

Manila, Luzon – Puerto Princesa, Palawan
It felt good to cycle off to the pier, and the ferry came as a pleasant surprise. The
boat was large and stable, offering air-con sleeping quarters, entertainment on
deck, and even dancing staff as we sailed off. The boat sailed out of Manila Bay in
perfect weather and I sat outside listening to music, dressed in shorts and a T-
shirt, until long past midnight. Fantastic.

The morning broke amidst hundreds of islands, quite a spectacular sight, and
strangely more Mediterranean-looking than tropical. Naturally, food was included
in the ticket. All lined up to receive our polystyrene container revealing a boiled
egg, rice and something which resembled mince of sorts.