How I got to Mindanao
Mindanao is a large island in the southern Philippines that is notorious for muslim extremists, the new peoples army, and other unpleasantries/dangers. I was headed to NORTHERN Mindanao, which is actually quite nice and very safe.
BUT, the first trip to Mindanao was actually quite crazy.
(5:20:30 PM) abarang: why was the trip there crazy
(5:20:34 PM) emerald_g2006: oh my god
(5:20:41 PM) emerald_g2006: we took a really ghetto boat called the "Trans Asia Shipping Line" HAHAHAHA
(5:20:53 PM) emerald_g2006: it was the only way to get here on time to meet Nate at the NCIP office
(5:20:58 PM) abarang: ah
(5:21:04 PM) abarang: wait you weren't with nate?
(5:21:15 PM) abarang: oh the ghetto ferry
(5:21:28 PM) emerald_g2006: no
(5:21:31 PM) emerald_g2006: we weren't
(5:21:36 PM) emerald_g2006: we separated two days ago
(5:21:54 PM) abarang: oh how come
(5:22:41 PM) emerald_g2006: he needed to meet with our ncip person
(5:22:46 PM) emerald_g2006: unexpectedly
(5:22:52 PM) emerald_g2006: so instead of us coming with him
(5:23:02 PM) emerald_g2006: we went to the places gillian wanted/needed to go to
(5:23:12 PM) abarang: oh i see
(5:23:40 PM) emerald_g2006: so on the boat there was a really crazy skinny old man
(5:23:46 PM) emerald_g2006: who was soooooooooooo crazy
(5:23:50 PM) abarang: how
(5:23:52 PM) emerald_g2006: the ferry ride was 6 hours
(5:23:59 PM) emerald_g2006: and it was like, bunk beds
(5:24:06 PM) abarang: weird
(5:24:07 PM) emerald_g2006: really ghetto crusty old bunk beds
(5:24:10 PM) emerald_g2006: HAHA
(5:24:15 PM) emerald_g2006: we were the only white people of course
(5:24:21 PM) emerald_g2006: lots of poor people, but also families
(5:24:28 PM) emerald_g2006: and this crazy old guy was next to us
(5:24:36 PM) emerald_g2006: and he kept coming up to us and talking to us
(5:24:45 PM) emerald_g2006: at one point i was singing a song to gillian
(5:24:57 PM) emerald_g2006: and he came up to us
(5:25:00 PM) emerald_g2006: real close
(5:25:09 PM) emerald_g2006: and waiting 10 seconds before asking
(5:25:12 PM) emerald_g2006: what is your song?
(5:25:14 PM) emerald_g2006: HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
(5:25:15 PM) abarang: hahaha
(5:25:17 PM) abarang: scary
(5:25:24 PM) emerald_g2006: with a big ol baseball hat too big for him
(5:25:33 PM) emerald_g2006: and then
(5:25:45 PM) emerald_g2006: he did the same thing when we were reading aloud to eachother
(5:25:50 PM) emerald_g2006: comes up all close behind us
(5:25:54 PM) emerald_g2006: what are you reading?
(5:26:02 PM) abarang: haha
(5:26:05 PM) emerald_g2006: then he grabs the book and tries to read it
(5:26:12 PM) emerald_g2006: and then the craziest thing--- he asks: you want banana?
(5:26:19 PM) emerald_g2006: we say: no thank you
(5:26:23 PM) emerald_g2006: him: ok, you need banana
(5:26:37 PM) emerald_g2006: and then he goes to his little plastic bag and shares his little sweet bananas
(5:26:43 PM) emerald_g2006: and we were like, great, thank you
(5:26:46 PM) emerald_g2006: and we eat one
(5:26:49 PM) emerald_g2006: and he eats one
(5:26:52 PM) abarang: haha
(5:26:54 PM) abarang: okay
(5:26:57 PM) emerald_g2006: and then theres like 4 left
(5:26:59 PM) emerald_g2006: in the bag
(5:27:11 PM) emerald_g2006: totally fine, maybe a tiny bit squashed
(5:27:22 PM) emerald_g2006: and he chucks the whole freaking bag into the ocean
(5:27:25 PM) abarang: haha
(5:27:27 PM) abarang: what!
(5:27:28 PM) emerald_g2006: and starts coughing
(5:27:36 PM) emerald_g2006: and laughing...it was so crazy
(5:27:52 PM) abarang: haha
(5:27:55 PM) emerald_g2006: and then I told him that plastic isnt so great for the ocean
(5:27:58 PM) emerald_g2006: and he cracked up
(5:28:00 PM) emerald_g2006: and he said
(5:28:01 PM) emerald_g2006: I know
(5:28:04 PM) emerald_g2006: I made that mistake
(5:28:07 PM) emerald_g2006: HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
(5:28:39 PM) emerald_g2006: and then he takes one of the styrofoam cups that gillian and I had used and he pours some of his bottled water in it and drinks it...
(5:29:06 PM) emerald_g2006: and after he drank it he almost chucked it in the ocean but i pointed to the trash bin which was right next to us
(5:29:08 PM) emerald_g2006: HAHAHAHAHAHA
(5:29:15 PM) emerald_g2006: when we were eating the bananas he said
(5:29:24 PM) emerald_g2006: only filipinos eat these
(5:29:33 PM) emerald_g2006: the british tried to
(5:29:39 PM) emerald_g2006: but we don't let them..HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
(5:29:41 PM) abarang: haha
(5:29:49 PM) emerald_g2006: but you can eat them, ok?
(5:29:51 PM) emerald_g2006: HAHAHAHAHAHA
(5:30:01 PM) emerald_g2006: ok so then we get off the ferry
(5:30:09 PM) emerald_g2006: and of course its dark its like 1030
(5:30:15 PM) emerald_g2006: and we are in freaking mindanao
(5:30:31 PM) emerald_g2006: and we try to get a taxi to butuan, about 24km away from the port
(5:30:46 PM) emerald_g2006: and we get one for a reasonable price so we are like, ok
(5:31:12 PM) emerald_g2006: and then a group of people mostly men including our driver and his runner start talking--- seemingly negotiating and planning
(5:31:31 PM) emerald_g2006: and then this very nicely dressed older women told us
dont go with him, he is drunk
(5:31:35 PM) emerald_g2006: (the driver)
(5:31:36 PM) abarang: whoa
(5:31:38 PM) emerald_g2006: so we were like
(5:31:40 PM) emerald_g2006: holy shit
(5:31:41 PM) emerald_g2006: ok
(5:31:52 PM) emerald_g2006: so we look and the woman and she says come with me
(5:31:58 PM) emerald_g2006: and her husband said
(5:32:01 PM) emerald_g2006: just come with us
(5:32:03 PM) abarang: okay
(5:32:05 PM) emerald_g2006: I am a policeman
(5:32:08 PM) abarang: haha
(5:32:09 PM) emerald_g2006: and this is my wife
(5:32:13 PM) emerald_g2006: and this is my son
(5:32:21 PM) emerald_g2006: all very sweet people really...
(5:32:23 PM) emerald_g2006: so,
(5:32:31 PM) emerald_g2006: we get into a tricycle taxi
(5:32:34 PM) emerald_g2006: ALL OF US
(5:32:37 PM) emerald_g2006: and all our gear
(5:32:53 PM) emerald_g2006: (two hiking packs, two day packs, and two pelican cases with equipment)
(5:33:03 PM) emerald_g2006: and we are all ready to go in the tricycle
(5:33:12 PM) abarang: HAHAH
(5:33:34 PM) emerald_g2006: and then another police officer informs our police officer that the tricycle driver is also freakin drunk!@#%^$%^@#!@
(5:33:41 PM) emerald_g2006: it was sunday!
(5:33:58 PM) abarang: HAHA
(5:34:05 PM) emerald_g2006: so
(5:34:06 PM) emerald_g2006: then
(5:34:08 PM) abarang: yeah go on
(5:34:11 PM) emerald_g2006: so
(5:34:15 PM) emerald_g2006: our police driver
(5:34:20 PM) emerald_g2006: our police guy*
(5:34:27 PM) emerald_g2006: tells the other police guy
(5:34:35 PM) emerald_g2006: that this shit it too messed up
(5:34:40 PM) emerald_g2006: and so they called a police car
(5:34:44 PM) emerald_g2006: and we all got into it
(5:34:47 PM) abarang: haha!
(5:34:49 PM) emerald_g2006: and it was fine and nice
(5:34:51 PM) emerald_g2006: haha
(5:34:52 PM) emerald_g2006: and then
(5:35:11 PM) emerald_g2006: the police officer driving dropped us all off at the public trans. station
(5:35:33 PM) emerald_g2006: and like 20something people and ALL our gear got squished into a jeepney
(5:35:40 PM) emerald_g2006: so crazy
(5:35:42 PM) emerald_g2006: babies
(5:35:45 PM) emerald_g2006: everyone sweating, dirty...
(5:35:48 PM) abarang: haha
(5:35:50 PM) abarang: and it's all hot
(5:36:00 PM) emerald_g2006: so then the jeepney takes us downtown
(5:36:19 PM) emerald_g2006: and our police guy tells us that he will get off with us and take us to our hostel
(5:36:23 PM) emerald_g2006: SO, we get downtown
(5:36:41 PM) emerald_g2006: him and his fam and me and gillian with all our gear get into a tricycle
(5:36:57 PM) emerald_g2006: and he takes us to our hostel and made sure we had a room and everything
(5:36:59 PM) emerald_g2006: whew!
(5:37:00 PM) emerald_g2006: done
(5:37:06 PM) abarang: wow super nice
(5:37:38 PM) abarang: haha
(5:37:57 PM) abarang: if you had gone with nate you wouldnt have had such a crazy trip huh
(5:38:04 PM) emerald_g2006: oh no way
So that was my trip! Verrrrry crazy!
But, at least the ferry ride was quite nice:
BUT, the first trip to Mindanao was actually quite crazy.
(5:20:30 PM) abarang: why was the trip there crazy
(5:20:34 PM) emerald_g2006: oh my god
(5:20:41 PM) emerald_g2006: we took a really ghetto boat called the "Trans Asia Shipping Line" HAHAHAHA
(5:20:53 PM) emerald_g2006: it was the only way to get here on time to meet Nate at the NCIP office
(5:20:58 PM) abarang: ah
(5:21:04 PM) abarang: wait you weren't with nate?
(5:21:15 PM) abarang: oh the ghetto ferry
(5:21:28 PM) emerald_g2006: no
(5:21:31 PM) emerald_g2006: we weren't
(5:21:36 PM) emerald_g2006: we separated two days ago
(5:21:54 PM) abarang: oh how come
(5:22:41 PM) emerald_g2006: he needed to meet with our ncip person
(5:22:46 PM) emerald_g2006: unexpectedly
(5:22:52 PM) emerald_g2006: so instead of us coming with him
(5:23:02 PM) emerald_g2006: we went to the places gillian wanted/needed to go to
(5:23:12 PM) abarang: oh i see
(5:23:40 PM) emerald_g2006: so on the boat there was a really crazy skinny old man
(5:23:46 PM) emerald_g2006: who was soooooooooooo crazy
(5:23:50 PM) abarang: how
(5:23:52 PM) emerald_g2006: the ferry ride was 6 hours
(5:23:59 PM) emerald_g2006: and it was like, bunk beds
(5:24:06 PM) abarang: weird
(5:24:07 PM) emerald_g2006: really ghetto crusty old bunk beds
(5:24:10 PM) emerald_g2006: HAHA
(5:24:15 PM) emerald_g2006: we were the only white people of course
(5:24:21 PM) emerald_g2006: lots of poor people, but also families
(5:24:28 PM) emerald_g2006: and this crazy old guy was next to us
(5:24:36 PM) emerald_g2006: and he kept coming up to us and talking to us
(5:24:45 PM) emerald_g2006: at one point i was singing a song to gillian
(5:24:57 PM) emerald_g2006: and he came up to us
(5:25:00 PM) emerald_g2006: real close
(5:25:09 PM) emerald_g2006: and waiting 10 seconds before asking
(5:25:12 PM) emerald_g2006: what is your song?
(5:25:14 PM) emerald_g2006: HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
(5:25:15 PM) abarang: hahaha
(5:25:17 PM) abarang: scary
(5:25:24 PM) emerald_g2006: with a big ol baseball hat too big for him
(5:25:33 PM) emerald_g2006: and then
(5:25:45 PM) emerald_g2006: he did the same thing when we were reading aloud to eachother
(5:25:50 PM) emerald_g2006: comes up all close behind us
(5:25:54 PM) emerald_g2006: what are you reading?
(5:26:02 PM) abarang: haha
(5:26:05 PM) emerald_g2006: then he grabs the book and tries to read it
(5:26:12 PM) emerald_g2006: and then the craziest thing--- he asks: you want banana?
(5:26:19 PM) emerald_g2006: we say: no thank you
(5:26:23 PM) emerald_g2006: him: ok, you need banana
(5:26:37 PM) emerald_g2006: and then he goes to his little plastic bag and shares his little sweet bananas
(5:26:43 PM) emerald_g2006: and we were like, great, thank you
(5:26:46 PM) emerald_g2006: and we eat one
(5:26:49 PM) emerald_g2006: and he eats one
(5:26:52 PM) abarang: haha
(5:26:54 PM) abarang: okay
(5:26:57 PM) emerald_g2006: and then theres like 4 left
(5:26:59 PM) emerald_g2006: in the bag
(5:27:11 PM) emerald_g2006: totally fine, maybe a tiny bit squashed
(5:27:22 PM) emerald_g2006: and he chucks the whole freaking bag into the ocean
(5:27:25 PM) abarang: haha
(5:27:27 PM) abarang: what!
(5:27:28 PM) emerald_g2006: and starts coughing
(5:27:36 PM) emerald_g2006: and laughing...it was so crazy
(5:27:52 PM) abarang: haha
(5:27:55 PM) emerald_g2006: and then I told him that plastic isnt so great for the ocean
(5:27:58 PM) emerald_g2006: and he cracked up
(5:28:00 PM) emerald_g2006: and he said
(5:28:01 PM) emerald_g2006: I know
(5:28:04 PM) emerald_g2006: I made that mistake
(5:28:07 PM) emerald_g2006: HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
(5:28:39 PM) emerald_g2006: and then he takes one of the styrofoam cups that gillian and I had used and he pours some of his bottled water in it and drinks it...
(5:29:06 PM) emerald_g2006: and after he drank it he almost chucked it in the ocean but i pointed to the trash bin which was right next to us
(5:29:08 PM) emerald_g2006: HAHAHAHAHAHA
(5:29:15 PM) emerald_g2006: when we were eating the bananas he said
(5:29:24 PM) emerald_g2006: only filipinos eat these
(5:29:33 PM) emerald_g2006: the british tried to
(5:29:39 PM) emerald_g2006: but we don't let them..HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
(5:29:41 PM) abarang: haha
(5:29:49 PM) emerald_g2006: but you can eat them, ok?
(5:29:51 PM) emerald_g2006: HAHAHAHAHAHA
(5:30:01 PM) emerald_g2006: ok so then we get off the ferry
(5:30:09 PM) emerald_g2006: and of course its dark its like 1030
(5:30:15 PM) emerald_g2006: and we are in freaking mindanao
(5:30:31 PM) emerald_g2006: and we try to get a taxi to butuan, about 24km away from the port
(5:30:46 PM) emerald_g2006: and we get one for a reasonable price so we are like, ok
(5:31:12 PM) emerald_g2006: and then a group of people mostly men including our driver and his runner start talking--- seemingly negotiating and planning
(5:31:31 PM) emerald_g2006: and then this very nicely dressed older women told us
dont go with him, he is drunk
(5:31:35 PM) emerald_g2006: (the driver)
(5:31:36 PM) abarang: whoa
(5:31:38 PM) emerald_g2006: so we were like
(5:31:40 PM) emerald_g2006: holy shit
(5:31:41 PM) emerald_g2006: ok
(5:31:52 PM) emerald_g2006: so we look and the woman and she says come with me
(5:31:58 PM) emerald_g2006: and her husband said
(5:32:01 PM) emerald_g2006: just come with us
(5:32:03 PM) abarang: okay
(5:32:05 PM) emerald_g2006: I am a policeman
(5:32:08 PM) abarang: haha
(5:32:09 PM) emerald_g2006: and this is my wife
(5:32:13 PM) emerald_g2006: and this is my son
(5:32:21 PM) emerald_g2006: all very sweet people really...
(5:32:23 PM) emerald_g2006: so,
(5:32:31 PM) emerald_g2006: we get into a tricycle taxi
(5:32:34 PM) emerald_g2006: ALL OF US
(5:32:37 PM) emerald_g2006: and all our gear
(5:32:53 PM) emerald_g2006: (two hiking packs, two day packs, and two pelican cases with equipment)
(5:33:03 PM) emerald_g2006: and we are all ready to go in the tricycle
(5:33:12 PM) abarang: HAHAH
(5:33:34 PM) emerald_g2006: and then another police officer informs our police officer that the tricycle driver is also freakin drunk!@#%^$%^@#!@
(5:33:41 PM) emerald_g2006: it was sunday!
(5:33:58 PM) abarang: HAHA
(5:34:05 PM) emerald_g2006: so
(5:34:06 PM) emerald_g2006: then
(5:34:08 PM) abarang: yeah go on
(5:34:11 PM) emerald_g2006: so
(5:34:15 PM) emerald_g2006: our police driver
(5:34:20 PM) emerald_g2006: our police guy*
(5:34:27 PM) emerald_g2006: tells the other police guy
(5:34:35 PM) emerald_g2006: that this shit it too messed up
(5:34:40 PM) emerald_g2006: and so they called a police car
(5:34:44 PM) emerald_g2006: and we all got into it
(5:34:47 PM) abarang: haha!
(5:34:49 PM) emerald_g2006: and it was fine and nice
(5:34:51 PM) emerald_g2006: haha
(5:34:52 PM) emerald_g2006: and then
(5:35:11 PM) emerald_g2006: the police officer driving dropped us all off at the public trans. station
(5:35:33 PM) emerald_g2006: and like 20something people and ALL our gear got squished into a jeepney
(5:35:40 PM) emerald_g2006: so crazy
(5:35:42 PM) emerald_g2006: babies
(5:35:45 PM) emerald_g2006: everyone sweating, dirty...
(5:35:48 PM) abarang: haha
(5:35:50 PM) abarang: and it's all hot
(5:36:00 PM) emerald_g2006: so then the jeepney takes us downtown
(5:36:19 PM) emerald_g2006: and our police guy tells us that he will get off with us and take us to our hostel
(5:36:23 PM) emerald_g2006: SO, we get downtown
(5:36:41 PM) emerald_g2006: him and his fam and me and gillian with all our gear get into a tricycle
(5:36:57 PM) emerald_g2006: and he takes us to our hostel and made sure we had a room and everything
(5:36:59 PM) emerald_g2006: whew!
(5:37:00 PM) emerald_g2006: done
(5:37:06 PM) abarang: wow super nice
(5:37:38 PM) abarang: haha
(5:37:57 PM) abarang: if you had gone with nate you wouldnt have had such a crazy trip huh
(5:38:04 PM) emerald_g2006: oh no way
So that was my trip! Verrrrry crazy!
But, at least the ferry ride was quite nice:
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