Manila, The Philippines

During the night we sailed through the Sulu Sea toward the island of Luzon and Manila, Philippines, arriving before dawn. Manila sits on the eastern shore of Manila Bay and on the western side of Luzon, and is the capital of the Philippines. Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese exploring for Spain, came across the Philippines by accident looking for the Spice Islands. He was killed by the locals, thus ending his round-the-world voyage.

When we awoke and looked out, we saw that we had docked in Manila and that the USS Blue Ridge was docked next to us. It was comforting to see the Navy ship and a bit of home. Later in the day when we returned from our tour, we discovered that the Blue Ridge had sailed and the USS Antietam had taken its place.

With binoculars, we watched with interest as the crew gathered on the back deck of the Antietam for some type of ceremony. An officer addressed the crew and presented something to several of the sailors. Since there was lots of saluting and clapping, we gathered that it was a ceremony to promote some of the sailors and/or award honors. We also watched the crew load supplies on the ship and refuel. The Antietam is a Ticonderoga class cruiser homeported in Japan. The ensign flying at the rear of the ship was at half-mast, probably because of Nancy Reagan’s death, which we recently heard about on the news. At the end of their ceremony, the sailors turned to the Queen Elizabeth, shouted a greeting, and waved to us on the ship. I hope some of them could see me frantically waving back.

USS Antietam and Crew

We took a tour of Old Manila. Our young tour guide told us that the local museum had a collection of Imelda Marcos’s massive shoe collection. Apparently, she is now a congresswoman in the Philippine government. Some people seem to never fade away.

Our first stop was in Rizal Park where statues there honored Dr. Jose Rizal, the hero of the Philippines. Dr. Rizal, who apparently was considered a genius, had considerable knowledge of science and medicine and spoke 22 languages. He promoted nationalism in the Philippines but denied fomenting rebellion, which the Spanish executed him for. A shrine and statues showing aspects of his life and his execution by firing squad are in the park.

Shrine in Rizal Park

Statues Depicting Rizal’s Execution

 

Our next stop was at the heart of the old Spanish city, Intramuros, and within it, Fort Santiago, which is a stone fortress with mote, built by the Spanish. The fort was also used by the Japanese to imprison American and Filipino POWs during WWII. The description of what the Japanese did to the prisoners at the fort is just too painful to write about.

Fort Santiago

Our last stop was at the country’s oldest structure, the San Augustin Church and Monastery. Built in 1571, it is a massive structure, and the monastery is now used to display ecclesiastical paintings and artifacts. The ceilings in the huge church were quite interesting. They are tromp l’oeil paintings made to look like ornate woodwork and paintings. Apparently, two Italians were bought to the Philippines to create the artwork.

San Augustin Church (notice the tromp l’oeil ceilings)

Returning to the ship, we saw crewmembers visiting with their families on the pier. Earlier, we saw Ronald, our dining room waiter, wheel a bicycle off the ship that he bought in England for his children. His family was waiting for him on the pier.

Just before we sailed, two high school bands enthusiastically played on the pier, and young children danced to the music. It was a very nice send-off.

School Bands

We also saw sailors from the Antietam racing down the gangway in civilian clothes as they headed out for a night on the town. It reminded me of the time my uncle’s Navy ship pulled into Manila and he got to visit with my father who was stationed in the Philippines. A short but happy reunion.

On a more somber note: Earlier we passed the Manila Hotel, which at one time had been General Douglas MacArthur’s headquarters during WWII. When he left the Philippines he may have vowed to return, but he left my father and thousands of US soldiers there to be captured by the Japanese.

This visit to the Philippines was in loving memory of my father, Corporal Louis B. Marchetti, US Army, who arrived in the Philippines a very young soldier, was captured by the Japanese, endured the Bataan Death March, and was a POW in Japan for 3.5 years, where he was used as slave labor in the Japanese steel mills.

He never spoke to our family of his experiences except to say how much he admired the Filipino people, who at great risk to themselves and their families smuggled food to the starving soldiers.

So I leave the Philippines with heartfelt appreciation for what the Filipinos did for my father and for the other prisoners. They are a remarkable people who have endured a lot, and I am thankful that I was able to visit their country.

Puerto Princesa, Palawan, Philippines

We awoke in Puerto Princesa to the sound of native drums. Looking out, we saw that we were being greeted by a huge welcoming committee consisting of drummers, male dancers doing traditional dances, dancing children, and then couples dancing in more recent traditional costumes of white gowns with plaid shawls wrapped over one shoulder. The entertainment went on for quite some time and was a nice welcome to Puerto Princesa, or Puerto to the locals.

Filipino Dancers

When we left the ship, young women dressed in colorful gowns welcomed us and draped colorful wooden beads around our necks. This was the Queen Elizabeth’s first or maiden call into Puerto Princesa, and the people were doing their best to make it memorable.

Palawan is the southernmost island of the Philippines and is considered by many to be the beach capital of the Philippines. It has the reputation for being the cleanest and greenest city in the Philippines. Also, the surrounding waters of the South China and Sulu Seas have marine life that draws divers from all over. Gloria Barnett, the Wild Fish Lady who spoke earlier, said that her favorite place to dive was the Philippines.

While we were docked at the pier, Philippine Coast Guard boats sat along the side of the ship. It was a hot day and their only covering was a couple of scarves draped over some poles, and on one of the boats, a large piece of cardboard. It had to have been a long, hot day for the men on the boats. Other boats ferried people across the bay. Narrow boats with outriggers on both sides, they looked like spiders skittering across the water.

Philippine Coast Guard Boat

During the port presentation for Puerto Princesa, we learned that since we were arriving on a Sunday, an English mass was going to be said at 10:00 a.m. and at 6:00 p.m. at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral, a short walk from the pier. We joined a large number of passengers who walked to the cathedral. The twin spires of the cathedral towering over the city made it easy to find.

Of course we had to run the gauntlet of tricycle drivers who wanted to give us a lift. The tricycle is a motorbike with a covered sidecar that supposedly holds two people. Perhaps two slender Filipinos, but it would have been a tight squeeze for others.

We arrived at the cathedral early while a service was going on and had to wait outside under a covered porch at the side door for the next mass. The church was packed, and it was terribly hot. I thought longingly of my Chinese fan resting in a drawer back at the ship.

Once that service was over and the people milled out, we went in, thinking that there would only be a few passengers at this English mass. But again people packed the church. Later we learned that a mass was also held in the center of the local shopping mall.

This was the first time the Queen Elizabeth visited Puerto Princesa, and it might be rare that any cruise ship stops there. As a result, the children kept looking at us, finding it strange that we were there among them at their church. At one point during the exchange of peace, the man in front of us turned and said, “Welcome to Palawan,” which we found quite touching.

The heat in the cathedral was stifling, even with the very tall louvered windows and the electric fans that were laboring hard to circulate the air. I have to admit that my attention occasionally strayed as I focused on how long it would take for the oscillating fan to point in our direction again. The open windows made an easy entry for the birds that were enjoying themselves flying above the altar.

The singing of the choir was quite beautiful. I looked around for a choir behind us, and when I didn’t see one, I thought perhaps the music was from a recording. John then pointed out the circle of young people at the front of the church that made up the choir.

Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (Notice the Hogwarts' graduate coming down the aisle)

We had originally been scheduled to visit Cebu in the Philippines, but the captain announced early in our voyage that they had cancelled our stop there because of navigating problems they anticipated in that port. As a result, the tour office had to quickly arrange whatever tours they could in Puerto Princesa. The only place on the island we were interested in, the Subterranean River National Park, wasn’t available through the ship, and when we checked with the tour office on the pier, all tours were fully booked. 

The river flows underground through a complex cave system for over five miles, traveling through towering caverns. We were told that only a small number of people can go through at a time and that there is always a long line of people waiting for the boats. That was disappointing, but we enjoyed our day wandering around the city and the seafront. Anyone visiting Puerto Princesa should make reservations for the subterranean river boat ride before they arrive in Puerto Princesa or travel there early in the morning and get in line.

On our voyage to and away from Puerto Princesa, we traveled close to many of the islands that make up the Philippines. Being within cell phone range, the Filipino crewmembers congregated on the deck with their cell phones, talking to family and friends. Many of them had family members join them on the ship at Puerto Princesa for the journey to Manila, a two-day journey. We met our cabin attendant’s wife who joined him on the ship. When he leaves her in Manila, he won’t see her again for five months. He said his mother and children had traveled from the island where they live and would be waiting for him at the pier in Manila. This was quite an event for him. In his eighteen years working on ships, this would be the first time a ship he was on would be stopping in Manila and he could see his family there. Most of the crewmembers join the ship for a contract of nine months a year and don’t see their families until they return again. They don’t have an easy life.

We didn’t sail until 9:30 p.m., and as night descended, we watched lights come on across the city, highlighting the twin spires of the cathedral. As we prepared to sail, the Queen Elizabeth sounded three loud blasts of the ship’s horn to bid farewell to Puerto Princesa. A band played on the pier, and people waved as we sailed away. The Filipinos are very sweet and cheerful people and we enjoyed our day among them, especially in their cathedral.

Looking back at Puerto Princesa, brightly lit up in the night sky was the last thing we could still see of this tropical city—the golden arches of MacDonald’s. 

En Route to the Philippines

Today as we continued on our course toward the Philippines, we sailed into the Bismarck Sea. The name of this sea was a reminder that the Germans colonized a number of Pacific islands before WWI, and many Germans immigrated to Australia. About 150 German passengers are on the ship, and we’ve become friends with two of them, Helmut and Brumhilde, who fortunately speak good English, because our German is nearly nonexistent. If they sneeze, we know what to say in German. As we go about our day, both on the ship and on shore, it is nice to run into people that we’ve gotten to know.

Late afternoon we crossed the equator, the line that separates the northern and southern hemispheres. Since I wrote about crossing the equator when we headed south, I won’t go into detail except to say that King Neptune and his court came aboard to initiate any Pollywogs, those people who haven’t crossed the equator before, who wish to become initiated Shellbacks.

King Neptune and His Court

Close to the equator rests an area of low pressure called the Doldrums. The winds in this area are so calm that ships relying on wind in their sails to propel them sometimes sat for long periods of time unable to make any headway. The surface of the sea is flat, almost mirror like. It was very restful sitting on the deck looking out at the calm water. However, for ancient sailors, it made for long, boring days as they waited for wind, probably becoming more frustrated with each day. Thus came the saying being in the doldrums. A ship’s experience in the Doldrums was the basis of some of the story in The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. I haven’t thought of that poem since high school, when I thought it wouldn’t have any relevance to my life. Who’d have thought that I would end up sitting in the Doldrums recalling that story? We just hoped that no one would kill an albatross that might land on the QE and we’d become stuck there.

As we sat on our balcony looking at the water, we felt sorry for any sailors who had been forced to sit on a hot ship in the Doldrums. They didn’t have air conditioning or a movie theater on the ship to help kill some of the time waiting for a breeze to move them along.

Calm Seas in the Doldrums

The hot sun shining on the ship can make the side of the ship the sun is hitting quite hot. In this age of air-conditioned cabins, it only makes a difference which side of the ship to sit on when going out on deck. Before air conditioning, ships traveling from England to India, the starboard side of the ship got the worst of the afternoon sun, making the cabins hot and uncomfortable. To counter that, passengers who could afford the higher price booked cabins on the port side of the ship going out. Coming back, the sun would be on the port side, so they would book cabins on the starboard side. Thus came the acronym POSH, port out, starboard home. If you could afford the cooler side of the ship, you were considered to be posh. 

To chase away the doldrums, the crew put on a Gala Afternoon Tea, which was quite a feast of cakes and pastries along with the usual afternoon fare. They hold this event once each segment of the voyage. The desserts are so rich, you can only take it once every few weeks.

Gala Afternoon Tea

To assuage any concerns that we might get stuck in the doldrums, the captain announced that we were entering the equatorial current, which would begin pushing us along. Later heavy rain, which lasted for two days, began to fall. With temperatures over 90F and 80 percent humidity, the rain helped cool things down and made sitting on the promenade deck more comfortable. The public rooms on the ship can be so chilly that we sometimes go outside on the deck to warm up. It made for a nice change sitting on the covered promenade deck watching the falling rain.

The Philippines is an archipelago with over 7,000 islands, so as we sailed toward Puerto Princesa through the Philippine waterways, we passed numerous islands, some with very tall mountains. This area is on the Pacific Ring of Fire and the islands were created by ancient volcanic activity. The Pacific Ring of Fire has approximately 350 volcanoes, which result in 80 percent of the earth’s volcanic activity.

As we got closer to the Philippines, we sailed through the Leyte Gulf, into the Philippine Sea, before altering course west into the Sulu Sea. The captain stated that the character Sulu from Star Trek had been named after the Sulu Sea. I don’t know how accurate or what his source was, but it sounded interesting.  

Tomorrow, Puerto Princesa, Palawan, Philippines.

Some readers have asked how they can receive automatic notification of a new posting. If you are interested in getting an e-mail notification, go to the bottom of the posting and enter your e-mail address where it says Follow by E-Mail. As far as I can tell, I don't see any of the addresses.

Rabaul, Papua New Guinea

Early in the morning we sailed into Blanche Bay toward the town of Rabaul, Papua New Guinea. At the turn of the 20^th century, the Germans controlled what was once German New Guinea and founded Rabaul. They lost influence in the area following WWI to the Australians. Like many places we’ve visited during this voyage, control of a place rests with whoever was the latest conqueror. Half of the large island of Papua New Guinea belongs to Indonesia, and the other half, New Britain, comes under the authority of Australia.

Rabaul is located on an island off the Papua New Guinea mainland. This region sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, an area with frequent volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. The bay is in a large volcanic caldera and is surrounded by active and dormant volcanoes. A caldera is a large crater of a volcano filled with water. Santorini in Greece rests on the edge of a giant caldera. Looking at the large, round bay, the volcano that had created this caldera must have been massive.

Scientists have said that people were living in this region as far back as 60,000 years ago and that they have been cultivating land for over 9,000 years. It is said that at one time a narrow landmass connected New Guinea with Australia.

No roads connect the villages on the island, and it is very difficult to travel around the island because of the high mountains and deep valleys. Some of the highest mountains in Indonesia are on New Guinea. Even the capital of the island, Port Moresby, can only be reached by boat or air. Because of the remoteness of the villages, the people of one village have very little interaction with the people of other villages. As a result, 820 languages are spoken in Papua New Guinea. A form of pigeon English, based on English, German, and local languages is spoken by some of the islanders.

Rabaul during WWII was the site of a Japanese fortress (with over 100,000 troops) and a major supply base for their Pacific fleet. The town remained in Japanese hands until the end of the war in 1945. The bay is littered with the wrecks of Japanese freighters, cargo ships and warships. The mountains are also riddled with tunnels the Japanese dug using slave labor. One of the tunnels was large enough to serve as a hospital capable of holding 2500 patients. A large cemetery holds the remains of Australians killed there during the war.

In 1990, over 17,000 people lived in Rabaul. That changed when, in 1994, a major eruption of the Vulcan and Tavurvur Volcanoes (which sit on either side of the entrance to the bay) produced clouds of ash that covered everything to a depth of several feet. Eighty percent of the buildings collapsed from the weight of the accumulated ash and the island now has some empty villages, roads, and an abandoned airport. Only 4000 people continue to live there. Ash from the active Tavurvur Volcano occasionally coats the area, and the streets can be slick, especially when wet.

The Vulcan Volcano is now covered with vegetation, easily making it look innocent of the disaster it wrecked on the islanders. The still active Tavurvur Volcano has no vegetation on it. Surprisingly, the Matupit villagers live right beneath it on a narrow strip of land between the volcano and the bay.  Talk about people living on the edge. Some passengers touring the village had to pay tolls to cross the property of the villagers to get to some of the sites on their tour.

As we sailed into the bay, we could see smoke rising from Tavurvur. From high on the ship, we got a good view of the top of the crater, and with binoculars we could see slightly into it. Parts of the outside were reddish in color. We wondered if it was like that because of the heat from the volcano or because of mineral deposits.

Tavurvur Volcano

Fortunately, on the day we arrived, Tavurvur was spewing out enough smoke to make it look active but not any heavy ash—at least that was blowing our way. Volcanologists staff a monitoring station on the island, watching for early warning signs of another eruption. The island has a defined evacuation plan, but it makes you wonder how many people they could evacuate in a short time—and how much warning they would receive before the volcano erupted. We saw siren equipment sitting on tall metal structures probably used to warn the islanders of an impending eruption. A monument near the monitoring station has a plaque dedicated to two volcanologists who were killed by one of the volcanoes.

In a port presentation, we had been cautioned to wear our oldest clothes and shoes when going ashore because of the falling ash and the ash-covered roads. How many people actually take their oldest clothes and shoes on a cruise? Fortunately, the roads, although covered with large, water-filled potholes, were clear of ash. Either that or the ash had become so compacted it gave the appearance of macadam. One couple who had been to Rabaul before said that the falling ash during that visit made a mess on the decks and the crew had a terrible time trying to get it cleaned off.

The dock at Rabaul was not far from the volcano and we had a wonderful view of it while having breakfast. I’m pretty certain that will be the only time in my life when I’ll have breakfast within a short distance of an active volcano.

We had also been told that there wasn’t much to see in Rabaul. Even so, we at least wanted to walk into the town. As we left the ship, we passed returning passengers who were drenched in sweat and fanning themselves. And that was just after a short walk through the local market. It was well over 90F, with 80 percent humidity. Since we were so close to the equator, we shouldn’t have been surprised how hot and humid it was.

Before we left the ship, one of the returning passengers told us that if we really wanted to see some happy children we should take them some chocolates. We had accumulated quite a few left by our cabin attendant, so we took a bag of them into town. Since we didn’t want a trail of children following behind us wanting more, I handed the bag to a woman sitting with a group of children and told her they were for the children. That way she could distribute them, and hopefully lots of kids got some.

Vendors Along the Main Street in Rabaul

Walking along the dock, we looked down into the shallow water and saw lots of small black and yellow striped fish. Also in the bay we saw hundreds of fish that would surface in a circle, flap around, and then disappear below the surface again. It was amazing that they would all react together as they did. We saw this happen multiple times, and it intrigued us as to what type of fish they were and what they were doing.

We walked through the town market where people were selling mostly vegetables and fruits. A few vendors had beaded necklaces, T-shirts, and woodcarvings. We saw one man returning to the ship with a bag of mangoes. Later in the Lido, we saw a group of Japanese passengers trying to figure out how to cut a large fruit they had purchased on the island. A waiter took it into the galley and one of the chefs cut it up nicely and delivered it back to them. It looked like a papaya.

We returned to the ship just in time. Pouring rain drenched the island and even temporarily doused the volcano. It started smoking again a short while later, but with only wisps of smoke. We’re glad we got to see it really smoking that morning. It would have been disappointing to see a volcano that is supposed to be active and see little or no activity.

Just before we sailed, we went to the top deck to get a last view of Rabaul. On a railing, we saw a ladybug sitting there and wondered if it was trying to hitch a ride on the ship. We felt that once the ship got underway that it would probably get blown off into the sea. If we flicked it off toward the water, it might not make it to land. If we flicked it toward the deck, a passenger might step on it. We decided to leave it to its own fate.

Rabaul From the Ship

Rabaul made for an interesting port of call, and we were glad we stopped there, especially getting to see the volcano. So many of the Pacific islands we’ve visited before have become major tourist places with large hotels and traffic problems, and they no longer resemble the exotic island we expected it to look like. Although not a glamorous place, Rabaul is still more natural than a lot of other islands.

Between being subjected to the vagaries of the volcano and invaders during the war, the people on the island haven’t had an easy time of it. It goes to show you that life on a Pacific island isn’t necessarily paradise.