Philippines - 2014

Our first meal in the Philippines, and we were dining on these fabulous beauties. Snails, goat stew, and frogs legs. A fantastic introduction to an amazing variety of Philippine cuisine.

On the streets of Manila.

The roads of the Philippines are dominated by jeepneys. They are the staple of travel. Many are beat up and decrepit, while others are decorated magnificently. Some scoot through the traffic of the cities, and others ply the mountain roads between remote villages. Generally overcrowded, but efficient and quick.

Skulls piled high in the Opdas Mass Burial Cave, Kabayan. The bones are aged between 500 and 1000 years. The cave is literally in the backyard of one of the village families.

As the only guests in the only hotel in Kabayan, we scored an invite to the owners' New Years Eve celebrations. Early in the evening, we sat for hours in their kitchen, laughing and exchanging all sorts of stories, while the food was prepared. As time passed, we moved to the lounge, and eventually around a large fire, where we sang songs until the fireworks filled the skies. After midnight, we ate our fill of barbecued meats and pasta.

Most of the mummies in the Timbac caves appeared to have tortured expressions. The bodies were dried and preserved with heat, smoke, and herbal preservatives.

Detail of the feet of one of the Timbac mummies.

Although, the skull probably does not belong with this body, as the teeth indicate an older child. Although, the low set eyes still indicate quite a young age. Hey, we're no experts.

Tattoos on the skin of this mummy are well preserved and very easy to make out, even with just a torch.