After-the-Trip Letter

Shall I say we "browsed" through the Philippines, loading sugar, palm and coconut oil, copra and copra meal at several of the islands. 

We saw the spot where Magellan was buried, or where what was left of him was buried after the cannibals finished with him...we thumbed rides on native outrigger sailboats, went fishing, went ashore in native villages... 

Side note: Magellan died by poison arrow, in Lapulapu, Philippines in 1521, at the age of 41ish. I’ve just learned (or maybe relearned) that ‘The Magellan Expedition’ was indeed the first expedition to circumnavigate the globe, but Magellan himself did not complete the voyage, because of the arrow.

...the bamboo huts are raised high on stilts..that helps to keep out some of the “varmints", and then it rains so much they would be awash most of the time. Normally the space under the house provides shelter for the pigs and chickens. The floors of the hut are made of split bamboo, rounded side up, and they seem to sleep comfortably on woven bamboo mats spread on the floor. A bed is such a novelty...there isn't much furniture of any kind, but I located the inevitable Singer Sewing machine. 

Side note: A whole paragraph about stilt houses is a lot for a three page letter about a five month trip. I bet the houses were (and are) striking for just about anyone used to seeing houses on the ground. They likely looked like this and the bamboo mats like this.

The Day-to-Day Journal

Lighters came from Victoria Refinery across the bay. Catamarans came swooping down on us from all directions. Unbelievably narrow craft of various sizes with sloop rig and great bamboo outriggers. 

At 1:00pm the starboard forward life-boat went overside and sailed across to the village. We were met on shore by the population, followed about, a few spoke some English. 

Perhaps 60 bamboo huts on stilts, pigs underneath, almost no furniture, occasional magazine pictures on the walls, a few potted plants, one sewing machine. 

Some of the girls quite nicely dressed. The boys swam, Jim and I wandered up "Main Street". Passed the "Bay-Ang Barrio School", kept very neatly. Water buffalo sloshing about in the puddle in back of the town.

Side note: The link above shows a very different style of stilt house than the first one I shared. The quality would depend on who you were, but whomever, you’d be on stilts.

Sun. Feb. 20: Off for Manila soon after. Sam is going to do violence to Daisy in the cause of "I have a friend". Two people have a basic understanding for marriage. 

Side note: Miss Daisy Mount is one of the civilian passengers about whom Helen said early into the trip:
“Sweet little old lady, dainty, birdlike movements….”.

And then Daisy said to Helen, “I have a friend”. So maybe that was Daisy’s thing… to make friends; and now Sam is getting the treatment. A rugged sailor hitching what he thought would be an easy a ride on a freight boat for a few stops through Philippines, and a sweet dainty little old lady who wants to be his friend. I hope we hear more.

But before we move on to Manila, let’s look at Helen in the Philippines for second: