Let the Walls Fall Down

Yesterday I assisted with a deconstruction project.

Structurally compromised chapel in Lonoy, Philippines.
© 2014 Andrea Rip

Our task was to safely take down the walls of a small chapel in Lonoy. All of the walls were compromised so that it was unusable and dangerous to use. The little church had four very proud cornerstones that did not want to be felled. We spent most of our morning removing most of the iron gates to be salvaged for the reconstruction. Then we further compromised the building by sledge hammering the support columns, clipping rebar inside those columns and throwing a rope around the wall so that we could have a jeepney pull the entire structure down at one time.

After more than an hour of tugging, we finally toppled the chapel.
© 2014 Andrea Rip

We tried about five different ways and continued to sledge out the walls we could access safely - all the time mindful that the entire structure could come down at once. Sean sledged, Matt used a hack saw to cut more rebar. Finally, some of the Filipino men in our massive audience came over and gave our ropes a good tug that collapsed the entire structure at once.
In the afternoon we returned to tidy up the debris and cut up the metal ceiling beams. We finished about ½ of the task and will need to return on Monday to finish the clean up.

After a week of sledge hammering and shoveling concrete my muscles are ready for this wonderful Sunday off.
Watch the video HERE.

Arrival at the Kananga Hospital

Kananga Hospital where All Hands is based.
© 2014 Andrea Rip

I have safely arrived in Kananga at the pink hospital where our All Hands Team is fixing up the hospital so that it can be operational again.
The volunteers are a great group of people and very fun to work with. I have already seen friends come and go. My first week of work was painting the inside of the hospital in one of three different bubble gum colours (green, pink, and blue). We finished that work on Saturday afternoon and next week I intend to head out to the field to assist with deconstruction work or something of that like.

New friends enjoying smoothies at one of the bake shops in Kananga.
© 2014 Andrea Rip

We have over 50 people on base - living dormitory style. The words "bucket flush," "cold shower," and "mosquito spray" have an entirely new meaning to me, but after a few days on base, I was used to the cadence of community living. I am also already looking forward to my first meal that does not include rice - though the Filipino lunch and dinner we are served is very good.
Our team has been dengue free for three weeks and we no longer have to wear long sleeves and long pants anymore which is a relief. It was quite awkward to see everyone's legs and arms after that announcement was made!
The people here are resilient. The children have some of the most beautiful smiles I have ever seen. Every time we take the 2km walk into Kananga town we feel like we are on parade; waving to kids on both sides of the street who run out of their houses and say hello and ask our names.
My updates to this blog may come retroactively when I return as internet is quite difficult to come by and I do not believe that will change before my time here is complete. I have been enjoying the unplugged lifestyle and having a lot of fantastic conversations with my new friends and fellow volunteers.

A Bohol Day Trip

Corella Tarsier Sanctuary.
© 2014 Andrea Rip

One of the things that I hoped to sort out while on Cebu was a day trip to the Island of Bohol. All Hands Volunteers have been working on this island to respond to the earthquake that hit only two months before Typhoon Yolanda ran over the Island of Leyte. Though these islands are all very close to each other, I am amazed that the damage by the earthquake and the typhoon were pretty much localized to a single island. Cebu remains untouched by both catastrophes.
Despite the damage, tours still visit Bohol. I departed at 7:30am from my hotel, caught the SuperCat boat for a two hour ride to the Island and met my tour guide. It was a long day of hopping in and out of a minivan with nine others, but very worthwhile.
One of the highlights for me was stopping at the tarsier sanctuary where we spotted the smallest variety of monkey in the world. These nocturnal critters are no bigger than a man's fist and have enormous eyes.

Flying away at the Butterfly Conservatory.
© 2014 Andrea Rip

We also saw the town of Loboc where the earthquake damaged their bridge and historic church. Churches across the island appeared to be the biggest victim of the earthquake including the Baclayon Church and Museum that we visited - the second oldest church in the Philippines (built 400 years ago).
In Loboc we had lunch aboard a river cruise boat that was not only tasty, but entertaining with live music and dancing and singing organized on the river banks. The riverboat company must operate at least 10 boats during lunch and dinner hours.
The butterfly conservatory was fascinating mostly due to our very young male tour guide who discussed all sorts of butterfly facts. He was very good at his job and took photos of all the ladies with butterfly wings. He even instructed several of us to jump - so you should be able to see me taking off and flying away with my butterfly wings in this photo that he snapped - on the first try!
Another highlight was visiting the Chocolate Hills. More than 1200 hills dot the landscape near the town of Carmen. The impressive site would have been more photogenic later in the day, but I still managed to capture the fascinating geological area. These mounds also have a cookie candy named after them. Peanut Kisses look like the familiar Hershey Kisses - except they are made with peanuts, egg whites, and sugar. Strangely, the little peaks look a lot like the Chocolate Hills on Bohol and are something of the island's sweet treat.

Chocolate Hills near Carmen on the Island of Bohol, Philippines.
© 2014 Andrea Rip

The tour was long, but very well orchestrated and I learned a lot. I am always amazed by the variety of landscapes and people that God has created on this expansive Earth. And, this satisfies a bit of my wanderlust in this country that I will be living in for awhile.

A Brief Reprieve

Zubuchon Roasted Pork with Iba/Kamias Shake and Flan.
© 2014 Andrea Rip

Now that I've arrived on Cebu, I have several days to adjust to the weather and catch my breath before starting work with All Hands. I am most definitely taking advantage of my own room, with a huge bed, and a warm shower - all items that I will be without for the next month.

The Jeepney mode of transportation.
© 2014 Andrea Rip

Cebu attracts a number of tourist, so there are several things that I have been out to see near my hotel. Zubuchon Restaurant was recommended to me by the Summit Circle Hotel staff, so after several outings to try and find it, I finally walked over an ordered their Zubuchon (roasted pork) with a Iba or Kamias (fruit) Shake. The smallest order of pork I could get was a ½ kilo - and so that is what I ate (minus the fatty skin that kept the moisture in)! I also had a bit of leche flan for dessert - yum!
There is a convenient shopping center in the same building as my hotel, so I have visited the grocer for a few items and bottled water several times. I walked around the neighborhood to find the Starbucks for my Philippines mug and Bo's Coffee which is my preferred destination for wifi and a quick bite and good coffee.
The traffic is busy here and street crossing is mildly treacherous, but for the most part, the streets are fairly easy to negotiate with sidwalks, or a place for pedestrians.
There is an unusual mode of transportation here called a Jeepney. They run on set routes and are quite colorful and flashy (the one in the photo is a rather dull representation of others that stand out like a sore thumb).

Checked in on the Island of Cebu

Hong Kong Airport.
© 2014 Andrea Rip

I checked into the Philippines on Wednesday, as scheduled. The trip was extremely smooth and I made all my connections and hotel stays - although, I had exactly enough time to grab my seat out of Hong Kong!
I was required to collect my bags in Hong Kong since my layover was more than 12 hours. However, I found a nice Cathay Pacific Agent who happily checked my bag back in before I departed to my hotel in the City. As an added bonus, while I was searching for the Cathay desk, I also found the green siren and collected my Hong Kong Starbucks mug.
The metro (MTR) system in Hong Kong is exceptionally efficient. In 24 minutes, I arrived downtown on the Airport Express. The agent thought I would be able to walk to my hotel, so I wandered around three to four kilometers to locate OVOLO 286. The walk was great after sitting on the flight for 16 hours, but my plan was to run out for a nice tasty Hong Kong dinner and I was so exhausted by the longer-than-expectd walk that I opted to stay in. The hotel was efficient with small rooms, but heaps of amenities and no extra charges - even for the mini bar!

Looking back at Hong Kong.
© 2014 Andrea Rip

I departed at 6:50am to catch the MTR back to the airport. I met a Cathay pilot at the Starbuck and followed him to the train with our coffees. He told me about Hong Kong and the abridged history of the Philippines as well.
My only disappointment in Hong Kong was that they did not stamp my passport. But, after the two hour flight, I arrived, dually stamped in the Philippines.
So far, the Filipino people are truly as friendly a my friends who have visited told me they would be!