Miss Iggy goes to Puerto Princesa

 

Schoolgirl Iggy--who's not in school anymore (she hasn't quite chosen a new name for herself yet)--traveled to the island of Palawan in Southern Luzon to enjoy its beaches, explore the famed Puerto Princesa Subterranean River (one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature!), and commune with the crocs.

 

She had fun strolling along the beach and feeding fish!

 That's the entrance to the subterranean river. Around 10 people can fit into a small boat. The boatman also serves as your guide in the cave, and he tells you where to look. He also occasionally reminds you not to say "aah" when you're in awe--"just say 'mmm!'"--because well, it would be better to find out yourself. :)

 The underground river tour took about 40 minutes. It was really nice, and Miss Iggy hopes the tourist attraction won't destroy the beauty of nature in the years to come.

 

These crocs are about a year old.

When one of the old crocs died, they made its hide into a wall decor. No bags, please.

 

This is the croc's skeleton.

Miss Iggy saw her future...

and she also made friends with Ella, the bearcat!

Miss Iggy had an awesome time in Palawan.

However, another thing happened.

Her baby ran away with the crocodiles!

One of the older crocodiles felt this was a sign that it was time for Miss Iggy to have a new companion, so she was given a baby crocodile to travel with.

Miss Iggy's excited to show you her crocodile Pawan (derived from Palawan, of course!) in her next travel post. Until then!

Miss Iggy's Davao Days

Schoolgirl Iggy's break from school gave her the chance to attend one of the biggest annual Philippine festivals--the Kadayawan of Davao City. The festival's name derives from the greeting "Madayaw" from the Dabawenyo dayaw which means good and beautiful. :)

The highlights of the festival are the Indak-Indak Streetdance Parade and the Pamulak flower float parade which was held on the weekend. Since Miss Iggy arrived a few days early, she decided to take a look around the city and its neighboring island of Samal.

There were lots of posters and streamers about the festival. Miss Iggy liked the slogan "Ten Tribes, One Vibe" to reflect the unity amidst the different cultural backgrounds of the Dabawenyos.

Miss Iggy found these dolls in a mall exhibit. The dolls had on costumes of the ten tribes--the Ata Manobo, Ubo Manobo, Tagabawa, K'lata, Maguindanao, Matigsalog, Tausug, Sama, Kalagan, and Maranao. It made her more proud to be an Igorota!

A day before the big festival weekend, she took a break from the city and headed to Samal Island, where she found this beach. Miss Iggy had a great time relaxing and preparing herself for the festivities ahead.

On Saturday, it was time for the Indak-Indak streetdancing! It was actually a competition of schools and local government units. Miss Iggy couldn't take her eyes off the colorful costumes of the dancers!

Lots of bananas! Miss Iggy couldn't resist asking one of the 'banana boys' for a photo.

The kids worked really hard to perfect their steps but Miss Iggy felt sorry for them that they had to stay under the hot sun for an extended period. She hoped they had lots of water during the show and lots of rest after!

Look at all those bright colors!

And what are these?

They seem to be some kind of animal.

Ah! Horses! Right?

Fighting warriors ready to defend their kingdom.

And their beautiful princesses. Miss Igorota included, of course!

The following day was another feast for the senses--it was the flower float parade! 

Miss Iggy cozied up to a basket of durian, marang, and rambutan.

She didn't expect to see a helicopter!

Miss Iggy likes men in uniform. Here's a school's model army unit ready to parade!

An eagle with wings of leaves

coconut flowers!

big blossom, and a friendly frog (toad?)

Eeew a big mosquito! 

And the winner is...

This big float of dancers and giant tribespeople!

Miss Iggy was glad to discover that the guys making the giants move had hydration packs strapped to their back.

How many flowers can you see?

There were so many people lined up along the streets where the parade will go through.

It was a grand display, indeed.

This guy moves, the giant moves as well!

After the parade, Miss Iggy saw a fellow explorer!

The festivities wore Miss Iggy out, but she has her memories of the Kadayawan to amuse her while she regains her energy. Until the next trip!

Durian-All-You-Can

When Miss Igorota planned a trip to Davao in the southeasternmost part of the Philippines, she didn't know she would be in for a big, smelly fruity treat. As soon as she landed in Davao's airport, the distinct aroma of durian wafted into her nostrils and tickled her belly! Davao isn't called the Philippines' durian capital for nothing!

The little schoolgirl (who's taking quite a long break from school) learned a lot about the different products that can be made from durian. She got to try durian fresh from the fruit, durian tart, durian jam...

 

durian candies of different flavors (there was buko pandan, mocha, langka)...

durian bars...

 

durian cheesecake and durian coffee...

and durian ice cream!

"It was a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Durian Ice Cream Man," said Miss Igorota, feeling the bright sunshine in her belly.

Oh, and what's this?

It's durian flan! Miss Iggy washed it down with a special blend of mangosteen frappe.

 

That's a lot of durian! Miss Iggy made sure to buy durian treats as pasalubong for her friends and family back home. Of course, she had to have a durian of her own!