Agusan del Sur, Mindanao

Life got interesting all of sudden. The past week was spent exploring the second largest island of the Philippines, Mindanao. Arriving in Butuan, promptly heading on to Agusan del Sur and Esperanza, there was plenty of adventure to be had. I am once again in my element, exploring the nitty gritty details that different cultures have to offer.

Wah Wah River, Agusan del Sur, Mindanao

I have been on three hour long boat rides down the Wah Wah river which make you wish you had more padding down there. This boat ride opened doors to meeting indigenous leaders of the area, taking part in a traditional ceremony and offerings, all in the name of preserving biodiversity and reducing indigenous conflict in the area. Very interesting. Mindanao is very rich in natural resources which is a source of conflict given the various indigenous groups, politicians, as well as mining and logging companies who wish to monopolize and make use of these resources. It seems efforts are being made to return these rich lands to the local indigenous communities for preservation, but politics is always complicated. We'll see what happens.

Man harvesting coconuts

Work aside, mountain trails have offered spectacular views of deliciously refreshing rivers you wish you could plunge head first into. The local people are kind, surprisingly open to vegetarian diets, promptly offering a variety of different potatoes, bananas (saba), yams (camote), freshly cut coconut, and all different kinds of edible leaves. I'm loving hiking along the mountain trails and having all different kinds of edible leaves pointed out to me. The only downside is that in an effort to show you how amazing their home land is, the local people will not necessarily tell you about the poisonous plants or animals you may encounter. This is not very good when you're going to the bathroom in the bush and brush delicate areas against potentially rash inducing plants.

Next week we will travel on to Bislig, on the south-eastern coast of Mindanao.