Cycling through Riesling country

Drying lavender, ED 2014

Before coming to the Philippines, I spent some time in Germany cleaning, fixing  and weather proofing windows and furniture as well as gardening, harvesting and drying something like 300 lavender plants. It's surprisingly nice to sit on a hill of lavender surrounded by bumble and honey bees gently ignoring you as they go about the very important task of gathering nectar for their hives. Honey bees are pretty harmless, and won't commit suicide by stinging you as long as you don't approach them in an aggressive manner. One of these days I hope to convince my parents to add a beehive to their garden, but that's a ways away yet.

I'm afraid the German country side isn't in the top 20 summer destination of 2014, nor does it have the romantic appeal of French or Italian countryside but that's quite alright with me. The days are warm, the sun comes out during the day, and we have the most magnificent summer thunderstorms in the evenings. Thick forests and cool freshwater lagoons offer relief from the heat and you can feed yourself off countless fruit trees and berry bushes. If you're really interested, you can follow the fruit trails all the way into Riesling country, either by cycling or navigating along the Mosel river from Koblenz to Trier (app. 200km) and beyond.

Unlike the Rhein which is a busy highway of cargo and heavy transport ships, the Mosel river is winding country road which offers views of countless rows of wine vineyards. The best time to cycle along the river is in the morning before 11 or after 3 as dusk begins to settle. At these times the heat is not as severe and you will save yourself having to collapse in the mid-day sun  under a withered dry tree offering sparse shade. If this does happen however, rest assured no one will bother you, although at least try to make sure you are on the river bank so you can enjoy a quick dip when you wake up.

People in this part of Germany are very friendly and for the most part helpful - maybe they're used to seeing lots of lost cyclists wandering the streets of their towns. The towns themselves like Zell for example, are beautiful and small, paved with cobble stones and full of old establishments each offering samples of the best wine in the valley. If you find yourself in Zell, watch out for the legendary black cat (Zeller schwarze Katz) which protects the wine of the area from thieving merchants.

The food on offer along the river, is simple and filling German cuisine. If you are staying in a hotel that does breakfast in the morning, think muesli, fruit, yogurt, wild honey, perfectly prepared soft-boiled eggs, German rye bread, nutella and selection of cold cuts (cheeses, hams, cucumber and tomato). To be honest, this was the best breakfast I have ever had at a hotel. I have never been so excited over a selection of four different kinds of German bread, three different kinds of honey, and perfect soft-boiled eggs buried in sand. Moving on to lunch, if you can stomach it after your filling and nutritious breakfast, summer is the season for delicious pfifferlinge (otherwise mushrooms or chanterelles) which are lightly cooked with butter and a pinch of salt and pepper, served over toast or pasta. Alternatively you can enjoy some flammkuchen, or tarte flambee, a thin-crusted Alsatian pizza of sorts topped with creme fraiche, thinly sliced onions and bacon. Fortunately, some taverns now also offer vegetarian alternatives which saves some the tedious hassle of picking off the tiny bits of bacon. Finally if you're starving for grub at dinner time after your 60km cycle sans lunch, a generous portion of potato, sausage and onion casserole awaits you next to a pint of wheat or white beer. Alternatively, a leafy goat's cheese salad with a glass of Riesling will also do. After this you're off to bed for a good night's rest before an early start the next day.

Cycling selfie, CD 2014

Mud skippers, sea slugs and Synapta Maculata

Sea diving in the Philippines is a marine biologists' wet dream with countless underwater species to be seen, even by the most amateur enthusiasts such as myself who have no idea what they're looking at. As a pretend marine biologist, one who has explored a fair number of coral reefs around the world in the Americas, Europe, Asia and Oceania (Great Barrier Reef not included), I can certify that this is one of the most diverse and biologically rich oceans to explore. Although I have also heard great things about Indonesian and Papuan waters. Moray eels, clown fish in anemones, long nosed snapper, sea turtles, different coloured parrot fish, moorish fish, lobsters, angelfish, long nosed butterfly fish, starfish, and pufferfish are some of the great underwater creatures you will see while diving in the Philippines. Here are some of the creatures I was most excited/intrigued to see:

If you're wondering what the hell is a Synapta Maculata, that is exactly what I thought when I first saw one. Clues:

• It lives underwater;
• It is long and snake like;
• Appears to be wearing a skin too big for its size which bunches up depending on the creatures' shape or position;
• It has stubby whitish tentacles on one end with little feelers that wave back and forth, presumably for feeding;
• The other side looks like the end of tail;
• It has black and white stripes.

After hunting around on the internet for a while with searches like "striped underwater snake with tentacles", I finally found an answer. It's basically something like a spotted worm sea cucumber which can grow up to 2 meters in length. Pretty harmless creatures, but I wouldn't want to accidentally swim into a group of those.

Sea slugs are the cutest things. I've never before had the chance to see them in the wild, but swimming 20m below sea level, you'll suddenly see tiny bits of purple and white stripes wiggling around you. Take a closer look and it's an itty bitty sea slug swimming enthusiastically, it's yellow horns ready to pounce on a delicious bit of sponge. Tasty. There are many kinds of sea slugs and they come in all beautiful shapes and sizes, but here in the Philippines the most common are chromodoris lochi. The ones I saw were about 2cm long, but they can grow to double that size.

When I was little, I used to love watching nature documentaries and I remember learning about these weird fish that lived on land. Somehow the name of these creatures stuck with me, and as soon as I saw them I knew I was looking at mud skippers or periophthalmus cantonensis. They are amphibious fish which spend most of their lives above water by breathing through water stored in their cheeks. They belong to the same family as gobies, those little fish with beautiful multicoloured tails which breed like crazy in aquariums. Of course, the goby family is huge and there are many different kinds. You can learn more about mud skippers here (courtesy of David Attenborough's BBC Life series) :

Emadatse recipe - Bhutanese national dish

I recently went on a trip that took me through the Omani desert decked out in a complete winter outfit - fluffy pink winter jacket and everything. Sounds mad fun right? Between the flip-flop wearing, pungently aromatic tourists and the oudh scented and elegantly dressed Omanis in full length dishdashas and abayas, I stuck out like pink shrimp in a dry desert. For those of you thinking I must have terrible foresight for not having chosen to wear more suitable clothing upon leaving the mild British winter in the middle of February, well, I was on my way to see the recently snow covered peaks of the Himalayas. I needed my pink fluffy jacket. It is also because of this pink fluffy jacket that I made friends on that leg of the journey. I now have a number to call if I ever need to organize fireworks for a wedding or a place to stay in Jordan.

The journey itself was long but uneventful. After flying the London-Muscat-Bangkok-Paro-Bangkok-Muscat-London route however, I am beginning to realize that I like the whole process of travelling less and less despite enjoying the exploration of various countries, cultures, languages and foods more and more. I sense that if teleportation is not invented soon I might have to resort to some other means of travel. Kayak for example. Now that sounds like an adventure.

Anyway, despite the horrors of flying and being groped at security checks, I did arrive in Bhutan in one piece and made it safely back to London to tell the story. I will be updating those interested about my adventures in Bhutan, but at a later time. For now, I will ease you into the Bhutanese frame of mind by leaving you with a deliciously spicy recipe for emadatse, the Bhutanese national dish of cheese and chilies. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 thinly sliced onion
• 3 Tbsp oil
• 5 cloves crushed garlic
• 500g soft fresh cheese*
• 1-2 tomatoes - thinly sliced
• 500g green or jalapeno chilies
• 1 cup water
• 2 Tbsp butter

Optional spices:

• 1/4 Tsp turmeric
• 1 Tsp sichuan pepper
• 1 pinch cinnamon
• 1 inch of fresh grated ginger
• Salt

Method:

- Prepare chilies by slicing length wise into quarters and de-seeding if deemed necessary. (Beware of chili juices on fingers when touching other sensitive areas e.g. nose and eyes). (I did remove the seeds this time and the resulting dish is pleasantly spicy and full of flavour. Judging by the look of fear and horror on my flatmates' faces when presented with a bowl full,  this might not be everyone's opinion, so proceed as you best see fit). Set chilies aside and slice other veg. 

- On a low heat, fry thinly sliced onions in oil with optional seasoning until soft and fragrant. Add crushed garlic and thinly sliced tomatoes. 

- After one minute, add sliced chilies and stir fry until bright green (1-2 min). Add 1 cup of water and allow to boil.

- Add 2 tbsp of butter, salt and soft cheese, stir well, cover and simmer until chilies are thoroughly cooked and tender.

- Serve!

This dish is traditionally served with red rice and yak meat, but it can also be combined with eggs and rice for breakfast, on buttered toast as a snack, with spinach and pasta for lunch or boiled potatoes for dinner. The options are endless...

* Ideally, you would use a type of fresh yak's cheese for this dish. Since yak cheese is not readily available anywhere outside of the Himalayas however, I went for a combination of ricotta and turkish peynir. It's up to you what kind of cheese you go for, but you're looking for something with a mild flavour that melts nicely and makes a smooth paste which does not harden when cooled. Cream cheese with bits of feta also works.

Christmas in Manila

Uy, I'm exhausted. I have done little here in Manila but live in my little privileged bubble and listen to people talk about the various scandals and "accidents" taking place in the Philippines. Like the bus that crashed through the barriers on the Skyway (one of Manila's major roads) on the 16th of December, flipping over on its back as it crashed on the road below. I believe most of the passengers died, the bus driver was decapitated. Or the shooting in Ninoy Aquino Airport (the one in Manila) which killed Mayor Talumpa and his family. It is debated whether the shooting took place inside or outside the terminal. There are varying degrees of disagreement on this point, but still, there's definitely an issue of airport security being brought into question.

Then there's the rampant corruption (but it's all very hush hush) particularly around the foreign relief money and goods being sent over to the victims of the typhoon in Tacloban. Sure there is some awareness that corruption is a definite threat and barrier - you can read more about it in the Philippine Star - but really, it's not just about making sure the money and relief goods get to those most affected, but also about making sure those in power locally do everything they can to facilitate this. Unfortunately, from what I understand, most residents of Tacloban are in direct opposition (and always have been) to the political party of the current president, and those in power aren't too willing to lend a helping hand because of this. Sure, there are many campaigns being publicized all over Manila, on the radio and TV, urging people make donations for those in Tacloban, but there is very little logistical support being offered.What is the point of sending lots of aid (man power and material) if the local government isn't prepared to put it to good use?

Imagine you are a volunteer heading off to provide some much needed help. You arrive at Tacloban airport ready to get to work delivering food, water and blankets to those who need it most, ready to build appropriate sustainable housing, only to find that nothing has cleared customs. After about a month, the materials finally clear customs, and you realize no logistical support is offered for storage, transportation, security, sanitation etc because the papers haven't been signed. What papers? This is the first you hear about this. You ask the organization  you are working with to help, but there is only so much they can do. Beaurocracy is beaurocracy and it is not within your policy to offer bribes. So you sit on your ass and do nothing but wait. You wait as more relief piles in, more materials and money appear, and somehow as you wait, the large pile of goods becomes starts getting smaller. By the time someone somehow manages to get the goods released, and some sort of support and transportation, you go to pick up the stash, and realize it has been reduced to a third of its original size.

This is an imaginary situation. I am not a frustrated volunteer in Tacloban, but the truth is this is probably what is happening there right now.

It's definitely more fun in the Philippines.
Merry Christmas.

Puerto Galera, Calapan and Mike's Beach - Mindoro Oriental

For lack of a better name, I'm calling the place where I've been staying for the past week, "Mike's Beach" because it was actually Mike's beach. And a lovely one at that.

Mike's Beach, Mindoro Oriental, PH

Today was a travel day, a non-day at best where you wake up at some ridiculous hour in the morning feeling drowsy and ever so slightly naseous from lack of sleep, forcing yourself through the motions of bathroom, dressing, packing and eating because you know that if you don't you'll regret it later. Nothing screams "I told  you so" louder than a stinking, garishly pink bathroom with piss speckled toilet seats and no running water on 50 tonne rust bucket of a ferry in the middle of a turbulent ocean. But hey, at least they had a toilet.

Before this charming view of the ladies room however, the journey wasn't so bad. Once you get over the initial drowsiness and lack of willingness to do anything, early morning starts are pretty great. The air is fresh and cool, a great plus in the jungle tropics, birds twitter and sqwak animatedly, crickets chirp softly, tuko geckos call out in their characteristic manner "t̟ɔʔ' ku...t̟ɔʔ' ku". Sunlight begins to peek over the horizon, and the streets are empty save a few stray dogs with a death wish scattered on the winding roads. Surprisingly, the roads on Mindoro Oriental island are in excellent condition - smooth concrete, no pot-holes, wide enough for two lanes - their only fault being the fact they don't always join up. So one road will go all the way round the island one way, but then suddenly stop and end in the middle of the jungle. If you want to reach your desired destination, it is then necessary to take a detour all the way around the other side of the jungle island. This isn't a problem though as long as you know what's coming.

Continuing on the fresh aired tour of the jungle, you'll pass a large roaring waterfall which drowns out all other natural sounds. Occasionally, a wasp like motorcycle will roar past you throwing up exhaust fumes in your face, and you will curse at them until the pollutant particles subside. Once out of the jungle, nearer to the port, level rice fields replace the creeping jungle, turning the ground around you into the multi-coloured sky of a sunrise. Clouds break and sunlight slowly illuminates the world around you, water buffalos snuffling their way lazily through the mud.

Calapan port itself is like any other little village, in fact very similar to those of Central America. Lots of beaurocracy, tiny pieces of coloured paper and ferry fares later, and you're on a boat, oblivious of the fact that this giant vessel is a potential deathtrap for so many reasons. Second hand, recycled gift boats from China, Japan etc. dating from t he 70s should really be updated in my opinion. Then again, you don't always take a proper look at the giant machine until after you've arrived on the other side, en route to the  wonderous traffic and pollution of Manila.

So why was I in Mindoro Oriental, traversing the jungle at an early hour? Hidden away in little bays full of mangroves around the island are little private beaches and houses. Puerto Galeras itself, on the north of the island, is very popular with foreigners and retired expats who will build themselves nice private houses for their own benefit as well as that of others (for a small fee of couse). The diving in this area is also great, as are other watersports in general. If you know where you're going, you could do a lot worse than retreating to another island in the Philippine archipelago for a break from Manila.

In case you were wondering, no, I did not see any lions, tigers or bears in the jungle. I did however see a four giant sea turtles, one which was munching contedly on some purple coral, two sea snakes, an electric shell - it's actually electric, don't ask me how - a komodo dragonesque creature, wild dogs, a spiky flounder like fish, and countless geckos.