We went with a bunch of wonderful people we have met through our church. Thanks Jamie for organising the trip. This is us all in the back of our fake jeepney. A jeepney is the equivalent here of the South African mini bus taxi. This one was fake because it didn't look the same as typical jeepneys on the outside.
The fake jeepney.
Boarding the ferry. The seating was very particular. Unfortunately I landed up sitting next to the garbage bin separated from everyone. Although, this certainly was doable considering I was in the aircon area.
Brad got some stunning pics of the skyline of Manila bay area, as well as of the early morning pollution. Pollution in this part of the world is no joke!
This is a typical people transport for the water. It's known as an outrigger.
A shot of Brad and I on the deck. Fortunately for Brad, he got to sit on the viewing deck that had no aircon. He prefers the heat, and I prefer the cool...lol.
This is Corrigador Island approach. It's about 27 odd miles from Manila and takes about one and a half hours to get there by fast ferry. Our tour operator was Sun Tours. They didn't do a bad job considering the price we paid.
One interesting thing on the ferry is that sea marshalls escort every trip. I'm not sure if this is because of the threat of piracy or if it's job creation or what it is for. Frankly it made me a little nervous having a rifle on board in plain sight of everyone.
The bus we were taken around the island on, was actually one of the electric trams that used to be used on the island when it was occupied by the American forces.
We had a wonderful guide, Joe who had worked on the island for 50+ years. He really knew his history and was so friendly and kind.
This is a statue of General MacArthur. For those who need to brush up on history, the Japanese invaded the Philippines, forcing MacArthur to retreat, but he pledged to return to the Philippines and he fulfilled his promise something like 3 years later. A whole group of military personnel ended up going into detention under the Japanese as far as I understand. I found his waving hand quite ironic, considering the similarity to the Nazi salute. Fortunately his fingers turned just enough to not be exactly the same.
These are some of the fun and wacky people we went on tour with. Thanks guys, it was a wonderful day spent with you!
A view of the roads on the island.
Dad this one is for you. We were not allowed to be late in returning from each stop along the way. The bell could definitely be heard loud and clear.
This is President Quezon, who was president of the Philippines during the 2nd world war. He hid out at the island for his and his family's safety but eventually became ill because of the living conditions in the tunnels on the island.
This was profound! How many people died defending their countries and their values and beliefs during WW2?!?
This is the entrance to Malinta tunnel on the island. This tunnel had other branching tunnels which were used as hospitals and sleeping quarters and of course, bomb shelters during the bombings. Apparently not much greenery was left on the island after the war. Something like Iwo Jima. The government reseeded the island to prevent soil erosion and it really is akin to a jungle now!
The one 'funny' thing is that although the main tunnel has been fortified, the branching tunnels are falling apart, and there is nothing to stop people walking into them!?! A sign certainly doesn't seem to stop people most of the time.
We had lunch at the hotel on the island. It was more a traditional Philipino lunch than anything else. The welcome drink was called Screw Pineapple...??
This is one of the parade grounds.
This is one of the barracks. There were goats grazing in and around the ruins. Crazy!?!
Another of Brad's brilliant self portraits :-)
And this is an incredible shot Brad took of nature taking over the ruins somewhat.
I couldn't believe that it was possible to see the length of the barrel of one of the battery guns. The guns were huge!! I can only imagine how loud four or five of these going off at the same time. Not to mention bombs being dropped too during air raids. It's more than I can imagine.
This was another gun ... don't ask for dimensions!! I just know they're big!
This gives you an idea of the size of the bombs used in some of the artillery.
This is the ruin of the biggest battery of guns we saw on our tour. I don't know if there were other bigger guns on the island.
The view from the top of the battery across the bay to Bataan.
Some more shots of the artillery store rooms.
The officers' barracks.
The craziest thing was the old cinema. This island seems to have been quite a happening place, with something like over 10000 living on the island living on the island at one point.
This memorial was profound. Unfortunately it was really disappointing to see how the water that is supposed to run the whole length of the memorial just isn't there. Rubbish and mess seems to have replaced what should be water in a few places. We didn't get a shot of this. Frankly I find it somewhat disrespectful to the memory of all those who gave their lives to protect their country and values. If the island was marketed correctly, it could certainly bring in more cash, which would hopefully be enough to maintain it properly.
The cinema stage.
A map of the island. It looks like a tadpole.
This is the lighthouse on the island. A bit of a climb to the top, but fun! And the view was lovely!
Unfortunately as we returned to the ferry at the North dock, the view that greeted us was one of mess and garbage. It would not be impossible to clean this up. It also gives you an idea of just how much pollution is in the Manila Bay area. Notwithstanding, it was a wonderful day of history, exploration and fun with friends and family.
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