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Travelog: A trip thru the highlands....Philippines.

fahim mohammed

Well-known member
I have been in North Luzon for the past two weeks. I am still in the Philippines.

Why?

Lovely, gracious, hospitable, educated and friendly people.
Superb beaches, UNESCO sites, history, culture, tradition, and a fast developing economy.

But above all, I feel at home here. For me, that is reason enough. I feel welcome.

p2746275005-5.jpg

I am going up...into the rice fields, the tribes, the wonderful landscape and a new experience.
 

fahim mohammed

Well-known member
Do you visit a place? Or are you a traveler?
Two different states of mind.

In either case...leave your prejudices behind.
You might find you learn more about your deficiencies and find something better in others.

But you have to leave your prejudices behind!

p2746282417-5.jpg
 

Charlotte Thompson

Well-known member
Fahim

That first shot is just beautiful I love the colors of the sky so dramatic and the overall perspective you caught - Your photos are always so very charming as well with the people you meet.

Charlotte-
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Do you visit a place? Or are you a traveler?
Two different states of mind.

In either case...leave your prejudices behind.
You might find you learn more about your deficiencies and find something better in others.

But you have to leave your prejudices behind!

p2746282417-5.jpg


As you imply,

There's so much beauty in the communities outside our own, if we only can have an open mind!

Asher
 

John Pao

New member
I couldn't agree with you more! The Philippines is known not only for its breathtaking sceneries, natures and rich cultures but also for its people hospitality. You will really feel welcome in The Philippines!

Want something unique?
 

fahim mohammed

Well-known member
Large Image!!

Asher, Charlotte, John..thank you all very much for your generous comments.

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Fuji X-PRO@, XF 14/2.8, Velvia simulation.
 

nicolas claris

OPF Co-founder/Administrator
Do you visit a place? Or are you a traveler?
Two different states of mind.

In either case...leave your prejudices behind.
You might find you learn more about your deficiencies and find something better in others.

But you have to leave your prejudices behind!

p2746282417-5.jpg

Thank you Faim for this image.
I'm falling in love
 

fahim mohammed

Well-known member
I continued my journey up the narrow winding roads to higher altitudes. Stopping at small villages, towns, and some rest houses which are better forgotten.

The people and the vistas that greeted me more than made up for the bone breaking travel..for me.

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Rice fields. The entire region is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The rice terraces and irrigation system has been created by hand. From as long as the people here remember.

The work starts from the bottom of the valleys , and the ancients then made their way up to the top of the mountains.

Imagine!! It took me ( a physically unfit person ) almost half a day to climb down. Then the rains poured
down. Stayed in a hut. Took me almost the whole day to climb up..with rest and recreation breaks along the way.
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
What is the elevation?

I would have to take with an oxygen concentrator, LOL or 4 Strong guides with an antique carrying chair!

You have done miraculously.

Are you foolhardy, reckless, brave or all three?

Or is this a report by your super fit young lady, With the noble name?

Asher
 

fahim mohammed

Well-known member
Asher, the elevation is not too high. Where I was it ranged from about 1300-1500 mts.
It was the trek that was arduous for me.

If you remember, 2008 I was at over 5000 mts! I would die if I tried that now.

No oxygen was ever needed..though I was gasping for breadth due to the terrain.
I did carry a bp and pulse oximeter with me as an iPhone app. Calibrated in the hospital!!

Best.
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Asher, the elevation is not too high. Where I was it ranged from about 1300-1500 mts.
It was the trek that was arduous for me.

If you remember, 2008 I was at over 5000 mts! I would die if I tried that now.

No oxygen was ever needed..though I was gasping for breadth due to the terrain.
I did carry a bp and pulse oximeter with me as an iPhone app. Calibrated in the hospital!!

Best.

How can such an app work! What is the hardware?

Asher
 

fahim mohammed

Well-known member
Nicolas, Asher...

Thanks for stopping by.

Asher, the pulse oximeter is an app that can be downloaded from the Apple store. It measures the heart rate and the SPO2 levels. You just need to hold your finger over flash/camera window for the requisite time.

I calibrated it in the hospital against their saturation monitors by repeatedly measuring the levels to determine the discrepancies. The iPhone app is pretty accurate to be used in remote locations.

For the BP measurement, I had a small portable unit supplied by the hospital.

Best.
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Nicolas, Asher...

Thanks for stopping by.

Asher, the pulse oximeter is an app that can be downloaded from the Apple store. It measures the heart rate and the SPO2 levels. You just need to hold your finger over flash/camera window for the requisite time.

I calibrated it in the hospital against their saturation monitors by repeatedly measuring the levels to determine the discrepancies. The iPhone app is pretty accurate to be used in remote locations.

For the BP measurement, I had a small portable unit supplied by the hospital.

Best.

I would love that APP. What is the name? How close do you place your finger?

For you, I would need to have a medivac helicopter standing by.

These places hardly have care for their people. I doubt there is a Medical Center with the Cardiac Care I would hope for!

...are there APPS for that too?

Asher
 

fahim mohammed

Well-known member
p2761214652-4.jpg


p2761215595-4.jpg


p2761215813-4.jpg

The first screen is my iPhone desktop showing the oximeter, and oximeter apps. I have 2 to verify.

The second screen is 1 app. It will tell you when to place your finger on the cam/flash.

The 3rd is the other app for the same function.

What would you have me do? Sit and wait for it to coming a calling for me! Or just enjoy the time I have left and thank The Lord for His Blessings.

Best.

I would love that APP. What is the name? How close do you place your finger?

For you, I would need to have a medivac helicopter standing by.

These places hardly have care for their people. I doubt there is a Medical Center with the Cardiac Care I would hope for!

...are there APPS for that too?

Asher
 

fahim mohammed

Well-known member
As we drove up into the mountains, I was surprised to note the very perceptible decrease in temperature. Though the altitude was not very high. The light too would decrease, but I put that down to the position of our vehicle with respect to the terrain.

What did it feel to be in the passenger’s seat....

p2770591901-5.jpg
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
As we drove up into the mountains, I was surprised to note the very perceptible decrease in temperature. Though the altitude was not very high. The light too would decrease, but I put that down to the position of our vehicle with respect to the terrain.

What did it feel to be in the passenger’s seat....

p2770591901-5.jpg

There's a massive volume of water evaporating from thecsuper-abundant foliage and hence much of the cause of cooling!

Asher
 

fahim mohammed

Well-known member
Asher, Disha..thanks for the info and stopping by.

What do you research before going to a country...guess depends where you are from! To some ' safety ' borders on paranoia. To others it is health facilities.

I read about a country"s history. Other information, I try my best to get only from the locals. Not from Frommer"s or such. They are written from a certain perspective...not mine.

Anyway, look at the image below. Beautiful, lush, tropical, elevated and can get pretty cold, rainy.

p2775605092-5.jpg

Looks can be very deceptive!
Stay tuned.
 

fahim mohammed

Well-known member
The Spanish colonized the Philippines in the name of the king! This in the 16th century.
The Philippines is majority Roman Catholic.


Later the Americans colonized the Philippines.

U.S. President McKinley justified the annexation of the Philippines by saying that it was "a gift from the gods" and that since "they were unfit for self-government, … there was nothing left for us to do but to take them all, and to educate the Filipinos, and uplift and civilize and Christianize them". From wikipedia.

Protestant missionaries from the U.S. Episcopal church were not to be outdone. However, they found it tough going..but managed to reach Sagada, a city in North Luzon. And lo and behold it is the only city in the Philippines with a Protestant majority population.

But Malasia and I Indonesia are not far away! And the ' fishermen' from these places settled in Mindanao. Not only that they brought with them Islam.
Mindanao is the only province of the Philippines with a majority muslim population.

In Manila is China Town. The oldest and largest settlement of the Chinese in the Philippines. The Buddhist Temple is supposedly one of the oldest Temples of its kind outside of China.

During World War II, the Japanese landed in the Philippines.

The image I posted above is the area in North Luzon that was under Japanese domination. They were entrenched in that region. To regain it, the Philippine Army, with the assistance of the U.S, suffered heavy casualties. The terrain is treacherous. Easily defended.

p2775558181-5.jpg

This National flag of the Philippines has been erected at the Bessang Pass. The fall of this region hastened the end of the war, and led to the surrender of Japanese Imperial army General Tamoyuki Yamashita. This engagement is considered the most brutal and difficult of the entire war.

So much for history.
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Like in the Blakans, disparate beliefs face each other off as if “Heaven demanded victory”!

It’s all absurd as these same folk in Los Angeles would, no doubt, be buddies and share each other’s successes and celebrations!

The beauty is how much peace there can be in spite of belief systems that would split communities apart.

You are both great ambassadors!

Asher
 

fahim mohammed

Well-known member
Well, we had lunch. Walked around the town a little..and back on the road. This time we had to descend, across a valley, and then once again into the mountains...

Of course, my journey was much longer than what it would take a bus or car...I was stopping all along the way for photographs....

p2787895811-5.jpg
 
I'm not sure what the open mind comment is about as I don't see anything bothersome at all. The photo of the people from the Philippines looks very friendly and warm and they are beautiful. Do people have a bad opinion of people from this country? sorry if I misunderstand what that's about; the images are great and especially those of the people! :) Maggie
 

fahim mohammed

Well-known member
Maggie, thanks for raising this question.

This year the National Geographic celebrates it hundred years or so.
I recommend folks to read what it’s editor has to to say.
Also recommended is a look back through its publications.

I will leave it to the good folks here to spend some time in exploring this icon of travel.

Best regards.

p.s the founding fathers of NatGeo and its founding history, I find to be very informative.

I'm not sure what the open mind comment is about as I don't see anything bothersome at all. The photo of the people from the Philippines looks very friendly and warm and they are beautiful. Do people have a bad opinion of people from this country? sorry if I misunderstand what that's about; the images are great and especially those of the people! :) Maggie
 

fahim mohammed

Well-known member
While I was mostly interested in Landscapes ( ? ) this time around for certain reasons, I did stop by in towns to capture the daily life.

The locals were more interesting than tourists like myself, or from other distant lands...

p2796271236-4.jpg


p2796258090-4.jpg


p2796271240-4.jpg
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
While I was mostly interested in Landscapes ( ? ) this time around for certain reasons, I did stop by in towns to capture the daily life.

The locals were more interesting than tourists like myself, or from other distant lands...




p2796271236-4.jpg





Fahim,

I like that you have shown how less distanced from nature, many non-Western cultures are. This must provide them with a better understanding of the immediacy of the natural landscape and elements on them, their families and life itself.

In the West, beef might seem to start in a hamburger, peas come from the freezer and tuna from a can!

Asher
 
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