In preparation for my trip back home

I'll be flying out tonight to Manila. Last time I was there... September 2013. That was when I was supposed to do the volunteering but had to put it in the back burner for an assignment in Melbourne.

 

Now.....this is it..... I'll be joining the group IDV - International Disaster Volunteers in Tacloban, Leyte, where the Typhoon Haiyan / Yolanda struck last November 2013. Still the situation is yet to be assessed when I get there. However, based on recent feedback, there's still a slow and sluggish improvement. But then any improvement is better than none at all. There are discussions between the Philippine Administration and Local government regarding funds to be released and action items to be planned out. As always, these are all politically driven.. and in a third world country... its "who you know"...

 

I've listed out the things I need to pack, whilst checking against the main packing list IDV provided. A wish list was sent over, which I'd most probably just buy once in Manila/Tacloban. Better to help the local community, besides, it's more expensive in New Zealand.

 

I don't really know what to expect. I look at the photos of the activities and it all looks promising. I may sound jaded a bit. These all comes out of a few volunteering experiences I've had, where expectations should be managed. I pray and hope that this will be a fruitful endeavor.....

 

Please pray for the success of this mission. I will try my best to record everything I see and experience. No sugar coating.... No filters... just the plain reality. Till my next entry.

Towards the End

It all started last March 21, 2013. Thinking of it now makes me realize how time passed by so swiftly, enriching my life with so many stories and experiences.

When I planned the Nomad Enroute, living on the road for a year, I was supposed to be in the outskirts of some unknown village in the Philippines... volunteering... as the culmination of my trip. I even had my return ticket booked from Manila to Auckland. That was the plan.

But you see, things doesn't always go as planned. A detour was granted and I acknowledged its presence, willingly giving in to the opportunity that presented itself.

I instead chose to grab  a 6-month assignment in Melbourne, a city that almost everyone raved about, a city that everyone said I'd like and learn to love, a city that "might be" my settling ground.

And so there I went. I do admit that the city is charming, lavished with vibrance of arts and music, designed with tram lines and flowing waters, flowered with numerous opportunities and enriched with the diversity of cultures.

I liked it. and towards the end I learned to love it.... perhaps part of it was because of the people I met who I wished I've met earlier on and not when I was leaving. The irony of life. However, isn't it that people become nicer when someone's leaving? Appreciation is the key. and I dearly wished that Love would have made me stay. But as it always goes for me, there wasn't enough convincing... nothing to get me grounded.

Through the months that I've been away I've learned a lot in terms of acceptance, expectations, hopes and letting go. and of course, there's a lot to do with the saying "Everything Happens For a Reason". I hold on to that everyday.

I am towards the End of this Nomad Enroute Trip. I'm back in Auckland and in a few days will be back in the Philippines to do what I was meant to do, to fulfill the mission I was supposed to and to give back to the community as I've been so blessed that I could do those months of traveling.

This will be my way of paying it forward, of showing gratitude......

I'll be in Tacloban, Leyte where the typhoon Haiyan struck last November 2013. My mission is to do as much as I could to help. I expect frustration, as it is always the case regardless if it's a first or third world country, much worse maybe this time... my basis established from feedback of recent volunteers. But then, i'll just focus on the goal .. to help and to share.

I don't know how I'll go after Nomad Enroute. A lot of people tell me to stand still, to plant roots and stay in one place. I thought I'd feel the urge to do so after the trip. I've been proven wrong by no other but myself. I don't know. Maybe this feeling will change in a few months.

I guess at the End of the Day, do what makes you happy....... life is too short. Live the Dream without forgetting to let the people you hold dear know that you love them.

Towards the End, it's genuine Love that truly Matters.

Into the Wild

from the Red Top spot

I parked the car in front of the ranger's office. The midday sun was getting intense and I was getting annoyed with the flies. The place was quiet and I couldn't find a ranger in sight. There were a few walks around which I decided to do after  back to check out while waiting. Tanya, one of the rangers, was back at her office. I had a quick chat and told her I was interested to join the 2 pm tour. The Mungo National Park schedules twice a week tours with the park ranger, where a 2-hour walk on the Wall of China becomes the highlight along with a talk about the history of the park itself. It was only worth $35 for the whole tour.

wombat bones

I was a little bit early for the tour so I went back to the car and ate my lunch. I had a 3-day worth of groceries with me to cover my stay at the park until I get back to Melbourne. Tuna was my bestfriend and that was enough protein for me along with the green leaves. that was me trying to be healthy. A few cars arrived at the centre and a big bus of tourists also parked a few meters away. I watched the guide prepare lunch for the group under one of the huts, gave them enough shade from the intense sun.

Around 2 we all got in our own individual cars and started the convoy. The dust formed as seven cars all lined up and headed for the walls. Tanya got us walking to the platform and started the talk. It was amazing listening to her and how she got to be doing this. She was from the Mithi Mithi tribe which was one of the aboriginal tribes that thrived on the land. She explained how her grandmother and all of the women before her passed on the stories of their ancestors. It was very impressive how they could even know that a drought season was on its way or even a storm.. all based on how the animals reacted.

Apparently as time passed by and with all of the factors of weathering, the layers of Zanci on the walls exposes blips of history and gives this generation an idea of how the ancestors of the Willindra lakes lived. It was impressive how Tanya pointed out what were once furnaces where they cooked food. Bones of wombat slowly showed up on the sands of the wall, sitting still as people passed by. The color of the wall was gray but as the sun slowly rested for the day, the amber colours slowly showed off its magnificence.

Emu

It was great around the park, it gave me a liberating feeling as the vast space filled with a mix of red soil and bushes spread in front of me. A group of us stayed after the tour. We decided to watch the sunset as the last rays of the sun touched the sky and the colours were stunning. I sat still after setting up the tripod. It was starting to get chilly as I rubbed my hands to get enough warmth. The  moon was shyly shining its brilliance over the walls. I knew in a few days a full moon would be glistening and would have been a great opportunity to take great shots.

Now, one of the great memories of my Mungo experience was the sunset driving. I looked like a raccoon-eyed driver gripping on the driving wheel. I have been warned and I guess that's how I got so scared driving when it got dark. It was hilarious the whole scene.

Picture this. I was the smallest car, a mini, followed by a trail of 4x4 cars. That was the plan. For me to go ahead and the old couples behind me would make sure I'm okay. At first it sounded like a sane plan. But whilst driving, I realized, it was a crazy idea. I should have been in the middle. After driving a few kilometers, 2 tall silhouettes were visible from a distance. I was thinking, who the heck would be crazy walking at that time of the day. They both stood still, watching the sunrise. As I slowly approached, I realized it was 2 kangaroos. I stared through the windshield and slowly approached, making sure they felt my presence. I thought that was enough of an effort to scare the wild away. But no. So okay, I reverted to a more effective approach. Honk the Horn. Oh yeah, it should have worked. But no. They both turned their heads and gave a look. At that point I wanted to laugh my heart out.  They gave me that look as if saying "Hey man, we're watching the sunset here and having a conversation!". I honked the horn twice but still no budging. On the last honk, they gave me the last look and hopped away. Seriously, I was smiling. Oh yes.

Just when I thought that was it for the day, I saw something running from the right. Two massive emus crossed the street in front of me. I hit on the brakes, glad that I wasn't driving that fast. But before I accelerated I saw something from my peripheral vision. A second emu was trailing along. I thought, "come on, cross the street.. faster please". At that point, I really wished I had it on video. If  its feet had enough friction to make a sound, I could imagine it would have. It was deciding to stop and was slowly sliding 45 degrees... but then again changed its mind and decided to go on. Now that was hilarious. That was the beauty of the wild. Stunning.

The sun was lovely, the colors were so lively and the silhouettes of the farm and the park centre was standing in its grandeur. The old windmill added up to the view. Driving Into the Wild Was the greatest memory that I had of that road trip.