1. I get off the taxi that took me from my hotel to the bus station and am SWARMED by bus-drivers and porters who sensed my foreign clumsiness and vulnerability for being ripped off seemingly from miles away. My luggage (60 lbs, completely out of my control) was then the victim of a series of multi-party tug of war, as everyone tried to compete for the opportunity to cheat me. Ultimately, I was placed on the bus with the apparently strongest porter, who promptly demanded 50 pesos (like 1 dollar, nbd) for carrying my luggage. Was relieved to be sitting in an air-conditioned bus and did not even flinch when handing over more than twice what my supervisor told me to pay.
2. Essentially a repeat of this episode, but this time at the port, as I go from bus to ferry. Only this time, I need help purchasing my ticket, as there are additional environmental fees and such that I couldn't possibly keep track of. Am interrogated by the ticket-purchase-helper with some relevant questions (One-way or two-way?) and some not (Single? No boyfriend? Can I come with you?). I get on a ferry, which is actually a speedboat with some "stabilizing" logs attached to either side. Ratio of supervisor-suggested price to actual paid price increases even further.
3. So I'm thinking this boat ride is about 15 minutes long, as the whole trip is supposed to be under 3 hours and I was at 2h45m at this point. I'm on this boat for 1.5 hours and had drafted multiple international text messages stating my location and the likelihood I was being kidnapped for sale into human slavery. It then starts POURING while I'm in the middle of the Philippine Sea on this dinky little boat. Sidenote: July and August constitute the monsoon season. Fml.
4. I get off the boat, it's still pouring, but I nonetheless have an urge to kiss the ground and thank heavens for protecting me from not only kidnapping schemes, but also shipwreck. My relief is quickly dashed when I catch sight of the "motorized tricycle" that is supposed to take me to Stairway. It is a motorcycle with a side car, meant for my luggage and myself and completely devoid of safety fixtures. Am ripped off and paid eight times what I was advised to pay (okay, I know I suck but I was dividing prices by 50 and, more importantly, was busy searching the vehicle for any bar or crevice where I might hinge my fingers to prevent being thrown over cliffs as I ascend this mountain on a tricycle).
5. (Underestimated, my B.) I'm dropped off by my tricyclist on the side of the road but don't spot any sign for Stairway. Had looked death in the face multiple times as the tricycle sped up the windy roads of the mountain, conveniently overlooking hundred-foot drops into the rocks/ocean below. It is still pouring and I am only accompanied by my luggage and oh, yes, my Blackberry! I try to call my supervisor but, oh wait! I'm in a rural area of a third world country (I was no longer interested in political correctness at this point to think of this island as an "emerging market," sorry, Keeley.) Finally, I chose one direction over another and drag my luggage through the muddy gravel paths. Stand in the rain for about 10 minutes before my phone magically picks up the weakest of signals. Find supervisor. Am escorted into the guesthouse. Episodes of panic conclude.
Despite my epically treacherous journey, I am SO PLEASED to be at Stairway. Firstly it is beautiful and completely devoid of industrial nuances like noise and pollution. For example, I am currently in a treehouse. Yeap, the third floor of the "office building" (read: two-story log cabin) is essentially the rooftop of the building roofed by some logs and spindle-y leaves. It's gorgeous and provides wireless internet service! Perfection, no?
The food has been subpar and the mealtimes are a little inconsistent with my normal ones (7 AM breakfast, 10 AM "snack," 12 PM lunch, 2 PM "snack," 7 PM dinner) but the experience necessitates I shed my picky eating habits (work in progress... currently starving from refusal to dry suspicious meats.) and my infatuation with indulgent cuisine. Cannot look at food blogs without soliciting noise from my stomach right now. I felt pretty shitty that I couldn't get over my pickiness when the surrounding diners were former street children who have only for the first time in their lives experienced what it's like to be able to rely on the regularity of scheduled meals.... But they served avocados at the conclusion of today's lunch! I think I might have yelped and alarmed some children but I was so pleased! I learned a new way of eating them: mushing them up and mixing the green mush with brown sugar... pretty yum.
I think I finally beat jetlag (and not preemptively on Friday like I claimed...) and am going into town to pick up a few amenities (like snacks, duh) before heading to my first session of allotted daily beach time! Puerto Galera is one of the top 20 most beautiful beaches in the world and is located across the street. Will update with evidence of productivity and actual purpose (because I'm not actually here just to enjoy the greenery and beach, sigh) sometime in the next few days when I start my research project. Also to follow: what exactly I AM doing here and more on Stairway Foundation. Happy Fourth of July from abroad (for the fifth year in a row...)!
