Cebu City

Well after our overnight ferry ride which included some comfy cots for sleeping we arrived in Cebu aroun 8:30 in the morning two hours behind schedule. This was due to the ferry running on one engine instead of two because it was broken. From what I have gathered thus far on my trip this is a fairly normal affair. We checked into our hotel relaxed for a bit and I went with three other dudes to a place where they make guitars. We got to just walk on and see the whole hand-making process, here some Filipinos play great tunes, and two of the dudes bought instruments.

After we returned from that we went and toured Lexmark's manufacturing factories that are here in Cebu. If you own a Lexmark printer there is a high chance your ink cartridges come from the Philippines. It was wild seeing the factory and how many automated and mechanized processes there were. It was also loud, im talking you need to raise your voice significantly to have a conversation, and most of the noises were similar to finger-nails on a chalkboard. It was by no means a sweat-shop but it certainly was not appealing to me. We were reassured that Lexmark has one of the better factories as far as payment, working conditions, and treatment of the workers. The double-minimum wages recieved by the workers is equlivalent to U.S. 10$ per day, but many of the workers make more than that. All of the information provided by Lexmark was very vague, but they did give us cold sodas and chocolate cake. I'm not entirely sure why this was but it was delicious. All in all a good experience that makes me really appreciate the opurtunities I have in the states.

To end the night we sang karoke and danced including a dance move in which my dance partner dropped me on the ground. We went to a place that had a strange name that I don't remember at the time but it advertised the "coldiest beer." I will attest that the beer was very coldie.

Today we woke up really early and took a ferry to the island of Bohol for an eco-tour in Buena Vista. Eco-tourism is really cool because all of the money goes directly to the locals instead of to a rich resort owner who probably doesn't need more money anyways. What we did was ride on canoes through the mangrove forests and then have a delicious seafood dinner that included fresh crabs, shrimp, squid, raw oysters, mangos, and coconuts. It was one of the best meals I can remember and I learned a lot about the anatomy of seafood. It was cool seeing that shrimp actually do have eyes. Utilizing the shrimp with eyes to our advantage we quickly played with them and made them talk to other people. Very childish, but very fun. The locals sang some songs and did some dancing for us and it was so much fun. The fun was made even better because we were out of Cebu, which is the dirtiest city I have ever seen. Even compared to Manila, it is hotter, dirtier, cheaper, and has more homeless families by far. Luckily Cebu is one of Asia's central hubs for shipping and manufacturing. Labor in Cebu is far cheaper than labor in Mexico to put things in perspective.

I just walked through a downpour to get here but luckily air conditioning doesnt really exist in the Philippines so I am quite comfortable. I am sad the Pens lost, but happy to be leaving Cebu tomorrow to go to Boracay.