Yesterday we went to Bacolor and saw a town on the Bataan Peninsula that was essentially covered in ash and lahar from Mt. Pinotubo. Lahar is ash that turns into a concrete sort of substance and it flows in mudslide fashion and eventually hardens like rock. The entire town of Bacolor got covered in about two stories of lahar, and it is over 70 kilometers away from Pinotubo, it was nuts.

We then had a small walk in the blazing heat on part of the route that the Bataan death march took. I can't imagine walking for two weeks straight in heat and sun like that without food and water, freaking ridiculous.

After Bacolor we ventured to the Subic Bay area and took an eco-tour of the rainforest there. The plant life was truly incredible. Some of the trees were just out of this world. Our guide Ariel showed us all sorts of different medicinal plants, and showed us how to make full cookwear for soup, meat, and rice out of bamboo, and later showed us how to start a fire using only bamboo it was really sweet.

This is a lame post, I just don't feel like writing that much, later when we returned to the metro Manila area in a giant thunderstorm we were very tired from a long day. We went out for dinner, and beers, followed by a dance club until four in the morning. I discovered that chaco's make pretty good dance shoes after all. It was pretty wild to be in a club in Manila until the wee hours of the morning on a Saturday night, truly an experience.

Best story: I bought a round of drinks for two transvestites as part of a deal, and went over and talked to them for a while. Marie, and Sabelle were both in their mid twenties and made me some generous offers so to speak. I lied about where I was staying of course, but they tried incessantly to get me to go back to my room, or to a secret spot they know of so that I could recieve "The Best Souvenir in Manila" sorry ladies/fellas (I'm not sure which is appropriate) but I'm going to pass. Strangely I am feeling awesome after staying out dancing until four and then waking up because my room is too hot to sleep any longer a mere four hours later at 8. The sun comes up around 6ish and it does not waste any time getting down to business.

Later today we are going to visit Intramural, an old Spanish walled city/ruins and learn some more about the history of this place. After that we are going to a cock-fight to place bets on some roosters, should be a good time.

Here are whatever random pictures I decide to post.