3 June 2022 - THE CHOCOLATE HILLS OF BOHOL, PHILIPPINES

 

THE CHOCOLATE HILLS

 OF BOHOL, PHILIPPINES

G'day folks,

Welcome to Bohol's mysterious brown hills. 

Were you to fly over Bohol Island in the Philippines during the dry season, you might notice what looks like thousands of chocolate kisses protruding from the terrain.

These mysterious conical mounds are known as the Chocolate Hills. There are approximately 1,268 individual hills, their heights ranging from 100 to 160 feet, though the highest is almost 400 feet high. The hills, which are almost all symmetrical, consist of grass-covered limestone and turn brown during the dry season.

 

Despite the abundance of hills, it is unclear how they were formed. There are multiple geological explanations ranging from oceanic volcano activity to limestone weathering. A recent theory is that an ancient volcano self-destructed and chunks of it were dispersed over the region.

 

Numerous legends and tales also exist to explain the Chocolate Hills. One is about a giant buffalo who came and wreaked havoc in the region, eating and destroying all the crops. As an act of vengeance, locals left out spoiled crops. When the buffalo ate them it got sick and left mounds of feces in its wake, bringing new meaning to the name “Chocolate Hills.”

22 May 2022 - THE SUNKEN CEMETERY - CATARMAN, PHILIPPINES

 

THE SUNKEN CEMETERY 

- CATARMAN, PHILIPPINES -

G'day folks,

A cemetery and the town it served sinks beneath the sea during the volcanic birth of Mt. Vulcan. 

There are no flowers or gravestones to mark the resting places of the lost citizens of Camiguin – only a giant cross rising up out of the water to mark where this place of rest once was.

In the 1870s, a volcano near this place erupted and caused the cemetery along with the capital city surrounding it to sink below sea level. In order to commemorate this place of loss, a looming cross was built in remembrance. Visitors all over the Philippines and the world come to admire this man-made marvel filled with legend and enchantment.

 

Some say a feeling of loneliness will hit you once you see this structure standing all alone in the middle of the sea. A place of reverence and reflection, the site is accessible by boat and visitors can stand on its small base while it remains above water. Many take the small boat ride in order to take photos and soak in the view of Mt. Vulcan, the volcano that sacrificed the people of Camiguin to the sea when it came into being.

Clancy's comment: A sad epitaph, eh?

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26 May 2022 - STUNNING TINAGO FALLS, PHILIPPINES

 

STUNNING 

TINAGO FALLS

- PHILIPPINES -

G'day folks,

Hidden deep within a Filipino jungle is an incredible waterfall that plunges into a dazzling blue-green pool. 

Away from the more than 300,000 inhabitants of nearby Iligan City, Tinago Falls provides a serene getaway deep within the jungles of Mindanao. Tucked within a forest-fringed ravine, this mighty waterfall’s name fittingly means “one that is hidden.”

Approximately 240 feet high, its colossal rock structures are dotted by thick masses of trees and natural foliage. Despite this towering scene, what lies at the bottom of the falls leaves visitors in even greater awe. 

Tinago’s basin features a stunning blue-green pool of water. The colorful sheen of the water is more than enough to inspire legends of supernatural guardians that protect this aquamarine refuge.

 

In spite of its mystic undertones, Tinago has been developed by locals to carry adventurers toward the falls. By way of a small ferry ride on one of two makeshift bamboo rafts, you can experience one of the area’s main attractions: when directly underneath the plunging falls, you can feel the therapeutic beating of the water on your skin. 

More than a hundred feet deep, the basin is not only a site for those who want a peaceful sanctuary, but also those who crave adventure. Thrill-seekers and adrenaline junkies are often found climbing and jumping off of the high rock walls surrounding the basin. 

Clancy's comment: Yet, another reason to visit this magnificent part of the world. 

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30 August 2021 - ONE MAN'S WAR ENDS IN 1974

 

ONE MAN'S WAR 

ENDS IN 1974

 

G'day folks,

Nearly 30 years after the end of the Second World War Japanese soldier Hiroo Onoda finally surrendered in 1974. He had been waging his own war from a jungle and the mountains.

In December, 1944, towards the end of the global conflict, Onoda, an intelligence officer, was sent to Lubang Island in the Philippines. His briefing was to destroy infrastructure on the island and do all he could to thwart enemy attacks.

When US and Philippine Commonwealth forces landed on the island a couple of months later, Onoda and three fellow Japanese soldiers decided to hide in the mountains and conduct guerrilla warfare.

In October 1945 they found a leaflet which said: "The war ended on August 15. Come down from the mountains!" But they didn't believe it. It was inconceivable to them that Japan could have been defeated or, worse, surrendered.

A few weeks later more leaflets were dropped including a surrender order signed by General Tomoyuki Yamashita of the Fourteenth Area Army. They didn't believe that one, either: just an enemy trick.

So they carried on with their hit-and-run campaign. Living in huts they made out of bamboo, the men survived on a diet of rice, coconuts and meat – from cattle slaughtered after farm raids. They carried out a series of armed raids over many years — lots of them resulting in deaths.

“I wanted my own territory,” Onoda later said in his defence. “To expand we had to break in the locals. I materialised to destroy things, threatening them, lighting fires in empty houses.”

In 1950 one of the men gave himself up to Filipino forces.

And then there were three.

In 1952 family photographs along with letters and a note telling the men to surrender were dropped from an aircraft. Another trick, they decided.

In 1954, as they carried on with their private war, one of the three stalwarts was killed by a search party looking for them.

And then there were two.

They carried on the fight, such as it was, for another 18 years until in 1972 Onoda's remaining companion was killed during a shoot-out with the police.

And then there was one.

Two years later, Norio Suzuki, a Japanese explorer and adventurer, decided to search for Onoda and went to Lubang Island. When they met the nervous soldier levelled his rifle at the stranger but Suzuki was well briefed and quickly called out: "Onoda-san, the Emperor and the people of Japan are worried about you."

The men talked and Onoda explained that he would not surrender until he had a direct order to do so from his commanding officer. The following month Suzuki returned with Major Yoshimi Taniguchi, by then a bookseller. Taniguchi assured Onoda that the Imperial command has ceased all combat activity and he should lay down his arms.

Onoda accordingly surrendered and later presented his ceremonial sword to President Marcos, who in turn granted him a pardon for his guerrilla activities.

Onoda returned home a hero but he quickly found that the modern Japan was not to his taste and he relocated to a Japanese colony in São Paulo, Brazil, where he became a cattle farmer.

In 2001 he gave a rare interview to a Western journalist, in which he said: “In Japan you go to war because you are ready to die. That is the absolute precondition. To become a prisoner is the worst thing possible. On Lubang I didn’t want to be seen as a failure so I protected my honour and carried out my mission to the end.”

Onoda died of heart failure in 2014 at a hospital in Tokyo. He was 91.

Clancy's comment: An extraordinary story.

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21 July 2019 - THE SCARS OF WAR ON DESERTED CORREGIDOR ISLAND

THE SCARS OF WAR ON

 DESERTED 

CORREGIDOR ISLAND

G'day folks,

The ruins on a deserted tropical island in the Philippines bear the scars of WWII. 

Located at the entrance to Manila Bay, “Isla ng Corregidor” was identified by the Spaniards as a strategic defense location when they arrived in the 16th century. They named it “Island of the Corrector,” since this was the place where all ships entering Manila would stop for inspection. Since then the fortress island has been the site of many battles, from the Spanish-American War to the period of American colonialism.

The oldest landmark on the island is the lighthouse dated 1853, but much of this lush tropical island is dominated by ruins that reflect the intense fighting that took place in World War II. In addition to defense and battery buildings, there are shops, a movie theater, and a swimming pool, all from the soldiers stationed here many years ago.

 

During the Japanese invasion of the Philippines in 1941, Corregidor was the temporary headquarters of the Philippine Government. American and Philippine troops fought desperately to defend the island using tunnels dug into the rock as storage for ammunition and hospitals, but without reinforcements the troops were beaten badly. Corregidor was surrendered to the Japanese by spring of 1942.

In 1945 the tide of war turned against the Japanese. Enduring months of aerial and naval bombardment in the tunnels on the island, they surrendered to American and Philippine forces in February that year. 

Even on a bright, sunny day the place is heavy with memories of what happened here. The buildings and fortifications have been left untouched, which would give the impression that the fighting ended just yesterday if it weren’t for the greenery that has grown over in the decades since their abandonment. Tour guides on the island report they are still finding detritus from the battles of WWII. 

They occasionally come across objects in the jungle undergrowth dating back to even earlier, when Philippines and American families were stationed on the island at the turn of the 20th century.

The expansive tunnels below ground are no doubt the eeriest part of the island. These dark corridors are allegedly haunted by Japanese soldiers who took their own lives before defeat, but whether or not you believe that legend, the tunnels are disturbing for the sheer amount of violence that occurred there.

 

The island is now a designated national monument and war memorial. The ruins have been maintained in memory of the American, Philippine, and Japanese soldiers who fought and died here.

 Clancy's comment: Often we see the extraordinary effort and cost involved in war. This island would be an example of that.

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7 November 2012 - Kate Evangelista - Guest Author

Copyright Vicki Tyley (c)

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Quote of the day:

"The desire not to be anything is the desire not to be."

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Kate Evangelista

- Guest Author

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G'day guys,

Today I'm pleased to introduce my first guest from the Philippines - Kate Evangelista. When Kate Evangelista was told she had a knack for writing stories, she did the next best thing: entered medical school. After realizing she wasn’t going to be the next Doogie Howser, M.D., Kate wandered into the Literature department of her university and never looked back. Today, she is in possession of a piece of paper that says to the world she owns a Literature degree. To make matters worse, she took Master’s courses in creative writing. In the end, she realized to be a writer, none of what she had mattered. What really mattered? Writing. Plain and simple, honest to God, sitting in front of her computer, writing. Today, she has four completed Young Adult novels.

Welcome, Kate.

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WERE YOU A GOOD READER AS A KID?

 I actually wasn’t. I remember passing the first grade without knowing how to spell and throughout grade school I had remedial classes for reading. I guess I’m a late bloomer because my keen interest in reading only came when I started high school.

 WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT BEING A WRITER?

 Getting to meet all the characters in my head (even the scary ones) and learning their story. Each time I start something new, it’s like an adventure within the life of whoever is telling the story at the time. I get to live vicariously through the characters in the apartment complexes in my head.

 WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST WRITING ACHIEVEMENT?

 Realizing I could write a chapter a day for a whole month, and when the month is over, I have a brand new novel. I know it doesn’t sound like a huge achievement in the grand scheme of things, but considering the number of stories I have in my head, being able to writing something new every month is a godsend.

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WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON AT THE MOMENT?

 I’m in the final stages of my companion novel to Taste. Many have asked me if Taste is a series, and I always say it’s a stand alone. The book I’m finishing up now is a companion novel called Savor which focuses on the character of Luka.

 WHAT INSPIRES YOU?

 Everything and anything. I make sure to keep myself open to the possibilities. As an example, my second novel coming out October 30, 2012 called Reaping Me Softly was actually inspired by a scene in the Deathly Hollows Part 1 movie. It’s the animated part with Death and the three bothers. I liked the portrayal of Death there, and when I got home, I had a new novel ready to be written.

 WHAT GENRE DO YOU WRITE?

 I’m not really genre specific when I write because I dabble in a little bit of everything, but one thing is consistent in my work: romance. Wether I am writing an Urban Fantasy or something paranormal, there’s always romance involved.

 DO YOU HAVE A PREFERRED WRITING SCHEDULE?

 I usually write in the afternoons. But I find that I’m most creative at night. I try to limit writing at night because I don’t end up sleeping, and I’m the type who needs sleep.

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WHO IS YOUR FAVOURITE AUTHOR AND WHY?

 I love Lisa Kleypas. She has a sense of humor in her writing that really makes me laugh out loud when I read her stuff. At the same time, she always has a twist at the end. No matter what you think the ending with be, she ends up surprising you.

 WHAT’S THE GREATEST COMPLIMENT YOU EVER RECEIVED FROM A READER?

 That she bought her sister a copy of my book after reading it in one sitting.

 HOW MANY BOOKS HAVE YOU PUBLISHED?

 I have one already out there called Taste with a companion novel called Savor to follow. My second one is the first of a trilogy called Reaping Me Softly, which will be released on October 30, 2012. I have two more trilogies which will be released in 2013. So all in all, eleven books and counting.

Book Blurbs

Song Credits: “Hunger” © Noelle Pico.

Full Download available at http://sheisnoelle.bandcamp.com

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'Taste'

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At Barinkoff Academy, there’s only one rule: no students on campus after curfew. Phoenix McKay soon finds out why when she is left behind at sunset. A group calling themselves night students threaten to taste her flesh until she is saved by a mysterious, alluring boy. With his pale skin, dark eyes, and mesmerizing voice, Demitri is both irresistible and impenetrable. He warns her to stay away from his dangerous world of flesh eaters. Unfortunately, the gorgeous and playful Luka has other plans.

When Phoenix is caught between her physical and her emotional attraction, she becomes the keeper of a deadly secret that will rock the foundations of an ancient civilization living beneath Barinkoff Academy. Phoenix doesn’t realize until it is too late that the closer she gets to both Demitri and Luka the more she is plunging them all into a centuries old feud.

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'Reaping Me Softly'

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Ever since a near-death-experience on the operating table, seventeen-year-old Arianne Wilson can see dead people. Just as she’s learned to accept her new-found talents, she discovers that the boy she’s had a crush on since freshman year, Niko Clark, is a Reaper.

At last they have something in common, but that doesn’t mean life is getting any easier. All while facing merciless bullying from the most powerful girl in school, Arianne’s world is turned upside down after Niko accidentally reaps the soul of someone she loves. This sends them both into a spiral that threatens to end Arianne’s life. But will Niko break his own Reaper’s code to save her? And what would the consequences be if he did?

Find 'Reaping Me Softly' on Goodreads:

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15988916-reaping-me-softly

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Kate's contact points:

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Author Website: www.kateevangelista.com

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Twitter: @KateEvangelista

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Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kate-Evangelista/165693410143202

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Find Taste on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13484226-taste

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Crescent Moon Press page for Taste: http://crescentmoonpress.com/books/Taste.html

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Purchase Links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Taste-ebook/dp/B007Z1AC78

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Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/taste-kate-evangelista/1110599907?ean=9781937254551

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Kobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Taste/book-Q8M5pIKoJkKLo_FgBJ_BOQ/page1.html?s=vUVZkfrXZUeDOQXRE7MhuA&r=4

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The Book Depository: http://www.bookdepository.com/Taste-Kate-Evangelista/9781937254551

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'Taste' Excerpt

"I sat up and followed Calixta’s gaze upward. I rubbed my eyes. I didn’t know what I was seeing at first. A statue? ­My brain refused to snap together coherent thoughts.  I didn’t realize I’d fallen so close to one of the garden benches until I stared up at the boy that sat on one. He was strikingly beautiful. His tumble of blonde hair curled just above his sculpted cheekbones. He wore a silk shirt and a loosened cravat, like he’d become bored while dressing and decided to leave himself in disarray. His ivory skin and frozen position was what had me mistaking him for something carved from marble by Michelangelo. Then he sighed—a lonely, breathy proof of life. If I had to imagine what Lucifer looked like before he fell from heaven, the boy on the bench would certainly fulfill that image. My brain told me I had to look away, but I couldn’t.

“Luka,” Calixta said again, her voice unsure, almost nervous. It no longer contained the steel and bite she had threatened me with, which made me wonder who the boy was.

He leaned on his hands and crossed his legs, all the while keeping his eyes fixed on the night sky. His movements spoke of elegance and control. I’d encountered many people with breeding before, but his took on the air of arrogance and self-assuredness of someone used to getting what he wanted when he wanted it.

I only realized I’d been holding my breath when my lungs protested. I exhaled. My heart sputtered and restarted with a vengeance. Luka tore his gaze away from the stars and settled it on me. I’d expected pitch-black irises, like the other Night Students, but blue ice stared back at me.

“Human,” he whispered.

He reached out, and with a finger, followed an invisible trail down my cheek. I stiffened. His touch, cooler than Demitri’s, caused warm sparks to blossom on my face. He lifted his finger to his lips and licked its tip. He might as well have licked me from the way my body shivered.

Luka’s curious gaze held mine. “Leave us,” he said, but not to me.

“But—” Calixta protested like a spoiled child.

He spoke in a language I hadn’t heard before, remaining calm yet firm. The words had a rolling cadence I couldn’t quite follow, like rumbling thunder in the distance. They contained a harsh sensuality. The consonants were hard and the vowels were long and lilting.

Footsteps retreated behind me.

Luka reached out again.

It took me a minute to realize he wanted to help me up. I hesitated. He smiled. I smiled back timidly and took his hand, completely dazzled. Even with my uniform soaked from melted snow, I didn’t feel cold—all my attention was on him and the way his callused hand felt on mine. Without moving much from his seated position, he helped me stand.

“What’s your name?” he asked. He had a voice like a familiar lullaby. It filled my heart to the brim with comfort.

I swallowed and tried to stop gawking. “Phoenix.”

“The bird that rose from the ashes.” Luka bent his head and kissed the back of my hand. “It’s a pleasure meeting you.”

My cheeks warmed. My head reeled, not knowing what to think. I couldn’t understand why I felt drawn to him. And the strange connection frightened me.

From behind, someone gripped my arms and yanked me away before I could sort out the feelings Luka inspired in me. I found myself behind a towering figure yet again. Recognizing the blue-black silk for hair tied at the nape, relief washed over me. Calixta hadn’t come back to finish me off.

Demitri’s large hand wrapped around my wrist. Unlike the night before, no calm existed in his demeanor. He trembled like a junky in need of a fix. The coiled power in his tense muscles vibrated into me.

“What are you doing here?” Demitri asked.

I didn’t know he’d spoken to me until I saw his expressionless profile. I sighed.

“Phoenix.”

I flinched. The ruthless way he said my name punched all the air out of me. “You owe me answers,” I said with as much bravado as I could muster.

“I owe you nothing.” He glared. “In fact, you owe me your life.”

“I don’t think so.”

Ignoring my indignation, he faced Luka, who’d remained seated on the bench during my exchange with Demitri. “Why is she with you, Luka?”

“I wasn’t going to taste her, if that’s what you’re implying,” Luka said. “Although, she is simply delicious. I wouldn’t mind if you left us alone.”

There it was again. Taste. The word that kept coming up between these Night Students and I was connected to it in an increasingly uncomfortable way. To taste meant to sample, but what? My flesh? They had to be joking because the alternative wasn’t funny.

“The sins of the father …” Demitri left his sentence unfinished.

Luka’s smile shifted into a snarl. “Obey my command.” His chin lifted. “Kneel.”

Demitri’s stance went rigid. His grip tightened around my wrist.

Okay, weird just got weirder. Why would Luka want Demitri to kneel before him? I thought back to Eli and the others bowing to Demitri when he questioned them, but they didn’t kneel. Seriously? Were they all living on a different planet or something?

“Kneel.” Luka’s detestable smirk made his features sinister rather than angelic. The real Lucifer: a fallen angel.

Without letting go of my wrist, Demitri knelt down on one knee and bowed his head, his free hand flat at the center of his chest. “Your command has been obeyed,” he said formally.

Luka nodded once.

Demitri stood up and pulled me toward the school without telling me where we were going. Not having the time to thank Luka for saving me from Calixta, I risked a glance back. Luka smiled at me. His smile spoke of whispers, secrets, and promises to be shared on a later date."

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Clancy's comment: Thanks, Kate. Wow, you seem to be fired up and ready to go. Good luck!-CT

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