If you were ever wondering how best to prepare for hiking in the jungle of Palawan, Philippines, I know exactly what you can do. Find the muddiest, slipperiest cave you can find (the red clay is very similar to the mud here as are the formations carved by the water erosion). Hike as often as you can up and down the steepest trails around, and practice stepping distances of 18-24 inches. If you do that, you'll adjust much faster here because if you want to go anywhere, that is what all the trails are like. It also helps if you can develop the skill of falling gracefully! Soccer cleats truly are a blessing. I'm glad I tested mine out before I came, and were certain they would do their job. Hiking here in a skirt and cleats is not at all the same experience as it was in the states. Although I still stick out being sweaty, covered in mud, hot, and tired, with a mountain yet to climb, it tends to make me not care what I look like at all!
It's hard to believe I've been here a month already. To me time is going really fast. I've already seen and experienced many things. For starters, flying into Japan at sunset was amazing. Taking a shower fully clothed with only a water pump and bucket and everyone watching you wasn't quite as fun. Sleeping three feet off the ground in a shelter without walls, knowing that a deadly cobra was spotted about 20 yards from your hut was a bit disconcerting. Going to a Palawan market where EVERYONE (about 75 people) is staring at you feels very awkward! Riding in the back of a pick-up during a tropical rain storm actually is fun (and cold). Swimming in the ocean at night makes you feel like a fairy with a lot of fairy dust because of all the bioluminescents in the water. When a caribou falls into a well that's 20 ft. deep, just give the Palawans a pulley and they'll have it out in no time. Planting rice in a rice patty is a good way to practice learning numbers in Palawan. Pounding rice with one or more people is super fun. Freshly made banana chips salted, tastes a lot like french fries.
One way life here is similar to life in the states, is that there is always more work to be done. The differences? Everything takes longer here. Laundry, cooking, transportation, communication, cleaning, etc. When you see cockroaches and spiders, you tend to ignore them. When we have in-patients, we are both the day and night nurse. Everywhere you go, you are constantly keeping your eyes open for snakes, elupians, and scorpions. Off in the distance drums are being played 24/7 for the past three weeks. They are played for the "God of the weather." When you visit people, they always have time for you, even if it's for a couple of hours.
The most unexpected thing I found here so far, is crabs. Live ones in the mountains, in and near the creeks and rivers. What I most appreciate is the same thing I appreciated most in the states. The presence of God. A question I find asking myself often is why am I here? I found a quote that sums it up well. "I wasn't called to be a missionary. I wasn't called to the Philippines. I was just called to follow Christ." -Martin Burnham. That's why I am here. This is where God has led me. And I am thankful to be right where he wants me.
