More Fun Facts from Lonely Planet

- Apocalypse Now, Platoon and Born on the Fourth of July were among the many war films fully or partially filmed in the Philippines.
- Before the Spanish arrived, the utilitarian nipa hut characterized Filipino architecture. The basic nipa hut is made of wood and bamboo, with a roof of (nipa) palm thatch – cool and breezy in hot weather and easily repaired if damaged by typhoons. The Spanish brought stone houses and baroque churches. By the 19th century, Filipinos built houses mixing Spanish and Asian styles with elements of the nipa hut; they had upstairs living rooms and capiz-shell windows. The American era brought neoclassical architecture, evident in many of Manila’s government buildings, with some art deco thrown in. The Marcos era added huge concrete creations, and now the contemporary urban landscape is dominated by tinted-glass high-rises.
- Geographical isolation from Southeast Asia has resulted in the evolution of thousands of species found nowhere else on earth. The country is home to 13,500 species of plant; only four countries (I don’t know which) have more; 30 to 40 percent of these are found only on the Philippines. There are at least 111 mammals found nowhere else – but many are small or elusive, so this is not much of a wildlife-spotting place. There are 500 species of coral, ranking it second in terms of coral diversity, and 600 species of bird, of which almost 200 are found only in the Philippines (here, the countries with more endemic species are listed – Indonesia and Brazil). There are 900 endemic orchids.
- The Philippines is one of the earliest victims of rising global ocean levels and temperatures. Global warming is causing massive coral bleaching. El Nino has also taken its toll on Philippine reefs. Overfishing, dynamite and cyanide fishing, and deforestation are other issues. But conservation measures are being enacted.
- Turns out the dive season really begins in November and peaks in April and May. This is not a good time of year to learn – many dive operators shut down during the rainy season; unpredictable weather and choppy water are common. But I may still go for it at some point while I am here – we’ll see. Other activities in the Philippines from Lonely Planet that I might try at some point – caving, hiking/trekking, rafting/kayaking, chartering a bangka (outrigger boat) to island-hop, and wellness centers (look at thefarm.com.ph for a sample – Mary said she wanted to join me for that one).

And some fun facts from my observation:
- There is what is called “color coding” here – license plates ending in certain numbers can’t drive in rush hours on certain days. This leads some people to work very early or very late – or, like Sir Tony, to get another car with a different plate.
- The catsup (sic) here is made from bananas. Tastes sweeter than Heinz but still ketchup-like. I don’t understand how.
- Shaw and EDSA, the intersection I cross between the jeepney and the bus, is one of the few street-level crossings here. Most of the time I use an overpass – sometimes the overpasses are multi-leveled and quite extensive.
- The jeepneys and buses, as they weave in and out of traffic, speed up and stop short (often I step in or out when they are still in motion, and I still always bang my head in the jeepney) all have signs saying, “how’s my driving?” As if you would call the number!