Philippines

We're on to another island nation with the Philippines. This one is made up of over 7,000 islands (depending on the time of day and the tides!) 

The Philippines was named after King Phillip II of Spain way back during the Spanish colonization of the 16th century. It changed hands several times, and once upon a time actually belonged to the United States of America, which came in handy for us during WWII. 

The Treaty of Manila in 1946 was signed by President Harry Truman, and the Philippines became an independent nation. 

That brings us to our landmark, which is less a landmark and more a fun little quirky way to get around the islands. 

When American troops began to leave the islands after WWII, hundreds of surplus jeeps were given to the Filipinos. An American soldier, Harry Stonehill, was involved in the disposal of the military surplus, and he created a black market for the jeeps. 

The jeeps were stripped down and altered locally. Metal roofs were added for shade, and they were painted vibrant colors, and decorated with ornaments. 

Today, no trip is complete without a ride in the 'Jeepneys' which serve as buses known for their crowded seating and kitsch decorations. 

We learned a few quirky things about the Philippines, actually. 

They have this mystical creature known as various names (our favorite was Tik Tik), that's like half vampire half were-wolf. But, according to myth it feasts on small children during the day. (Many newborn babies in the Philippines are given orange and black bracelets to fend off the Tik Tik). 

Then there's the ancient tradition of hanging coffins instead of burying them (you know so you can be closed to the heavens). 

Oh, and Cock-fighting is the national sport (though not super unusual in Asia- more than 30 million roosters are killed every year in battle) 

Plus, there's the whole 'sex tourism' thing, but you know... little ears. 

All of that may seem a little... off-beat, but it is Asia's largest Catholic country with about 80% of the population identifying as Catholic. 

In fact, they're SO Catholic, every Easter dozens of devote Filipino Catholics offer themselves up to be crucified with real nails. 

It's kind of explainable this country has its quirks. It's a fun mix of American, Chinese, and Spanish heritage set within the classic Southeastern Asian landscape. 

But really, the Philippines it's about the gorgeous islands. Of the 7,000 plus islands, only about 2,000 of them are inhabited.   But along those you'll find plenty of coastline with white sand beaches to relax, some great surf breaks and world-class dive sites. 

They say it would take you over 20 years to visit each of the islands, but just be sure to be careful what island you choose to visit. Some have a U.S. Travel Warning. 

The boys made the Philippines postcards. 

Calib's included rice terraces carved into the mountains (irrigated from the rain forests above). 

Peyton included a Jeepney and some cock fighting in his. 

And Hayden put a Mawmag in his tree (they're one of the smallest primates, and have gigantic eyes that are so big they can't move them around in their sockets, so instead they rotate their necks 180 degrees). 

For the Philippines dinner we had Pork Mechado, Filipino-style Fruit Salad, and Hawaiian Rolls. 

Dinner earned four spoons up. 

I wasn't super excited about this one. I actually had the recipe printed out for a couple weeks, and I'd kind of been putting it off. But, I kept telling Asa we've got to knock out these countries and stop putting them off, so I powered through. 

We did pick up some pulled pork from the deli at Publix though, so we got to skip like the first four steps to the recipe. It came together pretty quick after that, and on a very cold Florida night, I actually really enjoyed the stew. It was like a different take on a beef stew. 

Peyton picked at it. He hardly ate anything, and then got in trouble for trying to leave the kitchen with a handful of Jelly Bellys from his giant jar he got for Christmas. But, the rest of us enjoyed it. 

And, the fruit salad was better than I thought it would be. Plus I got to whip together the heavy cream and the sweetened condensed milk in my Kitchenaid Mixer. 

If you're looking for a drink, you can have a rum and coke with a twist of lime! 

Our Philippines wasn't quite the way it looks on a map, but I couldn't do 7000 individual islands. So, it's just one big island colored in orange between the South China Sea and the Philippine Sea. 

That's 169 countries down, 27 to go! 

Next Up: Kenya