Inner Earth

Going Native: Part 2

I have a couple more visits under my belt since I first wrote of my efforts to adapt to the climate of the Philippines and the sometimes rugged terrain of the rural area we are settling in. The first article was sort of rambling as I wrote of problems I’d encountered and possible solutions. For this one, I’ll take a bit more structured approach.

SUN

Sun, heat, and humidity are fairly straightforward things to deal with. The weather in the hill country around Solano is very similar to the hottest summers in our home in central Virginia. For the most part, the same measures I use stateside also work in the Philippines. I use sunscreen, especially on my face. If I’m going to be out in the direct sun for any length of time, I wear light weight cotton long pants and sleeves. I save the shorts for evenings and days when I’m mostly under shelter of some sort. I also nearly always wear a straw hat. I’ve found that a baseball hat does not protect my neck and ears. I buy the straw hats from the open market for about 50 pesos. Filipinos tend to wear them as is. I prefer to soak them in water and block them into a stylish shape. I’m a small person, and I prefer a narrow brim. But over time, I’ve shifted to a wider one. It’s possible that I’ll end up with the very wide sombrero style that seems most popular with Filipinos who work in the sun all day.

The heat and humidity I’ve dealt with by seeking the breezes of the hills and mountains. The only times the still air and humidity have bothered me have been in the rice country lowlands and on the city streets. I simply view that as the price of admission. I know that soon I’ll be comfortable on our breezy hilltop.

RAIN

The rain in central Luzon is just a fact of life. It rains from time to time all year, and every day during the rainy season. My previous, and latest experiments just confirm what I’ve learned from the locals and in the comments on the previous article. Just get wet. You won’t melt. The light weight, cotton clothes dry out quickly. The wind is one concern I have, since I am outdoors much of the time. The same breezy conditions that make the hot weather so bearable can give you a chill when you’re soaking wet in 60 or 70 degree (F) temperatures. I’ve found that some type of windbreaker is more practical than trying to stay dry. The most effective I’ve found so far has been a simple, cheap poncho. It allows air to circulate much better than a rain jacket. Even though it eventually soaks through, it still protects from the wind. On top of that, it folds up and fits in a pocket when it’s not needed.

I do have another garment that I didn’t try during our last visit. It’s a light weight vest with lots of pockets and such on it, much like a photographer might use. I had it with me in our camp one blustery, rainy afternoon. The t-shirt clad work crew gathered under the small shelter they had made for themselves. Marlyn and I sat under the tarp that covered our kitchen area. We were all soaked to the skin, and I felt uncomfortably chilly. But I couldn’t bring myself to put on the vest or poncho while the crew and Marlyn were toughing it out in their wet clothes.

FOOTWEAR

Workable footwear is still the most problematic for me. The usual options work well for me in town, and even on the dirt roads out in the countryside. It’s when I go “off road” that things get tricky. Out on the ranch, I constantly encounter a wide variety of terrain and conditions, often in the same day. I’m not so sure that any one type of footwear will work for all of them.

Sandals with a secure heel strap work well for crossing rivers. They stay also stay on the bottoms of my feet in the steep terrain. I did experience some mild punctures and scrapes while walking through stubble and thorns in our cow pasture. The sandals also left the tops of my feet exposed to the direct sunlight for long periods of time. I was able to avoid a severe sunburn, but the alternating white and brown stripes on my feet aroused a lot of curiosity!

During our last trip, I ended up buying a cheap pair of shoes from the local market. This was mostly to protect my feet from the sun. They also helped with the stubble and thorns. But, I had to take them off at every opportunity to let my feet air out and dry. At the end of a week these shoes were nearly worn out from the wear and tear.

THE LONG HAUL

It has been pointed out that visiting for a few weeks and living in the Philippines are two very different animals. What remains to be tested is my endurance. Will my ideas and techniques stand up to day after day of heat in one season, a d monsoon rains in the other? In my experience, the only thing that works for that aspect of things is attitude and determination. My career has required me to spend extended periods of time in desert, arctic, alpine, and sub-tropical climates. What I learned is that the human body can handle more than we think it can. The deciding factor, more often than not, is attitude.

8 comments

  1. Pete;
    Just get wet is the best advice in the rainy season. Dexter makes a very light weight rubber soled canvas shoe (You can buy them here at Payless Shoes) they are strong and dry quickly. I don’t walk around that much, and I only drink beer in places that have a proven roof, or sit in the dry spot. After living and sailing in the tropics for the last 30 years I’m used to most of the weather. When in the Arabian Gulf, I disliked the intense heat and sand storms both on land and believe it or not at sea.

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  2. Paul,
    When I was in the desert, I didn’t mid the heat so much. As long as I didn’t have to put on the chemical protective gear. The first sandstorm is kinda cool, sorta like being in a Lawrence of Arabia adventure. All of the ones after that were a pain in the butt.

    Thanks for the tip on the canvas shoes. I’ve looked at them in the past. But at the time they were “in style” and priced accordingly. Good to know they are available locally. It’s starting to look like we’ll be making the trek over the mountains to Subic for quite a few things. We were impressed with the area our last time around. Big city amenities without the craziness of Manila.
    Take care,
    Pete

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  3. We bought a pair of Dexter MEN’S MESA CLOSED TOE FISHERMAN sandals at Payless for my husband to wear walking around in Mexico and he didn’t not like it one bit. He said it didn’t have any kind support for his feet. For short walk, Dexter sandals are fine. We got another pair of Keen sandals from REI that will work for water and rugged terrain.
    Something like this might work for your needs:
    http://www.rei.com/product/707782/keen-newport-h2-sandals-mens

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    • Thanks for the review August. The Keen sandals have been recommended before. One of the outdoor sporting shops around here carries them. I’ll likely pick up a pair before the move.

      Since we made the decision to move several years ago, I have been working on building the strength in my feet. I switched from heavy work boots to lighter and lighter shoes as my main footwear. The few slight scrapes and punctures I got have discouraged me from doing as the local folks do, wearing only flip flops or barefoot.

      Take care,
      Pete

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  4. Pete – I have crystalline memory to this day of my childhood in Salaza (Palauig, Zambales). I recall all the folks in my barrio went to work in the fields barefooted, as all men and women of the barrio did centuries before them.

    There was no other way. It was the only way. They went about their age-old ways day in and day out in all kinds of weather and in all terrain with little bodily protection but with nary a whimper. Inured to a life of toil and hardship, young men would grow to become fine speciments of manhood as tough as nails.

    My grandfather was such a man. Throughout his adulthood, he sported a physique that was cut and ripped. His sun-burnt skin was as tough as leather. He had a well-defined six pack and his lats would extend out his sides whenever he lifted an object onto the back of his carabao. He also worked for the government.

    Away from the field, he worked for a pittance as a “caminero”, a road maintenance worker left behind by the outgoing Spanish regime, but welcomed by the incoming American administration during an era when provincial roads from Zambales to Pangasinan to the Benguet road were still made of slabs of stone imbedded in dirt. Daily he maintained the roads in Palauig municipality and the outlying barrios in a back-breaking job of stooping all day long while stepping on stones that sizzled in the heat of the sun, occasionally stepping aside to let a provincial bus wend its way through, leaving in its wake a cloud of dust to settle on his perspiring face.

    As a child, I vividly remember marvelling at my grandfather’s feet, now repose in retirement on a rattan chair. The soles reminded me of crocodile hide.

    Tough it out, Pete, you just might end up to be like my grandfather after many years in the Cordilleras. LOL

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    • That’s a beautiful memory John. Many of our close neighbors resemble the description of your grandfather. Most of them do own a pair of tsinelas, but they will remove them when walking on the rough ground. When I asked, the answer was that skin grows back, shoes cost money. Perhaps one day I’ll write of one such man whom we met as we visited our neighbors. Among the poorest of the folks around, but he will not go a’ begging. I greatly admire him.

      I did go barefoot for much of my childhood. (From choice, not necessity). But, I don’t think my feet will ever be that tough again. The recent discussion of infections and hospitalizations here in LiP have gotten me a little leery of it.

      Count me among those who would like to see a compilation of your reminiscences of your days in Zambales. I do hope that you at least submit an article of your upcoming trip with Mrs. Reyes.

      Take care,
      Pete

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