For the rest of our stay in Camiguin we spent a lot of time going to cock fights (because I was doing a photo story about it) and hanging out with the family.

This guy kept us company in our room the whole time and helped us out by eating the bugs. It was about 8 inches long.

Each town or island has it’s own fiesta along with National fiestas. Basically they will take any excuse to party and eat etc. Camiguin’s fiesta lasted several days but preparations lasted weeks. Here an elementary school takes a break from practicing for the big parade.

All of the schools on the Island had a marching band with girls dancing and spinning things and guys on percussion.

The crowd was way too big for the space they were gathered. I just made myself look important with my camera and got up front.

Janine held it down for her school.

I wanted to take a photo of these guys’ pigion trap, but I got too close and scared the pigeons off. I felt kinda bad about it at the time, but in retrospect, it was probably the most noble thing I did all day… Liberate the pigeons!

I wish this guy’s gear was for sale.

Gangster.

Our friend, Opow, which means bald, with his newborn nephew… or something like that.

We should have kept a tally to see who made more babies cry, Kristen from holding them, or me from taking their picture. Score one for Kristen. I don’t think it helped when I stepped in with the camera though.

Here’s one of me at a cock fight. I stood out a bit and was commonly the center of attention which is exactly what a documentary photographer does not want to be. After a while they started to get used to me though.
There is a 50 percent chance that this rooster didn’t make it through the day.

There is a 100 percent chance that this pig didn’t make it through the day. Baboy Lechon (roasted pig) is a big part of every celebration or occasion. During fiesta there is one at almost every household.

Since Kristen and I spent so much of our time in the ocean, we decided to spend some of it trying to make an Andy Goldsworthy piece. I have a whole new respect for that guy. Stackin’ rocks isn’t as easy as it looks.

Scaling Nemos.

I saw this game being played again and again, but could never figure it out.

bamboo bazooka.

Last day of Fiesta.

After the fiesta was all over these kids ripped down the styrofoam “swimsuit” sign and had themselves a snowy wedding. Watching the wedding unfold was one of my favorite moments of the entire trip. I have always been totally fascinated by the power of kids’ imaginations. I love to get little reminders that we can create our own reality. These kids will probably never have the opportunity to travel and will never see snow in their lives, but for now it doesn’t matter because this snowy wedding is every bit as real and beautiful as the ones people spend 75 grand on in Vail.

After a while they found out that they could see their pictures on the back of my camera and the next 20 minutes were spent with the kids huddling up and making faces for a photo and then dog piling on top of me to see the shots.

Up next, Bohol. The island of Chocolate Hills and Tarsiers!

Once we got down to Mindanao (the big southern island of the Philippines) we pretty much immediately headed to Camiguin Island where Kristen’s Aunt and Uncle live. We stayed in Camiguin for 9 days, but for the later half I was mostly focusing on a story about cock fighting which I can’t show yet. So these are the shots from the first two days.

We got up early to meet Uncle Al who would take us on the 5 or 6 hour journey to Camiguin.

After a few hours on a bus we got to the port where we would take a short ferry to Camiguin.

Often people who are traveling through throw change into the ocean for the local kids to dive down and retrieve.

Kristen and Al waiting for the ferry.

Camiguin is a very small island and everybody knows each other. This is Al and Jane’s neighbor.

This is the only public transportation in Camiguin. A “Sikad” ride costs about 14 cents US to get across town.

The house was right by the ocean so we walked along the beach and met lots of fishermen and women and kids.

Jane and Al’s front porch. This house would be considered very nice in the States, but in this area it’s like a mansion.

The market.

The girl on the back is Jane and Al’s daughter, Janine. She spent most of the week preparing for a performance for the big upcoming fiesta.

Kristen and I took our first sunset stroll along the beach.

I shot until there was no light left to shoot.

We got a very early start on a very full second day in Camiguin. First we took a small boat out to “White Island” A nice little sand bar a couple hundred yards off of the main island.

There are two volcanoes on the island. One already erupted a few decades ago and the other one is going to erupt… some time.

I was challenged to climb all the way up to the top of this coconut tree and get a coconut, but this is as far as I made it.

I came across a farmer giving his carabao a mud bath.

We checked out an amazing waterfall. They had captured a monkey and chained it to some bamboo.

Jane and Al thought we might want to hike up the mountain and see the 12 stations of the cross depicted by these sculptures. It would have been more fun if it wasn’t 100 degrees out.
“Jesus looks upon his mother’s face”

“talk to the hand”

Next stop. A giant cross that you can climb up. Like I said before… The Philippines are VERY Catholic.

Inside the cross.

There are a bunch of springs on Camiguin. This is called the soda springs because the water that comes out of the earth here tastes like soda. There are also a couple of hot springs.

A high school practices for the Fiesta parade.

No shortage of carabao or farmers here.
More from Camiguin coming soon!