Animals

The Nokia mobile phone which I purchased here includes the sound of a rooster crowing. I believe most Nokia phones including the one I have at home include this ring tone. The difference here is that if I sleep through my alarm set to this tone, I can be sure that in place of the snooze feature will be real roosters crowing outside. Not only first thing in the morning either. Even in Manila in the 19th floor of a hotel, I would know it was morning by the sound of the roosters somewhere in the city.

In Puerto Princesa, there are chickens and other animals that run freely through people's property and somehow don't seem to run out into the road. A house down the road from where I stay has a front yard full of turkeys and they just stay there. I have to say, I actually find the roosters to be quite beautiful. They are the kind of cocks that have golden necks and bright green tail feathers (the kind you see on the Kellog's Corn Flakes box).

Other animals include goats on the side of the roads, and there are ridiculous amount of stray dogs here, and all of a similar sort. I asked a few people what the breed of dog seen everywhere is called. They literally call them "stray dogs" in Filipino and no one is really sure of the breed. Especially on the highway, there is a dog every half kilometer. The Lim's have several dogs in small pens on their property. Some are let free at certain times, but there is one retreiver who never seem to be out of the cage. Not sure why.

Insects are of course prevalent here, being a wooded tropical area. The mosquitos so far are second rate to the swarms you see on the Canadian prairies, but there are small midges which have left my ankles and forearms spotted and itchy, and there of course lots of flies, small spiders (which eat the flies) and a few friendly geckos. What really gets me are the ants. There are very small black ants which will throw a huge party if any food is left poorly wrapped. I spray the room with raid and I have about a day before the next battalion arrives.

One of the most interesting experiences I have found so far, is every day at quarter to five the crickets make music for about twenty minutes. It starts as a hum in the forest, and you can actually hear in move across the trees like surround sound, until the whole world around you is humming. Just as instantly, twenty minutes later it stops. Wow.