Derelict Boat

Title – Derelict Boat
Date – May 2006
Location - Malapascua Island - Philippines

Taking note of signs is one of the basic ways to reduce risks. The standards you may be used to at home might not be replicated at your destination, but they may have their own regulations, even if they are not always followed.

Here there are two clear signs; the first is the obvious condition of the vessel and the second the clarification of what the boat can be used for by the sign on the side. It’s fair to say that the signs are not normally this obvious, but even in vessels that look like they are in perfect condition there are signs to beware of. How many people can be on the boat at any one time? How far is it allowed to travel? Is it designed for the sea or inland waters? Will the engine actually get you to your destination?

However you travel, it’s worth noting the condition and reputation of the vessel in which you are about to travel. During our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshop we will pass on the many tips we have learned from the years we have spent travelling the world to help you make the right choices based on the subtle and not so subtle signs that surround us all. Beyond The Blue uses only experienced travellers as instructors; our instructors love travel and love helping other to achieve their goals.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

Image – ©Peter Mayhew

Coast Guard Boat

Title – Coast Guard Boat
Date – May 2006
Location - Malapascua Island - Philippines

This boat emblazoned with a big sign reading:

Task Force
Cebu Police Province Office

It didn’t fill me with confidence!

The authorities in different countries can vary substantially from what you are used to in your home country. Often it will not be as effective and efficient as you are used to. In some countries your concerns will be dealt with as a priority and others will consider almost any local issue before they deal with you as a ‘foreigner’. In many countries the authorities themselves are considered ‘corrupt’ and this can lead to a unique set of problems, including the need to deal with officials who may expect a bribe from you, before they help you to achieve your goals.

Beyond The Blue’s workshop looks at the type of authority figures you will come across on your travels and what sort of reaction you can expect if you find yourself on the wrong side of the law or a victim of crime. Our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshop provides you with advice on how to deal with the authorities including customs, the police and medical services

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

Image – ©Peter Mayhew

New Boat Launch

Title – New Boat Launch
Date – May 2006
Location - Malapascua Island - Philippines

Launching this new boat built by the villagers themselves in the traditional Philippine style was more then just the trial of strength; despite taking most of the men of the village. As part of the traditional launch ceremony, 21 ducks had their wings clipped and were placed into the sea from the boat before being retrieved and used to provide for the feast held to celebrate, that same evening.

Traditions such as this one are common round the world and although they take very different forms depending where you are they can be the highlight of any trip. By befriending local people and learning how to be accepted, you may have the good fortune to be invited along to help celebrate. You might even bring honour on your hosts by joining them in their celebration.

Our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshop teaches the skills required to develop good communication and looks at ways that you can help yourself be accepted by the locals in the country you are visiting. We understand the difference that your host’s acceptance can make to your experiences, but we also understand the dangers when you place too much trust in people you don’t really know. It is finding the right balance that makes all the difference.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

Image – ©Peter Mayhew

East meets West

Title – East meets West
Date – May 2006
Location - Malapascua Island - Philippines

The differences in ‘us’ and ‘them’; ‘east’ and ‘west’; ‘developed world’ and ‘developing world’ are not that great. Nowhere is that better represented then in kids. One has a game boy the other wants to play and the other is taking a cockerel to a traditional Philippine cock fight that the other wants to witness.

The saying ‘the grass is always greener on the other side’ is one that we are all familiar with and the happiness amongst people who have nothing is always described as a lesson to those of us who, comparatively, have everything.

The truth is that people all over the world have a great deal in common and that with the exception of some cultural differences is it not that difficult to relate to other people and learn to understand them and what is important to them.

Beyond The Blue run workshops to help individuals planning a trip to a new country to prepare themselves for what is certain to be an experience they will remember for a life time and one which will change the opinions they have of other nationalities and cultures. Our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshop has been designed specifically for your requirements when in the planning stages of your trip and to put you on a solid footing for the first steps you make into world travel.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

Image – ©Peter Mayhew

Jeepney

Title – Jeepney
Date – May 2006
Location - Manila - Philippines

The Jeepney is the primary means of transport round Manila and the other cities of the Philippines. They run regular routes around and outside of town, picking up and dropping off wherever the demand of the passenger requires. As the most cost effective means of transport, they are a great way to experience the every-day life of the average Pilipino.

Jeepneys are the pride of their owners. They decorate them in chrome, lights and logos from head to foot, each one seemingly trying to be shinier, brighter and more customised then the next.

The original jeepneys were developed from the jeeps the US Army left behind, surplus to requirements after the Second World War. They were often cut up and extended in the middle, where then two benches are lined up opposite each other to enable the maximum number of passengers to fit in. The large American military presence on the islands of the Philippines at the time of WWII has had a direct effect on the country and the influence (and the continued presence of US military bases) is still obvious in many aspects of their lives, particularly in urban areas.

The workshops developed by Beyond The Blue to help individuals to learn the skills required, to travel in a safe manner and with the correct Travel Equipment, Travel Documents and insurance can be run in your area and targeted at your particular travel destinations. Our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshop will help you to make the right choices when you are travelling far away from home. We cover issues such as Transport Options, and Destination Advice so you can travel if not always in comfort at least being comfortable with your situation.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

Image – ©Peter Mayhew

Friendly Gecko

Title – Friendly Gecko
Date – May 2006
Location - Malapascua Island - Philippines

Geckos come in all shapes and sizes, this one about 12 inches long and 1.5 across was a hefty fellow. He seemed intent on guarding my hut from the invasion of bugs or maybe he was just having a feast with those being attracted by my lights; either way as someone keen and interested in reptiles of all shapes and sizes he certainly was interesting to watch.

It wasn’t until the light turned off and I was trying to get some sleep that I realised his greatest attribute, his voice... Never have I heard and animal of this size produce quite such a racket. The sound seemed to go right through my ears, straight down my spinal column and from this central nervous system; it hit every nerve ending in my body. But no matter how many times I threw shoes, books, rocks and more at the palm thatch ceiling, once hidden he refused to show himself. The only way I could still tell he was there, that screeching.

The unexpected is often what frustrates us most. Getting to the other side of the world and realising that you brought you ipod, but left the headphones behind or in this case searching though your bag like a mad man when the earplugs you bought, must still be sitting on the mantelpiece at home.

Beyond The Blue provides workshops to help individuals planning travel to new parts of the world prepare for these experiences. There is nothing to be gained by loosing sleep; our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshop will help you gain the confidence that your preparations are complete and appropriate for your destination. Turning up in the tropics with plenty of Gortex or in Antarctica with a sarong may seem obvious mistakes; but dealing with a gecko on a small island in the Philippines is an altogether different battle and requires different equipment… this time a battle that he won…

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

Image – ©Peter Mayhew

Fuel Delivery

Title – Fuel Delivery
Date – May 2006
Location - Malapascua Island - Philippines

‘A different way of life to the one you leave behind’, is the motivation behind many people’s desire to travel across the world, but it’s not always easy to know what you are going to see when you get there. Certainly it’s different enough on this island, there are no petrol stations or cars, but fuel is still at the very core of survival.

To run the generators that provide the power to the various facilities, the fuel has to be brought over from the mainland in drums, for small holdings the drums are simply unaffordable, so their response is a mobile petrol station, of sorts. These two girls seemed quite content on this hot day with their toil in life, to drag the canoe full of fuels round the shore in the shallows selling it to small holdings and earning a few pennies for their family along the way. The beaming smile, which we sometimes seem to have lost in the comfort of developed countries, still shines through despite the back breaking work.

We believe that there is a lot that people can learn from travelling the world and therefore putting their own world into some perspective. We also understand the effect that your visit can have on the small holdings of countries so far away from your own. Therefore at Beyond The Blue we teach individuals how to travel in safety and how to travel conscientiously.

Through our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshop we help those people planning to realise their ambitions of discovering a new part or the world, by offering advice, guidance and information on their destinations and the positive effect they can have on them.

Please visit our website at www.safegapyear.com

Image – ©Peter Mayhew