Its More Fun In The Philippines

Borrowed from the Department of Tourism the  image above shows one of the reasons the Philippines is a popular retirement destination but by no means the only one . Even more reflective of what the Philippine culture represents might be contained in some of the images below .

Fiesta 

Another Fiesta  

 

   

Indigenous Culture       

If there is a single ingredient that might best describe the native Filipino from a cultural perspective perhaps that description might be " socially gregarious " . The Filipino loves social gatherings and get together 's whether large or small .Which perhaps explains the Fiesta .

The Fiesta is not uniquely Filipino of course as other cultures have them as well though i am not certain that any other culture embraces them quite like the Philippines . Think Independence Day , Fireworks , Parades , Dancing , Singing , Beauty Queens and all the rest of it you may be accustomed to and multiply in terms of duration .

Every city , town , hamlet and place you never knew existed has a Fiesta . Doesn't matter if it's just a dot on a map you wiz by en route to somewhere , they will have one . To me , at least the Fiesta is a snapshot of the culture and it's people . Some say it's a reflection of living so close to the equator , the tropical climate , the daily grind for survival , etc . Whatever it is , it's wonderful .

Small town and community budgets are blown , traffic is an after thought and  food and fun take over for the day , days , week . The bigger the budget the longer the Fiesta of course but in this culture time basically takes a holiday during Fiesta . Everyone from abroad needs to experience at least one Fiesta during their visit . Fortunately they occur year round so just check your locations tourism or government agency .

A highlight to me of any fiesta is the Indigenous Culture demonstrations with folks in their native dress and often times doing native dance and other routines . If you can watch the children and not feel childlike , well , maybe you are in the wrong place .  :-) Just use common sense , wear comfortable shoes and clothing , stay hydrated , and protect your valuables . Wherever there are crowds there will be pickpockets and the like so if possible attend with native friends .

But , most of all , just have Fun !!!