All language subtitles for Travel.Quest.With.Bill.Ball.S02E04.CONVERT.1080p.HDTV.H264-CBFM

BILL BALL: I've been fortunate
to travel around the world

and see many incredible creatures,

each special in their own way.

I had the chance to swim with sharks.

It still gives me a shiver,
thinking about it.

And I've been feet from
the largest primates on earth,

the gorillas.

So, my next quest seems...a bit tame,

yet it is one of
the most challenging yet

because the creatures are elusive
and have limited ranges.

I want to get a glimpse of
the largest fish in the world -

the whale shark.

These monstrous fish dwarf any of
the sharks I've seen before,

yet...they have never
harmed a person.

The second quest is to find one of
the smallest primates in the world -

the ultra cute, big-eyed tarsier.

There is only one place
in the world to find both.

So, it's off to the Philippines.

Since I was young,
I had an intense desire

to discover the world around me.

That hasn't changed -

just the level of adventure.

Now every journey has a purpose.

And each time I venture out

to explore new destinations
around the globe,

I am following my travel quest.

Before we start to attempt
my two quests,

I want to get a feel
for the country and its history,

especially the history
as it relates to the US -

still its strategic ally.

The Philippines are a series
of islands south of mainland Asia.

The Philippines' first contact
with the outside world

came when the Spanish
began their colonisation in 1521.

Spain held onto the island nation

until the US got possession
after the Spanish-American War.

The US gave the Philippines
its independence in 1946,

but continued its close cooperation
through and beyond World War II.

Not long after the US gained control,

the Philippines were granted
sovereignty over their country.

The US relations with the island
grew even more solid,

peaking in World War II,

where the US had a major base
on Corregidor Island.

A guide will take visitors

around this massive complex
of ruined buildings

that was once
a key Pacific US military base.

There are remnants of barracks,
hospital, battle installations

and, of course, the big guns.

This is an incredible taste
of World War II history.

Corregidor is just
a speedboat away from Manila,

the capital of this sea-based nation.

The World War II connection
becomes all the more apparent

with a visit to the US Cemetery
of the Pacific.

You might not think of going to
a cemetery as part of a vacation.

But here, American history
intertwines

with the perseverance
of American soldiers.

Over 33,000 Americans
that died in the war in the Pacific

are buried here.

In addition, another 36,000
whose bodies were never recovered

are honoured here as well.

Here is a place where tradition
and culture of the Americas

intertwines with that
of the Philippines.

The graves of brave men and women
that made the ultimate sacrifice

seem to go on forever.

This is a sobering symbol of war,
sacrifice and the cost of freedom.

Luckily, Manila has
a lot more to offer

than its sad connection
to World War II.

Some people say that a big city
is a big city,

but those people miss the subtleties

that make each and every one
unique and special.

The architecture,
the markets, the people,

all of it combine
to make a very special culture

that is unique
to each and every city,

and the city in the Philippines

that fulfils that niche
better than any others is Manila,

the hub of the culture
of the Philippines.

Manila is a pretty city,

with everything
a European capital would have -

a cathedral, a monument to
the spread of the Catholic faith,

a fortification to protect the city

and parks, to get away from

the hustle of the big metropolis.

You could spend
quite a few days here,

but my time was limited, and
I had more to see on this island.

And, of course, I had my quests.

About eight hours north of Manila

are two interesting,
incredible cultural phenomena

that should not be missed.

One is a unique way to say goodbye
to a loved one,

and the other is called
'The eighth wonder of the world' -

the rice terraces of Banaue.

What do you call a place

that is surrounded by beautiful
and lush rice paddies

that are still primarily
harvested by hand,

it has what many call
the eighth wonder of the world,

an engineering marvel that is 2,000
years old and still functioning,

it has an ancient,
strange burial ritual

where coffins
are not put in the ground

but are hung from
high cliffs and caves...

..its cuisine is based on
the traditions

but has contemporary taste and feel,

and its people are friendly
and open to strangers?

Well, I would call that place
the Philippines -

specifically
the northern Luzon Islands.

It is a place of intrigue.

These terraces may date back
to as long ago as 2,000 years.

They are nearly a mile high
in elevation

and are fed by water
running off the tropical forests

at the top of the mountains.

Built largely by hand,
with minimal equipment,

they are most likely the product

of the Igorot people
who have lived here for aeons.

If you could connect each of
the terraced steps end to end,

you would encircle half of the globe.

Growing rice, these fields
have been the primary source

of foodstuffs for the locals
to this day,

and recently, they were added
a new income source -

tourism.

These steep plantings
have become the main draw

for the lucrative tourist trade,

and the next generation
is turning to that.

A balance must be found

between farming and maintaining
these remarkable structures,

and the shift to tourism,

or both will fail.

After seeing all the food
growing on the terraces,

I started feeling a little hungry.

Now is a good chance
to learn a little bit about -

and, more importantly, taste -

some of the local cuisine.

One of the best parts of travel
is having a chance to savour

some of the local foods.

Now, you could always eat those foods
back home, in a Filipino restaurant,

but they often change the flavours
to fit more of the local area

that their adopted home is from.

So, here's my chance
to learn and taste

the mountain food of the Philippines.

I have never eaten
Filipino cuisine before,

so after studying the menu,

I left it up to the guide
to select four or five dishes

for my friends and I.

The dishes arrived.

A soup, rice, of course, meat

and a few others that I wasn't sure
what they were.

So, I got psyched to try each.

So, we have
five Filipino dishes here.

Let's start off with this one.

This is dinuguan,

which basically comes from the
root word 'dugo', which is blood.

So, this one makes use
of pig, traditionally -

it makes use of the innards,

and it is stewed in blood.

But for this variation,
they make use of the pig's meat.

Here we have what we call laing.

It is the leaves of a local
root crop here that we call gabi,

and it is cooked with coconut milk.

This one is kalderetang.

It can use either beef or goat.

This one uses goat,

and it is basically stewed
in tomato paste.

This one here
is what we refer to as sinigang.

It is a sour broth.

It is...basically...it can make use
of either fish, pork or beef,

and it is stewed in tamarind broth.

This one is what we refer to
as kare-kare.

It uses basically beef, most often.

It makes use of beef tripe.

Now, this one is basically
beef in peanut butter stew,

and it is best taken with
what we call bago-ong,

which is shrimp paste,

a very salty paste.

So, that's it. And dig in.

BILL BALL: So, now, all that was left
was eating these incredible dishes.

One of the more unusual
was pig's blood meat.

The name may not be too appetising,

but it was not bad after all.

But my favourite at any meal
is dessert.

We start with a flan, a fairly
common dessert around the world,

and quickly progress into
the unique and local dessert

called halo-halo.

It is a layered treat
made up of crushed ice,

milk, coconut,

rice, fruit and corn.

There are still many people
that are holding onto these old ways.

The Igorot people are the indigenous
people of the Cordillera Mountains,

and the architects of the terraces.

There are several groups living here,

numbering nearly
one and a half million.

They have their own language,
religion, clothing

and, as I was delighted
to learn, music.

(PIPER PLAYS)

The Banaue area is one of
the most interesting regions

in the Philippines,

for its awesome architecture,
unique culture and indigenous people.

It was a great addition to my trip.

The other stop north of Manila
I had intended to make

was just a three-hour drive away.

Sagada is an area
that is famous for something

that I could hardly imagine.

So, I had to see.

Hanging coffins.

Instead of burying their dead,

the people of Sagada attach them
to the sides of cliffs.

It would be a bit of a hike
to reach these unusual death icons.

But I was assured
it would be worth it.

Coming to the base of the cliff,
I could see

that not only was this
worth the hike,

but a one-of-a-kind way
to say goodbye to a loved one.

This ritual burial has been going on
for over 2,000 years.

Coffins are left
to deteriorate naturally,

so the oldest on the cliff wall

have been there for about 100 years.

They believe by burying
high off the ground,

it gives their loved ones
a jump-start

to reach a higher place
in the afterlife.

These are sacred burials

and, as such, need to be treated
with respect.

A good rule anywhere

is to take only pictures
and nothing else.

This is not a place
to collect souvenirs

or to try and climb to take a selfie.

So, it was time
to head back to Manila

and catch a flight to another island
in this archipelago.

Bohol is the 10th largest island

in the Philippines,

which includes
75 other small islands.

The best chance to see tarsiers

is on this small tropical plot
of land.

I was incredibly excited to attempt
the first of my two quests -

seeing our primitive primate cousin,
the tarsiers, in the wild.

If you aren't exactly sure
what a tarsier is, uh, don't worry.

I didn't know about them
until the last couple of years.

Three things you should know
about them -

they are primitive primates,

they live on the islands
of South-East Asia,

specifically Indonesia,
Malaysia, Brunei

and, of course, the Philippines...

..and they are super cute.

Tarsiers are found
in the dense jungle,

so finding them is no easy task.

In fact, the first wildlife we find
is a bird's nest with babies in it.

This find would be the highlight
of any other jungle walk,

except today, when I'm looking for
my first quest.

But following one of
my own safari rules -

don't just focus on one animal,

enjoy all you see -

I cherish this incredible sight.

This area is a tarsier reserve,

and the guides know where to look.

So, it doesn't take long

and I see my first tarsier.

These primates prefer dense forest,
often with vines,

so they can sit up, look straight,

watching out for both predators
and prey.

They are the only living primate

that is strictly carnivorous.

They mostly eat arthropods,

but have been known to eat
small birds and reptiles.

Their favourite prey
are cockroaches, beetles, spiders

and other critters we would rather
not even see, let alone eat.

They'll pretty much eat
anything smaller than they are.

Talking about size,
they are about six inches long.

Their tail is longer than their body,

reaching up to 10 inches.

But most distinctive
is their huge eyes,

over half an inch in diameter,

which is bigger than their brain.

Because of their small size,

tarsiers are prey to snakes,
birds of prey and cats.

They are known to gang up
on predators to drive them away.

Tarsiers do not do well in captivity,

so conservation of
this 13-species mammalian family

must centre on
preserving their habitat.

The Philippine tarsier is threatened,

which is one step away
from endangered.

Logging has been permanently banned
in this reserve

to protect the estimated 1,000
that live here.

This was a most satisfying quest.

Our guide suggests we celebrate
our good fortune

by taking a river cruise
promoted by the local community.

I especially like supporting
tourism initiatives

in towns and villages
that are near conservation hotspots.

Not foresting an area
costs the locals revenue,

so finding an alternative
tourist-based income source

is important

to encourage conservation.

Taking a dinner cruise in the jungle

is a perfect way to give back
to the community

and have a really fun time.

There was one last special site

on the island of Bohol

that I just had to see.

The Chocolate Hills.

Yeah, Chocolate Hills.

This could be
my Willy Wonka Candyland dream.

There was only one problem.

The so-called Chocolate Hills

aren't made of that delectable sweet.

They just resemble it
and, thus, the name.

These Hillocks have been nominated

to many of
the 'seven natural wonder' lists.

Over a 20-square-mile area,

there are 1,200
of these geologic wonders.

They are covered in green foliage

that turns brown, like chocolate,
in the dry season.

They have been nominated
to be included

in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The hills,
though not made from candy,

are actually conical-in-shape
limestone formations.

They range from 100 to 160 feet high,

with some reaching nearly 400 feet.

The limestone is full of
marine fossils,

attesting to their early origin.

These unique karst formations

are protected by law
in the Philippines.

Of course,
that has not gone unchallenged

and armed conflicts have even
resulted from land-use policies

in and around
these geologic monuments.

Conservation is winning out for now,

and these natural wonders
are a must-see

on the island of Bohol
and the Philippines.

Our final island destination
is the southern part of Luzon Island.

We'll fly into the city of Legazpi,

about 300 miles from the capital,

but worlds apart.

It is wild in nature

and blessed with beautiful beaches

and the best of my quests -

whale sharks.

The major geologic feature
of this region

is the massive volcano, Mayon.

It is almost a perfect

picture-book example

of a volcanic cone.

It stands over 8,000 feet high.

The most active volcano
in the Philippines,

it has been erupting nearly 50 times

in the last 500 years,

right up to today.

It was finally time
to head for my last quest,

seeing the biggest fish,
a whale shark, in the world.

Their name can create
some unfounded fear.

Does a whale shark really eat whales?

If so, people are not

remotely safe near it.

The whale shark is, indeed,

a member of the shark family,

but the name 'whale'

only refers to its size,

not its menu.

Whale sharks eat plankton
and small fish by filter-feeding,

which simply means they open
their mouth in the food zone

and filter out the tiny creatures
from the water.

They just swim, filter and swallow.

Before we left, I shared the rules
for a whale-shark safari

with my friends.

Well, it's D-Day for whale sharks.

We just saw a video
that proposed to us

a series of rules that we're supposed
to follow when we get out there.

We're not supposed to get
any closer than nine feet,

unless, of course, it approaches us.

We're supposed to stay away from
the front of it.

Don't touch it, don't ride it,

which kind of kills all the fun,

but this is their way of preserving
the experience for other people.

Think about it.

At one time, just up until 1998,

these sharks were being caught
for food.

Now they're more valuable alive
than they are on the meal table.

For the most part,
whale sharks are found

in open ocean where the temperatures
rarely dip below 70 degrees.

This posed a challenge.

As big as they are, the ocean is...

Well, let's just say, it would be
like finding a needle

in a haystack the size of an ocean.

I was optimistic
that we would find one

and I began to get ready
to jump into the water.

I wanted to swim alongside
these mammoth fish.

It didn't prove to be an easy task,

even knowing
where the fishing grounds are.

We were out for nearly two hours,

with no sign of a whale shark.

We were not the only ones out there
looking for the elusive fish.

This is a big tourist industry

and all the boats share sightings.

Yet...there was no radio chatter.

Then we spot some unusual waves,

a fin or two surfaces.

We've found our prey!

MAN: There's another one.

No, it's dolphins.

Don't get me wrong.
I love watching dolphins.

It's just that, today, I have

a bigger fish to fry,

uh, so to speak.

We continued our search.

I was becoming anxious.

We only had an hour or so
before we had to start heading back.

One of the crew, to fill our time,

demonstrated the characteristics
of a whale shark,

hoping to divert our attention.

It did take our mind off the search,

as we learned
how to identify individuals

and how they can tell the gender.

Can you please guess what is
the gender of this whale shark?

WOMAN: Male.
WOMAN 2: I would say female.

Female? Male?

Male?

(LAUGHS)
BILL: I'll say male.

Male? OK. This is a...

..female whale shark.

Why? Because...

Why? 'Cause it's got that hole
in the middle there?

No, no, no, no, no, no.
(LAUGHTER)

Because male whale shark
has two claspers

at the middle of
the pelvic fin, here.

Two claspers.

BILL: Then, when I was just
starting to give up,

the captain changes directions
and heads...full power.

The spotter begins to point.

They know where a whale shark is.

After getting ready to snorkel again,

I was ready to go.

I had been waiting, and dreamed
of this moment for a long, long time.

Other boats had beaten us here

and let us know
where the big fish was.

Time to go in myself.

I was swimming as fast as I could
to keep up with the whale shark.

If I could just get close enough
to see it clearly...

Yes!

There it was, swimming around
like we weren't even there.

With all the snorkellers around it,

I wondered if we were bothering it.

That is a big no-no for me.

But the captain assured me
if the fish wanted to ditch us,

one flick of its massive tail

and it would be gone.

When the animal does that,
the boats just let it go on its way.

I saw its tail move
and I knew it was in no hurry

to leave us behind.

Whale sharks hold
several superlatives.

They are the largest living fish
in the world,

reaching over 61 feet long.

This individual is a youngster,

measuring between 35 and 40 feet.

It's also the largest
non-mammalian vertebrate.

Mammals have actual whales
that are bigger.

And unlike fish in general,

they do interact with humans,

often playing with them
and allowing humans to hitch a ride,

though that is discouraged
and not allowed here.

Whale sharks are found in warm
tropical waters around the world,

but they are not as plentiful
or accessible in many places,

like they are here.

There is no reliable
world population estimates,

though they are considered

by the International Union
for Conservation of Nature,

the international organisation
that monitors species,

they declared it to be endangered.

In 1998, the Philippines led the way,

banning all fishing, selling,
exporting or importing

whale shark products.

India and Taiwan soon followed.

I could have stayed all day,

watching the magnificent creatures
swim, breathe and feed

right in front of me.

It was one of the greatest
nature adventures I have ever had.

At one point, it swam
very close to me

and I could see its eyes -

small for its body size -

seemingly looking right at me.

The way it effortlessly
moved through the water

relaxed me as I just took it all in.

There I was,
sharing a moment and space

with one of nature's gentle giants.

This is why we need to preserve
our natural environments -

so generations after
can experience this wonder as well.

The day did have to end,

so my friends and I climbed back
on board and headed back to shore.

The captain said something about

it being bad to run out of gas
in the middle of the ocean.

As we pulled back into the dock,

I couldn't help but reflect on

what had been
a once-in-a-lifetime experience,

watching and swimming with
the biggest fish in the world.

The Philippines proved to be one of
my most exciting adventures ever.

From the World War II battles

to hanging coffins
to the Chocolate Hills,

it was one thrill and incredible
cultural journey after another.

When you throw in
my two wildlife quests,

seeking out one of the smallest
primates in the world, the tarsiers,

and the biggest fish,
the whale shark,

this is one place
I will never forget.