Magic of the Philippines

Jeff Evans visited the Philippines to attend the Pacific Coast Association of Magicians convention. The convention was held in Manila, but the morning after the convention Jeff was on a small jet for the rural island of Palawan.

Cobra Island had incredible coral, brilliantly-colored fish - and there are countless other pristine beaches and underwater worlds like this in the thousands of islands in the Philippines
Cobra Island had incredible coral, brilliantly-colored fish – and there are countless other pristine beaches and underwater worlds like this in the thousands of islands in the Philippines

The purpose was simply to play tourist: diving, snorkeling, island hopping, and having an authentic experience in the beautiful Philippines. But being a magician is like having a super power: everyone loves the feeling of amazement, and Jeff made it a point to perform for each of the host families at the three airbnbs where he stayed and for the crew and fellow passengers on the island hopping tour.

The crew of the Tao Philippines island-hopping tour were big magic fans
The crew of the Tao Philippines island-hopping tour were big magic fans

“I brought some magic props with me for a couple of reasons; first, I knew I’d have some free time and practicing magic is how I like to spend my time. But I also really wanted to perform magic for the people that I met while traveling. It was definitely the right decision: magic is universal, and even though many of the people I met and performed for spoke very little English, there was never a problem communicating with them when performing magic. The art of magic works in all languages and cultures.”

-Jeff Evans

That look says it all! Nothing is more fun than learning a magic trick and amazing yourself.  Jeff taught this crew member on board the Tao expedition the Jumping Rubber Band Trick, and he had a blast showing it to the the rest of the crew.
That look says it all! Nothing is more fun than learning a magic trick and amazing yourself. Jeff taught this crew member on board the Tao expedition the Jumping Rubber Band Trick, and he had a blast showing it to the the rest of the crew.

Jeff spent time in Coron, where he made six scuba dives to Japanese vessels that were sunk the end of World War II by United States Navy. After that he joined the Tao Philippines island hopping tour: five days spent on different islands. The crew provided fresh, delicious meals and snacks each day. Each evening was spent on a bamboo hut on a different island. During the day the ship would sail to different locations for snorkeling, visiting local villages, or for exploring pristine, deserted beaches. The cruise ended up in El Nido. After one day outside of El Nido, Jeff traveled south to Sabang and the Puerto Princesa Underground River National Park.

The real magic of the Philippines isn’t a card trick. It isn’t a fresh coconut, or sandy beach, or colorful coral. The real magic were the wonderful, friendly Filipinos who were happy to help, fun to be around, incredibly hard-working, and super-friendly. Salamat!

Oli, the tour leader for Tao Philippines, performs great magic, too! He also hand-made the necklace that Jeff is wearing in this photo from a small shell that Jeff found on the beach.
Oli, the tour leader for Tao Philippines, performs great magic, too! He also hand-made the necklace that Jeff is wearing in this photo from a small shell that Jeff found on the beach.

 

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