Monsters, Demons, and Beauty Queens - Road Less Traveled - Philippines part 2

Do you believe in Monsters? How about demons? In the Visayas, a series of islands in central Philippines, plenty of people do. They can even point to real life cases.

In this episode of Road Less Traveled I took a dark dive into investigative journalism. A school was afflicted with a case of mass demon possession. Kids howled and fought with the strength of adults. Not far off a village was allegedly attacked by a Filipino vampire called a manananggal, a beast that rips in half at night when it looks for blood and flesh. A child was found dead and another man was ambushed on a road in the middle of the night.

A lot of shows on TV which deal with the supernatural feel so hokey I can't help but believe they are simply pandering to the audience. What you'll witness on this episode was completely raw and organic. I got a tip and pursued the story. I struggled for days trying to put the pieces together. The resolution of one case was more complex and fantastic than could be imagined. The resolution of the other was muddled and troubling. 

What do you think of these tales? What did you see?

Recommendations:

• Attend a beauty pageant. These contests are huge all over the P.I., from the small to the grand. Pop into one of the more rural ones and you'll have a chance to meet all kinds of characters from town including the mayor and the business big-wigs.
• Ride a jeepney. I moved around extensively by using this local form of transport. It's cheaper and more social that a taxi, plus you'll get to revel in soft rock tunes which will undoubtably blast from the speakers. 

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​​Watch this episode on the Travel Channel this Saturday at 9PM​ in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.