Philippino Frolics

Bag 1

We flew into Manilla from Phnom Penh via Singapore arriving at 5.20 in the morning having started at 6:30 the previous morning with a long layover in Singapore whilst poor Andy had a sever case of the tummy wobbles and was grabbing sleep on the airport floor.

We were both knackered but we managed to sort our visa extensions then and there so we could stay in the Philippines as long as we wanted. One up to them on politeness and convenience.

We were then told that my rucksack had not arrived but was probably in Singapore, I was so tired by this point I didn't really care and assumed all would be well, but ...

The next day we were told that they had looked for it in Singapore in all the normal places and it hadn't turned up but they would keep looking but it wasn't looking good.

At this point we had started making plans to have bras and swimming costumes fedex from the UK and trying to work out whether anywhere sold clothes for larger ladies. I found a place called 'Tubbies Boutique' which did work clothes but nothing casual, who knows I could have started a new back packers trend. My insurance company also told me we weren't covered as it was not a flight to or from the UK. Currently we are having words!

Day 3 they rang to say they had found it after all what a complete relief! I am not quiet sure what the receptionist at the hotel thought when I danced over to Andy and started yipppyiaying but never mind.

All the while the staff in our hotel were being really supportive and helping any way they could and the staff in the airport lost property were calling us two or three times a day to keep us informed even if they didn’t have anything new to add, just to let us know they hadn't forgotten us. Again the Philippines wins on customer service.

Manilla

So whilst we were waiting for my bag to turn up we got to have a look round Manilla. Normally we would have flown in and immediately gone off somewhere else as it has such a bad reputation but to be honest it grew on me.

Manila style buses.... all personalised!

Its raw and there are families sleeping on the streets and prostitutes in most bars. Buts there’s an honesty about it and a take it or leave it, 'this is who I am' bravado that is refreshing.

There are big malls next to small local shops, statues for every martyred hero and lots of churches. Traffic everywhere, big Jeepneys spewing out noxious fumes and noise, noise and more noise.

Ferry

Manilla to Bacalod

Bacalod is about as far south as you can get in the Phillipines whilst obeying the UK government travel restrictions, as there are clashes between the police and insurgent groups further south.

View from port as we left Manila.... note the dock workers houses!!!

In order to get there we took a 30 hour ferry. It cost us £13 each with free meals and linen. We had a bunk bed on the top deck in an open dormitory with 300 other people. There was also free entertainment. 24/7 Karaoke in the restaurant and a live band in the bar between 8-10. Karaoke is very popular in the Philippines and you don't have to be able to sing at all, and it is one of the biggest social faux-pars to make any negative comments. Now we are in a country where people can understand English and get the context of the hysterical laughing we felt it best to spend as little time in the restaurant as possible. The lady in the band could sing very nicely unfortunately the piano player couldn't, neither of them could set up the sound system without feedback and they both looked really uncomfortable. The rest of the passengers stared at them in silence. It was a bit surreal. My parents think they have got cruising sorted but I bet it was never anything like this!

 View as we sailed south from Manila

Our plush posh cabin, us and 300 others!

Bag 2

Andy lost his day sack and it had his kindle, a monocular and some food but worse of all his passport. The precise circumstances are confusing but we had it on the boat and we didn't when we got to our hotel. Once again the hotel staff could not have been more helpful, ringing up taxi companies and even helping us to phone the local radio stations to offer a reward. In the end though it was not returned and so Andy has had to request a new passport.

All the paperwork needed to filled in precisely and then sent by DHL to Hong Kong where hopefully it will all be processed smoothly in time for us to get a replacement visa for Myanmar and make our flights. The police in Bacolod were also very helpful, in fact the only unhelpful people were the British consulate who wouldn’t answer their phone!

Some friends are meeting us in Myanmar our next stop after the Philippines and will bring a replacement kindle. Sharing one between the two of us for much longer than that would have consequences.

Sugar Beach

After our trials and tribulations we decided we needed a treat. So we spent 3 days in what I think would be advertised as paradise on earth. Beautiful warm blue sea, a brown beach with a white dusting of sand from shells giving it a sugar coating hence the name and palm trees swaying in the gentle breeze. We swam, explored the island, read, played cards, chatted with nice interesting people, ate good food, drank cocktails (I am particularly fond of one called deep sea diver :Kuala, baileys, gin and triple sec) and mooched about in Hammocks.

 Sugar Beach sunset

Our Cabin - Sugar Beach

Liza

On leaving Sugar Beach we continued around the Isle of Negros and arrived at the island's second city Dumagete where after a couple on nights stay... marching bands and a much gentler feel than other Philippino towns. A sign at the Dumagete port made me smile:- 'Due to the damage caused by the recent typhoon the 12 pesos (18p) departure tax is suspended until port facilities have been repaired.' I think the British equivalent would have read:- Due to damage caused by the recent typhoon the departure tax has been doubled to pay for repairs.'! We caught the 1 hour ferry to the very small isle of Sejquitor, where we write this rather delayed blog entry, while we do have a few reasons for the delays the current one we blame on the typhoon that came this way in early December which knocked out two of the islands three generators resulting in what is known round here as a 'brown out' just a posh way of saying power cut.

 Dumagete parade

Dumagete Taxi (flat fare around town 40p!... will carry 6 plus luggage)

We currently have a nice hut about 6 meters above the beach on a small cliff and are going swimming while waiting for power to come on when everything electrical goes onto charge. We have also got good at making sure a torch is in our hand luggage as walking back up cliff with no light can be a bit of an issue.

We have found it strange to be back in an English speaking country, and also in a Christian rather than a Buddhist one, apart from the main one of having to know what day of the week it is as everything shuts on Sunday there is a totally different feel to the place, much more frenetic and serious. The main thing we are missing here is vegetables! As it seems to be the motto here that if it isn't deep fried it isn't food. We are now planning on heading slowly north around the different islands, substituting the buses we took in mainland Asia for the ever present ferries that seem to run from everywhere to everywhere and come in a bewildering range of sizes, colours classes and companies. Prices for them however are silly small with a ride of cross channel length coming in at about £1.50.

When it's our part of the islands turn to have some power I'll post this!