In my research for these blogs I found an old external hard drive containing some old blogs on from 2015. I first wrote this one after staying for a month in the Philippines. I have updated it where necessary and added some photos from that month in the Philippines and my more recent trip in January 2020. I hope you like it :
Reflections
Well sadly my month in the Philippines is over and as I sit at what they laughingly call an International Airport in Manila I just wanted to reflect on the highs and lows of the last few weeks
The Lows:
Let us get the bad stuff out of the way first- and Pinoys please take this positively, you have such a lovely country these are just a few annoying frustrations of an International Traveler:
- Being ripped off as a foreigner, by taxis , trikes and even shops ( why should I pay 110 pesos for fruit salad at Starbucks in the building site of an airport when it still has the normal price of 95 pesos on the top?)
- The Manila traffic- especially to and from the airport . I wanted to try the public transport this trip ( MRT) but was told it had broken down!
- Politics and corruption – fill the papers every day- Two Mayors in Manila fighting it out, arguments over who was responsible for the latest tragedy in Mindanao and stale rice destined for hurricane victims turning up in a store room.
- Queues , queues, and more queues all over Manila – to get into Mall of Asia, to check into the hotel, to get an ice cream, to get through passport control, to check in, to check out, to go to the CR, at the Cathedral, To complain!
- Nik niks and jellyfish- I managed to avoid the latter but got eaten alive by the former in spite of all the repellent I used!
- People talking and using Skype on their
mobile phones in public and taking hundreds of selfies
- The Filipinos- in spite of all the above they sing, smile, are polite, helpful, happy, loving , caring ambitious, family centered, and probably earn one tenth of what I do and support their whole family on that
Corregidor in Manila Bay - The scenery- spectacular- from the sad history acted out on the island of Corregidor to the stunning beauty of El Nido, Puerto Princessa and Tagataye.
- The beaches- endless deserted sandy beaches with clear water and so many beautiful fish , crabs, birds and silence
- The sun- 4 weeks of sun , 32 degrees, sea breezes, and fabulous weather
- The food- Chicken Adobo, Beef Tagalog, Crab and Sweetcorn soup, Ube Cake , Mango Flambé, Homemade Mango Ice Cream, Calamansi and Sugar Crepe, and of course Halo Halo
- The drinks- Mango shake, Banana shake, Calamansi juice , and iced water served free with every meal without having to ask, EVER!
- The transport- just because we don’t have proper public transport where I live – in the Philippines it’s the only way to get about and comes in every shape and size . You have boys cycling with passengers hanging on, trikes, taxis, Jeepney, vans, you have it all. It is always overloaded and everyone always makes room for you and helps advise you on where to get off and how much to pay if needed. It’s also a great way to see how the Filipinos really live, rather than the luxury of the resort hotels.
Pyrotechnic Competitions at the Mall of Asia- All the wonderful free events like the weekly Pyrotechnic Competitions at the Mall of Asia, the Fiesta in El Nido, the Kite surfing completion in Puerto Princessa, and everyone singing as you shop, eat, walk, or talk
- The amazing sunsets- that just get better every day, and when you think you finally got the perfect shot and put your camera down an even better one comes along
So all that remains is to thank my hosts for looking after me so well once again- to Karl, Drew, Marco and the team and everyone else who has made me smile and made my holiday so enjoyable. It is always beautiful in the Philippines, a huge thank you from the bottom of my heart
Salamat Kabayan- Ingat palagi, Kita Kits
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Hello, I am The British Kabayan! Feel free to read my stories.
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