In Puerto Princesa I checked into a hostel with pool and wifi, two things I like a lot. In the evening I met up with a Filipino girl Sharon and a Korean, dutch adopted guy called Ki. He was the very first make-up artist I had ever met. Anyway, the three of us ate crocodile and had some beers at the local pub. A funny band was playing some tunes they had been playing the last two years. The next day we accepted Sharon's offer and went with her to check out a small village up in the mountain side. There wasn't that much up there, but the family we visited had a funny little critter as pet. In the evening we went out again with Sharon's friends and the Fama sisters from my hostel. Warehauz 45 is the shit haha.
Sharon took me and Ki's friend Lisa, from his hostel, out to one of the satellite clinics outside of Puerto Princesa. This is where they repair the villagers and pull out their teeth for free. Lisa and I were chilling at the beach while Sharon was working. In the evening we had a nice barbecue. After a long and bumpy bus ride the next day, Lisa and I arrived in El Nido, or Eldonado as she calls it. I checked in to my 150 pesos a night place and we started booking tours. The first day was quiet and we had some beers with some English girls. The following morning, we went on a tour with an Argentinian couple and two guides.We drove around in our boat in an area very similar to that of southern Thailand. A lot of nice limestone islands. In the evening we went to a very filthy bar. Lisa turned around after 3 seconds and went out, whereas all the guys stayed for a couple of beers. One of the prostitutes liked to dance and I danced some swing for the first time in many months. I went to bed early since I had a new tour the next day. Unfortunately I must have eaten something bad or something, because I woke up at five and had to vomit. Then, for the next 8 hours, I crapped out my mouth and pissed out my ass. It had been a long time since I was sick, so I guess it was about time. I had to cancel the tour and spent the day lying in bed and reading a Swedish book I found in my room.
I went on a tour with the Argentinian couple on my last day in El Nido. An Italian with his Filipina was also with us. It was nice with a boat ride and to snorkel a bit. My stomach was a team player the whole day as well. In the evening I finished off the book and went to bed early. My last stop before Flying out of Puerto Princesa was Sabang. Together with the Argentinian couple I took a morning mini van to Sabang. Like El Nido, this town is small and electricity is only available at certain hours. They rely on generators. In Sabang I met Marc the Swede and we did the underground river together. It was a pretty cool tour. I got to sit in front in the boat and control the light while we were going through the caves. The next morning we headed to Puerto again and I had a last evening together with Sharon, Ki, Kyra, Antonio, Fran and some others.
Next up: Cebu!
2012/03/28
2012/03/14
Bontoc - Tuguegarao - San Fernando - Manila
I got picked up by Mik in Tuguegarao at 01.00 am. He lives in a house with a 24/7 farmacy on the ground floor, so he had no problems with picking me up at such a time. We had some porridge from the restaurant next door and planned out the following three days that I would be spending with him. The next day we went to the caves in the outskirts of the city. Next to a beautiful river, we entered the caves with a local guide. To me this cave seemed like the middle of nowhere, but the Mik knew all the people we met inside. I found that kind of funny. After investigating the seven chambers, we went into a boat and were taken to a beach further down the river. There was a cave entrance up in the cliff side and we were waiting for sunset to see the exodus of the bats. We had a lot of fun with the local cow while waiting. A one year old, white cow was like a dog and the little girl that owned it, treated it as such. It followed after her everywhere and ate only grass if someone picked it and fed it to her. It was very cute and it seemed to like the color of my shorts, because it kept on licking. Watching the bats exit was very cool and afterwards we drove with the boat under the swarms of bats that were out. In the evening we picked up the Pastor and the Chinese and went for dinner. A delicious barbecue with halo-halo at the end. After such a good start, I knew I would have shit loads of fun in Tuguegarao.
Every morning I was served great breakfast, made by Mik's nanny. A good way to start our days with much travelling. For our second day we needed reenforcements and picked up the Graduate. It was so cool to be with the Mik, because we were never alone and his friends were great. The three of us headed down to Isabella to have a look at a big chair and some old churches. We also visited Mik's restaurant and the Graduate's former professor. She lived next door to the Mik's new flat, which we inspected. Everything was finewith the place except the pink sink. He didn't like the color, but I laughed cause the words pink and sink normally come in a different order. It had been a long day for me and I slept in the car all the way back home.
The third day was great. The three of us added Mik's cousin to the crew, and the four of us drove up to the very north-east of Luzon. We got all the way up and had a good lunch before we got a boat ride to the Island Palaui. The island was beautiful and there was an old spanish light house there. We went up and enjoyed a magnificent view. It was the first time I saw the pacific oceand and it was be the furthest north I would be until the flight to Korea. To top it all off, we went for a swim on the beach with black sand. Due to the volcanoes in the area, the sand on the beaches is black. After sunset we went into the restaurant by the beach and had dinner. This resort area has a lot of Chinese tourists that are there for the casinos and beaches. That's why I was able to have my first Tsing Tao in a long time. It brought back memories from good old China and Hong Kong. On the way back home we stopped by the Graduate's hometown to say happy birthday to his father. I got to eat a mix between Halo-halo and coconut shake, which was very good. I think I consumed a couple of kilos of sugar in the Philippines every day. To be sure of that, we got some extra coconut ice cream to eat on the way back.
During my entire stay, I've been educated a lot about cagayan and I have had friends with me who have explained everything I've seen, and then some. I had a brilliant time in Tugugarao, which is used as the term "middle of nowhere" in the Philippines. It was ridiculously hot, but this place is definitely somewhere to me! With extra help with my plan for the last stops in Luzon, I left the guys the next morning and went to Pagudpud. After a sweaty, no air-con bus trip, I was there. I slept one night in a nice home stay and spent the sunset at the beach and in the water. I then went to Laoag and had a day trip to Marcos' Heritage Home. He didn't seem so bad to me. Passing the "palace of the north" down to Vigan. I had an extra day, so I decided to stop off at San Fernando on the way to Manila. I met two nice teenagers, Niq and mr Hair, immediately after arrival and they helped me find a place to stay, The next two days I slept under the sky on a roof for 100 pesos (13 nok). Their mother Michelle came and took us all out for dinner. I love this place, even when I don't plan to meet nice people, I still do. The next day I spent surfing and met some great guys from Sweden and Australia. We had some beers and then I went to bed early since Michelle had offered me a lift to Manila the following day. My 36 hours in San fernando were great.and it was time to finish off my Luzon trip for now.
Photos:
https://picasaweb.google.com/111895625193387647956/20120308TuguegaraoAndSurroundingArea?authkey=Gv1sRgCK3k5pDmtsbxRA
https://picasaweb.google.com/111895625193387647956/20120314TuguegaraoManila?authkey=Gv1sRgCOOk3aOthpa14gE
Every morning I was served great breakfast, made by Mik's nanny. A good way to start our days with much travelling. For our second day we needed reenforcements and picked up the Graduate. It was so cool to be with the Mik, because we were never alone and his friends were great. The three of us headed down to Isabella to have a look at a big chair and some old churches. We also visited Mik's restaurant and the Graduate's former professor. She lived next door to the Mik's new flat, which we inspected. Everything was finewith the place except the pink sink. He didn't like the color, but I laughed cause the words pink and sink normally come in a different order. It had been a long day for me and I slept in the car all the way back home.
The third day was great. The three of us added Mik's cousin to the crew, and the four of us drove up to the very north-east of Luzon. We got all the way up and had a good lunch before we got a boat ride to the Island Palaui. The island was beautiful and there was an old spanish light house there. We went up and enjoyed a magnificent view. It was the first time I saw the pacific oceand and it was be the furthest north I would be until the flight to Korea. To top it all off, we went for a swim on the beach with black sand. Due to the volcanoes in the area, the sand on the beaches is black. After sunset we went into the restaurant by the beach and had dinner. This resort area has a lot of Chinese tourists that are there for the casinos and beaches. That's why I was able to have my first Tsing Tao in a long time. It brought back memories from good old China and Hong Kong. On the way back home we stopped by the Graduate's hometown to say happy birthday to his father. I got to eat a mix between Halo-halo and coconut shake, which was very good. I think I consumed a couple of kilos of sugar in the Philippines every day. To be sure of that, we got some extra coconut ice cream to eat on the way back.
During my entire stay, I've been educated a lot about cagayan and I have had friends with me who have explained everything I've seen, and then some. I had a brilliant time in Tugugarao, which is used as the term "middle of nowhere" in the Philippines. It was ridiculously hot, but this place is definitely somewhere to me! With extra help with my plan for the last stops in Luzon, I left the guys the next morning and went to Pagudpud. After a sweaty, no air-con bus trip, I was there. I slept one night in a nice home stay and spent the sunset at the beach and in the water. I then went to Laoag and had a day trip to Marcos' Heritage Home. He didn't seem so bad to me. Passing the "palace of the north" down to Vigan. I had an extra day, so I decided to stop off at San Fernando on the way to Manila. I met two nice teenagers, Niq and mr Hair, immediately after arrival and they helped me find a place to stay, The next two days I slept under the sky on a roof for 100 pesos (13 nok). Their mother Michelle came and took us all out for dinner. I love this place, even when I don't plan to meet nice people, I still do. The next day I spent surfing and met some great guys from Sweden and Australia. We had some beers and then I went to bed early since Michelle had offered me a lift to Manila the following day. My 36 hours in San fernando were great.and it was time to finish off my Luzon trip for now.
Photos:
https://picasaweb.google.com/111895625193387647956/20120308TuguegaraoAndSurroundingArea?authkey=Gv1sRgCK3k5pDmtsbxRA
https://picasaweb.google.com/111895625193387647956/20120314TuguegaraoManila?authkey=Gv1sRgCOOk3aOthpa14gE
2012/03/10
Sabangan - Bontoc (This is too long for most people to read, so skip to the end)
After waking up early and getting homemade eggs and toast from Sexy, Russel and I went down to see Sir Ernesto. Being one of the elders in town, he is respected and has the title councillor. Russel had been talking to him the day before and Ernesto had prepared a guide for me. After an introduction and some chatting, Russel left us and my guide Roger, or Kuya (big brother) Roger as I call him, went off to check out the local hills. Not really a tourist attraction, but nevertheless we went up to the Globe (a phone company) antenna in the hills. On the way we passed a high school that was also placed on top of a hill. This made me think of something; If we built schools on top of hills in Norway, that would force the kids to sweat up there everyday. Might be a solution to our growing obesity problem. I didn't see any fat kids in the village while I was there at least. Roger was an excellent partner and his English was good, so he could explain me things on the way. We walked down again for lunch with Ernesto. He was a cool guy and we got along well. Since I still had the rest of the day available, roger took me up to the Smart (another phone company) antenna on another hill. On the way down we stopped in his village and I got to meet his very pretty wife and one of his daughters. Well back in Sabangan, Ernesto and I went to the local elementary school. They were playing gongs and practicing the local dance. A festival was coming up and all the kids were walking around playing and dancing. The gongs could be heard all over the valley. When I started showing them the pictures I had taken of them, the whole thing turned into chaos with screaming and laughing kids stepping all over me and each other. The kids in these villages are super sweet and make even a rusty Norwegian heart beat a bit. After this, Roger was waiting with an invitation to drink a bit! The three of us started the process of emptying a Matador brandy bottle and a couple of Red Horse beers. Tonight was a local meeting with the military command in the area and since I was here, and the guys seemed to enjoy my company, they let me come with them. On the walk up to the meeting we met some other guys sitting and having a little evening party. We weren't the kind of lads that turn down such a surprise party, so we sat down with them and cracked some jokes and shared their booze. In this country people still have respect for elders and guests, so the youngest immediately gave us two of their chairs. After dwelling there long enough, we walked the final bit to the meeting. It was held in the elementary school and everybody was sitting on a 30 cm high chair in a horse shoe formation. It was very cute. As a representative for the University of Oslo and the Norwegian army, as Ernesto introduced me as, I told them bits and pieces of cold Norway. After some coffee and biscuits we went down and Ernesto offered me his guest room for the night. It was a very funny day and a good start of my village life.
The next morning I had breakfast with Ernesto. We liked conversing with each other and got along well. My plan for the day was to meet up with a group of guys coming from Manila to climb Kalawitan mountain. Russel had made some stuff up there and I brought with me a marker to tag the equipment with it's appropriate name. Ernesto, Kuya Roger, some more guides and I then went to the rendezvous point at a cafe with panorama view over the mountains. The crew from Manila were coming with a bus from Baguio. Meanwhile Roger and the guides prepared the equipment while Ernesto and I ate pancakes. The Tagalogs (people from Manila area) showed up and the leader Tesa was very eager toget drunk climb the mountain. After lunch and briefing, base camp awaited us. Only a small walk away were some huts and a nice camp area. We spent the day bathing in a cold mountain creek and eating food made over the bonfire. The guides started playing the gongs and doing the ritual dance around the fire while Ernesto was dancing the eagle dance. After some minutes of watching, we all ended up joining and it was actually very funny. Very different from Norway to see quite tough guides dancing with gongs without being drunk. Nico was probably the happiest eagle dancer of all. The Tagalogs got themselves a hut down in the camp while I went up in the hill side with two guides and shared a hut with them. The guides were Ronald and Buds, two really nice guys that I will remember forever since I promised to:). The hut used to be where Buds lived when he was younger. We went to bed early since the alarm was set to 4.30 am.
"Wake up Hawk!". That's my name in Asia for those who don't know. I went down and we had nice warm breakfast. It was quite cold during the nights in the mountains, so warm food was very welcome. We headed up for the summit after food. Buds and I went in front and had a good pace to the top. We chilled a bit up there and enjoyed the view from the trees we sat in. The others came with the food and we had a delicious lunch on the top. The sun was shining and life was good. We got some nice pictures and headed down again. At base camp, wine bottles and brandy waited together with food. Buds gave me a hand made miniature of a fish trap that he had made out of straws. He was pleased with the speed I had held down and rewarded me with this prize. It was very cool since I seldom get presents with some sentimental value attached to them. Sitting around the fire and tables, Tagalogs and guides, we all had an excellent evening with gongs and eagle dancing. I was supposed to dance the wedding dance with Lyka, one of the girls, but alas, Ernesto snatched her in front of me. I had such a great time and the guides sang songs for me and made promise not to forget them and that I would come back. Such an awesome group of guys. I wish them all the best until I see them again and everybody who likes trekking should definitely check out Sabangan! A great experience! As the evening got colder and darker, people started to tuck themselves in. Buds and Ronald kept it going by the fire, while Roger, a very drunk trainee guide, Lyka and Tesa sat at the table. They were pretty hammered and had half a bottle of vodka left when I went to bed. Apparently they finished it all and Tesa passed out on the table. The others managed well, but Roger's Indiana Jones hat felt tighter the following day. I went to bed alone, but I definitely wasn't alone. I could hear the rat but was never sure if it was under me, in my room or over me. In the end I was so tired I didn't care and slept until the next day.
Third day of the hike was a walk in the park, i.e. rice fields. At the village we split up and I said good bye to the Manila crew and the Sabangans. I had to move on to Sagada and I thanked them all for a brilliant four days. Russel and Sexy were home and gave me the instructions I needed for my next mission; delivering some books at a village close to my next destination. We parted and I headed for Sagada with the local bus. There I checked into a hostel for the first time since the one in the jungle in Sabah. A cave tour was on at one o'clock and I joined for a very cool experience under the ground. On the way to the caves. we saw hanging coffins and lime stone formations. Inside the cave were some beautiful rock formation, ponds, rivers and coffins. The group that went through included a guide, a gay Filipino, a fat, annoying Spanish girl and myself. The Filipino was funny because he knew he couldn't do anything and was laughing and scared all the time. The Spanish girl always did the opposite of what the guide said. smiled foolishly and explained that she knew best. Smiling to the guide all the time and asking why he is mad didn't make it any better. If you are a girl, which always says the opposite of the guide and does not follow instructions, and laugh stupidly after every hazardous thing you do, please change personality. The caves were amazing and definitely worth exploring. It was cold in Sagada and I actually went to bed because I was freezing. I also needed to get up early the next morning.
I got the 6.30 am Jeep to Bontoc. There I dropped off my stuff at a local inn and got some books that Russel had delivered. The owner drove me one kilometer up the hill before he got a flat tire. I got off, burnt my leg on the exhaust pipe for the n'th time and started walking to the village. Walking uphill and running the flats and downhill brought me to Guina'ang before schedule. I met the principal of the local school and we chatted a bit before I gave her the books from Russel and she took me to see some of the pupils. I visited two fourth grades and one fifth grade. I had a little talk about Norway and they got to ask questions. Now the kids know my grandparents names and that we don't have mammoths. The most fascinating was the concept of winter darkness and midnight sun. They found that very hard to believe and very exciting. That is actually true for everybody, also the adults I tell it to here. I had lunch with two teachers and the principal. They had made delicious food which I could eat as much as I wanted from. But I had to say grace first. I shared with them a tone deaf "Å du som metter en liten fugl" and we started eating. (I just googled this little prayer and I found out I've been singing 23% of the prayer wrongly all my childhood).They also got themselves some fun facts from Norway. After running a kilometer I got a ride with a truck down to Bontoc and picked up my stuff and took the bus out of the mountain province.
The whole province reminded me a bit of Jesus. Son of god born in a stable. The best humans I've met, live in the humblest homes I've seen.
https://picasaweb.google.com/111895625193387647956/20120304BaguioSagada?authkey=Gv1sRgCOmi1eKwgsizLA
https://picasaweb.google.com/111895625193387647956/20120306SagadaTuguegaraoCity02?authkey=Gv1sRgCNfqq8eNgt7PDA
The next morning I had breakfast with Ernesto. We liked conversing with each other and got along well. My plan for the day was to meet up with a group of guys coming from Manila to climb Kalawitan mountain. Russel had made some stuff up there and I brought with me a marker to tag the equipment with it's appropriate name. Ernesto, Kuya Roger, some more guides and I then went to the rendezvous point at a cafe with panorama view over the mountains. The crew from Manila were coming with a bus from Baguio. Meanwhile Roger and the guides prepared the equipment while Ernesto and I ate pancakes. The Tagalogs (people from Manila area) showed up and the leader Tesa was very eager to
"Wake up Hawk!". That's my name in Asia for those who don't know. I went down and we had nice warm breakfast. It was quite cold during the nights in the mountains, so warm food was very welcome. We headed up for the summit after food. Buds and I went in front and had a good pace to the top. We chilled a bit up there and enjoyed the view from the trees we sat in. The others came with the food and we had a delicious lunch on the top. The sun was shining and life was good. We got some nice pictures and headed down again. At base camp, wine bottles and brandy waited together with food. Buds gave me a hand made miniature of a fish trap that he had made out of straws. He was pleased with the speed I had held down and rewarded me with this prize. It was very cool since I seldom get presents with some sentimental value attached to them. Sitting around the fire and tables, Tagalogs and guides, we all had an excellent evening with gongs and eagle dancing. I was supposed to dance the wedding dance with Lyka, one of the girls, but alas, Ernesto snatched her in front of me. I had such a great time and the guides sang songs for me and made promise not to forget them and that I would come back. Such an awesome group of guys. I wish them all the best until I see them again and everybody who likes trekking should definitely check out Sabangan! A great experience! As the evening got colder and darker, people started to tuck themselves in. Buds and Ronald kept it going by the fire, while Roger, a very drunk trainee guide, Lyka and Tesa sat at the table. They were pretty hammered and had half a bottle of vodka left when I went to bed. Apparently they finished it all and Tesa passed out on the table. The others managed well, but Roger's Indiana Jones hat felt tighter the following day. I went to bed alone, but I definitely wasn't alone. I could hear the rat but was never sure if it was under me, in my room or over me. In the end I was so tired I didn't care and slept until the next day.
Third day of the hike was a walk in the park, i.e. rice fields. At the village we split up and I said good bye to the Manila crew and the Sabangans. I had to move on to Sagada and I thanked them all for a brilliant four days. Russel and Sexy were home and gave me the instructions I needed for my next mission; delivering some books at a village close to my next destination. We parted and I headed for Sagada with the local bus. There I checked into a hostel for the first time since the one in the jungle in Sabah. A cave tour was on at one o'clock and I joined for a very cool experience under the ground. On the way to the caves. we saw hanging coffins and lime stone formations. Inside the cave were some beautiful rock formation, ponds, rivers and coffins. The group that went through included a guide, a gay Filipino, a fat, annoying Spanish girl and myself. The Filipino was funny because he knew he couldn't do anything and was laughing and scared all the time. The Spanish girl always did the opposite of what the guide said. smiled foolishly and explained that she knew best. Smiling to the guide all the time and asking why he is mad didn't make it any better. If you are a girl, which always says the opposite of the guide and does not follow instructions, and laugh stupidly after every hazardous thing you do, please change personality. The caves were amazing and definitely worth exploring. It was cold in Sagada and I actually went to bed because I was freezing. I also needed to get up early the next morning.
I got the 6.30 am Jeep to Bontoc. There I dropped off my stuff at a local inn and got some books that Russel had delivered. The owner drove me one kilometer up the hill before he got a flat tire. I got off, burnt my leg on the exhaust pipe for the n'th time and started walking to the village. Walking uphill and running the flats and downhill brought me to Guina'ang before schedule. I met the principal of the local school and we chatted a bit before I gave her the books from Russel and she took me to see some of the pupils. I visited two fourth grades and one fifth grade. I had a little talk about Norway and they got to ask questions. Now the kids know my grandparents names and that we don't have mammoths. The most fascinating was the concept of winter darkness and midnight sun. They found that very hard to believe and very exciting. That is actually true for everybody, also the adults I tell it to here. I had lunch with two teachers and the principal. They had made delicious food which I could eat as much as I wanted from. But I had to say grace first. I shared with them a tone deaf "Å du som metter en liten fugl" and we started eating. (I just googled this little prayer and I found out I've been singing 23% of the prayer wrongly all my childhood).They also got themselves some fun facts from Norway. After running a kilometer I got a ride with a truck down to Bontoc and picked up my stuff and took the bus out of the mountain province.
The whole province reminded me a bit of Jesus. Son of god born in a stable. The best humans I've met, live in the humblest homes I've seen.
https://picasaweb.google.com/111895625193387647956/20120304BaguioSagada?authkey=Gv1sRgCOmi1eKwgsizLA
https://picasaweb.google.com/111895625193387647956/20120306SagadaTuguegaraoCity02?authkey=Gv1sRgCNfqq8eNgt7PDA
2012/03/06
Manila - Sabangan
Friday night I spent with friends at the weekend market. There was so much good food there and the crew I was with was very nice. The next day I went to Vikings, a luxury "eat all you can" place, to show them what a viking is good for. The biggest buffet I've ever attended. They had so much there, and I could make my own desserts and tap my own beer. I ate so much, I didn't eat for the next 24 hours. It was so cool and I recommend everybody that goes to Manila to pay it a visit. Go hungry and make you money's worth!:) Sunday I checked out the American memorial cemetery.I spent some hours there before meeting with Mike and some German guys for dinner. At midnight I left for Baguio with the night bus.
Early morning in Baguio and Mike and I went up to the fancy country club to test out their breakfast. My place in Baguio would be up on the hill in an international school. My new hosts was a lovely American couple with a small kid. They were so friendly, almost difficult to describe. When I got there, the nanny let me in and I was shown my room. Being knackered after the short sleep on the bus, I fell asleep on the bed immediately. When I woke up, the Americans were home and we sat and chatted for a while. They were both teachers and they explained me how things worked around in the area. Another couch surfer that I had contacted was going out and invited me to join. I said good bye to the Americans for now and went off.
High five! That's how I got greeted by Gay, which is not gay. That made me smile right away and we walked over to her friends. After a short jeepney ride we ended up at a bar with live music. Her friend's boyfriend was playing and we were checking it out. Accompanied by six cute girls and a tower of beer, life in the Philippines continued to be great. All the guys in the place smiled and came over to shake my hand, and all of them were jealous haha. The second day in Baguio I spent walking around and checking the market and town. The flower festival, highlight of the year, was on and the whole city was quite busy. In the evening Gay and I ate and went up to my Americans for a round of Carrcasone! I hadn't played boardgames in a while and we had loads of fun. I also got crushed, which was not so much fun.
The next morning, a rough five hours bus ride would take me up into the hills of the mountain province. Parts of the road missing from mud slides and steep cliffs on the side don't make this a trip for the faint hearted ones. While I was there, there was a bus accident with fatalities. I got off in a small mountain village called Sabangan. The only reason I did so, was because my next host lived there and it sounded interesting. I got off at the local police station which didn't seem very busy. They even offered me to sleep in the cell for free if I needed to. While waiting for my host, I played volleyball with the police officers and the staff of the town hall. They were training for the local derby.
Russel, my host, showed up and brought me home to his place. He's helping out villagers in the surrounding area and is very passionate about his work. It is fun and nice to see someone who has an inner fire for something. One of his projects makes useful stuff out of rubbish and the brand is called Trashure. If you ever see it, now you know where it's from. I slept at his humble home in the guest room. I also got to meet his girlfriend who is called Sexy. The cold evening air in the mountains was soothing and I fell asleep early after a Chaplin movie we watched. Tomorrow would be the first day of my magnificent mountain experience!
Photos:
https://picasaweb.google.com/111895625193387647956/20120221Manila?authkey=Gv1sRgCIeV5IDo3pmtGA
https://picasaweb.google.com/111895625193387647956/20120223Manila?authkey=Gv1sRgCIHYsuKRq7GoIA
https://picasaweb.google.com/111895625193387647956/20120228ManilaBaguio?authkey=Gv1sRgCNbTwcnq-4TFVA#
Early morning in Baguio and Mike and I went up to the fancy country club to test out their breakfast. My place in Baguio would be up on the hill in an international school. My new hosts was a lovely American couple with a small kid. They were so friendly, almost difficult to describe. When I got there, the nanny let me in and I was shown my room. Being knackered after the short sleep on the bus, I fell asleep on the bed immediately. When I woke up, the Americans were home and we sat and chatted for a while. They were both teachers and they explained me how things worked around in the area. Another couch surfer that I had contacted was going out and invited me to join. I said good bye to the Americans for now and went off.
High five! That's how I got greeted by Gay, which is not gay. That made me smile right away and we walked over to her friends. After a short jeepney ride we ended up at a bar with live music. Her friend's boyfriend was playing and we were checking it out. Accompanied by six cute girls and a tower of beer, life in the Philippines continued to be great. All the guys in the place smiled and came over to shake my hand, and all of them were jealous haha. The second day in Baguio I spent walking around and checking the market and town. The flower festival, highlight of the year, was on and the whole city was quite busy. In the evening Gay and I ate and went up to my Americans for a round of Carrcasone! I hadn't played boardgames in a while and we had loads of fun. I also got crushed, which was not so much fun.
The next morning, a rough five hours bus ride would take me up into the hills of the mountain province. Parts of the road missing from mud slides and steep cliffs on the side don't make this a trip for the faint hearted ones. While I was there, there was a bus accident with fatalities. I got off in a small mountain village called Sabangan. The only reason I did so, was because my next host lived there and it sounded interesting. I got off at the local police station which didn't seem very busy. They even offered me to sleep in the cell for free if I needed to. While waiting for my host, I played volleyball with the police officers and the staff of the town hall. They were training for the local derby.
Russel, my host, showed up and brought me home to his place. He's helping out villagers in the surrounding area and is very passionate about his work. It is fun and nice to see someone who has an inner fire for something. One of his projects makes useful stuff out of rubbish and the brand is called Trashure. If you ever see it, now you know where it's from. I slept at his humble home in the guest room. I also got to meet his girlfriend who is called Sexy. The cold evening air in the mountains was soothing and I fell asleep early after a Chaplin movie we watched. Tomorrow would be the first day of my magnificent mountain experience!
Photos:
https://picasaweb.google.com/111895625193387647956/20120221Manila?authkey=Gv1sRgCIeV5IDo3pmtGA
https://picasaweb.google.com/111895625193387647956/20120223Manila?authkey=Gv1sRgCIHYsuKRq7GoIA
https://picasaweb.google.com/111895625193387647956/20120228ManilaBaguio?authkey=Gv1sRgCNbTwcnq-4TFVA#
2012/02/28
Manila
I landed in the Philippines and quickly got hold of a prepaid Sim card. My goal was to couch surf the country and a phone was essential for this quest. I got to see some nice hard core traffic in to the city from Clark airport as well. At Ayala station I would meet my first host Donna, or miss Giggle as we shall call her. A smiling Filipino, not uncommon, that is giggling all the time, also not uncommon. She had gotten consumables and was going to a spa resort with her cousins. She had told me I could come, but I didn't really believe it before I saw it. A couple of hours in the car with her and her giggling cousins, the tall and the tiny ones, and we were there. The rooms had jacuzzis and there were swimming pools outside. A couple of days earlier I had been in the jungle so this was quite an upgrade. First things first, I tried out the jacuzzi and had my first contact with hot water in a couple of weeks I think. We then had a beer and an evening walk around to check the spa. I had a room for myself and the girls shared one, four of them in one bed haha. They said it was for my own good or else I would've been gang raped.
The next day started with a nice breakfast and then a swim in the outdoors pool. The girls had a race and I was the ref of this paralympics event. After the swim we went inside and had a fifteen minutes jacuzzi before my massage. It's tough being a couch surfer in the Philippines. We had lunch and my first Halo-halo (mix mix, they tend to say things twice, I don't know why yet) a dessert made out of loads of things. When we checked out, the receptionist found it strange that the four girls had shared one bed. Why didn't they come and ask for a couple of extra beds in the room? I promised I wouldn't tell her cousins haha. In the afternoon we went for an excursion to Jose Rizal's home. He is a national hero and I got the history lesson of the day. About time since the girls were getting a bit tired of all my questions. We went to Taal, the world's smallest volcano and sat there, enjoying the view. We had some snacks, breaking the slogan of one of the tiny ones: "commit to fit". An evening trip to Caleruega and checking out the chapel there was a nice ending. As dinner I had my very first mushroom burger. Miss Giggle dropped me off in Makati, the business area of Manila. There I walked up to find my next host, Mike Torres.
Mike is a food enthusiast and writes a blog about eating in the Philippines. He has three books with restaurants that he goes through, eating out three times a day to make sure he visits them all. He took me out for lunch and showed me some Filipino cuisine. Taking pictures and writing down the verdicts, the whole meal got documented. If you have any interest of checking out what I've been eating, check the latest entries on this link:
http://walkandeat.blogspot.com/
Miss Giggle had taken half a day off work to come and pick me up and go with me to an orphanage funded by Norwegians from my home county. My private driver was able to get us there without getting lost once and smiling we entered the orphanage with the Norwegian flags swaying outside. I got out of the car and started chatting with the two Norwegians that were there. They gave us a tour around the place and we got to see what was going on there. Some nasty stories with uncles paralyzing their nieces and incest were only some of the stories we heard. Still the kids were smiling and laughing, which I found hard to believe, and they liked playing with us. Darkness came and it was time to go home. We went up to Mall of Asia, which is guarded by armed guards like every other thing in Manila, and had a ride in the Ferris wheel and listened to some local cover bands.
The next day Mike and I got up early and headed down to lake Taal again. He had vouchers for a buffet down there and we were going on a day trip to test it out. The restaurant was in a hotel and it was nice. There was a lot to eat, and like every other buffet, it had reason to fear me. I ate loads of good food and was even able to compose my own halo-halo. I have to admit it is a cool and good dessert. The view over the lake from the hotel was even better than the last time I was there, so it was cool to see the lake from another angle.
The days in Manila went by and I went to museums, cemeteries, restaurants and the bureau of immigration. I spent the time with Mike and Giggle and planned out my trip around the country with their help. I would have one more weekend in Manila before I left for North Luzon.
Photos come later.
The next day started with a nice breakfast and then a swim in the outdoors pool. The girls had a race and I was the ref of this paralympics event. After the swim we went inside and had a fifteen minutes jacuzzi before my massage. It's tough being a couch surfer in the Philippines. We had lunch and my first Halo-halo (mix mix, they tend to say things twice, I don't know why yet) a dessert made out of loads of things. When we checked out, the receptionist found it strange that the four girls had shared one bed. Why didn't they come and ask for a couple of extra beds in the room? I promised I wouldn't tell her cousins haha. In the afternoon we went for an excursion to Jose Rizal's home. He is a national hero and I got the history lesson of the day. About time since the girls were getting a bit tired of all my questions. We went to Taal, the world's smallest volcano and sat there, enjoying the view. We had some snacks, breaking the slogan of one of the tiny ones: "commit to fit". An evening trip to Caleruega and checking out the chapel there was a nice ending. As dinner I had my very first mushroom burger. Miss Giggle dropped me off in Makati, the business area of Manila. There I walked up to find my next host, Mike Torres.
Mike is a food enthusiast and writes a blog about eating in the Philippines. He has three books with restaurants that he goes through, eating out three times a day to make sure he visits them all. He took me out for lunch and showed me some Filipino cuisine. Taking pictures and writing down the verdicts, the whole meal got documented. If you have any interest of checking out what I've been eating, check the latest entries on this link:
http://walkandeat.blogspot.com/
Miss Giggle had taken half a day off work to come and pick me up and go with me to an orphanage funded by Norwegians from my home county. My private driver was able to get us there without getting lost once and smiling we entered the orphanage with the Norwegian flags swaying outside. I got out of the car and started chatting with the two Norwegians that were there. They gave us a tour around the place and we got to see what was going on there. Some nasty stories with uncles paralyzing their nieces and incest were only some of the stories we heard. Still the kids were smiling and laughing, which I found hard to believe, and they liked playing with us. Darkness came and it was time to go home. We went up to Mall of Asia, which is guarded by armed guards like every other thing in Manila, and had a ride in the Ferris wheel and listened to some local cover bands.
The next day Mike and I got up early and headed down to lake Taal again. He had vouchers for a buffet down there and we were going on a day trip to test it out. The restaurant was in a hotel and it was nice. There was a lot to eat, and like every other buffet, it had reason to fear me. I ate loads of good food and was even able to compose my own halo-halo. I have to admit it is a cool and good dessert. The view over the lake from the hotel was even better than the last time I was there, so it was cool to see the lake from another angle.
The days in Manila went by and I went to museums, cemeteries, restaurants and the bureau of immigration. I spent the time with Mike and Giggle and planned out my trip around the country with their help. I would have one more weekend in Manila before I left for North Luzon.
Photos come later.
2012/02/21
Kota Kinabalu, or Jefferson as I like to call it
Back in Kota Kinabalu I contacted my couch surfing host and he picked me up. Tim, as he is called by humans, his friend and I went out for some evening snack before we joined a couch surfing evening at a local pub. We were met a lot of nice people. The Canadian from Sepilok also showed up and we all had a good time chatting and having a beer. A small group og us then moved on to a little food court which sold smuggled beer from Labuan. Cheapest beer in KK hehe. We stayed up too late for an old guy like me and drove home to Tim's place. He lived in the nicest area of KK and this was clearly an upgrade from the jungle hut I had had a couple of days earlier. Polite as I am, I accepted his offer to sleep in his bed and make him sleep on the couch in the living room. After all, couch surfing means pushing your host onto the couch.
The next morning a nice fellow came in and greeted me while I was still in my boxers. Nicholas, Tim's brother, had arrived from his night shift at the hospital and was eager to see what the brother had dragged into the house. The three of us then went out to get some morning coffee and a light breakfast. The Pang brothers were a lot of fun and conversations never seemed to die. Tim spoke German and Nick spoke with a Geordie accent. I didn't expect to hear either in Malaysia. Miss Volgograd also came and had a chat with us. A Malaysian girl that studied seven years in the infamous city of Stalingrad, where Paulus got crushed by the Russians. I didn't know that the Malaysians were everywhere, but they clearly are!
Moving on from breakfast, we picked up a french cs bloke, Jules, and went for lunch. Another two girls, Val and Angel, came along and we had a nice time finding out how many cows they were worth. Good to know if I come back for a Malaysian wife. We dropped off Nick and Jules and went to play get some strange jelly dessert and play some pool. In the evening the Pang's and I went to pick up Sadiq, a Nigerian friend of theirs, and we went to a very nice bar called Station One. The two girls from earlier arrived as well and I enjoyed good company my last night in Malaysia. That eveing I also got beaten by a local Philippino at the fish market. Ending the night with some sega rally at the arcade in good Asian style and a walk at the pier made the day complete. The girls drove us home and they all enjoyed an evening chat while I fell asleep on the couch. I'm not used to being up after 12 anymore.
Tim took me out for breakfast at a place run by Filipinos. The girls serving us were super nice and cute and were laughing all the time. They didn't want my last ringits as tip and gave them to Tim. So far Malaysia has been the friendliest country I've ever been to and EVERYBODY in this country seem to be fed niceness through their mother's breast milk. Meeting these Filipinos here makes me hope the Philippines will be the same way! I had some brilliant weeks in Malaysia and I had a smile on my face when Tim dropped me off at the airport. I then checked in and was ready and excited for a new adventure! I hope my coming hosts don't read this last part.
The next morning a nice fellow came in and greeted me while I was still in my boxers. Nicholas, Tim's brother, had arrived from his night shift at the hospital and was eager to see what the brother had dragged into the house. The three of us then went out to get some morning coffee and a light breakfast. The Pang brothers were a lot of fun and conversations never seemed to die. Tim spoke German and Nick spoke with a Geordie accent. I didn't expect to hear either in Malaysia. Miss Volgograd also came and had a chat with us. A Malaysian girl that studied seven years in the infamous city of Stalingrad, where Paulus got crushed by the Russians. I didn't know that the Malaysians were everywhere, but they clearly are!
Moving on from breakfast, we picked up a french cs bloke, Jules, and went for lunch. Another two girls, Val and Angel, came along and we had a nice time finding out how many cows they were worth. Good to know if I come back for a Malaysian wife. We dropped off Nick and Jules and went to play get some strange jelly dessert and play some pool. In the evening the Pang's and I went to pick up Sadiq, a Nigerian friend of theirs, and we went to a very nice bar called Station One. The two girls from earlier arrived as well and I enjoyed good company my last night in Malaysia. That eveing I also got beaten by a local Philippino at the fish market. Ending the night with some sega rally at the arcade in good Asian style and a walk at the pier made the day complete. The girls drove us home and they all enjoyed an evening chat while I fell asleep on the couch. I'm not used to being up after 12 anymore.
Tim took me out for breakfast at a place run by Filipinos. The girls serving us were super nice and cute and were laughing all the time. They didn't want my last ringits as tip and gave them to Tim. So far Malaysia has been the friendliest country I've ever been to and EVERYBODY in this country seem to be fed niceness through their mother's breast milk. Meeting these Filipinos here makes me hope the Philippines will be the same way! I had some brilliant weeks in Malaysia and I had a smile on my face when Tim dropped me off at the airport. I then checked in and was ready and excited for a new adventure! I hope my coming hosts don't read this last part.
2012/02/15
Sabah
We left Brunei with boat to a duty free island called Labuan. We spent an evening there, strolling the streets and eating cupcakes. The next morning we took a boat ride to Kota Kinabalu, the biggest city of Sabah. The ride was pleasent and we spent the hours watching Korean pop music and nanny McPhee. We checked into a guest house called Lucy's when we arrived. She locked us up in the evenings and slept with the key. A nice place, but quite hazardous if a fire would break out. James visited a friend that was on board a cruise ship that was in town. Sloppy, the girl and I went out to see if we could arrange a mount Kinabalu trip. Unfortunately it was a public holiday and the travel agencies were closed. Instead we wandered off to the bay and mall. We played some games at the arcade and had waffles.
Early in the morning the second day we headed up Kinabalu national park. We got up to a nice lodge in the mountain side with a nice view and fresh air. Being limited by time and funds, we arranged for a one-day trip to the summit of the mountain for the next day. The first day we only strolled around the foot of the mountain until the skies opened and the rain pored down on us. We spent the rest of this day in the little museum they had there, looking at some huge insects. Half an hour in the museum shop, mocking Rainman shopping gay hats was also fun. In the evening we were resting at the lodge, reading books and watching The Voice.
In the morning at seven o'clock we showed up at the park and got ourselves a couple of guides. We started walking up to the base camp. It was quite steep and we spent an average of thirty minutes per kilometer. When we got to the base camp it started raining a lot. Trying to get to the summit proved too difficult and dangerous. At 7.5 kilometer the guide advised to stop, and five minutes later, the park ranger called him and ordered him to stop. The last kilometers are quite steep and one has to hold a rope. The rain started to flood the mountain side and it got slippery. The rope wasn't the best under these conditions either. Walking there was probably one of the scariest things I've done so far on my trip. Gutted by not reaching the top, we walked down again four hours. We were cold, wet, tired and disappointed, but it had been a massive day. Looking back some days later, it was actually very nice, although we failed to reach the top. The view was stunning when we were able to see through the mist. And watching the clouds and mist flow over the tops was also cool.
A taxi driver picked us up the next day and took us to the hot springs. We had a canopy walk first and then splashed around in the pools. The water was boiling hot and I was only able to put my feet into that water. The time had come to move on. We jumped into a bus that took us to Sepilok. While James slept with his head comfortably on a poor Malayan's shoulder, Amir and I were laughing our asses off. We enjoyed watching pictures from messy nights in Bangkok, and when the girl behind us bursted out in laughter, we understood we weren't the only ones looking at these images. It was dark when we arrived in Sepilok and on the way to our hostel, we saw a snake road kill which was quite cool.
After sleeping one night, we went to see some orangutans at the local sanctuary. This was our last full day together and we spent it playing table tennis and pool. In pitch black darkness, Amir, a staff member and I went biking to get some last tiger beers. It was a nice ending and I beat James in every game we played. Good for my self esteem. We were also hanging out with a Canadian girl, and since Rainman had lifted his ban, she was allowed to sit with us. She gave me some insight to Korea and ticket prices and essentially made me add Korea and Japan to my itinerary. The next morning we had a last breakfast together and then I said good bye to the girl and the boys. Three great months travelling together, all the way from Chiang Mai, had come to an end. I was alone again, but it wouldn't be for long.
Tobben, a Swede that had showed up, and I played some games of table tennis before we hit the jungle with a crew of fifteen or so. Among them were a couple of great English as well, a mother and son. The mother beat me in table tennis, the son crushed me in badminton. After a van and river boat ride, we were at uncle Tan's camp in the middle of the jungle. It was a really cool place, with a muddy football pitch, badminton net and a network of huts. We played a bit of football and then the first of the safaris started. We had morning, evening and night safaris, both in boats and on land. It was really cool and we saw a huge python crawling down from a monkey tree, scorpion, spiders, long nose monkeys, macaques, lizards, birds, eagles, leopard car, civet, orangutans and other things. It's the most wildlife I've seen so far. After three days I headed back to the hostel. A German girl that I met at the camp and a couple of Danish kept me company. The guest house had everything I needed and I stayed there three days planning my trip to the Philippines. I was ready to start a new adventure!
Photos:
https://picasaweb.google.com/111895625193387647956/20120209Sepilok?authkey=Gv1sRgCPDU3rvOiubrsAE
https://picasaweb.google.com/111895625193387647956/20120214SepilokJungleCamp?authkey=Gv1sRgCOm1jJTZvoSB4QE
Early in the morning the second day we headed up Kinabalu national park. We got up to a nice lodge in the mountain side with a nice view and fresh air. Being limited by time and funds, we arranged for a one-day trip to the summit of the mountain for the next day. The first day we only strolled around the foot of the mountain until the skies opened and the rain pored down on us. We spent the rest of this day in the little museum they had there, looking at some huge insects. Half an hour in the museum shop, mocking Rainman shopping gay hats was also fun. In the evening we were resting at the lodge, reading books and watching The Voice.
In the morning at seven o'clock we showed up at the park and got ourselves a couple of guides. We started walking up to the base camp. It was quite steep and we spent an average of thirty minutes per kilometer. When we got to the base camp it started raining a lot. Trying to get to the summit proved too difficult and dangerous. At 7.5 kilometer the guide advised to stop, and five minutes later, the park ranger called him and ordered him to stop. The last kilometers are quite steep and one has to hold a rope. The rain started to flood the mountain side and it got slippery. The rope wasn't the best under these conditions either. Walking there was probably one of the scariest things I've done so far on my trip. Gutted by not reaching the top, we walked down again four hours. We were cold, wet, tired and disappointed, but it had been a massive day. Looking back some days later, it was actually very nice, although we failed to reach the top. The view was stunning when we were able to see through the mist. And watching the clouds and mist flow over the tops was also cool.
A taxi driver picked us up the next day and took us to the hot springs. We had a canopy walk first and then splashed around in the pools. The water was boiling hot and I was only able to put my feet into that water. The time had come to move on. We jumped into a bus that took us to Sepilok. While James slept with his head comfortably on a poor Malayan's shoulder, Amir and I were laughing our asses off. We enjoyed watching pictures from messy nights in Bangkok, and when the girl behind us bursted out in laughter, we understood we weren't the only ones looking at these images. It was dark when we arrived in Sepilok and on the way to our hostel, we saw a snake road kill which was quite cool.
After sleeping one night, we went to see some orangutans at the local sanctuary. This was our last full day together and we spent it playing table tennis and pool. In pitch black darkness, Amir, a staff member and I went biking to get some last tiger beers. It was a nice ending and I beat James in every game we played. Good for my self esteem. We were also hanging out with a Canadian girl, and since Rainman had lifted his ban, she was allowed to sit with us. She gave me some insight to Korea and ticket prices and essentially made me add Korea and Japan to my itinerary. The next morning we had a last breakfast together and then I said good bye to the girl and the boys. Three great months travelling together, all the way from Chiang Mai, had come to an end. I was alone again, but it wouldn't be for long.
Tobben, a Swede that had showed up, and I played some games of table tennis before we hit the jungle with a crew of fifteen or so. Among them were a couple of great English as well, a mother and son. The mother beat me in table tennis, the son crushed me in badminton. After a van and river boat ride, we were at uncle Tan's camp in the middle of the jungle. It was a really cool place, with a muddy football pitch, badminton net and a network of huts. We played a bit of football and then the first of the safaris started. We had morning, evening and night safaris, both in boats and on land. It was really cool and we saw a huge python crawling down from a monkey tree, scorpion, spiders, long nose monkeys, macaques, lizards, birds, eagles, leopard car, civet, orangutans and other things. It's the most wildlife I've seen so far. After three days I headed back to the hostel. A German girl that I met at the camp and a couple of Danish kept me company. The guest house had everything I needed and I stayed there three days planning my trip to the Philippines. I was ready to start a new adventure!
Photos:
https://picasaweb.google.com/111895625193387647956/20120209Sepilok?authkey=Gv1sRgCPDU3rvOiubrsAE
https://picasaweb.google.com/111895625193387647956/20120214SepilokJungleCamp?authkey=Gv1sRgCOm1jJTZvoSB4QE
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