The sightseeing we did in Manila was pretty limited to the area we were staying in - there wasn't too much that grabbed us and we were more than ready for a few days in one place without rushing around. However, even staying around the area we were based in gave us a great impression of the place and the people who lived there. Everyone was extremely polite to us - Sir and Madam to everyone, and most people we passed greeted us. On the other hand you could really get a sense of the sleaze/danger of the city with girly bars and guns carried everywhere. The bars made us smile - if they needed new staff they advertised for 'Guest Relation Officers' - a great euphemism. One of my favourite things at this time of year was being in a Christian country complete with Christmas music and decorations everywhere. I nearly bought fairy lights to decorate every room we stay in from now until Christmas. Then thought this might be a bit silly.
We worked out a plan pretty quickly and decided that, in the time we had, we would be sensible to limit ourselves to one area - Palawan - rather than trying to see too much. At this stage of the trip I think we both appreciate spending a few nights somewhere before having to move on. With a flight booked to Puerto Princessa we had a couple of days to make use of the kitchen, (steak and sauteed potatoes - I filled the whole place with smoke but it was tasty!) go the the cinema (Harry Potter on the release date) and drink a few cheap beers with people we met. The night I stayed up till 8am was a slight mistake, and definitely wrote of the following day... Kev also sampled one of the Philippine's most tasty dishes (apparently) - Balut. Otherwise known as fertilised egg. You could see the chick forming inside as he ate it. I decided there are some things I can live without trying.
Our flight to Palawan was uneventful - about an hour flight with Cebu pacific - the Easy Jet of the Philippines. With one difference. I was amused to be told that they would be now playing some exciting games to win prizes. If you could name 3 colours beginning with 'P' you could win a airline bag. A new take on in flight entertainment! When we arrive in Puerto Princessa (the capital of Palawan) we were amused by it's size - it felt like a small country town, but they maintain that it is the largest city in the Philippines. They achieve this by simply calling everything within a huge radius Puerto Princessa, even if it's in the middle of nowhere. We've now been in Palawan for about 10 days so I'm a little behind, but as the internet is free for 20 minutes at a time (and I've been writing this at top speed), the rest will have to wait!
