Manila

As the Philippines was a 'bonus' stop on our Asia adventure and one we hadn't originally expected to have time for, we arrived in Manila still having no fixed plan of how to spend our time here. Manila was therefore mostly a chance to sort out our plans on where to find good weather and maximise our 3 week stay. We found ourselves a hostel to stay in - dorm rooms for the first time in months. The hostel was great - a large general area to sit and chat and meet people, but also a huge kitchen for anyone to use. This was the first place we've stayed with easy access to cooking and this made me very happy - it's amazing the things you miss, I even enjoyed washing up! (I know, I know, anyone who's ever lived with me will find that hard to believe!)

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!