Me, Apple and JJ took the tiring bus ride to Olongapo and Subic Bay. We'd been before but didn't know the area well - we initially wanted to stay within SBMA - the old US Navybase - but accomodation there is v expensive, so we stayed in an area 20 minutes away called Barrio Barreto. Arriving there we were a little concerned about the possibility of a seedy side - a hangover from the US base. Travelling with a child it makes you more aware about the seedy behaviour of some westerners there, so we didn't spend much time at all [View Full Entry]

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Christmas day in the Philippines is so different to the UK. Shops and malls are open, and it really seems to be business as usual. The obvious difference is that almost everyone seems to have the Noche Buena celebration when Christmas Eve turns into Christmas day. The Noche Buena is when families get together - many of them balikbayans and give presents out to their immediate and sometime extended families. If you are family oriented it's a nice get together. My experience was with Apple and some of her immediate family, but also cousins from the US of A and Japan. [View Full Entry]

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We'd heard (read) good things about Ilocos from the various guide books, and Apple knew that investment over the years in the area was high cos of the Marcos connections in the area. Heading North the area was more serene that most of the Philippines. We stoppped off at Santa Maria on the way to look at a world heritage listed baroque church designed in the classic earthquake proof style. The church was fantastic, and in most cases - no other tourists. We chatted to some local ladies who confirmed what we knew - that they still love Marcos up here! [View Full Entry]

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Took a flight from Cebu to Clark and then on a bus to Baguio for about 7 hours - the views from the bus were spectacular - almost alpine - and the Wombats on my mp3 player fitted my mood perfectly - cos I was about to meet my asawa after not seeing her for 11 days. We met up and sampled the food at the SM mall which as malls go isn't too bad, especially as we found a restaurant that serves the holy grail of beers - Cerveza Negra. We went to a traditional Igorot village -Tamawin Village - [View Full Entry]

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One of the reasons I chose to travel to Bohol was to see the Tarsier - a crazy monkey-bat like creatyure with huge eyes and a rotating head. The animal is endangered and Unique to the philippines. Bohol is also famous for the chocolate hills - a crazy mound of hills made from Coral over thousands of years. I suggested the trip to John - he agredd to split the taxi. Then Sharon from London came along, and we met another Girl called Anna, who also fancied the trip, so that was great! Cheap trip - split 4 ways!!! Result. Also [View Full Entry]

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So I went for my next day of dives with the Dive shop on the beachfront. We wet to 'the sanctuary' just of Alona beach. The clarity was amazing and the variety of fish just brilliant. I was calm and serene watching the fish swim by. Then my breathing became very difficult - from my training I realised it was likely to be C02 not being removed from the aqualung, so I breathed deep and calm. It just got worse until I could not breathe. I made this clear to my instructor and unfortunately he didn't realise that I was having [View Full Entry]

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Finally got to Panglao Island, off the coast of Bohol by taking a ferry from Cebu City. I travelled with John - a Scottish guy who (believe it or not) had just been stabbed in Manila by 'hold-uppers'. Being a Scotchman he decided not to let go of the money belt even after being faced by a knife. Instead he had a scuffle and got stabbed in the leg. The hold-uppers got away with just blood. He had to go to hospital for a few stiches and was a bit worried about being in the philippines cos this had happened within [View Full Entry]

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Arrived in Cebu and was pleasantly surprised. Much more my cup o tea than Manila. I was really interested in the history of the place so had a nosey round Fort Santiago, and Magellans cross Monument - apparently containing fragments of the original cross that Magellan used. Decided to start talking witht the locals, but remembered that Pinoys don't understand a Lancashire accent. I decided to experiment and talk like John Wayne to see if I was understood. Unbelievably it worked!! I then tried to speak the Tagalog I've been learning over the past couple of years, only to realise that [View Full Entry]

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After a long and tiring flight to las Islas Pilipinas I left Apple in Manila and took a flight to cebu. The flight was delayed, just what I needed after travelling for 24 hours already... Finally got to the pension house and had a nosey at the Historically and Internationally significant Mactan Island. This is the place where Ferdinand Magellan (remember him from history lessons - the portuguese working for the Spanish KIng) was slain by the local chieftan Lapu Lapu for going a little too far. Not that it stopped the colonisation of these Islands. Years later a second Spanish [View Full Entry]

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So 6 northern lads decided to venture down to the 'big smoke' in Colin's much lauded bongo van. Pickup's previously derided satnav did the job and we got there in fine time. We decided to do the weekend in style and camp in south London. As soon as we arrived we went to the nearest local for some good old cockney hospitality. We seemed to walk through a portal on the way into the pub because we ended up in some sort of yardie joint that had no customers or beer....but seemed to be doing a roaring trade. We escaped through [View Full Entry]

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