Typhoon Tarsier..

Guys your travels still look amazing. Can't believe you are still going while i have returned to the rat race that is life! Sat in my office (I say mine, as i am the only one in today) get very jealous and wishing i was still out there. Kim and I have just moved into a nice little cottage in Leeds, so things are starting to look up. Keep having fun. James

Someone seriously got offended, lol, shame that i am the one who always agree most when people criticizing my country. No offend but this is opinion of mine. It is unlikely Philippine among the poorest in SEA. For me the big gap between the social structure shows a sign of improper development plan, which is happening to most of the developing countries now(almost all i would say, when ppl use the public wealth for their own good). The rich ppl getting richer and poor getting poorer. Yeah, sad but it is true, and gives others the impression that the country is poor. Safe trip and looking forward to you guys next entry!

Erik is stupid
don't mind that idiotic guy, I'm Filipino and I don't pretend to think that the Philippines is either well off or doesn't have a poverty problem. Erik is the idiot for denying it and actually compares the homeless issue here to the U.K. if that doesn't prove your an idiot I don't know what does. I think he is one of those people who only wants to hear praises for this country, and delude himself to thinking everbody adores it. 90 percent of Filipino's trust me knows the challeges the country faces, just some morons who bullshits themselves to thinking otherwise. I love your blogs honestly I thinking your giving your honest oppinions without bieng asses about it.

erik is a moron
im from the philippines and ive travelled abroad so i know that manila is a dump compared to singapore, or even bangkok. but im not ashamed of it. that just how it is. every place is different. i glad you liked your stay

Read between the Lines
Dale, don't even assume that this guy Erick is Filipino he prolly lives somewhere else in SE Asia with a highly developed Tourism industry for which he has a stake i.e. hostel, bar etc. I feel his comments are precisely well written to give you guys a bad impression of our people, not to mention our country in general. The fact is, poverty exists in any country in the world although with varying degrees and seeing the reality for yourself is part of the adventure. The mere fact that it stared you straight in the face shows the lack of pretensions on our country's part in contrast with other countries in the region which are trying so hard to mask it by putting up walls on their shanty towns to hide the eyesore from tourists. I feel Erick's comments are precisely tailored to give a bad impression of our people and country in general by way of reverse psychology in order to divert and preserve future flows of tourists and hard currency to say the least, towards another competing country in the region.