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Asia » Philippines » Batangas » Batulao January 5th 2019

Another weekend getaway with my former colleagues during my annual vacation to trek one of the scenic mountains in Batangas, Mt. Batulao. Also a great way to greet 2019! It has been more than a year away from home and one of the activity that will relieve me from stresses of working abroad is to be with nature, to be with friends, long drive, bulalo (beef dish from the Philippines. It is a light colored soup that is made by cooking beef shanks and marrow bones until the collagen and fat has melted into the clear broth), enjoying the views and meeting new people. Mountains are a truly magnificent work of nature. They are art molded intricately into various shapes and sizes. Each of them has a charm that is unique only to them. Some are ... read more
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Asia » Philippines » Cebu December 30th 2018

The fast ferry (passengers only, no vehicles) to Dumaguete on the island of Negros, was a smaller more beaten up craft than the one to Siquijor. Open class (the cheap seats) weren’t on top this time, but were at the back with the luggage. Everything was dirty looking. Once again it was a perfectly flat sea, albeit not glassy like the first. We were grateful for this given there was a tropical low (downgraded typhoon) not all that far away. A shorter journey we were there in less than an hour. This was the leg of the trip we were freewheeling. With our flight back to Hong Kong leaving from Cebu City halfway up Cebu island and it being a long and narrow island, we had debated the night before whether to take the left coast ... read more
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Asia » Philippines » Siquijor December 27th 2018

Tagibilaran port was busy and you have to queue 3 times, if like us you’ve bought tickets in advance; once to change your online confirmation into a ticket, once to pay a small port charge and once to check your luggage in (which also costs extra). Usefully at this port each is next to the other and we’d arrived when the queues were short. We had open class tickets, the same price as economy we prefer to be outside, this turned out to be on top, we had a roof and plastic drop down sides but it was a beautifully calm day. The waters were crystal clear and there was not a ripple it was had to believe this was the ocean. Definitely the flattest calmest waters we have ever sailed. With a journey time of ... read more
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Asia » Philippines » Bohol December 25th 2018

The dog sleeping on the runway didn’t seem to mind our jet landing, and the pilot and the airport didn’t mind either. We’d read Bohol airport was moving but in a couple of months to Panglao Island from Tagbilaran City so were surprised to find we landed in Panglao. The terminal isn’t quite finished, but apparently they switched last month. This was a bugger for us as it was farther away from where we were heading so meant a more expensive fare. Taxi touts wanted 800 pesos. We always play it cool and act with no urgency, as the more passengers come through and they haven’t got a fare the price usually goes down sharply. We’d got one down to 400 pesos and were about to accept when a tuk-tuk arrived to drop someone off and ... read more
Accommodation you could stay at forever
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Asia » Philippines » Mt Pinatubo December 21st 2018

By 10am we were on the road out of Sagada heading to Mt Pulag. We stopped for lunch in Banaue. Alfredo knew a good place and we had a fantastic vegetable curry between us out in the balcony with a view over the town. It was a little boring going partially back the way we’d come but that all changed in the next town of Lagawe when a tuk-tuk drove into the side of the car, it hit the back as Alfredo swerved. They both pulled over, clearly no deal could be done (payment) as a few minutes later they were both off to the police station as Alfredo needed a police report to claim on the insurance. He was calm but pissed, the car wasn’t his it was his boss’. It was better we didn’t ... read more
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Asia » Philippines » Negros » Dumaguete December 19th 2018

Following on from MoalBoal our next scheduled destination was a few days away for Xmas. To fill in the time I planned a side trip down to an island called Siquijor. I had read that it had some of the best snorkelling around the area. To get there was a bit of a mission. Step 1. Take a tricycle to the main road. These tricycles are a smallish bike, our first one was a Honda 125, with a side car which could squeeze 4 people in so just enough room for Shelley and I. Step 2. Catch a bus to a bus station close to the port at the south of the island. Our first bus journey the previous day was a disaster. We had chosen seats at the front which I physically couldn’t fit in ... read more
Old School Fire Engine and Wiley’s Jeep
Alice in Wonderland
Multi Purpose toilet and rubbing bin




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