Hello friends! Finally managed to leave the Philippines. What was supposed to be a 2 or 3 week visit ended up being nearly 3 months. It was so much better than I expected. Strange enough the Philippines are not discovered by the majority of the tourists. To keep it like this we all have to be quiet about it. So don't tell anyone.... Don't!! |
As you know I returned to Boracay to celebrate Christmas with the Santiago family, who adopted me like their son. While most of you were having a white Christmas I was enjoying the outdoor fiesta (actually the 2 days following Christmas) of their small village in the mountains. Very enjoyable!! |
Though my main activities these last few weeks have been not more than eating, sleeping, talking, swimming and reading, I had a few active weeks when my friend Jim arrived in Manila. We made the appointment to meet in the zoo in front of the elephants. The only elephant was not there (hiding somewhere inside) but we still managed to find each other. Jim gave me an update on all latest events in my little country and brought me papers and magazines. Main news was about the father of the girlfriend of our future king. Very interesting, I suppose... |
After having tasted some of the nightlife of Manila we headed north to the mountains of Luzon, to Sagada. We saw hanging coffins, went into wet caves, walked in an underground river and lost our way every day. For me it was easy to have someone around who was well prepared and knew exactly what he wanted to see. Because after a year of travelling you tend to get a bit lazy when it comes to sightseeing. |
We had some rain and because of that I put my camera in the plastic bag which I normally store my medicines in. A day later I didn't remember that and reported my camera stolen... But apart from that all went smoothly. After a week Jim went south in the direction of Borcay, where he said hello to my sisters, while I stayed up north a bit longer. |
Met with Rita and Chris who turned out to be the owners of Nuts Huts, my favorite lodge on Bohol. We had some active days together and the highlights were the rice fields of Batad. You can only reach them by foot. And according to the modest Filipinos this is the 8th world-wonder. |
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In the area there was also one of the biggest waterfalls I have seen. (the 9th world-wonder ?). Together with Chris I took a swim and... 3 days later I got really sick. |
After 4 days of high fever and a strange resize of my ears I found a doctor. The 70 year old doctor, who didn't stop talking about the red light district in Amsterdam where he had been 30 years ago, said it was just a bit of flu. Didn't believe him but the pills he gave me did a good job. Nice colorful pills too which contribute to the psychological healing process. Of course a bright orange pill works much better than these dull white pills we have in the Netherlands... |
During my illness the weather was very bad and though I was in Legaspi at the foot of "the most perfect volcano in the world" (world-wonder 10 ?), the Mayon, it was in clouds all the time. So I left and went to Puerto Gallera another 14 hour bus ride where I had to sit on the floor since the bus was full (I managed to bribe myself into the bus). By the time I arrived there I was sick again maybe because I ran out of orange pills... |
So I stayed in a nice bungalow at the sea for a week to really recover. Just one day I went out with a jeepney, but it got stuck in the mud... After that it was time to get back to Boracay for Christmas. We had the appointment that I would be there before Christmas eve. Informed myself and everybody told me there was no problem in getting a boat to Boracay. But when I came to the ship office there were thousands of people there. |
The many leaflets in the office all started with "our valued customer" and that gave me some hope. But when I reached after 3 hours queuing the ticket booth they asked me for my number. Number ???
- I have no number. Then he pointed to the longest queue I have seen in my life. |
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I have managed to stay cool during my trip in Asia, because loosing your temper is not done in this area of the world, but I can tell you that this time the steam came out of the ears of this valued customer. |
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So I lost a valuable day and took an alternative route to Boracay. Spent my Christmas Eve in a hotel in Roxas and the lovely owners invited me to celebrate Christmas eve with them. The day after on Christmas I took a dangerously overloaded boat to Boracay where my sisters were still waiting for me. |
Now I am back in Bangkok. Next few weeks I'll be in Burma. Like always I met with my Thai colleague Kannaporn from Lucent who told me all the company gossip and informed me about the D and E-level functions available within the company... |
