Leaving The Philippines

After a few failed attempts I managed to get a trike from the hotel to the Puerto Princesa airport for 10 Pesos, the standard charge for locals is 8 Pesos but the trike operators will try to charge anybody easily identified as a foreigner anything up to 80 Pesos for the 5 minute journey. This constant overcharging of tourists is one of the annoying aspects of Asia travel that seems to be accepted by most as just part of the deal. Not sure how well it would go over in Australia, America or Europe if all tourists were routinely charged more than locals? I understand that developing economies need to raise as much revenue as they can from tourists to help with the development of infrastructure but this is just straight out profiteering from a select target. It was put to me by the hotel management that white people should be happy to pay more because they're rich, she didn't have an answer to my question about why rich Filipino's aren't asked to pay more. Another area tourists are targeted, is with beggars; I was sitting in the park on Puerto Princesa harbour just trying to have a peaceful reflection on the last few weeks of travel but was constantly harangued by kids asking for money. A group of three police stood close by chatting but ignoring the beggars, that is until the beggars started asking more affluent local people for money, then the police went into action and moved them on.
The highlight of the trip for me is Coron on Busuanga Island and I think any trip to Palawan is not complete unless it is included. From conversations with locals and tourists alike I've concluded that the most scenic parts of Palawan are north of Puerto Princesa so for those with limited time to travel this is the obvious area to concentrate your efforts. I'd still like to travel to the southern areas but I'd rather do it on my own terms by either buying or arranging a long term rental of a small motor bike. Cheaper beach cabins can be found just a little way beyond the boundaries of the main towns but these are often not discovered for a day, after having already booked into something more expensive closer to the drop off or landing point. Camping would also be an option for the more adventurous as there are numerous beaches between towns where I'm sure you could find a shaded spot to set up a small tent. Some of the villages have put in rest areas with a small shop nearby, they are designated as day use only but a few casual inquiries indicated that an overnight stay may be negotiable.
I'm at the Manila airport now with mixed feeling about leaving. I'm looking forward to being in Shanghai again and very much looking forward to spending a week taking my wife shopping and sightseeing but I also feel like I've just scratched the surface here and there is so much more to see.
I think I'll be back.

Subterranean River National Park March 16th

Despite booking the tour and checking twice on the pick-up time, the tour van didn't arrive so I did what I should have done in the first place and made my own way there. I jumped on one of the “mini jeepneys” doing the rounds in Puerto Princesa to get to the new Central Bus Station, it's a bit out of town at the new Central Markets site; cost to get there 12 Pesos. Found the one and only bus to Sabang, it had the left rear wheel set complete with axle, brakes and hub removed, BUT they were working on it and people were already sitting in the bus seats in anticipation of leaving. I inquired and was informed that the departure time had shifted from 0900 to 0930. As it was only 0830 I figured I was in with a chance so sat and waited. True to their word the whole shebang was reassembled and we were on our way at a bit after 0930, although I didn't have a whole lot of confidence in the repair job seeing out the trip; the smell of burning brakes was pretty bloody strong for the first 50KM or so. The bus has obviously seen many many trips to Sabang before and fortunately completed yet another. I particularly admired the way the large rust holes in the floor facilitated ventilation and how the roof was pressed into service once all the seats inside were occupied.
Sabang is in the throes of a development boom with the increased national and international awareness of the “Underground River”, touted as being the longest navigatable underground river in the world.
Visit, www.puerto-undergroundriver.com to check it out, there's a link to a very informative video on the web site.
I didn't actually find the cave to be that spectacular in comparison the limestone caves I've been into in Western Australia, lacking in the beautiful shawls and long thin stalactites of the later. I do wish I had longer to explore the surrounding area as it is visually spectacular with much higher limestone formations than found further north. I started out with the intent of doing just a day trip but having missed the return bus to Puerto Princesa, I decided not to try too hard for an alternative ride but rather to spend the night there so I could at least explore some of the rain forest the next day.
I found a delightful complex of beach huts with the name “Dab-Dab Cottages & Restaurant.
Ph 09109241673 or 09295350653, it's located at the extreme end of the beach past the boat landing area. No two huts are the same and the owner / builder, Dante Ausan, has created a lovely complex by using traditional building materials in imaginative and daring designs. I was alloted cabin 4, an elevated room with outwards slanting walls and a spiral staircase for entry. At 400 pesos for the night I was very happy. The restaurant building is just as delightful, being constructed completely out of traditional materials but again in a very imaginative and creative fashion. If they ever do a remake of “A Swiss Family Robinson” they would do well to consult Dante for set design.
Got up nice and early for a pre-breakfast jungle trek, saw plenty of monkeys but not much of anything else regarding wildlife. The rain forest is very thick and just like in the north of Queensland it does come right down to the sea. Bummed around for the rest of the morning after my muesli breakfast at Dab-Dab and then managed to secure a ride back to Puerto in a nice comfortable Toyota Hi-Ace van for 300 Pesos. The bus fare is 120 Pesos for Philippines nationals and 200 for foreigners.
Off to Manila tomorrow morning to catch my connection to Shanghai.

El Nido to Puerto Princesa March 14th

Took the soft option of an A/C Minivan although I have a pretty good excuse. I've had a sore throat since arriving in the Philippines and it finally developed into coughing, runny nose and almost total loss of voice. After seeing the condition of people arriving in El Nido from the open bus I decided my throat and lungs didn't need that much dust just now. It was a pretty uneventful trip south with not much of interest to report.
Puerto Princesa is a busy provincial capital with lots of noise and people, I'm regretting leaving El Nido so soon already and I've only just got here. Going to take it easy for a day, I need to get to the ATM and to the Cebu Pacific office to buy my ticket back to Manila and book a tour to Sabang Palawan to see the underground river.

El Nido March 13th

Went down to the town beach in the morning to watch the Bangka racing. These are scaled down versions of the fishing outrigger boats with a petrol powered stationary motor, they all seemed to run the same make and model of engine. The heats started at about 9am with lots of loudspeaker announcements filling in the seemingly endless gaps in proceedings. Decided to head for Squido's Cafe for breakfast and to exploit their free WiFi service. Pretty good food and reasonable prices at Squido's and they don't seem to mind how long you sit there over one drink while you use the WiFi.
Headed back to the beach just in time for the finals of the Bangka Races. This is serious business here and the top boats are turned out like high bred racing machines. The pilots seem to be picked for their slight frames as much as anything else, not an ounce of fat on any of them. A blue boat called “Budweiser” won the day with “Budweiser 2” taking out second place. Later in the afternoon I got to see cock fights for the first and last time. The fighting birds are pampered with the best feed and groomed to a high gloss before battle. A razor sharp blade is securely fastened to one leg of each bird then they bring each bird into the cockpit along with a sparring partner to get them sufficiently stirred up before the bout. The actual event is over pretty quickly with the winning bird living to fight another day while the loser is quickly dispatched to a pot of boiling water to ready it for plucking and cooking. At least it doesn't go to waste. In the evening and in the same arena as the cock fights they held the boxing festival. This was a strictly amateur event, 3 x 3 minute rounds and the fighters were equipped with head protection. The bouts were fought with plenty of passion with crowd encouragement for each fighter fueled by the gambling. Many of the fighters had more passion than skill but it was very entertaining all the same.

El Nido March 13th
Island hopping today in company with the French couple, Fred and Jessica from the room next door.
Fred and Jessica had done a couple of trips previously with the same operator and had negotiated a favourable price for the boat, skipper and lunch. The skipper, Raymundo or his wife, Jocelyn can be contacted on Ph, 09106990115 if you want to avoid the booking agencies.
The boat is based at Corong – Corong Beach so Raymundo had organised and paid for a trike to collect us three from Cliffside Lodge for transport to his beach side house.
After wading out to the boat and loading up Raymundo started the un-muffled single cylinder petrol engine and immediately shattered the morning peace. How Raymundo or Jocelyn have any hearing ability at all after such regular prolonged exposure to that din is beyond me. I have to say that finding a bangka with a different setup of engine will be pretty difficult, from observation they all seem similarly equipped.
The first stop was Hidden Beach, so named due to it being obscured from view on the ocean side by a slab sided limestone island that stands out about two hundred metres from and extends beyond the limits of each end of the beach. Spent a short time here snorkeling, the sea floor was unremarkable but I was lucky enough to find a sea anemone with the Nemo family in residence. Time to try out the underwater capability of my Olympus 850 SW. I'm pretty happy with the result although I have to say it's much more difficult than snapping off shots above water.
From Hidden Beach we motored noisily to Secret Beach, from the number of other boats arriving soon after us it seems the secret is well and truly blown. This is an amazing sight all the same. Access to the beach is gained by swimming through a tiny opening in a limestone cliff into a shallow lagoon, about half and acre in size with a small white sand beach at one end. The lagoon is completely surrounded by walls of jagged dark grey limestone covered in hardy plants.
We visited a few more swimming spots, all of them stunning in their own right but after being surrounded with such spectacular scenery for a few days the impact has dulled somewhat. At one of the beaches we had a lunch of grilled fish and squid with the obligatory rice and a tomatoe salad followed by fresh sliced mango. In my travels in the Philippines I am so far, unimpressed by the cooking. To say it is basic is an understatement when compared to the dishes on offer in China and Thailand. Blue Azul Cafe in El Nido stands out as having made the most effort in preparing the food to add flavour with spices and presenting it in an attractive manner.
After lunch we visited the shrine on Heart Shaped Island, this concrete abomination in an otherwise unspoiled natural landscape is the result of a number of “visions” claimed by various members of the faithful over a number of years. It started out as a wooden cross placed unobtrusively in a natural cave but with ever grander visions has expanded into what stands there today; a decaying concrete dome with a few marble statues of religious significance plus the really ugly concrete pier, doubtlessly built to aid in the construction of the other buildings.
One more stop for a swim on Helicopter Island and then back to Corong – Corong, all in all a pretty good day in good company and with capable skipper and first mate.

El Nido March 11th

Decided to rent a small motor bike in order to explore the area north of El Nido. Bike from “Pit Stop Bike and Car Rental” Ph. 0919 8747178 or arnaudlep@yahoo.fr
Cost of the bike is 700 Pesos for the day 0800 to 1800, the bikes are in good condition and reasonably new at time of writing.
While I don't regret taking the trip it certainly doesn't figure in the highlights of my visit to Palawan. The best of the beaches to be found ar no better than Las Cabanas which can be reached in short time from El Nido for ten Pesos and many of the beaches are not so good for swimming due to them being very flat and shallow. There are also water falls on offer but as this time of year is relatively dry I decided to pass on paying the entrance fee to those. The highlight of the day was getting to meet the lovely friendly inhabitants of the villages. On the whole I've found the people in the Palawan Islands to be openly friendly and sincere, the children invariably greet visitors to the villages with wide smiles while waving and calling out “HELLO, what's your name,” unfortunately this is also followed by “give me money.”
There are numerous little stores along the road and in the villages selling basics so you don't need to carry litres and litres of water with you. At one of the villages I asked if it was possible to buy a coconut in order to drink the juice, the first reaction was in the negative. I had struck up a conversation with a wheelchair bound Robert, a local school teacher who unfortunately, was afflicted with a degenerative bone disease some years previous. Robert was telling me about a celebration to be held in the village in the coming weeks and how they were trying to get donations from the visiting tourists for the purchase of prizes for the children. I pointed out to Robert that most tourists to Palawan were budget travelers who aren't inclined to make donations and who are pretty tired of being asked for money. As more riders arrived I asked them if they would buy a fresh coconut to drink if it was available, they all wanted one, so I put it to Robert that if he could get it organised, here was a way to raise funds for the celebrations. In short time he had several fresh coconuts harvested, prepared and presented complete with drinking straws. At thirty Pesos each, not a bad start I thought.
A fair is in progress in El Nido at the moment. It started with a few food stalls being set up and inter-school sports and has developed into live music acts, gambling games and a whole street of open air food stalls. Buses, trucks and many other forms of transport have been pressed into service bringing people from the outlying villages into town for the big event which reaches it's climax on March 15th.

El Nido Tuesday March 10th

Had a pretty good sleep last night even with the occasional noisy motor bike going past and woke up refreshed and looking forward to exploring El Nido and it's surrounds. The central bakery is just down the road from my lodge so a five minute walk provided me with fresh buns that looked like croissants but had neither the texture nor taste of the French original. Never mind it was edible enough and washed down pretty well with black tea.
The road past the lodge is the main road out of town and heads to the next bay called Corong-Corong; so good that they named it twice? C – C is a loose collection of village huts, beach cabin accommodation and more upmarket resorts as well as a very stylish two storey house with a big sign on the beach side proudly proclaiming it to be the home of Mr and Mrs Walsh. It actually has their first names on the sign as well but I can't remember what they are. C – C beach is not a particularly nice beach for swimming so I kept heading south around the next headland, and the next and the next, finally arriving at Las Cabanas Beach. Las Cabanas is a beautiful beach with fine white sand and good swimming depth within a few metres of the shore. There is little in the way of beach cabins or even village huts along the best part of the beach but at the far end, the less attractive end, a very nice looking resort has been established, called appropriately Las Cabanas Beach Resort. Found a nice shaded spot to rest and went for a swim before lunching on a mango and another imitation croissant. Walked a bit further along the beach for more photo opportunities and then returned to C – C to flag down a passing trike back to Cliffside Lodge.
Spent the remainder of the afternoon sorting photo's and napping. Found a newly opened Swedish Massage booth Calle Hamma Street offering 50% Discount for a one hour massage, on inquiring I was told that an additional twenty minutes for free was on offer as well. Never could resist a bargain and at 250 Pesos for an hour and twenty minutes of massage it well and truly fell into my interpretation of a bargain. Not sure if it was just that I was feeling run down after all these days on the move but I rated the massage as amongst the best I've ever had. Should sleep well tonight.

Coron to El Nido Monday March 9th

Underway on the good ship Jessabel at about 0830 on a balmy Palawan morning with calm seas and a blue sky interspersed with fluffy white clouds. Jessabel is licensed to carry 60+ passengers but today I was sharing with about a dozen so there was plenty of room to both lay around resting and to move about the boat taking advantage of photo opportunities. The passing scenery consisted of islands, some with brilliant white beaches with fringing village huts and shores lined with fishing bankas, while others rose with shear cliffs from the ocean floor and are uninhabitable due to there being no safe landing place.
Schools of flying fish constantly scattered away from Jessabel in spectacular glides skimming the sea surface with just occasional flicks of their tail in the water. To the delight of all on board, crew included a pod of dolphins broached just off the starboard outrigger and followed us for ten or so minutes.
The skipper navigates without the aid of charts, modern electronic aides or it seems even a compass, at times sailing in very close quarters with the rocky outcrops off the tips of islands. In spite of this we arrived safely in El Nido well ahead of schedule and in plenty of time to find a room for the night.
I had heard in Coron that El Nida was pretty busy at the moment so I picked a lodge from my Philippines Guide book and called ahead to reserve a room. I have a lovely traditional room complete with bathroom in a duplex, away from the beach and the noise and at the base of a towering grey cliff. Called, appropriately Cliffside Lodge, rooms start at 500 Pesos a night and they can be contacted on 09197856625.
El Nido is more developed for the tourist market than Coron with more upmarket beach lodges wedged in between the beach huts. There are more shops catering to the shopping needs of tourists, however they all seem to carry the same lines of clothing and souvenirs seen decorating the shelves in Port Galera and Coron. Prices in general are slightly higher than in Coron, I'll have a good look around tomorrow before deciding how long to stay here.

Coron Island and Kayangyan Lake Tour

Island and lakes tour,
As mentioned in the previous posting today was the day for a boat tour around the Coron area. We booked the boat and tour through “Paradise Planet” you can call the manager Dolores Basbas on 090-995-6630 alternatively you can E-mail her at dolores_basbas@yahoo.com
Before going to the boat Dolores took us shopping at the Coron market for the day's food supplies. We stocked up with a nice sized red snapper, a pile of salad items, a couple of bottles of water and a small bag of rice. At this stage the two guys from China were a no show so we were starting to get worried that Hans and I were going to have to bear the cost of the boat ourselves. Dolores did a great job and hunted them down in time for us to still get a reasonably early start. Poor blokes had had a terrible night in a hot, uncomfortable and noisy room and had ended up sleeping through the alarm.
So away at about 0830 with myself, Hans, Mike and Stan. The scenery as we approached our first stop, Twin Lagoon is nothing short of stunning, jagged limestone cliffs rising out of crystal clear water of various shades of blue. We tied up in the first lagoon with a few other tour “Bangkas” (outrigger boats) and donning masks and snorkels swam through a very short tunnel into the second lagoon. Not much in the way of coral here but a reasonable variety of fish including a decent school of barracuda. Stayed about an hour and then off to Skeleton bay for more swimming amongst the fish. Plenty of live coral here and a great variety of aquarium fish. The mooring line is tied to the wreck of a ship, the history of which I have no clue. Swam for about an hour and then off to Kayangyan Lake. The scenery at the anchorage for the lake is alone worth the cost of the tour, it is just beautiful. A path up over the hill and down the other side leads to a brakish lake surrounded by shear jagged walls of limestone. Returning to the bangka after yet another long swim we lunched on the fish and salad cooked and prepared by the skipper and his mate. Stan ever hopeful of catching a fish took off with his telescopic rod and reel but returned empty handed yet again. The rest of the tour was along similar lines with a stop for another swim at a marine sanctuary followed by a visit to the hot spring to sooth tired swimming muscles.
With what energy we had left, Stan and Mike accompanied me on the climb to the cross on the hill for pics of the sunset and panoramic views of the islands around Coron.
Tomorrow off to La Nida by Big Bangka.

First day in Coron, Palawan

The Ferry “Our Lady of Good Voyage” docked around 0630. Shared a trike into Coron town and started the search for cheap accommodation. The first two places in my price range (up to 500 pesos) were booked out and the third was too close to the Jeepney terminal so was rejected on account of noise.
I found a great room just 100 pesos a day over my targeted price range but it comes with free tea and coffee plus free internet connection so I jumped at it.
Krystal Lodge is a traditional style building built over the water, they have rooms at 600 pesos and cabins at higher rates, depending on size and fit out. The rooms and cottages are connected by a system of elevated pathways which are all linked back to a central bar and relaxing area. My room is equipped with a double bed, western style toilet and cold water shower. There is also a bunk over the bed which could be pressed into service by a couple traveling with a child.
Contact for Krystal Lodge is Ph. 0928-2252090 E-mail: mhye_310@yahoo.com.ph
The town itself has little to offer the tourist in the way of shopping or entertainment but exists more as a service hub for offshore diving attractions and a variety of onshore attractions, the later of which I intend to explore in the next day or two. Went shopping in the central market and for just over 200 pesos I have enough fruit to keep me going for two days, in general things seem cheaper here than in Sabang and thankfully there are no touts to negotiate every time one steps outside the lodge. Enjoy this place while you can, I'm sure the Higher prices, Disco's, Nightclubs and Girlie bars will soon find their way here.
Had dinner at a very nice restaurant called “Kawayanah Grill Station” it's on the National Highway just out of central Coron and has a big bright sign so it's difficult to miss. Plenty of traditional Philippines dishes as well as a selection of international dishes, big servings and cheap prices with well trained staff.
Reservations at Ph: 632 915 7210809.
Exploring the area by sea tomorrow with an Austrian bloke I met on the ferry and two guys from Shanghai, should be an interesting day!

To Coron via Manila

Remembered on Thursday that the Super Ferry from Manila to Coron on Busuanga Island sails on Friday afternoon so I made the executive decision to take the first outrigger from Sabang to Batangas at 0545 so that I could get a nice early bus to Manila. The plan was to get in nice and early so that I could get to a bank with a functioning ATM and to the ticket office in time to secure a ticket. It was all going according to plan, the crossing from Sabang to Batangas went smoothly, I found the bus to Buendia (the closest stop to the harbour) and got on and waited, and waited, and waited.....
Two bloody hours later it leaves and makes so many stops along the way that I get into Manila with barely any time to do the things I need to do. I would have been better off sleeping for another two hours and using the 0815 service back to the Swagman Hotel.
So here I am on the good ship “Our Lady Of Good Voyage” Super Ferry ticket office Pier 15 South Harbour.
www.superferry.com.ph info@SuperFerry.com.ph
The ferry was scheduled to depart at 1600 but ended up departing at 1720, I hope this means a slightly later arrival in Coron tomorrow morning, the scheduled arrival time was 0530.
Impressions of the ferry; after experiencing the Osaka to Shanghai Ferry and the ferry up to Hokkaido, this is something of a step back in class, akin to comparing the Shinkansin with a China Hard Sleeper train. However it seems seaworthy enough and for the price of the ticket 1,331.59 Pesos it's difficult to complain. For that price I get to share a cabin with 359 other passengers, I think I'll be flying back to Manila from Palawan.

Port Galera Town and White Beach

Had a couple of lazy days sitting around reading and listening to music on my iPod but did manage to get out and do a bit of exploring. Yesterday I took a Jeepney for 20 pesos to Port Galera town. The whole area here is referred to as Peurto Galera but there are a number of small communities dotted around the coastline with Port Galera Town being the largest. The actual port is very well protected and was used as a safe harbour by the Spaniards during typhoons, now it accommodates the Cruising Yacht club and a number of medium size sailing and power boats.
The town has a bank with an ATM but don't count on using international cards here, the best advise is to bring whatever cash you have budgeted to use with you from Manila.
Accommodation in Port Galera runs along similar lines to Sabang, simple rooms with a fan and cold water shower for about 500 pesos up to more luxurious pads with AC and hot watert for 1500 pesos and up. Food and shopping generally is cheaper there than in Sabang but not by any huge margin. Lots of western men seem to have settled here as well, there are houses and resorts here that look very much out of place on a tropical island and to my eye at least are a blot on the landscape.
Today I ventured a bit further to White Beach. This is the best looking beach in the area with fine white sand for sunbathers and deep clean water for swimmers. The beachfront is lined with all the usual vendors selling made in China souvenirs and overpriced food. Given the quantity of bars here it looks like it would be a lively place in the evenings. There don't seem to be any Jeepney's plying the route between Port Galera town and White Beach so I took a trike. You need to bargain hard to get a reasonable price; don't pay more than 50 pesos if you have the trike to your self or 30 if you share.
There is plenty of accommodation on offer at White beach but expect to pay more than at either Port Galera or Sabang.

Jeepney Tour

Took an all inclusive tour today by Jeepney with Sabang Tours, www.sabangtours.com for 1200 pesos.
The Jeepney is designed to carry about 18 people but for a tour would be comfortable with up to about 10 people. Today the tour consisted of me and two others and we were outnumbered by tour staff. I grabbed the front seat and had a great ride. The roads varied between smooth concrete and very rutted dirt but for the most part it was pretty good considering the location and terrain and is undergoing upgrading in the more treacherous spots..
First stop was view point for spectacular views out over Pourto Galera and Sabang. Next stop was Tamaraw falls which is along the main road and could be easily accessed by renting a motor bike from either Sabang or Pourto Galera. The falls are beautiful rather than spectacular and warranted just a ten minute stop for snapshots and more souvenirs for those who want them. On to Tukuran where we exchange Jeepney transport for buffalo cart for the final kilometre or two into a lovely water hole called Hidden Paradise where we had time to swim and have lunch. After lunch we started the trip back via the hanging bridge which leads across the river to Mangyan Village, a sad looking little village with an army camp on the edge of it courtesy of some trouble or protest conducted there by the minority Mangyan some time in the past.
I thought the tour represented pretty good value for money and would recommend it to those who want to see a bit more than beach and dive sites. The only gripe I had was loud disco music in the Jeepney from the time we started out to the time we were delivered back to Sabang.
Went to a nice restaurant in Sabang called simply Bamboo. A good selection of both Western and Philippines dishes but the best part was the complimentary head and shoulder massage while waiting for the food to arrive; now that's an idea that Australian restaurants could pick up.

More Sabang

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Spent the day exploring Sabang on foot, shopping for food and checking email, not a lot to explore but still a necessary process to work out where everything is. At the bottom of the steps from Reynaldo's is Tina's, a small beachside restaurant with pretty good food at very reasonable prices. At the other end of the beach to my lodgings is the busier part of Sabang with more shops and bars and all of the internet cafe's, don't expect fast upload speeds here.

Was fortunate enough to find “Divers Cafe,” where Herman, the owner gave me access to his WiFi service free of charge. “Divers Cafe.” Herman is an Belgian ex truck driver who has made a life for himself in the Philippines with a diverse range of businesses, everything from diving tours to a paintball field. For more upmarket accommodation and diving trips he can be contacted at diverscafe@hotmail.com or on his web page www.diverscafe.4t.com

Sabang

All clear given by the dentist and no charge for the thorough check up which included x-rays of the implants. Last time here I stayed at the Great Eastern Hotel on Makati Ave and while it has seen better days, overall it was fine with quiet and clean rooms. This time round the hotel was fully booked so I had to find something else close by and stumbeld into Simcas Appartelle & Tourist Inn. If you are ever in Manila DO NOT stay there, it's bloody terrible, the noise from the street can only be drowned out by the incredibly noisy air-conditioner.
So onto better things. After a close study of my new Philippines travel guide and some friendy advice from Alan and Erlinda at the dental surgery, I now find myself ensconsed in the dining room at the Swagman Hotel waiting for the ticket office to open so I can secure a van ticket to Pourto Galera. The Swagman Hotel in Ermita ph. 02 523 8541 is a reasonably priced hotel very close to the bay. Tickets for buses to Batangas and to Angelis City leave from here. To book call Gene ph. 0919 6529710 if you're looking for a return from Pourto Galera call Ponce ph. 0915 7494135.
The van turns out to be a very well appointed Jeepney with reasonably comfortable seats and working air-conditioning. The seats are supposed to take two but it would be a bit tight for two average size Westerners for the two and a half hour journey. There are cheaper ways of getting to Pourto Galera, like using one of the numerous bus companies servicing this route but for the extra personal service and lack of pickpockets and other thieves I consider it money well spent. The ticket is a combination Bus/Ferry ticket so no getting hassled at the Batangas end by touts.
The ferry turns out to be a traditional big outrigger boat which provides a safe, comfortable if sometimes wet ride across to Sabang.
Arriving in Sabang is where the fun begins as dozens of touts vie for your attention and the opportunity to escort you to lodgings. I tried my best to get away from them but in the end gave up and got escorted to a lovely little establishment called “Reynaldo's” Ph. 0917 4895609, it's up the hill a bit and at the extreme end of the beach away from the bars and disco's and most importantly it's QUIET and after some hard bargaining, only 500 pesos a night, which turned out to be 100 pesos cheaper than the guide book advertised.

Very happy with my choice of lodgings, it's spotlessly clean, the bed is comfortable, I have a fridge and a small kitchen and the room also has a TV. I have a view through the trees and over the rooftops of the bay where I can see the small boats ferrying divers out to the various dive sites.
Had a nap in the afternoon and a great sleep last night. It was raining when I went to sleep and was still raining when I woke up this morning, it's nice to be in the tropics again.

In Manila

Finally made it to the Philippines. The flight with Cebu Pacific Air was fine, I was at the airport nice and early to book in and was fortunate to get my favourite seat (Exit Row Aisle) and even luckier to have the complete row to myself.
Hooked up with a couple of blokes from the plane to share a cab into the city. Stayed at a lovely old hotel but it was a bit on the expensive side for my travel budget and also in a pretty seedy part of the city so I moved to Makati this morning. Found a very cheap hotel close to the dental clinic and then went shopping for food. Bought a copy of "Philippines Travel Guide" by Jens Peters to assist in planning my trip and will get into some serious reading tonight and tomorrow.

Philippine Dental Services

Courtesy of a combination of accidents resulting in smashed teeth, poor personal dental hygiene practices and a lack of good dental services in 1960's Darwin I ended up with a partial denture from age 12.

Living with a denture is not the end of the world and pales into insignificance when compared to the ailments and challenges faced every day by so many of the people in this world, however I never felt comfortable with it. When Dental Implants came on the scene several years ago I saw this as a way to turn the clock back and get permanent teeth again. I waited for the technology to be proven over several years before making tentative inquiries at dental clinics in Victoria. The result was that I would need to mortgage the house and get a second job to even consider starting the long process.

Later when we moved to China I again inquired at the private hospital on the estate where we lived and this time, while the cost was very affordable, my level of confidence in the skills of the dentists was equally low so I opted out once again. We are after all talking about drilling and screwing things into my skeleton here!

Last year a friend of my sister in-law went to Thailand for dental implants and was pretty happy with both the cost and the level of service so I started researching options again. Without going into too much detail here as to the whys, I ended up choosing Erlinda Dyson in Manila to go and have a consultation with. Google DYDENT to learn more about how to contact them. The main reason I chose the Philippines is that I had read that the level of Dental Services skills there was the highest in SE Asia

Erlinda proved to be a gentle and caring lady dentist who in my experience at least is very skilled and thorough in her work. I ended up having much more work completed than I originally set out to do, but it was all my own choice based on cost and quality. The end result is that I have had a complete makeover, just like on the TV reality shows for tens of thousands of dollars less than the same work would have cost me in Australia. American friends I've spoken with have suggested the same work in their home country would have been upwards of US$100,000.

To date I'm very happy with my choice and with the makeover, I'm still becoming accustomed to having a mouth full of permanent teeth and expect that it will take several months for them to feel completely natural.

Ooops!!

Japan is such an easy country to live in, once you've been here for awhile. There's a wonderful system of buses or as they call them here “Airport Limousines” to take you in splendid comfort from the major airports to somewhere close to home and vice versa. Oddly the buses around Kobe that take us to KIX are called “Salad Express” and are adorned with painted fruit characters smiling and dancing, presumebly happy to either be going on a trip or to be arriving safely home. Luckily for me I managed to experience this bus ride twice in the same afternoon. Somehow with Joy's flight arriving on Monday and me going into Osaka on Tuesday to arrange for her China visa for the Spring holiday, I've managed to lose a day and came to the airport a full day late. While the bus to the airport was just about empty, the return journey is packed out with barely a spare seat.

Thankfully the flight to Manila with Cebu Airpacific is cheap, as even though I took out travel insurance, I doubt I'll see any of the cost returned; I don't think they compensate for stupidity!

So, got back home for one more night and booked a new flight for tomorrow, e-mailed the dental clinic in Manila to beg forgiveness and to ask for another booking. I'll put it down to a practise run, so should get it perfect next time.

From the cold to the warmth

Just had a great week in Niseko trying to improve my snowboarding skills and getting into the Onsen culture and now looking forward to beaches, palm trees, lots of fresh seafood and clear waters to snorkel in. Have booked my ticket with Cebu Airpacific from Osaka to Manila and on my way tonight. Haven't booked any accommodation in Manila but hoping to get a bed at the Green Mango Backpacker lodge when I arrive. The loose plan is to visit my dentist tomorrow and then to catch the Super Ferry to Coron in Palawan on Friday.
Kobe is cold and wet today, Manila will be hot and humid, nothing like a bit of contrast to keep life interesting.
Joy just returned on Monday morning from a workshop in KL and bought me a great little book on the Silk Road.....But that's a future adventure...