Cela roams around: Manila

Boracay is famous for its white beaches. I was not aware of that but it’s first tourist destination in Philippines. What’s more not only for foreigners but also for local people. Actually it’s full of Filipinos, what’s really nice. I must admit that I enjoy it so much more this way than the other like in Thailand and Vietnam where beaches were full of farangs.

Filipinos are the most friendly people that I’ve met. They always smile, speak decent English, help you. This is how I got place where I’m staying right now. We were in Caticlan, arrived there quite late, when there were no more boats to Boracay and we met those local girls who were trying to arrange transportation to Boracay and did all the good job to get it. One of them was renting rooms and as her place was full showed us house next door where a family is renting rooms, so we got one.

Traditionally during holidays I’m sick. Sore throat, fever, runny nose, so most of the time I spend either walking along the beach or sitting and reading. I must admit that I even go into the water as it’s so warm that it can’t make me any harm. I was told that it’s 28 degrees (sic!).

When I thought I’m already better I went to kite surfing classes and in fact got worse again. Damn it! I’ve even spent all weekend evenings in bed, not going out to party and it did not help. Maybe I should have gone yesterday, as when we went for a dinner to very local place there was that bunch of Filipinos and when we got up to pay they’ve asked us if we wanna give it a try. But a try to what? I’ve found out only when two guys took me by the hand and lead me to the long table.

Apparently they were a crew of a Dragonboat (there was dragonboat competition taking place last two days) celebrating their victory (3rd place if I got it right) and drinking. But how where they drinking! There were three tables connected together. There was a line of 15 different bottles with booze and there was a shot glass with each bottle, sometimes there was also a bottle of coke in between. And what you were supposed to do was to get one shot after another.

I was the first one to try, but I knew I’m not gonna make it till the end as I was taking medicines to get me going and mixing it with booze was not a good idea, so after four shots I gave up. But John feeling the pressure made it till the end. That event made us forget to pay our dinner. So we had to go back there in the night to pay.

I was not planning it but in the end I’ve decided to stay here till the end. Especially that I don’t feel like traveling when I’m sick and bearing in mind that way home will be tough. Four flights in a row, transferring between terminals in Manila and Dubai, 17 hours of flights plus some additional waiting times. One needs to be fit for that.

Boracay sun set

Dragonboat warrior

Dragonboats ready to take off

Dragonboats with their crews

Filipino party people

John is taking shots

Very romantic, ain't it?

Coconut tree climber

Jump up

So I'm on the road again. Dubai was nice (yeah I'm gonna be back there quite soon), especially last days when I did indoor sky diving, met my Dubai friends and was getting ready to go to Philippines.

Sky diving outfit

Cedric was doing quite well on his own. But he did that before.

Skydiving tube. BTW look at the hair pulled out of the helmet by the wind.

I required some help from the staff, but after the first run I was doing not bad too. I even flew 8m high.

On Thursday, after busy day in the office I got to the airport with a colleague cause I was trying to send my bag with him to Warsaw, but it was not possible (Austrian charges 30e/kg). So I wanted to try cargo (forget it) but in the end I gave up. I decided to take my big luggage with me to Manila and store it somewhere.
I dropped my luggage and went to Warehouse in Le Royal Meridien to meet some friends to say goodbye. My flight was at 3.45 a.m. so I had some time to kill as it was 11.30 p.m..
After I went back to the airport I got really surprised how busy it was at 2 in the morning. Whole terminal was full of people. Although there were no queues and surprisingly I managed to smuggle whole bottle of shampoo in my hand luggage. I don't know if it was only my lick, as the guys at the security were rather relaxed and had fun there or what.
When I was going via passport control there was Emirati guy checking my passport and asking me where do I go. I told him Manila. He asked if I'm going alone.
- Yes I do.
- Oh, but it's boring alone (he was laughing already).
- No, It's not. It's even more fun (meaningful laugh).
That was good start.
Later it got only better. I took my sleeping pills before boarding and when I was getting on the plane they've already took effect so I had to hold the wall to be able to walk. Even funnier was when I woke up for the second meal, I've started to eat it and I asked guy sitting next to me if he remembers if I had my first meal cause I cannot recall it. Insane? Well, I tend to be insane sometimes ;D. I remember seeing some food, like a roll and fruits but I don't recall any taste.
I got to Manila at 4 p.m. Left my luggage at the airport n a storage room and took a cab to the Friendly's Guest House. As soon as I've arrived there I knew that, that's the place to be. In an instant I I got that SE Asia feeling. Freedom, joy, world belongs to me feeling. I went upstairs to the balcony, get myself a bottle of beer, took a sip, asked a group of guys sitting at the table if I can join them and the party started.
Unfortunately it was holly Friday so not much was going on in the city itself but we had fun at the balcony. They've showed me some photos from St. Fernando - crucifixion. I wish I arrived one day earlier to see that...

It's easy to join this kind of group, a sin fact everyone is a single traveler

View from the GH

On Saturday on the other hand with one of the guys (actually Polish guy) we went to do sightseeing. And that was load of sightseeing. Not a single minute was wasted.
First we went to the Chinese Cemetery

Kids at the entrance playing with water. Indeed it was shot day.

Chinese cemetery. All tombs are in small houses, where (depending on the richness of the family) there are bedrooms, tv, toilet and so on. In front of them there are small chimneys to burn faked money. This is to send money to the dead people as they might need it there where they are now.

Dead ppl also want to receive letters ;-)

They call it Alcatraz here

And Beverly Hills (90210?) . In Beverly Hills houses have two levels

You will even find white house

Kids' graves

Silent highway

Chapel with figures of Buddha, Jesus, Maria, Magdalena, Confucius

Ash house

From the cemetery we took a tricycle to go to see a cock fight

Tricycle ride

Cocks are first made angry. Small cock bites them to rise aggressiveness level.

In the same time ppl are betting. I dunno how they do that, there is such a noise that it's insane. They give some signs to the guy who takes bets and apparently it works,.

It was a break in the fight

After a cock fight we walked the streets and took jeepney to Chinese district and Intramuros. Actually with jeepneys we were rather lucky. Lonely Planet claims that you never manage to take the correct one for the first time and in fact we never got lost. We went through some slums where I got robbed (my necklace was pulled), through a park and got back to the guest house.

Looks good? Tastes even better. We've managed to try a little bit of meat and crispy skin. We wanted to buy tiny bit but they offered us small piece to taste.

Some more tasty pigs

Jeepney. Gift of God. Philippines are 90% catholics and actually you can see christian signs everywhere

Street vendor

Chinese district

It was impossible not to enter any church. To make things better I've been to four of them....

Kids on the street

First I've thought it's a dead body without a head. Only later I've seen that it is puppet stuffed with wood. They will burn it in the church on holy Sunday. I suppose it's Judas.