Philippines??????

In Palau we had heard that a typhoon had hit the Philippines, so we were not sure whether to go there or to go back to Thailand...

The information flow here is quite slow. Now I feel that if it doesn't happen at our doorstep, it's not a big deal...

So we started searching again for Thailand. Since we had booked our return flight from Manila, we considered changing it and flying back from Bangkok...

When we arrived in Manila, after countless messages on the internet and joining a Facebook group about the Philippines, we decided to travel to the Philippines. The only problem was that we had researched Thailand and not the Philippines, so we decided to visit a travel agency in Manila. We arrived at night and had a room right across from the airport, which we had specifically booked... so we checked in and went to bed...

In the morning, we went to the airport to get information, which turned out to be very difficult because no one knows anything, and it is really frustrating... and there are no proper travel agencies or information centers...

By evening, we realized that we hadn't achieved much that day and needed to spend another night, so we found accommodation for another night...

We found out that we could reach our destination by bus because it is on the mainland. Then someone advised us to ask the receptionist, which we did... while continuing our search, we found out where the buses depart. We wanted to go out again... then a Filipina came who knew something and was sent by the receptionist. She tried to find out something over the phone, but it didn't work. So we all got into a taxi and went to the bus station, which was nothing like we expected. It was an oversized garage with buses running, people wearing masks, and endless chaos, chatter, and foul-smelling exhaust fumes... due to the Christmas season, all the buses were fully booked for three to four days. So we went to the next bus terminal, but it was the same story there, fully booked for the next four days. Then there was another one where people sat in the bus station all night waiting for their luggage, lying in the dirt. And it was survival of the fittest to get a seat on the bus...

So, we didn't need that. We had to rethink and come up with Plan B because we didn't want to spend more days in Manila. I don't like big cities anyway, and Manila is definitely one of the cities I don't want to explore. It's fun to ride jeepneys or tricycles for a day, but the exhaust and smell are unbearable. Now I understand why so many people wear masks here...

First, we thought about going to an island called Palawan...

So far, we haven't found as much information online as here, and we are constantly searching for where to go, how, when, and where...

Time for a break... tomorrow we'll go snorkeling again. 😉

In the evening, we looked for a flight to Palawan, booked it, and decided to spend the next day relaxing and indulging in wellness activities... Our luggage could be stored, and our flight was at 7:30 pm, so we had enough time...

The next day, we arrived at the airport at 4:00 pm and were able to check-in relatively quickly. When we reached the check-in counter, they couldn't find our tickets, and the search in the computer began... After finally accessing the internet, I found out that the flights were canceled half an hour earlier... so we had to go from point A to point B and then back to point A, and then to point C and back to point A again...

Finally, we arrived at the ticket counter, and there was a huge line in front of us, but luckily we managed to get through with a little complaining, and we got a seat. Phew... it was stressful, we thought we would have to spend another night in Manila...

We had already booked our accommodation, always for one night just in case. And in this case, it was good because when we arrived in the evening, it looked nice from the outside and in the courtyard, everything was made of bamboo with a hammock and seating outside. But then when we entered the room, it turned out to be a small cramped space with a bed measuring 1.50 by 2 meters and only one square meter of space in front. Luckily, a suitcase could fit under the bed. There was no air conditioning, only a fan... and the shower was practically above the toilet, so you could take a shower while sitting on the toilet. So, we immediately booked something else and moved the next day. The new place was much better and bigger... and now we could focus on our activities...

Our plan was to find a laundry service because our suitcase was running out of clothes, then we needed a cobbler because Mona's shoe was broken, and we also needed a travel agency... and we found everything, especially a very competent travel agent who provided us with excellent advice and sold us two tours...

But I must say, those were two beautiful snorkeling trips that had something to offer... well, one was a snorkeling tour and the other was a tour of an underground river that is about 8.5 km long. We could enter a few kilometers of it with a larger paddle boat and a guide, which was very impressive...

I have some pictures of that, but here, internet connection is a problem, so no reception...

In Palawan, there were many large fish but no beautiful corals. Here, there are still many beautiful corals, but mostly small fish...

From Puerto Princesa, we went northwest to Port Barton, a smaller city than Puerto Princesa. We had a tour booked there as well... we had to search and ask a lot to find what we wanted... here, too, the room wasn't as promised on the internet, so the first thing we did was drop off our luggage and start searching... and then we spent two days snorkeling and relaxing on the tours. This time, after some searching, we found a private boatman who gave us a fair price. He took us where we wanted to go, so we added another half-day tour the next day... and we found some great reefs to snorkel in...

However, at lunchtime, when leaving the boat, I sat down and ended up with a huge bruise on my tailbone...

The next day, we continued by van to El Nido, which took about four hours and wasn't very pleasant because of sitting for so long... In El Nido, we also went out on the water a day later... but here the waves were stronger, we were dropped off at the beach, which was not so convenient with these waves. This time, it was my middle toe that got injured, just a bruise, but I only noticed it later... thankfully, it wasn't too bad, a bit bruised and swollen, but I can still walk... after three days in El Nido, we continued by ferry to Coron... another island...

Since a volcano erupted 60 km from Manila, we are now also considering changing our travel route again, if the airline allows it without extra cost. But we still need to find out about that. It's quite a search because we don't know what will happen with the volcano...

We couldn't change the flight for now, so we decided to extend our stay here for an additional two nights. Then on Sunday, we will fly to Legazpi via another island (Cebu), which is west of Manila... We'll leave our return flight to Frankfurt on hold for now because no one knows what will happen... and slowly, we've had enough. Traveling in the Philippines is very exhausting, lots of questioning, searching on the internet, long distances... and it's hard to find peace... maybe now, on the last stretch...

Okay, now I'll try to upload a few pictures... I have no idea if it'll work...