Our flight was going directly from KK into Clarke, and not Manila which was a MASSIVE mistake as it took a gruelling 3 hours on a cramped mini van to get into the 'centre' of Manila. Now Manila doesn't actually have a centre, just lot's of mini centre's in all the towns they have. We got dropped off at the Mall of Asia and again as standard on a travel day, stuffed our faces with McDonald's and got our first taster of the Filipino people and the Peso. From my previous job back in the UK we regularly had to speak to people from the Philippines and they sounded like robot Americans.. and now, I was experincing this for real! The lady at the counter who served me my large quarter pounder with cheese which probably cost around 1GBP was extremely robotic as she called me Ma'am yet she was surprisingly pleasant.
The advice we had been given was to take a meter taxi as the price would be fixed and then there would be no arguments. HA.
We wondered over to the taxi rank, gave the address which I wrote down specifically, and gave it to our designated driver. The only problem was, he had no idea what I was talking about or what he was seeing on the page. After speaking Filipino to his little mates, he was like 'OK, OK' and off we went. Before we commited to this journey we asked for the estimated price and we were told around 200/250P which was only around 3GBP and would take about 40 minutes so we hopped in and hoped he actually knew where he was going! Again, HA.
He drove and drove and drove until he finally started to ask people for directions that eventually, he knew where he was going. The total on the meter was around 240P and we all agreed to give him around 280 to save the messing around with change as we all had 70P each to give him. This is where out first encounter of 'real' Filipino's began. We went to pay and he mouthed off that he wanted 500P which we were all so startled at as it was double the price and so confused as it was a meter. He then pipes up that it's to cover the cost of the toll bridge.Off course we kick up a fuss and refuse but he is having none of it. He starts to get a bit nasty and as we go to get out the taxi he locks the door and we realise that we need to stay in incase he drives off with our bags. We start arguing more and his arguement was that we basically just need to pay but ours which is much more fair was that we showed him the address, we asked a price, we were giving him more anyway and the most important one.... he didn't tell us anything about a toll bridge costing 200P. Becky and Ben decide to get out the car and get some help from the people at the hostel and me and Caroline guard the bags in the taxi. The Filipino owner comes out and starts arguing in the rain for us and this lasts around 15minutes. Eventually... she goes to call the police, Becky and Ben get the bags from the taxi, we pay him 300P and we escape the taxi driver which the Filipino called a 'very very bad man'. What a lovely start to the 'holiday'.
We decide to spend one day in Manila before planning to make our way down south in the Visaya Islands to Boracay. And that one day was more then enough, for an entire lifetime. We had heard that in Manila if you aren't stuck in traffic, your talking about being stuck in traffic which cannot be more true!
To get to the Mall of Asia, took us an hour and a half! We had to get a tricycle, bus, and then a jeepney (Filipino version of a taxi) which are frickin awesome and only cost 8P for one journey. Although if these were come to the UK, they would get vandalised and no one would probably ever pay.. yet such a good way of getting around. Annnyyywaaayyy... once at the Mall of Asia which is too big for my liking and we had finished looking round we attempt the way home and I could have cried. Some teenage scrubber boy touched my bum then grabbed my arm so I punched him in the arm and firmly said 'don't you dare touch me' which I then realise, could have potentially got me stabbed or something. Waiting for the bus, we couldn't find the right one and were then told there was no more going back to where we wanted. We waited for half an hour and asked every single bus and they all just said NO and then luckily... we got on the right one and made the 2nd hour and half journey.
Once back, we sorted our flights out for the following day and we were Boracay bound! This is what I had waited for! PARTY TIME!
We get up early and go to find a taxi to take us to the airport but a very helpful local then advised us, after 20 minutes of walking.. that no taxi's operate that early in our area. Awesome. We then flag down 2 tricycles and get them to take us to where we can find a taxi and are instantley hassled by a local offering to help, but then it turns out, he just wanted money off us for helping.. and not a good deed of the day. The cost of the taxi was 500P and the cheeky helper wanted 100P of the 500 which the driver seemed OK with. We get a taxi and arrive at the airport and the driver asks us for money which all of us then pipe up... we have already paid you. There was a bit of a debarcle and he started screaming at us that he was going to call the police and we were shouting back as he had 500P in his hand but he was claiming this was his own money. We then ask each other, who paid him, and it turns out, no one did and it was his money and he was right. OOOOOPPPPSSS!!!
We arrive in Kalibo and then get a 2 hour bus to Cataclan and then a glorified canoe to the island of Boracay, in the rain. Where is the sun? To get to our accommodation we have to take another tricycle and it was a rather hit and miss jounrey up hill and then another argument over payment which had already been agreed. We were right on this occasion and also won on this occasion. To greet us at Frendz was the owner and a nice cold San Miguel. Becky unfortunaterly came down with a bug that night so was left alone in the room (which had been upgraded for us to a family room) with the tv on and some dry toast.
Myself, Caroline and Ben went and sat in the communal area and within 10 minutes there was 15 of us playing the card game 'Arsehole' which has now become a firm favourite thanks to Kevin ka Ireland. As there was so many of us, no one had an actual name, just country... so when anyone needed to talk to anyone it was Ireland (Kevin) Finland (Petri) Slovenia (Matej) Australia (Tyler) Montana (Peter) Canada (Eric) Tariq (London) DC..forgot his name, Lightbulb, also forgot his name and a few others but without sounding mean, not of any significance to the trip. The owner couldn't have been more friendly and after an hour, just came up and said, who want's another beer, and they were brought right over. Heaven.
That night and for the next 5 we had what I like to call a 'porch party' on Ireland and Finland's balcony porch and basically just got smashed. For a quarter bottle of rum, it was 30P.. less then 50p yet the mixer was 60P.. but I still wasn't complaining. Again, all 15 or so of us would gather round the porch and sit on whatever seat you could find and play Arsehole, Fuck the Dealer and Fire and Ice! All of which were a sure fire way to get you going the way you wanted... WASTED! Each night after the little porch party would be the usual routine of going out around 12.30/1am to one of the nightclubs and continuing the chaos to be followed by the disgusting when sober but tasty when drunk burger joint burgers on offer at 2 for 50P (I think). I shudder just thinking about those. Literally.
One thing which you shouldn't probably say to someone when you know have only known for several hours is that A) you sound common and B) becuase you sound common, you sound poor. This was Lightbulbs interpretaion of me and Caroline as we were from Manchester. I obviously kicked up a stink and believe me, he got some names back. Dick head. Oh, to be original, mine and Caroline's nicknames were me - M1, Caroline - M2. M standing for Manchester. There was clearly nothing more outstanding to clarify us to the group. Not even Blonde or Brunette. Or more significantly, tall or short.
Our second day on the Island and after no sleep and still probably drunk, Ireland and Slovenia had told us that they had hired a sailing boat for the day and that we were more than welcome to join. Which we did. Caroline wasn't feeling too well from the night before so she stayed in bed and me, Becky and Ben went along at the cost of around 2GBP for the whole day split between us all. At first everyone just brought water and snacks but then a few people grabbed some beers and then it became a DIY booze cruise. I am so glad I did this trip as we left the beach around 1pm and came back at 6 but sailed round the entire Island and saw some beautifl settings whilst necking a rum and coke. Back on the beach for sunset was one of the most amazing I have ever seen. Pink, blue, purple red, and yellow filled the sky and I was beyond snap happy!
Sadly, Becky's time was coming to end with us and on her last night, she came out and still partied hard with us, and what a night it was. Ireland being Irish, liked a good old drink and got bit carried away with himself.. so much so he thought it would have funny to pick Becky up and throw her into the sand! This did not go down well! As you can imagine. As she sorts herself out, he barges over to me, thanks to Australia, and picks me up fireman lift style, drops me in the sand and then to kick me when I'm down, throws some in my face. I actually could have punched him, but I called him some naughty words and ran to the sea, stripped off for a de cleanse of sand and went back to face the music. At this point, everyones night had gone a bit sour and Becky and to call him what everyone else does, Straaalia, plotted a plan to get him back. Staaalia called Ireland over and Becky just threw a glass of water over his head and then threw sand in his face! He didn't look happy but oh well what a shame. Myself, Caroline, Slovenia and Canada were then all sitting out the way and as Ireland walks over, Slovenia just gets his drink, and chucks it in his face again. At this point, I was worried and we we all just suddenly ran out and went down to the other end of the beach to a different club hoping ireland wouldn't follow. The rest of the group all suddenly arrived, but no Ireland so we knew it was safe and still partied til 4!
I luckily woke up at 7 the next morning, to hear Becky just about to leave and for what should have been an emotional goodbye, really wasn't. I stood up out of bed, gave her a hug, said goodbye and I think before I even turned back round, I fell back into bed and was away with the fairies. But yet again, still no hangover!
Myself and Caroline were trying to figure out what to do with our time in the Philippines as we had heard the island called Palawan was meant to be amazing but we didn't have the money to fly and it would have taken around 2 days to get there via boat. We agreed that as long as we were having fun in Boracay we would just stay and party for the full 2 weeks. However, that afternoon on the stunning beach setting we were lucky enough to be in, we were all sat in the glorious crystal turqouise sea and Slovenia had mentioned that he was leaving, and so was Straaalia. After 10 minutes, it was sealed. 6 of us, and a maybe Ireland were all leaving the following day to follow Slovenia further south to the island of Bohol.
No comments:
Post a Comment