I was happy to arrive in Coron Town, but not so excited about the 30 hours of travel it took to get here. The day after I arrived I started my Advanced Open Water diving class, which is 5 dives in two days, which turned out to be a bit much for my body. The diving was great and they included some basics as I had not been diving in 15 years. The first day was very basic, we worked buoyancy and navigation skills.
Read MoreSagada is as different from the rest of the Philippines as Darjeeling is to the rest of India. It’s an oasis of beauty with a slower pace. After an 18 hour journey to get from Manila to Sagada, I arrived at my guest house and was invited for coffee and cake by some educators, they were in the region for a conference on curriculum for indigenous children. They were going caving that afternoon and invited me to join them. I jumped at the chance and got changed.
Read MorePrior to World War II, Manila was known as the “Pearl of the Orient,” now it is just an over crowded asian city with as much smog as Beijing and the smell of Calcutta. I did not find much about Manila to make me like it. It’s worth maybe a day or two at most perhaps a few days longer if you use it as a base for day trips. I’ve ruled it out as a place I might want to live in. I did encounter the best scam I’ve ever come across there, perhaps I’ll write about that later.
Read MoreMy todo list is growing shorter, I’m scouring budget tour guides and making contacts in SEA (Southeast Asia). If you know friendly people in SEA please feel free to make an introduction! I’m counting down the days. I can’t wait to start exploring the Philippines!
Read MoreSix weeks until I get on a plane for the Philippines! I’ve got a one way ticket and a rough plan. I’ll be traveling throughout Southeast Asia (SEA) for 3 to 6 months, then I plan to live in Thailand for a year. There are lots of loose ends I need to tie up before I leave and I’m making progress.
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