Loading...
Start a new Travel Blog! Blogabond Home Maps People Photos My Stuff

Sniff, it is over.

Manila, Philippines


GROOVESPOOK:
I have Sarah's loaned backpack on, once more (huge props!!) and am leaning back against it on the bed at Hedefes Cottages, prepped and ready to go.  I am super sad.  Said goodbye to "grandma", the lady in charge of these huts overlooking El Nido bay. 

Watched Nuttter, my financier, pay the bill and I grabbed a coffee. The sea out front is still, like a mirror, and wonderfully reflects Cadlao Island. 

Even the cockerals don't bother me this morrow. I am a little excited about the 6 hour van ride as we have had a lot of rain so the roads might be muddy and dodgy.  We secured the front seats with the driver so we will have the most leg room and a panaramic view.

The Flip is fully charged so I can get this rollercoaster ride in HD.  Maybe. One never really knows how this will pan out...

SIX HOURS LATER...

We didn't end up in the front seats of the nicer of the two vans. At the last minute we were shunted into the older, smaller, unhappier van. 

We watched as racial favoratism reared it's ugly head and all the Filipinos got comfy in there whilst all the backpacking, gangly, longer-legged, white-folk joined us and bitched about the lack of leg room.

SIX HOURS LATER...

Tried to get a bit of the trip but aside from a twenty minute section of one-laned, mud-splattered madness it was a pleasant, non-event.

We are now sitting in a slightly less dodgy, cold-water-only but AIR CONDITIONED room waiting it out till our flight tomorrow morning for Manila, then, after a night there, STEAK AND WHISKY, I mean, HOME!

This whole trip has been a bit of a rollercoaster with what seems like 3 seperate, dream-like vacations mixed in. 

Nuttter has done such an awesome job of organising everything and managing to deal with yours truly at the same time. I am so blessed and there is no way in the world I would have ever experienced SOOOO MUCH AWESOME WORLD without her.  She is a trooper!

THE NEXT DAY...

Especially today she troops.. We are at the airport awaiting now, our plane to arrive and take us to Manila. Palawan has seen fit to gift my wonderful Nuttter with a cold. 

Boo Palawan, boo!

Traveling is always touch and go with Nuttter. It amazes me that she has managed to "local bus" it around almost all of S. E. Asia knowing what I know now about her motion sickness - let alone some ugly, stuffy, sinus yuckiness.

Crazy!

CUT TO 10pm in Manila.

We beat the local taxi driver in Manila into actually using the meter as opposed to making up some ridiculous fare, with the help of the local police - I kid you not - and just got back from the Green Belt Mall in Makate.  An awesome, restaurant-filled mall, replete with everything from TopShop to Rolex to an Apple store!!!

I just spent more pesos on a meal - Porl style - then 3 days of our usual budgeted meal allowance and am pretty damn content.  Nuttter is still ill unfortunately and it is 10:10pm which is 10:10am at home.  I am about to get onto home time by staying up as long as possible so that I die on the plane and be well rested when we get to EWR.

Or I might fall asleep now.......

permalink written by  Groovespook on August 2, 2010 from Manila, Philippines
from the travel blog: Nuttter and Groovespook go Philippine island hopping
Send a Compliment


comment on this...
Previous: Snorkeling is so passe Next: The End.

trip feed
author feed
trip kml
author kml

   

Blogabond v2.40.58.80 © 2024 Expat Software Consulting Services about : press : rss : privacy
View as Map View as Satellite Imagery View as Map with Satellite Imagery Show/Hide Info Labels Zoom Out Zoom In Zoom Out Zoom In
find city: