My Trip to the Philippines

Let me first start by saying that I have been meaning to do this for a while now. Every time I think about writing a post, I feel overwhelmed by the amount of stories I want to share. So much has happened since my last blog that it is too much for one post. So I’ll just have to write retroactively, and hopefully I can cover everything I want to share. Just a note – as you obviously noticed, I’ve had trouble posting photos on this blog. My guess is because of the Great Firewall of China. I have to use a VPN to even be able to post this blog, and I’m pretty sure that’s why the photos don’t work (it works when I view them here in China). But I’ll give a link to my Facebook album so you can see my pictures there.

Let me start with the Philippines. In China everyone has their national holiday in the same week. Needless to say, with so many people traveling in one country at the same time, things can get a bit crowded and hectic. Some friends and I decided to avoid the craziness and leave the country for our mid-semester break.

Nichole, Maria, Kayla, Zach (our solo male on the trip!) and I set out on our adventure. We spent one crazy night in Manila, where we somehow ended up staying in the red light district (…don’t ask), before heading out to the beautiful island getaway of Boracay.

Within minutes of stepping off the plane in the Philippines, it became apparent what wonderful people live there. I’ve never traveled to a place where the people are so genuinely friendly, happy, and eager to help. They seem to truly appreciate tourists there, and everyone will welcome you with a big smile and a “m’aam hello!” Oh, and did I mention that nearly everyone speaks English? I must admit this was a big relief coming from China, where nearly every interaction with another human being presents a new communication challenge.

Boracay reminded me a lot of Thailand – beautiful white sand beaches with clear blue water, world-class snorkeling, cheap cocktails and delicious cuisine. One thing the Philippines definitely has over other countries is its live music scene. It seems like every person we met, from our tour guide, to the security guard at our hotel, to our personal trike (think tuk-tuk) chauffeur, could either play guitar or sing. Zach and I definitely seized on this musical opportunity, and sang several songs karaoke style with a live band at our favourite hangout, Charls Bar. There was even a Filipino Neil Young lookalike singing Heart of Gold!

The best day by far in Boracay was the day we rented our own personal catamaran boat to take us around the island for the day. The weather was postcard perfect…in fact, even with multiple applications of sunscreen, almost all of us managed to get sunburnt! The trip around the island was beautiful. We took a stop to snorkel, which was some of the best snorkeling I’ve seen since Thailand. Then we made a stop on a near private beach, where our guide, Dean, and the boat crew cooked up an amazing grilled seafood lunch, with tiger prawns and a whole red snapper that we quickly dug into on our little picnic spot on the sand.  The last stop was on a beautiful white sand beach where we enjoyed some beach volleyball and a few (okay several) rum and cokes. What a day!

I would definitely recommend the Philippines for anyone who wants to experience the beautiful beaches and scenery, and the warm and friendly people. Although I can’t say for sure, my guess is that the Philippines is similar to what Thailand used to be like before it became a huge tourist destination, and a mecca for young backpackers. It was definitely hard to say goodbye to Boracay and make our way back to the reality of life in China….actually, who am I kidding? Life in China is not reality; it’s basically a vacation in itself!

Here is a link to my Philippines Facebook album : The Philippines Album