Day One + Two – Manila

The day started out in Japan funnily enough (not really, I mean we did start out in Osaka but it wasn’t really –that– funny) and we sent ourselves packing off to the airport limousine bus service located down in central Hirakata. Before long we ended up at the airport and went for a bit of Starbucks (I didn’t buy anything ;P) or rather Angie did, being a bit jealous I went off in search of food and found a crepe and a hotdog at reasonable airport prices, who won that little battle? me!

Umm then we decided it would be best if we got into place ready for our flight, we lined up like normal people, got our boarding passes and proceeded towards security, that’s when it all went wrong! We didn’t put our little bits and pieces (by bits and pieces I mean, toothpaste, contact lense liquid and make up etc) into a see through plastic bag as so many signs started indicating! Oh by the lord what ever shall we do Angie exclaimed! Or to something to that extent, needless to say she seemed to think we had to follow some sort of protocol.. being the security protocol or some such. Now me, with my wealth of international airport experience (one flight. ;D) I decided it would be much better if we just went through.

Boarding pass and passport on the ready!

We did, nothing extra extraordinary happened. We waited for our flight, caught it and we were off to the Philippines! During the flight we took a few photos of islands we were passing and whatnot, it was kinda fun seeing little islands we would never visited, a one thing we noted was that the terrain was vastly different (very flat in areas) and seemed to have random fires throughout.

We landed and got our paperwork underway so we could be free of the airport, now I know this isn’t important but Ange lent me a really shit pen and it stained my hands! It took around 3 days to be rid of those stains! Grrr, and then to make matters worse we somehow found ourselves in a special line for taxis, the hey lets rip you off taxi line. Being our first experience with this line we went for it, just intent on getting to our hotel in one piece. One of the different things coming from the lets rip you off taxi line is that they put you in really posh type taxis that aren’t really marked to well to be taxis, just really posh car. The result? A little kid coming up to our car and peering in. He looked a little like this.

A boy on the street looking into the tinted windows of our flash car.

Continuing on, we found our hotel which was nice and quaint and immediately jumped back out and headed down to the fourth largest mall of Asia! SE Mall of Asia or some such. We got there, via Johnny.

Johnny was our taxi driver, he asked us how much we were going to pay him we said 100 pisos, he said okay and that was that. Before I knew it I was giving him the 100 so he could fuel up a little, right after that his car stalled in the middle of the street leaving us like sitting ducks, we reveled in the moment. Quick as a queasy fat guy to the restroom the engine roared into existence and we were on our way, not of course after receiving abuse from every motorist on the road and a grin from Johnny.

Johnny's car needs a lil work though!

Upon arriving to this mall we noted yet another few things in our mental notebooks. The security guards had guns, big guns, shotguns. It was really kinda cool and I wanted to get loads of pictures of them, I didn’t (they had big guns! Shotguns!) – but I did of an armored car! Anyhow, this place had loads of stuff and we set about going shopping and whatnot. Soon I became bored and we somehow ended at a hair salon for Ange to redo her hair the way she wanted, they said it’d take 2 hours. What was I supposed to do for two hours? Oh but of course!

I had my CHEST WAXED, yes the entire thing and no it wasn’t that painful at all. There are two parts of the procedure that I’ll say sucked, the highest point on your chest where your neck starts going upwards and all that stuff below your belly button. But being the man that I am! (who got waxed, it’s okay guys.) I took it like a man and now, right now, I have a pristine pale white chest that I am trying to tan a little.

Pretty new shiny hair!

So Angie completed her thing, we did some shopping got some food and headed back home. The next morning we woke with renewed vigour and wanted to do some shopping in areas that were more, or rather less touristy and pricey. So we went to god knows where, (Angie knew the place but she’s not god) and the ride there in itself was such an experience. We passed what I can only describe as poverty, people that have sunk to some of the lowest strungs of existence that could surely exist. And not of their own accord, their own doing or faults but because what they were born into. It was saddening and enlightening at the same time.

Theeen we went shopping and I bought a cool backpackers backpack like the one we borrowed from Sara and some sunnies! I’ve never owned a pair of shades so I think for me, a big step and should be blogged! After said shopping we left that district through crazy traffic and jumped on a plane down to Kalibo Airport where we headed to Boracay Island.

Stuck in traffic with a photo opportunity.

Quick note on Manila traffic and road rules in general in the Philippines, non existent! We saw cars literally intersectioning with no direction from people or lights, it was absolutely crazy. We saw two accidents in the short time we were commuting around the city!