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[theexploringegg]

Day 79: Off to the Province Land

I had always heard about "the province" from the others and wasn't really sure what to expect, or where it even was. The Philippines is made up of many provinces, and "the province" Melissa was referring to was the one in which she had grown up in Mindanao. Our 5am phonecall to notify us that our cab was waiting awoke us with a start and we scrambled downstairs, arriving at the airport just 15 minutes later. The hotel had kindly packed us breakfast: rice, egg, bacon and watermelon and tita Anne helped revive us with hot brewed coffee from fast food store, Jollibee. We bumped into the bride's mum and brother from a few days before- they were also heading home. The wedding had only been in Cebu as it was safer to do go, I had learnt afterwards. The airport was tiny. We walked from the runway straight into the building and out the other side where our driver, Jek, picked us up. He had started working for Melissa's auntie at just 15 years of age was a well-loved and trusted family friend. As they chatted animatedly in the front, I got a climpse of what "the province" was really like- green rice fields stretching for miles on both sides, palms jagging upwards on the horizon and banana plants everywhere. This was great! The country girl in me was loving it. As we approached the town, Mel was shouting "kwek kwek!" "STOP!" And I followed her out of the car to see what the deal was. Kek Kek is a street food of quail's eggs fried in a bright orange batter, put in a plastic cup, drizzled in chilli sauce and/or vinegar and eaten with the help of a wooden skewer. We had one each- my third egg of the day and it was only 9am. Getting back into the car, I screamed with delight as Merlie was there too! She had hopped in while we had been occupied. All of us were driving along when Mel shouted again, this time, "TAHO!". We pulled up beside a wrinkled man carrying 2 metal buckets carefully balanced on a pole which we rested on his shoulder. Ordering a taho for each of us (soft tofu, sago pearls and brown sugar syrup) we enjoyed them hastily in the car, tipping the cups to our mouths to let the whole thing run down easily. With no more sudden stops, we made it to the town, and called in to see a family friend of Melissa's before going to the mall to pick up ingredients for the upcoming birthed party of the little boy, Jeko. I love looking around foreign supermarkets and was in my element here. I chose some foods to make a dish when we got home, excited to have the opportunity to cook later in the week. We bought a lot of things (our trolley was full) and I was surprised to see how attentive the staff were in packing all of our stuff into a box, wrapping it several times with strong cord and hauling it up into our trolley. I would struggle to find someone working with such fervour and zeal in the UK over what seems a simple service-related task. A job done well is job well done. It was lunchtime by this stage, so we headed to pick up their friend and ate at a local place which had lots of fresh fish on offer. We dined on grilled squid (black with ink), lechon, tinola (seafood soup) and kinilaw- the tuna was so fresh, still like sashimi. With fresh mango shakes to wash it all down- I was getting a good insight into how much fresh produce was available in the province. Filled up by now, we had a 3 hour drive ahead of us to their home area, and so I dozed off after being mesmerised by the incredible views. So much was growing here! Some road-side stalls were selling beautiful hand-crafter wooden Christmas decorations (already, I know) but they were really stunning. We had to pull in to buy some fresh fruit- jackfruit so big and despite the prickly outside, casing the sweetest flesh- a gallon of toba (fermented coconut wine) for the price of a 500ml bottle of water at home and mangosteens. Our snacks kept us going until a quick stop to see some local wooden crafts before arriving at the house, set in the small village which they call home. Mel's grandparents live just around the corner and everyone knows each other here- typical small town life. Mel's aunt Vivian was keen to show me her shop and all the bananas which she had there, as well as other vegetables which we took back for dinner. It was goodbye to mobile data and signal, and time to immerse myself in province life. That meant eating, followed by bed. Life here starts early and ends early in the evening for after the work is done, there isn't much else to do!

[theexploringegg]

Day 78: No Go Siargao

We had two nights planned for the surfing capital of the Philippines- Siargao. I was exited as it also happened to be the Surfing World Cup at the time we would be there, and so it was going to be buzzing. That morning, we had breakfast at home before getting to the airport early, patiently waiting our flight which was around noon. Already looking online at food places in the area and deciding we would eat pizza in Siargao that night, an announcement came on that Merlie and her sister's flight to the province was delayed- we would be leaving before them. However, next thing our flight was also delayed, and delayed, and delayed again. The others had left for their destination, while Mel, tita Anne and I were still stuck in the airport. Growing evermore restless, finally the plane was ready to board. We took the short shuttle to the runway and got our seats, preparing for some rest on the journey and thinking ahead to our evening. About an hour later, I went to check the view and noticed it was cloudy and obscured- a scene which sometimes freaks me out a bit. A "ding" and the caption addressed us: "Ladies and gentlemen, we are very sorry but due to the weather and poor visibility we are unable to land. We will have to go back to Cebu." I looked back at tita Anne who was sitting farther back and she had slept through the announcement- she was in for a real surprise later. On touchdown back in Cebu Mactan Airport, I chuckled to myself at tita's double-take and reaction to the view as she put two and two together. At least we were kept safe, was all I thought, we would just go with the flow. The group of passengers all made a bee-line for the Cebu Pacific desk where the staff were probably trying to recall their training in what to do next. We decided that we would change our plan completely and go straight to the province, meeting Merlie and the rest of Mel's family there. As the staff asked if we were local and had a place to stay the night (we chose an early am flight the following day), we said no and gratefully received a hotel stay with dinner and breakfast as compensation, along with a free one-way domestic flight of our choice. Making the best of a bad situation, they joked that it had been cancelled as I had been so excited, and I joked it was because we had made plans in vein to eat that silly pizza. Nevertheless, we got a really nice room for the night and had a simple but tasty dinner in their restaurant. Never one to rest, tita Anne suggested we go out and so we grabbed a cab in the rain (the porter kindly guiding us out under his umbrella) to a rooftop restaurant and bar called Skydeck. The view of the back night sky, cracked with lightning bolts, was beautiful. To make things better, we ordered that pizza, and desserts and drinks too. The night hadn't turned out how we expected it, but it was great nonethesame! Making the most of our luxuries, we wore our thin towelled slippers for the sake of it and bathed before having a short sleep until the morning when we would hopefully fly and land in our chosen destination, Butuan.

[theexploringegg]

Day 77: Wedding Bells

It was the day of the wedding! Thankfully we had some time in the morning so weren't too rushed- eating some breakfast as well as a light brunch in order to keep us going to evening. Thanks to modern-day advances, the church was fully air-conditioned and we waited on a pew inside, taking note of the style and tutting when lots of people hadn't adhered to the dress code. With not two or three, but nine bridesmaids and groomsmen, the wedding entourage was absolutely huge, and again the planner lady was in full military flow. Finally, everyone was in order and the couples lead the way up the isle before the doors opened with a swoosh, and there stood the veiled bride Iris, looking so incredibly beautiful that my eyes actually welled up. Her dress was huge, the bustier covered in gemstones and a long train trailed along behind her. It was my first time to see a Catholic Filipino wedding and there were some customs I wasn't used to, but was really interesting to see. After the (fairly long) service, we were handed water and pork buns outside (so thankful for a drink!) and got into vans to head to the 5 Star Shangri-La for the reception. Traffic in Cebu is really bad- it took one hour to get to the venue and we used the opportunity to take photos while waiting for everyone to arrive. Thankful again for refreshments, we mingled before finally entering the hall- wow. The chandelier was the wedding cake (or was the wedding cake the chandelier?), flowers were everywhere, lights, a stage, food all around the sizes and tables in white. It was absolutely stunning. Again, we had to wait (nothing ever runs on time), and soon were on our feet for the entry of the newlyweds as initiated by the host (a very lively character in drag). I thought it was an odd thing to have such a comic "wedding host" but it made for an entertaining show for the night as members of the bridal party had to take part in embarrassing games. One table won a quiz and were awaiting their prize of "Apple" products... Would it be iPhones or maybe iPods? It was the kind of wedding which wouldn't have surprised me if so- however they tricked them by handing out apple candies. The buffet dinner was incredible, I was expecting nothing less! Starters of salads, soup and sushi followed by an array of hot mains, roasted pigs of course and finally canapés of desserts and fruits- the smoothest, sweetest mango I have ever tasted and yellow watermelon (wow). The huge cake was finally cute and small offerings went out- we tried the spiced banana cake- but apparently every sponge was different. On asking Iris a few days later, she told me they just left the rest there! What a waste... After food, came photo-taking (everyone wanted a picture with the bride) and then dancing. They had a DJ playing dance music which 2 live drummers did percussion to on top of (great beats!). I got to know some of the other guests (amazing what music and alcohol can do for self-confidence for some) as they began to chat to me (probably wondering what the only non-Filipino was doing there!). The vans brought us back near home and we were back very late. I tried to get to bed as quick as possible after getting my bags ready again (they were never unpacked from Hong Kong) as we were off to the airport in the morning again.

[theexploringegg]

Day 76: Beauty and Banquets.

Thank goodness we were able to have a lie in (i.e. longer than 9am), and there was breakfast on the table waiting for me consisting of sunny-side up eggs, rice parcels, salted fish, rice and native hot chocolate. Yey! After morning fuel we headed into the mall where Mel and I had our nails done- a lovely treat. I pitied the poor lady sawing off months of hardened skin from my well-worn soles but as usual, it was service with a smile. After treatments, we got drinks in the mall while waiting on tita Anne. I had a flat white (the milk tasted horrible though- no fresh dairy here) and Mel had her favourite watermelon shake. Merlie and Anne picked us up a bit later, and we headed home to try on what we would be wearing to dinner later. The bride had invited us all to a pre-wedding banquet! In fear that I would no longer fit into the dress I had got made in Vietnam, I breathed a sigh of relief when I realised it was fine, and the 4 of us got our glam on. The venue for the pre-wedding dinner was a beautiful hotel function room, draped with white material and white circular tables across the room. We realised we had overdressed, but then thought perhaps their friends had underdressed and we were fine (would you really wear jeans and a baseball cap?!). I also thought we were late (it was supposed to start an hour before we arrived), but it didn't start until another 1.5 hours after that (Filipino timing is very loose). The food was great, but very meat heavy. In fact, every dish was meat. For starters, we ate pig (literally, 2 roasted pigs). The a platter of meats was served. Followed by hot food dishes (duck, beef, fish...). And of course, rice (also fried with chorizo). I was thankful for the small bowl of green soup! Desserts were small canapés of matcha chiffon, chocolate and red velvet cakes. I asked for a cup of tea and the man nearly lept over himself to serve me, all smiles. The attention can be embarrassing and makes me feel self-conscious at times. Later on after hugs and smiles, and the wedding planner giving military orders to everyone for tomorrow's plan (girls makeup at 5am... dear me...), we left in the Jazz and headed home to tell Anne the stories of our night's antics.

[theexploringegg]

Day 75: The Philippines Part 2.

Still dark in HK, the streets were eerily quiet as we awoke from our slumber and waited at the bus stop at 4.30am for our trip to the airport. Eyes closed, we travelled just over an hour across to Chek Lap Kok Island, and I could just make out the Tsing Ma longest suspension bridge with both road and rail traffic in the world in the darkness (Bryan had told me to keep an eye out!). We had a quick and smooth journey through all the stages of the airport: check in, immigration and security. The hangar had a high ceiling and had an impressive food court area where we ate breakfast. Tita Merlie and I had a HK style feast of macaroni soup, scrambled egg, bread and milk tea (I will miss these!) while the others settled for the American style fried chicken. I had about 80HKD left in my purse so I figured I may as well spend it, deciding the Rolex and Gucci shops were a bit out of my budget and opting for some cheap souvenirs instead. Sitting in the airport lounge, we were chilling and waiting for the boarding call (it was only 25 minutes to flight time) when we realised we were at the wrong gate entirely. Our flight to Cebu was stopping in Manila first, and our Manila-bound train was going to leave without us! Rushing there, boy in hand, we made it on board. A drawn-out stop in Manila (a surprisingly dismal airport with not much to offer despite being the capital), we passed the time by having lunch (burrito of all things) and eventually got back to Cebu, after about one hour sitting on the runway. We weren't home just yet. The rain was pouring from the heavens and I'd never seen anything like it. I was so shocked all I could do was laugh in disbelief, grinning out at the children who were having free showers in the streams of water sloshing from the tin roofs. I went with my mummy Merlie, her sister and niece to the mall- it took us an age to reach as the roads had flooded- they picked out a dress for the little one, and I chose a pair of shoes for Melissa to wear to the wedding. Now early evening, exhausted, tired and hungry, we decided to eat at the mall. We settled on Filipino fare (encouraging Ataya to stroll past the signs of fried chicken which she was pointing at). We ordered a lot of great food: malunggay (mung beans in coconut milk), bangsilog (fried milkfish), oxtail humba (simmered in soy sauce, vinegar and pineapple juice), lechon cavili (deep fried pork belly- so good), pinakbet (veggies in shrimp paste) and plenty of rice (that goes without saying). Little Ataya had a plate of rice with Milo powder poured over it (I guess UK kids like Nutella on bread, although it does sound horrible). As the weather was still awful, queues for the taxis outside were enormous and so I ordered a Grab. The weather had slowed everyone down however and the taxi was taking an age to arrive, and we almost cried when he cancelled at the last minute. We called upon tita Anne and her mighty Honda Jazz to pick us up instead, and were relieved to finally get back about 9.30pm that night. What a long day it had been! On the up side, Ataya had really bonded with me over the course of the evening (thanks to constant tickling and giggling), and there was a box of Lindors in the fridge. I'd be OK.

[theexploringegg]

Day 74: Nottingham x HK

A later start to the usual 7am alarm and I was off to explore the Mongkok area of HK again before meeting friends later in the day. I decided to breakfast at where I enjoyed one of the best pineapple buns along with a hot, creamy milk tea. My find of the morning was Fa Yuen Street Market where I was able to pick up a bargain pair of sandals for a wedding we would be attending back in the Philippines. Searching for a particular Japanese sweet, I decided to visit SOGO In Causeway Bay, HK island. The department store was amazing, the food hall stocking brands of delicacies from all over the world. I picked up a salted egg yolk croissant from the Urban Bakery which a friend had recommended, and I had read about from food blogger Lady Ironchef. A treat for later. I was standing upstairs by the MRT exit awaiting my friend when I heard "Caaaaandy!" And looked up to see my Nottingham colleague bumping into her school friend whom she hadn't seen in years. She got a double surprise as I went over too, and the two of us reunited after not having seen each other in several months. We were soon joined by another pharmacy friend, Henry, and it was so great to see him on home turf. The three of us got a Fro Yo from Llao Llao (I love this store!) and sat outside the mall, chatting for ages. It was going to be a foodie day- we decided to stroll for some HK style tofu pudding, stopping for a browse at Bowrington Road Food market and canteen along the way. I saw so many types of unusual seafoods and vegetables, from frogs to snake fish and strange looking crabs. Anything can be eaten it seems! Reaching the dessert place, we ordered fresh iced soya milks along with our bowls of streamed tofu (douhua)- one with black sesame and the other with ginger juice. Henry encouraged me to try the odd looking yellow sugar which happened to be ginger flavoured- it really enchanted the ginger taste and was crunchy too. As I hadn't ridden the old-fashioned tram yet, we paid a very cheap fare using our Octopus cards to take us to Central. It was a great idea- we climbed the stairs (the only 2 storey trams in the world), and enjoyed the breeze through the windows as we glided along the tracks, the trams in opposing direction narrowly missing us on the other side. Exiting at Central, we enjoyed the air-conditioning of the mall at the IFC (International Finance Centre) and thanks to Henry's Googling, realised we could take an elevator to the 55th Floor to view the sunset over the city. Finally reaching the correct elevator shaft (the place is massive), the staff told us that we were two minutes late and wouldn't be able to go up. Disappointed, he asked us to try asking the staff at reception who kindly made a phone call, copied our ID's and gave us each a visitor's pass to go up. Thanking her profusely, we pressed the only button on the wall for "55", and zoomed up, my ears popping with the altitude. As we emerged, we passed through displays of information about HK's financial past, changes in currency etc and stared out at the city from the ceiling to floor windows. I could look across to The Peak where I had stood the night before, seeing the city from a different angle completely. We stayed there until it was 6pm (only allowed until closing), handed back our passes and went to our dinner spot: the Michelin-starred dim sum Tim Ho Wan. Bryan and Melissa met us there, and we had some pictures together before Henry said his goodbyes- he was off to meet other friends for the evening (it's always busy when you aren't home for a while!). We had so much fun over dinner- I introduced Bryan and Mel to the gang and we had plenty of laughs over our dim sum. Plates of lo mai gai, steamed egg cake, falcon feet, their famous pork buns, shao mai (pork dumplings), radish cake and cheung fun were consumed. The queue was growing outside and the waitress reminded us we were overstaying out welcome, so we moved on, taking the MTR to visit an old-school dessert place to continue our evening. After walking around in the heat, we eventually found it (using the faithful Open Rice app) and ordered simple fruit/sago/milk desserts- served cold in small bowls. It was so good to have my friends together on the last night in HK! We had to say our goodbyes as we went home on the MTR, a quick squeeze and then they were off. Tomorrow, we would be back to the Philippines once more!

[theexploringegg]

Day 73: Exploring the Other Side of Hong Kong

I was excited for a day of navigating to new parts of HK today- not just the typical busy streets of the city centre but also some of the olden day island life. Getting on my clothes and plastering on the sunblock (I'm not bothered about tanning), I set off on foot to one of the most popular breakfast venues in Hong Kong: Australian Dairy Company. My walk took we along the main road, through a public recreation area with an outdoor swimming pool and people doing tai chi before I reached the restaurant. I was able to spot it before I reached it- a line of eager customers had begun to form and one of the staff was out asking how many were in each party. This restaurant offers a Western style HK breakfast all day, and has been here for years. Still ever popular, it features on Must Eat guides and is top of every foodie's list of must visit places. Being a single, I was matched up with 3 others at a table of 4. Thanks to Bryan, I was already armed with my order written in Chinese which I was grateful for- we were not given one in English! The man sitting next to me spoke English too and told me he had been coming for years. The four of us ordered the same thing: macaroni in soup with sliced ham, thick cut toast with rich, yellow scrambled eggs and a milk tea. It sounds like an odd combination- pasta with toast for breakfast, but it was surprisingly good. The milk tea was so creamy and delicious too, not sweet either. My new found friend, Patrick, explained to me that every place will make it's own blend of milk tea and that ADC make their own blend from 4 types of black tea leaves which they toast in a wok first before adding a specific type of evaporated milk they import from Belgium. Okay, no way I was going to be able to recreate this one at home. Patrick was drinking the tea/coffee mix that I had tried before- again, it sounds strange but is really good. Every place will have their own balance. The standout of the meal was the eggs- so rich (they use duck eggs) with butter and lightly folded rather than the mess of overlooked watery scramble often served in UK. Patrick and I ended up talking for ages- he had studied in Canada and the US, and now worked as a tutor in HK where is is from originally. Apparently school is so tough here, that children need a tutor to help them with their homework which he then marks and they take to school the next day. I can't imagine having a day of school and then tuition in the evening just for the homework... suddenly my past experience seemed a lot easier. As we talked, I tried one of their famous steamed milk puddings, hot this time, and it was silky smooth and sweet. Imagine eating sweet, silky milk with a spoon! After exchanging of details, I made my way to the nearest MRT station and travelled to the end of the orange line, where I was able to help a foreigner find his way to HK. Feeling smug that I was getting my way around and assisting others too, I searched for my bus stop to Tai O. After asking a local, I found the bus which was being loaded with people as I approached. The convenience of having the Octopus card was great- all I had to do was swipe and board. The journey to Tai O was winding and uphill. We were travelling across Lantau Island and had views of the sea and even beaches on one side; trees and mountains on the other. In not long at all, we reached the fishing village and I had to pop open my umbrella- the blue sky and bright sun made it immensely hot. From the moment I looked around I feel in love with the place. It was so charming and quaint, and obviously not changed much over the years. Small boats were sailing through the village, the houses built on stilts. The little streets were filled with stalls and shops selling dried fish, shrimp paste, fish balls and even salt which was harvested there too. I had one of their famous fish balls (spicy of course) and walked along one of the narrow streets, taking my time. One of the little shops I spent time in was owned by a man named Simon, who made his own bath soaps and essential oils. He was so sweet, and his products were so well made- he would take a photo of the Tai O landscape and carve it into the bar of homemade soap. We spent ages chatting and I even gave him a name suggestion for his "Number 1 soap"- Spirit of the Sea. He had me write it down and was delighted. I ended by buying a few gifts there and carried on, taking in the mountain views where hiker trails lined the slopes. I couldn't imagine attempting such a feat on a hot day. I Googled the street where I was hoping to find an uncle making egg waffles over a charcoal grill whom I had read about online. I passed the spot several times and couldn't see him, and when I asked a local lady she shook her head- I assumed he was off that day. It was already lunchtime and the next stop on my list was Solo coffee shop- and what a delight it was! The street-side part sold hand painted postcards and I was greeted by a staff member who asked if I liked coffee... Yes! She was able to inform me the the waffle guy had been closed as he had no licence (even after all those years of practice on his front door step!). The girl, Charlotte, told me to try a doughnut from their famous Tai O bakery instead and I could bring it back to have with my coffee (very kind of her!). I walked through the shop all the way to the other end which opened out to the river behind. Sitting at a table overlooking the quaint view under the shade of an umbrella, I had a cold brew, wrote a post card and was handed a few books on Tai O history to browse through. Deciding I should catch the 2pm bus to my next stop, I had a quick walk to the temple and along a waterfront path- Charlotte kindly offering to post my card for me! Only 15 minutes away by winding road took me to Nong Ping 360, an area that would have been accessible from my original start point by cable car except it was closed for the few days I was in HK due to maintainence. The sun was still baking the earth, so I strolled along the main path past statues towards the Floating Temple, and up the 268 steps to the giant Tian Tan Buddha statue. It was incredible, the views from up there, and the statue was massive, gazing over the landscape and seas in the distance. I walked back down and along a trail past an abandoned tea house which had obviously been destroyed. A stand of "fire beaters"- wooden sticks with long rubber bristles to beat out the flames in case of forest fire sat nearby and was a clue to the previous destruction. Deciding I had seen enough, I took a bus, then MRT back to Hong Kong, arriving in Central area over an hour later. This part of HK was really full of character- lots of fashion boutiques, street markets, antique stores, and in order to make it easier to climb the steep slopes- the longest escalator in the world! A whole series of escalators carrying people from the lowest part at Central all the way up the hill. The sign highlighted it changed directions at certain times of the day, and I was lucky it was going uphill where I was headed. Taking off at one side, I walked my way across to Kau Kee beef noodle shop for a well overdue lunch/early dinner. Arriving at that time was perfect- a queue was only beginning to form. I felt the pressure of ordering quickly and was put at a table with other diners- don't be precious about having your own space in HK! The menu was quite large, but I chose a bowl of their beef tendon curry with E- Fu noodles and a glass of iced yuenyeung. I must say, it turned out to be the best meal I had in my entire trip. The beef was so tender and falling apart, the noodles were handmade and soft, the curry was flavourful and full of spice. Maybe I was just really hungry, but they were so good! The rest of my evening was spent browsing the stores, walking through the massive mall at the IFC and finally reaching The Peak tram terminal at about 7.45pm. The tram has been there since, and travels at a very steep incline all the way to the top of the hill. Unfortunately I didn't secure a seat in the packed tram on the way there, and so hung onto the pole, getting a good arm workout or I would have fallen all the way back! Just before 8pm, I ascended further all the way to the very top just in time for the 8pm light show over the city. I gasped as I beheld the most amazing city night view I have ever seen! Every building was colourfully illuminated, strobe lights were flashing, advertisements rolling up some of the larger high rises. The reflections of it all were shimmering in the water, and the ferrys sailed from one side to another. It was really spectacular. Getting some pictures and just enjoying it, I spent some time there before having to queue for a while for the tram to back me down again. Luckily, a bus arrived to bring me to the ferry terminal where I boarded for an extremely cheap fare to take me across to the mainland near where we stayed. It's surprising the ferry is still used for this journey when the MTR is also available, however it is cheap and a relaxing way to travel. Now almost home, I remembered I had read of another famous egg waffle shop near to us so walked there first for supper before heading back for the night. Mammy Pancake was a tiny shop which sold many flavours- so I opted for a red bean and green tea flavour one to munch on the way. It was dark but the streets were so illuminated, signs were flashing and the place felt really alive. I recalled my day's events to the others and caught up before falling asleep easily from our 11th floor room.

[theexploringegg]

Day 72: Disney Dreams are Made of This.

Today we were off to the magical land of Disney! Feeling like excited children, we got up early to have breakfast at a famous HK canteen chain, Cafe de Coral. It felt like being back at school, picking an order from the board, and receiving it on a tray. I ordered a Western style bowl of porridge, boiled egg, toast and ham along with the famous HK milk tea. After we all fuelled up, the Octopus cards were out of the pockets and we were on board the MRT on our way to Disney. It took about an hour to reach the park- our final tube being pink, the windows and handles the shape of Mickey heads. Being there quite early, we waited in line until the gates were opened- apparently 3 girls had paid a premium for first entry and so the little ones watched longingly as Mickey and Minnie came out to greet them before we could enter. The day was very magical as only Disney can be. The little cousin Jeko held my hand and accompanied me on even the bigger roller coasters- shedding a silent tear in fear after the thrill of one of the rides, bless him. We ventured our way around all the attractions, went to the parades and shows, met characters and feasted in the middle of the day on tasty (but overpriced) food. In the evening we were all exhausted- we had been up since 6am and didn't think we could make it until the 10pm fireworks. Deciding to head back to HK, we watched the sun set over the castle and I navigated us to a ramen restaurant I had found as highly rated on Open Rice (one of the most useful apps to locate food places in HK- download it if you visit!). A lot of other people had obviously thought the same, the place had a line outside of hungry visitors waiting outside too. We spilt off and I waited for the ramen while the other 9 went to a more family-friendly place. The pork tonkotsu I had was so delicious and the broth so creamy and flavoursome- definitely worth the wait. After, I treated myself to a little bowl of matcha ice-cream and red beans. Walking back to the accommodation felt safe- the streets were still busy and I joined the others back in the guesthouse, making plans for my solo adventures the following day before a well- earned rest.

[theexploringegg]

Day 71: Hectic Hong Kong.

Mel woke me at T minus 10 minutes - just enough time to wash my face, throw on clothes and leave. The others had already been downstairs drinking coffee and eating pandesal which I couldn't face in the darkness of the early hours.

With the ever-useful Uber app, we booked 3 taxis (surprisingly easy at that time since people were pouring from the clubs). The airport is small, so we just had to print out boarding passes and go through security... or so we thought. It seems that in the Philippines the price of an international flight is not all you have to pay- those with local passports had to pay quite a lot of tax to leave the Philippines and we all had a terminal charge to pay. Wow.

Now through, we boarded the plane, bleary eyed and rested on the journey to HK. On arrival, we bought our Octopus cards (think Oyster card of Hong Kong), withdrew some money and hopped on the very convenient airport MTR (metro/subway) to HK City. With plush carpeted seats, and very clean interior we were thinking, wow, this is the MRT? It was only when we transferred to our destination stop that we realised our 100HKD was eaten up already- the airport line had cost us 90 dollars and was the most expensive way to get into the city. Oops. After the group got separated and finally all 11 of us were together again, I directed us to One Dim Sum, one of the most highly rated shops in the city. It seemed that most other people had decided on the same brunch option, and so when I asked the waitress long it would be for 11 people she just laughed and wrote on a piece of paper "55 mins". At this point, we were starving and tired so went to another dim sum place just around the corner- Famous Dim Sum. Taking the role of my Asian friends who normally do this for me, I made a group order for us making sure I had included the usual faves: lo mai gai, cheung fan, custard buns, pork bao and dumplings. Realising that the elders were a fan of rice (not having rice with a meal would not be a meal), I questioned ordering more, but Merlie instructed we were all OK.

Finally on our way to the guesthouse, we were met by a family friend who guided us on our way. It turned out the "guesthouse" was actually on the 11th floor of a commercial building and it probably would have been impossible to find!

Now about 1pm, we had been up since before 4am and had a well deserved rest for an hour or so. Mel's family planned to visit a local park and the harbour which we were staying next to, so I ventured off to get my bearings on this new city. Craving one of the famous egg waffles, I Google mapped Lee Keung and decided to walk all the the way up Nathan Road to Mongkok, the most densely populated part of the world. I prefer to walk in order to get my bearings and it was a good choice, despite the sweltering heat. Munching my very tasty egg waffle, I came across Temple Road market which opened later in the night, and a Temple where people were worshipping.

After my little detour, I walked with intent to the Ladies Market where I hoped to pick up a few bargains, although the wares were a little disappointing and definitely catered for tourists. One of my bargains was a purse where I bartered the price from 130 HKD down to 60. Thanks dad again for years of observed practice!

By this point I was sweltered by the humidity and asked my friend Henry on where to go for speciality coffee. He had recommended a place nearby and it turned out to be a real find. The place was tiny and packed, but I grabbed a bar seat ordered a flat white (the pourovers were between £6.50 to £8.50!). Even mine was expensive... coffee in HK is not cheap, I learned.

Sitting there for a good hour, I went outside and was met my a good friend from the UK, Sara, who had moved back home to live and work in HK. We caught up for a while sitting outside the shop before going to explore the streets of Mongkok together. Sara pointed out many places to eat- she knew everywhere to go! Walking through a noisy street where people were singing karaoke, we made it to a corner shop where we queued for skewers of grilled octopus, offal and liver smothered in mustard and chilli sauce. It was quite good, although the mustard was very powerful!

After wandering sneaker street and goldfish street (where bags and bags of fish were hung), we met my uni friend Bryan whom I hadn't seen in 4 years since we were both in Belfast together. I was happy to hear he still had hints of the N. Irish accent! The 3 of us continued to explore, before Sarah left and us two went for some Cantonese food.

It seems congee is eaten anytime of day here, and so we had a bowl of the rice porridge with seafood for dinner along with noodles and pork knuckle.

Bryan gave me a really great night tour of the streets. We ascended the huge mall escalator in Langham Place, and he told me it had malfunctioned earlier in the year, with people crashing to a pile at the bottom. The interior ceiling was an animated night sky- I felt like I was in the Great Hall at Hogwarts! Outside on the streets again, we saw buildings with neon pink lights (prostitute houses) and went to a restaurant that was a favourite of backpackers- "a mini Belfast" as Bryan explained it. We were close to the waterfront, so walked there for a night view of the HK Island side of the city (the favoured side for a night view). It really was magnificent. So much colour and every building was illuminated, including the ferries which glided back and forth. It was late and we were just going to head home, but craving a milk tea (a HK speciality), Bryan tool us to a Macau restaurant where we had a few guilty snacks- HK style French toast, a custard egg tart, an iced milk tea and iced yuenyeung: a mixture of tea and coffee in one). As we waited, Bryan told me to imagine with best French toast I'd ever had in the UK and multiply it by 100. That is Hong Kong French toast. Well, it was delicious. Very rich but definitely a treat. The bread was slathered on the inside with peanut butter and a slab of butter was melting on the top too. After a heavy drizzle of syrup, it's ready to eat- pure indulgence. After the tart and drinks, we felt totally guilty but it was worth it just to try. Bryan told me had worked out before our meeting which made me feel even worse- eating like this was becoming too common on this trip!

Before going back, Bryan gave me a HK recipe book which he had signed- Louise, Welcome to Hong Kong- very sweet of him.

We said our goodbyes and I joined the others who were already in bed as it had been a very long day. Tomorrow would be another one... Disney was awaiting!

[theexploringegg]

Day 70: A Full House.

Today was the day we were going to be joined by the rest of Mel's family, flying in from another part of the Philippines to join us for the next leg of our adventure.

At 8.30am, I was awoken to say that breakfast was on the table- they were all already downstairs and waiting! Somehow I can sleep through any kind of commotion and noise. Struggling to surface, I wiped my eyes and opened the door as a waft of cooked food smells trickled from downstairs. Joining the others at the table, I gasped at the array to food on the table: jackfruit, eggplant omelette, grilled fish, veggie soup, black and white rice, fried bananas with hot native chocolate to wash it all down. Ate had been working hard in the kitchen! I was only able to swallow some banana and a bit of rice- still on sleep mode and not ready for food just yet.

For the rest of the morning I challenged my inner wife-skills (hah) and mended some clothes with my little sewing kit, rather pleased with my efforts (even if it did take me an hour). After time for a quick lay down, noise erupted form downstairs: the family had arrived!

I greeted aunties and uncles, grandparents and children- the ages ranging from 4 to 75. They caught up with one another, exchanged gifts (it was like a Christmas time!) and soon it was lunch and we were all sitting down to the same dishes again to get our fill.

The rest of the day we were able to relax in the house once again. The air was heavy as the weather was stormy, so I felt a little meh but I think the rest did me good. Lunchtime rolled into dinner and we are once again, ending with some chocolates and getting off to bed early, ensuring our packing was done for a 3am departure to Hong Kong the next morning. T minus 5 hours...

[theexploringegg]

Day 69: Clouds, Chilling and Chocolates.

Finally, a chance for a rest! Except my tuned-in body clock woke me up at 6am. Typical. Taking the time to doze in bed however, I creeped downstairs before 8am to start making breakfast for the three of us. Last night's buy of bananas were going to be the staple ingredient for some very simple but healthy pancakes.

I mashed a couple of small bananas each, separated 5 large eggs- whisking the whites by hand to make them frothy and light (free arm workout). I then added the yolks to the banana pulp, some honey, salt, mashed up black rice from our previous meal to help bulk it up before folding in the whites. As it was cooking (pancakes without flour are very fiddly, no matter how amazing they look on Instagram), I made some hot calamansi juice and mashed a big, creamy avocado to have on the side. The others soon joined, got some tunes going, and we dined together.

Tita was headed off to the clinic to see to a couple of patients, so we both decided to stay home (I was in two minds about going to the gym but my lazy half won). Deciding not to further procrastinate over doing more writing, I spent the morning typing. The room seemed to grow darker and the air heavier as all of a sudden, the heavens opened and massive crashes of thunder had us jumping in our seats. I think the lightning bolt was right outside! We were both happy we stayed home.

As lunchtime approached, tita rang to say she couldn't get back home as the road had completely flooded... oh dear. Instead, our home help picked up some food for us, bringing it back by motorbike. our saviour! We actually had such a good meal from the comfort of our kitchen table- crispy pork belly, mung beans, veggies, rice and fresh sweet mangoes.

It was still raining well I to the afternoon so ate treated us to some native hot chocolate- showing us how to make it from the raw chocolate "tablets" which are made by hand from cacao beans. it is reallt potent stuff, and a natural high for chocolate lovers like me. We watched as she whisked 6 tablea into 2 cups of water over the stove- it became thick, steamy and chocolately. Amazing.

I eventually got caught up on all my writing (promising I would keep up to date from now on) so chilled upstairs, speaking to a loved one and just lounging around. We both pulled ourselves together at dinnertime, getting ready to go out and meet two of Mel's highschool friends for supper.

As per usual, traffic in Cebu was crazy and we were stuck in our Uber for about 45 minutes. Making it out to the central IT Park area, we met Nika and her friend K Mart (just Mart to us). They both study at uni in Cebu, and by talking to them we both counted ourselves lucky form the relatively easy time we seem to have had in UK. The both of them were tired from lack of sleep- uni literally takes over their life and they have no real work life balance. Poor Mart didn't even know his way around as he never gets out, even in his 4 years here!

We had a light supper at a ramen restaurant, before going to Milkcow for icecream- I had an afrogatto to please my coffee tastebuds. After we spend the evening catching up (they were gossing over highschool relationships and what everyone was up to), we walked to Sugbo Mercado where I had been the first night. The night market was very busy and had a really great live acoustic artist playing. Eventually, we found a couple of seats bear the front and had some drinks while us girls chatted and Mart struggled to keep his eyes open. We managed a shootout and won a prize as we took part in the entertainment, giggling away and enjoying the atmosphere (could have been beer-related too).

As we were chatting, I saw a figure approaching in my peripheral vision and realised it was Mel's num, Merlie, who had arrived that evening from UK! It was so great to see her- we had met a few times before in Wales but to see her out in the Philippines was a real pleasure. Tita was waiting in the car, so we all piled in (somehow squeezing 4 in the back), leaving the 2 home while the rest of us went back to the house.

I got a surprise waiting for me as I entered the kitchen... a huge box of Lindt chocolates that my dear had sent for me. I was blown away! Poor Merlie must have added about 1kg to her luggage with it. We shared a few before bed and caught up briefly before all getting some sleep. The terrific three had become the fantastic four, and it was going to grow tomorrow!

[theexploringegg]

Day 68: A View of Cebu.

As tita had a patient to see that afternoon (emergency crown!), we had an early breakfast overlooking the ocean of Filipino fare at around 7am. I couldn't face the sight of the fried spam and bright red sausage so I left it, merely munching on some scrambled egg and a little rice- my appetite wasn't up after last night's feast. A bumpy ride to the docks and we were on the ferry back to the mainland, reaching Cebu about 10am. We grabbed a quick bite at the chain bakery, Julie's, where Mel picked up some sweet things for us to try: including chocolate crinkles, pandesal filled with coconut jam and binangkal (sesame ball). Tita was able to fly us back to the city- we reached Cebu in only 3 hours. I felt exhausted as I hadn't slept well the night before (turns out AC humming is not included on relaxing CDs for a reason), so had a delicious, quick lunch at Birdseed Eatery before going home. It was nice to have Western healthy style food- I had a quinoa/cauliflower rice salad with torched salmon, avocado, tomatoes, greens and poached eggs along with a matcha latte. Back home, Mel and tita had a quick turnaround in order to carry out some chores in the city- poor Mel was getting her foot looked at by the doctor as it wasn't healing (although we knew the reason- no rest was being had!) and tita was seeing her crown patient. I was able to relax at home, enjoying a long catch-up with a loved one, doing a work-out (my body has forgotten what hard work is) and having a hot shower whilst the others completed their tasks. It was nice to have time to do these simple things that make-up everyday life when not always on the go. Around 6pm, Mel shouted up the stairs for me- they had got back and were ready for me to go out. Our plan was go travel up the mountain to Lantaw Floating Native Restaurant, a beautiful Filipino restaurant with a view of the whole city. Lantaw, meaning "to look out" in Cebuano dialect, is aptly named. As we crawled higher and higher, the little Honda screamed it's way along the winding roads until we reached the car park. With just a steep path to go, we made it to our outdoor table- a sparkling nightime Cebu city view stretched across as a backdrop. I let the others take charge of ordering, as we nibbled on the young mango dipped in fermented shrimp paste brought as an appetiser (a Filipino delicacy). We feasted on Mel's favourite, kinilaw (fish ceviche), alongside a couple of new things I hadn't tired yet: pinakbet (pork and veggies like squash, eggplant, green beans and bitter melon in shrimp paste) and cordova express (seafood and vegetables in coconut milk) served in a carved out coconut shell. Everything was super tasty, and surprisingly very well priced. We drank hot calamansi juice (like a small lime, very cleansing and bitter, sitting there well into the evening to enjoy the chats and views. After our delicious supper, tita wanted to take us to her favourite coffee shop in the mountains, Crate Cafe, which she would often enjoy a drink at after a mountain-biking session. We pulled in to a tiny car park, and there it was: a little wooden hut with the coffee counter inside, and all the seating on crates outside with that Cebu night view in the back. As it was late and we were already full, teas were the order of the tea. We relaxed over our hot drinks, chatting about school times (tita used to come to the adjacent restaurant for "drink drink" after lectures). A huge wooden brick jenga lured us over and we played a long game- Mel's last touch bringing it crashing to the ground. Heading home for the night, we stopped off at a little stall for some bananas (my request!) and reflected on another blessed day- full of good food, laughs and conversation.

[theexploringegg]

Day 67: Like a Virgin.

Never one to miss a beat, tita said we would be getting up at 6am. Yikes! Our plan was to get to Virgin Island and be back before 12pm, check-out time. However after talking to a local boat driver, we found that our second night accommodation would be close to the smaller island, so we should just bring everything and go on from there. Now the rush was off, we enjoyed the morning sunrise over the beach and ordered our breakfast at 7am when the restaurant opened. We all had pancakes: mine had banana inside while they opted for mango ones. Along with a side of eggs (they are realising my loves in life are eggplant, eggs and bananas), and a cup of coffee, we were ready to go. Two local boat drivers helped us get on board our small vessel which would take us across from Bantayan to Virgin Island. The two of them worked hard to get us across, manually putting up some shaded cover for us, pulling in the anchor, steering and motoring us across the waters. On arrival, we were greeted by a staff member who took our entrance fees. We left most of us stuff on the boat, bringing our snorkels and making our way through the cute landscaped area when a sign read, "What happens on Virgin Island stays on Virgin Island." I spotted a sign for cliff jumping which lead us to the opposite side where not a sinner was present and a few humble hammocks were hanging between palms. Perfect. One of the staff accompanied me to the jumping area where I torpedoed into the water, enjoying the refreshing cool waters. On my next jump, I climbed up higher to get a bigger jump as shown by the man (health and safely here is minimal). After I had spent some adrenaline and lost my earring to the ocean (which I found later by some miracle!), I went back to the others, grabbed the goggles and started snorkelling. The seabed wasn't as exciting as what we had seen before, but I was able to spot a bright blue starfish, sea cucumber, some fish, giant clams and sea urchins. It was only about 9am so I swam before the sun would get strong, before retreating to the hammock where I read a dozed for the next few hours. Time really got away with us- we lazed there until our sailors came looking for us, asking when we were going to our accommodation back on Bantayan Island. It was almost 2pm, so we apologised and followed them to the boat where they guided us safely to Bantayan Island Nature Park and Resort: our new home for the night. Stepping off the boat (and ensuring we tipped well for their patience), a very flamboyant young (?)man came to greet us, walking the 3 of us to reception where we checked in. Our first aim was lunch: we ordered a platter of seafood and veggies, crabs in garlic butter and sizzling gambas with rice to share. Finally after several enquiries ("sorry ma'am, that's not available at the moment"- island life, eh), we got our drinks ordered and demolished the food. The resort was a little run-down but had a surprisingly large 25m pool, wildlife area (including a pony, monkey and birds), fish spa and caves. We first went to our room, lying down in heap and getting ourselves into fits of laughter over funny stories which tita was amusing us with. Getting tired just laying there, we mustered the will go out and explore- taking to one of the caves to swim in. The sight of the place was a little eery, reminding me of the scene where Dumbledore came to destroy a horcrux from the Harry Potter world. However, as we entered, we found the water (a mix of salt and fresh) was surprisingly clear and refreshing- we had a fun time enjoying a cooling swim there. On the way back, we attempted the foot spa but were much too ticklish to have fish nibble our feet, so swam in the large pool instead. The water was heated and it felt like we were in a large bath- very comforting- especially with the infinity views of the ocean beyond. Done with our adventures, we showered and headed to the bar/entertainment area to catch the Wifi and relax. One of the young staff plugged in the karaoke system and handed us a well thumbed-through song book which gave us loads of choices and had Mel and I singing for hours (at full volume, for everyone in a 5 km radius to hear...). It was great fun, and we were enjoying ourselves so much we almost forget to order dinner, so it was kind when the staff brought us menus and offered to bring it to our table. We enjoyed a feast of lechon kawali (deep-fried pork belly), seafood sinigang (sour seafood soup) and rice. I never normally eat pork fat, but it was so crispy and delicious that I couldn't help myself, especially when dipped in a little bowl of soy sauce and vinegar. Halo halos were also pre-ordered, which I kind of regretted, seeing the size of them and already being quite full. The large glass of jellies, beans, shaved ice, fresh mango, ice cream and milk, topped with cornflakes and chocolate sauce (random) was actually pretty good though. It was after 9pm when we finished, so we headed back to the room to relax for a little bit before hitting the lights and switching off ourselves. The only sound was the grasshoppers whistling outside, the distant lap of waves and the hum of the AC (they don't include the latter on relaxing CD's).

[theexploringegg]

Day 66: Babes in Bantayan.

We woke early to prepare for our 8am departure to Bantayan Island: a journey which required a 4 hour drive to the north of Cebu, where we would board a ferry and travel 1 hour to the port at Santa Fe. With anticipation of the long journey in mind, ate (meaning older sister in Tagalog language) prepared for us a feast of a breakfast: ginataang labong (bamboo shoot strips with onion, garlic and ginger in coconut milk), tortang talong (eggplant omelette), ensalading talong (eggplant salad with coconut milk vinegarette), black rice and fresh mango. What a feast! The way to the docks passed quickly- tita drives like a bullet, somehow dodging obstacles and not getting hit (thanks God), and the beats were strong thanks to DJ Mel. At the Cebu docks, we left the car and got seats on the Super Shuttle Ferry which we dozed on, getting us safely across the waters to Bantayan Island. While on board, we had looked up where to eat and formulated a plan that went like this: get to accommodation, drop bags, go eat. Simple. We found a man carrying a "Kota Beach Resort" card and so clambered into his cool air-conditioned van, only taking us about 5 minutes to reach our home for the night. We were staying in a pretty beach hut style house- modernised with electricity and furnishings- right by the beach itself: a perfect location! The 3 of us avoided calls of "bicycle miss?" and made the short walk to town where we eventually found Bantayan Burrito Company. The area was really quiet (off season I guess) so we were able to order straight away and I was very thankful of my icy cold San Miguel light in the humid heat. Mel and I scoffed burritos: stuffed with lots of rice, veggies and beans- while tita attempted the Notorious P.I.G. chimichanga which she could not defeat. On the way back to the resort, we stopped by some busy hawker stalls where school children had crowed around to grab dessert; drizzled skewered bananas coated in sugar so they were brown and caramelised. Delish. I was wearing banana shorts as well (my love for the yellow fruit is strong). Tired from our day spent travelling, when we made it to the beach area about 4 ish we just chilled on loungers (trying not to giggle at the sculpted young male who was strutting his well-oiled stuff like a peacock on the prowl). As it darkened, we rested in the restaurant lounge, having some native hot chocolate and battling with the WiFi. Later on, we ventured back to town where we found Stumble Inn- "stumble in as strangers, some out as friends", it said. For some reason, I was really craving Western food so had a chicken schnitzel with mash and a cup of tea. I know. The owner of the place was Australian and came over to chat to us, which I thought was nice. He seemed to have a good rapport with the local staff we employed and enjoyed talking to all his customers. A nice touch which I think is important, but often lost, in the business world. After supper we retreated to our little beach home, enjoying a shower, clean sheets and planter of laugher. There is never a dull moment when the 3 of us are together and tita never fails to make me giggle. I felt thankful once again to be here, experiencing all these moments with them.

[theexploringegg]

Day 65: Chilling in Coron

Despite the chance for a lie-in, the both woke up early (about 6.30am): I guess our body clocks had got used to the early rises. We lounged around in the room, sitting in bed with laptops open and tunes playing. It felt nice to have a pyjama day with the beautiful sunny views from our balcony streaming through. Breakfast arrived around 8am: I had plenty of coffee with sunny-side up eggs and rice, while Mel had tea and a Filipino style breakfast again. We spent until about 11.30am selfishly- writing, watching shows, listening to music, even squeezing in a mini workout. At that point we packed our bags, leaving them at reception and got a trike to a cashew store (cashew nut production is famous in Coron). I bought a bag for us, and we triked it for an early lunch stop at a cheap restaurant I had looked up (we had very little cash left between us). Knowing my luck, the lunch spot was closed ("Sorry, open again at 3pm"). Thankfully there was another option only a few doors away: Levine's... A vegetarian/Western/Filipino food place with rooftop views. Deciding to take seats inside (a wise decision considering the hot weather), we ordered our food: torta talong (eggplant omelette) and grilled spicy tofu eggplant, (with rice, obvs). After eating, we still had about one hour until pick-up for the airport, so went back to the reception area where I braided Mel's hair and we wrote some feedback comments for their cute pin board. At about 1.30pm, a young man appeared to take us to the tiny airport where we would get our flight back to Cebu City. He allowed us to connect my iPod so we took it in turns getting the beats going, which he was enjoying. Between us, we had just 50 pesos left (less than one pound) so I just gave it to the driver as a tip. Now with no funds left, we checked in and went to pass through airport security (a humble scanner and conveyer belt where the staff in charge was holding her baby) when we were asked for 100 pesos each as a terminal fee. Uh oh. We both stared at each other and back at the man, as we had absolutely no money left (and Coron doesn't do ATMs). Trying to explain, we just got stared back at, so rang tita to say we were stuck on the Coron side of the airport, not sure what to do. At that point I realised I had some USD in my wallet (from way back in Cambodia where I had converted them from my pounds) and asked if we could pay in that instead. Thankfully, we let me pass through to the gate area where there was a money changer (literally a girl with a calculator and some money in a drawer) who exchanged 5 USD for pesos at an awful rate, but enough to get us through. Phew! Now left to wait in the tiniest airport (2 gates, no AC, plastic chairs), we had about 2 hours to kill until our flight. We entertained ourselves with the free Wifi (one hour only), an iPod, my book and the couple behind us who had a massive confrontation with staff at one of the food stands. Our of boredom, we munched through all the cashews (OK, I pretty much did), and finally the call was announced for boarding (a person just shouting out into the room). The little plane was very empty yet again but it was comfortable, and we both slept during the 1.5 hour journey back to Cebu. Tita Tata (another of Mel's aunties) arranged an Uber for us to meet her and Mel's Cebu aunt for dinner. It shouldn't have taken long, but because of crazy traffic we were in the taxi for 1.5 hours. Handily, I downloaded a Zomato app so was able to check out the restaurant menu while in the car so we could order on the way. Finally getting to dinner about 8.15pm (2 hours after landing), our aunties and food was waiting for us. I decided just to have a light citrus chicken salad which was actually pretty good, and I got to know Mel's tita who was visiting from Manila just to see a patient in Cebu and was flying back at 1am that morning. To pass the time until heR flight, we went for some karaoke. I had been looking forward to this: Filipinos really love to sing! We paid a couple pounds for 2 hours use of a room which was equipped with cosy seats, flashing lights... the works. The four of us sang and laughed till we were almost hoarse, also making a great rendition of Despacito. After 11pm, we saw tita off in a taxi to the airport, while the three of us jumped into the little Honda to head home. On the way, tita shouted to me: "You want to try balut?" I guess now was as good a time as any- when would I ever be ready to eat a duck embryo? We asked a few street vendors until we found one lady sitting on the corner of the pavement with a thermal box sitting in front of her, packed full of eggs. Another man and lady were also sitting on tiny plastic stools, so I joined them, asking to try one of the balut. I was handed a 16-day old egg, with an X marked on the top where I should crack it to get inside. The man guided me through the steps: peel some shell off, drink the liquid (tasted like chicken soup), douse with vinegar and salt (I chose chilli-infused for more flavour) and then just eat. I could see the pale yellow yolk and a darker bit to the side, which I guessed was the developing bird. Thank goodness it was dark. I ate curiously, and was surprised (and thankful) that it was soft and actually OK. The white part at the bottom was oddly hard, so I threw it away. "Want another one?", the lady asked. "No thanks." Now back at the house, it was after midnight and we needed to pack (I hadn't even unpacked) for another escapade in the following few days... we would be leaving for Bantayan Island in the morning. I can hardly keep up!

[theexploringegg]

Day 64: Another day in Paradise

Lucky us... breakfast delivered to our table right outside once again. We both had the pancakes- this time with banana; a coffee for me, while Mel had a Lipton. Our pick-up time was a little later (well, 8.30am), so we decided to wait in the cute little reception area until someone came for us. Imagine our surprise when Nono (our guide from the day before) arrived to greet us- he too was so shocked that he gave us a big hug. Unfortunately we were on a different tour this time, but we were able to walk with him to the jetty and again he told us he missed our company. We were gutted not to be joining the crew again as well... Moymoy and our driver also waving at us from the boat. Another surprise for the morning: our friends we had met briefly the day before (Evo and Neil the honeymooners) were also with us for the day! We were so happy to see them and to be able to spend more time together. Also joining us was an older Filipino couple (call me "tito Joseph", he said) and their daughter, and a Vietnamese couple from Ho Chi Minh city. The 9 of us set off on our 1.5 hour boat journey with the new crew, who were also lovely. As we bobbed along, some of us fell asleep: the lulling of the waves was very relaxing. Our guide had told us we would be visiting 3 of the best beaches in Coron, and as we arrived at the first, I understood. Isla Bulog was the kind of white sand, clear blue/green sea, blue sky sunny beach I had only ever seen in Photoshopped travel brochures. It was absolutely incredible. The sun was also fiercely hot. I was determined to go snorkelling in the clear waters- the swim to the corals was only about 50m from the shore. As we make it out to the boats, bobbing over the water, fish suddenly came out of nowhere and were swirling all around us- I soon realised the staff in the boat were feeding them. We were caught up in the middle of the schools of colourful finned-bodies circling all around- it was quite magical! Our driver found some clownfish again; they are hard to spot as they like to stay within their anemone for protection (as those who watched Finding Nemo will know). After a bit longer in the water than what I anticipated, we came back to the land in time to moved to our next stop: Banana Island. "Is there banana trees there?" I asked, to the laugher of the crew. "No, coconut trees ma'am." Oh. Apparently the island is in the shape of a banana. Whatever the theory- it was beautiful. This was to be our lunch stop as well- again prepared and cooked by the crew on board. Their presentation skills with tomato flower garnishes and everything were on point! We had an ugly-looking grilled fish which they named "unicorn fish" due to the spike on it's head. I was proven not to judge a book by it's cover though- the flesh was meaty white and sweet- Mel couldn't get enough. The rest of our protein came from grilled chicken and crabs cooked in chilli, supplemented with salted egg, tomato and cucumber salad and not forgetting rice. For dessert we munched on juicy watermelon until we were stuffed. After lunch, we had time to relax on the beach or again go snorkelling. Mel and I spent time chatting to Evo and Neil, and exchanged details so we could keep in touch. We made the most of the sea once again, going for snorkelling but not taking too long (I was fearing red skin later on). Our final beach to visit was on Malcapuya Island. The sky had grown more cloudy by this point but we were still able to appreciate the beauty. Out guide was a really great photographer, and instructed us on where to stand as he took some amazing panorama shots where we appeared on both sides, as well as some jumping shots with the group. We had a really great bunch in our group! I ventured off into the waters again, finding more clown fish and spending time just hovering and staring down at the fascinating creatures below. Even the giant clams, about 1m wide, pulsing as their muscle-filled scalloped shell opened and closed with the beat of the waves were amazing to look at. It was about 3.30pm when we boarded our trusty green boat to go back to Coron. Everyone was content and spent after the day swimming and snorkelling- the heat also making it tiring. Again, the staff knew our needs and offered soft drinks and Mel's favourite sweet bread bun: ensaymada- a round brioche topped with grated cheese and sugar (it sounds weird but does taste good). As we neared the harbour, a rainbow was visible in the sky as there was a rainstorm in the distance- a beautiful sight at the end of our tour. Back on the dock, we tipped our staff (they were fantastic and it's always good to reward with cash-in-the-pocket in this way) and said goodbye to the group, giving big hugs to Neil and Evo who were going to be continuing their honeymoon for the next few days. Mel and I made the 50m walk back to the hotel and were able to grab hot showers and chill, getting the tunes going on Spotify (Sam Smith's new song a current fave). Again, I did some food research and we decided on a local hotspot for supper, a cheap yet tasty place called Lolo Nonoy. Arriving in style in a trike (sarcasm), we hopped off at the busy eatery, looking around for seats. Who did we spot but the honeymooners themselves, Neil and Evo, sitting at a cosy table for two! We said hi and chatted for a bit, leaving them to it (we weren't going to crash their date). Mel and I had a very cheap dinner: mami (a noodle soup with egg, chicken, fish cakes and veggies) and Filipino spaghetti (like spag bol but sweeter). For drinks I had a new one for me: sago at gulaman (sago pearls, grass jelly, brown sugar and ice) while Mel had halo halo again. Always good to have something refreshing in the heat! As we were munching, we spotted the Vietnamese couple just down the table from us- we were all eating in the same restaurant! How bizarre. That night, Mel and I both did some calls back to UK and got to bed around 11pm (late for us, considering our usual itinerary!). Tomorrow we had planned breakfast for 8am so we could enjoy a lie-in and a well-deserved lazy up day. I couldn't wait.

[theexploringegg]

Day 63: Nice in Paradise.

We were really living the life: at 7.30am we opened our sliding balcony doors to find breakfast sitting there on the table and the sun shining: all we had to do was venture out and eat. I had ordered the (massive) pancake with fried egg (yey points), fruit and coffee. Mel had a Filipino style breakkie: rice, longganisa (sweet sausage) and egg with juice. I tried a bite- it definitely was sweet but very tasty. We were able to chill for a little while until reception called for us- our tour guide was there to collect us about 8.30am. Swimwear on, towels in arm and bags on back, we hopped into one of the sidecars and travelled only 50m to the jetty point where we fetched some water shoes and snorkels. One of the green-shirted Nice In Paradise Tours staff showed along the jetty to where our boat sat docked. At that point, it poured. The sky turned dark grey, clouds descended and we could no longer see any of the islands around us...great. So much for island hopping! Not one to lose spirits, Mel laughed and we both joked about the weather- it was going to be fun. I met a couple who were there on honeymoon, Neil and Eve, both from Cebu but working as nurses in other parts of the world. They were really sweet, and the four of us got along well, but unfortunately they were going to be on a different boat from us. About 9am, our tour leader Nono- a 60 year old, cowboy hat-clad energetic Filipino man- led us safely on board despite the rain. We met our other crew: a very young-looking sweet driver, another skipper and tour guide Moymoy. They were all cheeky and cheerful. The rest of our group were a young Korean couple, 2 Chinese guys (? couple also), 2 older Filipino couples (so much fun and very lively), and 2 Chinese girls (one of whom couldn't swim and didn't venture into the water all day!). As we waited for everyone to arrive, the rain cleared and the skies grew brighter- it was looking more promising. Finally getting out to sea after our coastguard check, we sailed to our first stop- Siete Pecados (meaning seven sins), an area that reminded me on Halong Bay in Vietnam with the many islands in the blue waters (but even more beautiful). It was much less polluted and very well protected, with a marine park area that was amazing to snorkel at- I saw clownfish for the very first time! Nono, our guide was an experienced diver and was able to freedive 10 or 11m, holding his breath for around one minute (perfect for GoPro-taking!). We spent about 40 minutes here (which seemed to fly by when in the water) before going to the stunning Kayangan Lake. To reach here, we had a 5-10 minute 300 step walk, first going up and then down over the other side where the bright blue waters came into view. The waters were 70% fresh and 30% salt, and filled with lots of little needle fish (think syringe-sized with a pointy, needle-like nose) which darted through the water. We were instructed to wear our life jackets at all times (whether a swimmer or not) as two Czech tourists had drowned there while freediving in March this year. Our walk there and back, plus the morning snorkelling and swimming had got us hungry for lunch, and so we sailed to the nearby Banol Beach, docking in the clear blue waters and taking refuge in the shade of the huts where our banquet was laid before us. Not only were these guys talented sailors and guides- they were also great chefs! While we had been sailing that morning, they had cooked our seafood on the makeshift BBQ (a charcoal grill tied to the side with string), grilled the eggplants for the smokey salad and taken the seaweed straight from the sea. We feasted on the most glorious meal; all the more tasty for being caught and cooked that day, and being eaten al fresco. My plate was filled with crabs, fish, salad and rice (plus the obligatory soy sauce and vinegar) with a banana for dessert. Stuffed to the gills (pun not intended), we decided not to swim at the beach, but took some photos in the water around the natural rock formations- carved from years of bashing waves. The boat was loaded again (much lighter after our consumption), and we sailed in the glorious sun and sea to Barracuda Lake. The water temperature varied so much, that when looking under with my goggles on it appeared blurry with t drastic he hot-cold gradient. At Skeleton Wreck, we were able to snorkel and dive around a WW2 ship wreck- Nono free diving to the bottom with our GoPro as we bobbed above him. It was at this location we spotted a sea turtle, and raced after it as it gracefully glided in the water. Such an incredible thing to witness- I was so excited to see it and was hooting for joy! Our last stop was at Twin Lagoon. As we swam into a shaded area, I noticed a snorkelled figure floating in the water, face down, not moving an inch. I kept staring to see if it moved, and shouted to Nono who also staring but didn't do anything. It had been several minutes, so I borrowed googles from Moymoy and had a look underwater, afraid of what I might see! Thankfully, I saw the figure move and up popped a Smiling Filipino lady in a hooded dive suit, who said she was sleeping in the cold water! Thank goodness. I spent a lot of time at the lake facedown, watching a group of scuba divers descending to the depths (probably 20 metres) and enjoying the sensation of their spent bubbles of air fizzing their way up through the water where they burst, tingling on my skin. As the water was a mix of fresh and salt, the temperature also varied- Nono had said that at the bottom it was "like a hot drink" to which I laughed loudly. The tide had dropped slightly when we were leaving so instead of climbing the steps from the lagoon to enter the next, I was able to swim underneath- a tiny slit of space for my face to breathe when facing upwards. We watched as other groups lay on their backs, holding to one another like a line of ducks as their tour leader kicked and dragged them through. By late afternoon, we were all explored-out and climbed inside the boat to travel back to Coron. The sun was still shining, and I hopped on the deck wrapped in my towel facing out at the waters. The staff kindly brought us cold bottles of Sprite and sticky rice cakes which gave us the burst of energy we needed after our day. When we reached the harbour about 4.30pm, we were sad to say goodbye to the crew who we had joked and bonded with over the course of the day. After some hearty handshakes and a group pic, we said our goodbyes and decided to go to a cafe before retreating to the room, in search of the halo halo we did not find the day before. At Tita Esh Eatery, the locals were occupying most of the seats- it was a busy place amongst those living in Coron. Mel and I ordered two of the iced desserts to share: halo halo and mais con yelo (sweet corn, ice, milk and sugar), asking for less sugar to satisfy my not-so-sweet tooth. It always feels good to eat these kind of iced desserts in the hot weather- it just wouldn't be the same at home! Deciding to trike it back to the hotel (since I was working a towel sarong), we were there in a matter of minutes, and spent a while getting refreshed and just relaxing. I did some food research and decided we should go back to our lunch stop from the day before as their menu was pretty good and we had a great meal the day before. Getting some unwanted attention on the walk there, we made it safely and ordered our meals: a vegetable curry (I felt a meat-free detox was due) and pork sisig (fried chopped pig head and belly with a cracked egg in the middle). Mel and I had a good heart-to-heart, and were probably there for a couple of hours, chatting well into the evening. Since there wasn't much to do at night in Coron and I stuck out being a white-girl in a small town, we went back to our cosy home, hitting the sacks early. Tomorrow would be another day of exploring once again!