Showing posts with label SE Asia. Show all posts

People on the way

This post will be all about them, the great people we met in the Philippines. From day 1 until our last. I will write about their stories crossing ours. Some of them told us their experiences, some influenced our route, some just inspired us. Some have name some don't but every single one had a touch in my Philipino experience and I definitely don't want to let it fade away.

In my last post I mentioned already the lovely French couple and how important was to meet them in Banaue. In our way back to Manila we met another couple in the bus. They helped us save some money on the taxi to the airport. The station wasn't the last one yet so we could chat for 10min. I won't talk a lot about them yet but a funny coincidence touched me: they are also a mixed-country-couple, she is Brazilian and he is Italian. The fast talk goes in portuguese because he has been living in Brazil for more than 20 years. Memorize their names, Fernanda and Paolo.

April is the peak of the summer in the Philippines, a busy month from beginning to end, someone told us. The schools are closed, kids are home and families that can afford it tend to travel. That's how the airport looks like when we arrived to catch our flight to Boracay, packed! There are no seats available in the waiting room, the queues are long, flights get delayed several hours, but no one seems to bother. They simply embraced it. 
Our flight is delayed too but we got impatient and worried we wouldn't make it on time to the last boat. We convinced the checkin manager to get us in an earlier flight. Damn westerns she may have thought but she helped us without questioning. The funny thing is our new flight got delayed too!!! (Ahahaha!!) We did manage to get to the island on time.

That weekend was apparently a long weekend in the Philippines, so how Boracay looked like? Exactly, extremely busy! Specially with newly graduates eager to celebrate the college's freedom, and also packed with wealthy Filipinos. We learned a lot about it with Marco, a kind Filipino in his early twenties, that was the perfect fit for the stereotype. Even though was so busy, what we did more in Boracay was enjoying the views and jumping around. Beautiful sunsets! 



After flying to Cebu, the second biggest city in the Philippines, we ran away from it by catching a direct bus to Oslob, the village where you can snorkel with whale sharks. We had an amazing morning with these sweet hungry creatures and in the Tamalog falls. 

Even before that morning started we coincidently had breakfast with a German couple that told us that they camped on the beach in Siquijor, that it was perfect, peaceful, beautiful and less touristic. That's exactly where we went. We didn't even think about it twice, and off we go. 

We couldn't camp as they did in San Jose beach but we stayed at a little cosy resort in the nicest and most comfortable bunk beds ever. The island was indeed lovely, and the sunsets?! No words. 



In the resort's beach side we met another couple, from Switzerland, that was busy working. Valleria was totally right when she told us, "we couldn't have a better office, could we?!". Both bloggers, now long-traveling, had to edit pictures to entertain their thousands of Instagram followers and update their adventures in the web. Too bad (for me) that they only write in German, but here is the link to their blog.

In one of the evenings I was reading in the restaurant's sofas and I suddenly hear "Tired?". Yes, I was but I was also too curious to deny a talk so I had a long long chat with the resort's owner. We talked about business, family finances, love, traveling, marriage. Thanks to Jeziel I learned a little bit more about the art of being a host, starting a business from scratch and a lot about the Filipino society's rules. It was impressive to meet her because she is an extremely strong, positive, full of hope and joyful woman. The magic portion for success! Fingers crossed for her UK visa :)

Bohol, our next stop, and it's attractions - chocolate hills and what else? - gets saved by the cool people we met in our little private hostel tour, and no, there were no couples!
Besides being a little disappointed by the green rock formations and the tarsiers, the van talks, the zip line, the spontaneous swimming pool party and our hostel pizza delivery made our quick stay so worthy! Thank you Annette, Lizette, Liz, Cath, Joshua and Joan. I won't forget the Desigual talks with the Tarragona man, the "almost spoilers" Game of Thrones talks with Josh, the sisters' laughs (making me miss mine a lot! Snif) and the travel adventures of the girls. I owe you all big time and I feel terrible that I forgot to take a group picture:(


These poor little things are so ugly....

Palawan, our last island from our Philippines' tour, gets in my opinion the top #1 for the nicest people. In our way to El Nido from Puerto Princesa (PP) we got a lift to the bus terminal, offered by the guesthouse's owner. I don't know his name but I know that if I ever stay again in PP I will stay in the Royal Sunflower Guesthouse, the breakfast was amazing and the kindness incomparable. 

After 7h in a bus eating unhealthy snacks and drinking sweet bottled cold tea we arrived in El Nido, hydrated but starving. We drop our bags in our faraway hotel and we came back to the civilization to eat. In the El Nido Corner, around Happy Hour time, we met Fernanda and Paolo again - it looked like we planned it when we said goodbye in Manila. For the next 3days we were pretty much always together! Meals, tours, snorkeling, motorbike ride, sunsets, happy hours.  
Super bumpy roads...road, right...
Orange watermelon anyone?!


Paolo and Fernanda are the owners of a very famous restaurant and guest house in Lagoa do Paraiso in Jericoacoara. Literally translating, the paradise lagoon, located in the northeast of Brazil, Ceara. Together they have been building up their own space, bringing new visitors, showing the lagoon to the world, using the best of it to live the dream of paradise. Partners in many crazy adventures, they have been traveling a little bit everywhere in Brazil, and in the world, for over 20 years. Same years of marriage and as happy as in the beginning, Fernanda revealed the secret for success: "Wanting it". That simple, that beautiful and that inspiring. We exchanged so many laughs, ideas and stories, that I can hardly remember all - Brazil's political and social situations were, by far, the hottest topics discussed. Meeting them was not only another set of stories though. Meeting them made me question - what's our lagoon, what if our lagoon dries up, what about our future?!? - and made me be sure that time is key. The answers will come when it's time. Thanks for your wise talks and advises. We said goodbye to the traveling gurus, promising a visit to their paradise, soon. 

Already in Sabang, the village of one of the New 7 wonders of Nature, the Underground River, we met a friendly Dutch called Jeroen looking for "a less boring hotel". In that village things move slowly, as we were about to confirm, so chilling with a cold beer made it exciting. William had the time to discuss all the geek topics I'm unable to follow but we also talked about love, crazy travel adventures and some business. I miss the Netherlands so it's always good to meet Dutch people on the road.

Here it comes the longest story of this post...
Traveling in the Philippines was no easy task and we always had to pack with us huge doses of willingness, good books, a lot of time and Pesos. Time and Money, that's exactly what we did not have in our last days around. 
There are no international ATMs in small cities like Sabang and after using all our dollars, and because we did some incorrect planning of our expenses, we were too short in Pesos. Mission on - we can handle it until the next ATM!! But it's in the middle of an unexpected fasting we also do some incorrect time planning - it's summer, it's Sunday, we want to visit the Underground River and have a plane to catch. We thought that we had more than enough time and we had, honestly, no clue that it would be so complicated. You get your permit, you wait, you get in a boat, you get out of the boat, you wait more, you get into a smaller boat, then you get in the cave.
Why was a bad planning? We had to move from Sabang to Puerto Princesa to catch the flight to Manila, in order to get out of the country the next day.  Ufff. The time was passing by and we at the same spot. We got really worried. Despite the stress - to me it was the most stressful day in this trip so far - we were blessed to have amazing Filipinos around us. They not only tried to squeeze us in the multiple lines, they also counted the hours that we had left until the flight, they eventually discussed among them solutions to OUR problem. Our fault. 
And then boom! Alexander, a tour guide serving other tourists from the Corazon Tours, offered the solution that finally calmed me down - we could join their private van that was going back to PP after the sightseeing.  But this wasn't just a lift, the driver waited for us to grab our bags, the other van's refund, he stopped at an ATM (that did not accept our card!) and going totally the extra mile, he dropped us in the airport. In the AIRPORT! We gave him all the money we had left, totally sure that that it was nothing compared to what he did to us.
Mistake after mistake we were relieved and thankful that all went alright. That day taught us some lessons! All those acts of kindness towards us, strangers, were so incredible human that they undoubtedly connected me to them. How easy it is to change someone's life by a simple act, no matter how banal it might be to us?!? 

I promise, I'm almost done. But I can't finish this post without mentioning (again) the 3 Filipinos we met in the first days in the country. 2 cousins, a common friend. One calls me Mama, the other post embarrassing videoke videos and the shyest one writes me just to ask "how are you doing?". They truly represent everyone I met in the country - happy, smiley, shy, introspective, locos, easy going, patient, caring.

I guess I was lucky because somewhere there must be not-this-nice and kind people. But either way, Philippines I <3 you for so many reasons. The wonderful people I met while traveling add a huge plus to the experience and will never forget it.
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City Love: Chiang Mai

One day Di and I were walking around one of my favorite cities, Lisbon. I was full of joy and excited to be exploring such a cool place. I got the same feeling over and over again in other cities too. And when I realized it, I was struck. It was kind of o special moment. I really like cities. In fact, I love'm!

I don't know many people that share this feeling, the opposite is far more popular. Way too often we listen others expressing their anger and frustration towards their urban surroundings. But I know I'm not alone.

I guess it's because I'm a puzzle solver. Could also be my addiction to SimCity games or the other may around. In any case, I really like to figure out how stuff works, how systems are designed and how to tweak and modify them. That's why I choose to and love to be a software engineer. Cities are exactly that, a wonderfully complex puzzle. The way I see it, cities tries to be the best place as possible for people to live close to each other in community and fulfill some kind of national goal. What sets it apart is that we live in it. We, people, are part of the puzzle. We build them to ourselves after all.

We've spent a few days in Chiang Mai, the biggest and most important city on the north of Thailand. It left a strong positive impression on me. I was constantly observing how they solved the city puzzle. Their solution was ancient and fascinating. This is the start of my personal series of posts dedicated to the coolest cities we visit called "City Love".

The city was planned and constructed on the fertile banks of the river Ping. This made sure that the needs of mobility, sanitation, clean water and food were readily available.
Ancient city planning


It is on a valley surrounded by mountains on the border of Burma, Laos and China. It was naturally a popular commercial route, were merchants and commerce flourished, different cultures mixed, technology and knowledge spread. People gathered.

Back in the day, war and conflict were common so a wall and moat were built to protect the royals, bureaucrats, temples and the rich. Clearly a lot of thought and effort was put into the city and it flourished. So much so it became an irresistible target for other conquerors. You can check Chiang Mai's complicated history online, or even better, on its cool museums.

Nowadays Chiang Mai has been largely modernized and expanded organically, without planning. The protective wall is no more, just a replica of the ancient gates are standing. The moat is still preserved. It's when we walked inside the old town that we felt somewhere special. It's full of incredible Buddhist temples, inviting spa resorts, hippy cafes, crazy tattoo parlors, music studios, arts and cooking schools, handcraft markets, diverse museums, international guest houses and hostels packed with people from all the corners of the world. Day and night the city's full of life. For me that's the legacy of a well planned city.

Inevitably it also has lots of problems too, like noise, air and water pollution, illegal drugs and prostitution, homeless and misery. It's far from perfect but I think it's as good as it gets in Thailand. It's a well balanced city.

There are many other reasons to like cities but I'll stop here. Our time in Chiang Mai was memorable, not only for the city itself, so I definitely recommend a visit. And maybe when you're there, you'll also notice how they solved their puzzle and enjoy a different city experience.

Cheers!
Crazy street art everywhere

The remains of one of the city gates

Beautiful and stylish paintings on a male-only temple

Gorgeous temple facades

Green jade floor. Only for men.

The temple's supporters

Madame Toussot style monk statues. Quite freaky.

Enjoying the blues

The new monks in white storming the city

Delicious western food with extra olive oil

The ugly and polluted Ping river

Local flag

Unbelievable temples

Eeer, what?!

Buddha in white style

Mythological painting exhibition

Gentlemen, start your engines!

Black Camenrider!!!
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Do You feel special?

"Do you feel special?!" Will asks our guide when we are able to breathe again...
"Because you know...you are from an amazing, special and unique place".
Our guide, with a way better English than I had when first arrived in the Netherlands, simply responds, "It's okay".

I silently giggle and looked at Will. No it's not just okay dude. It's amazing! It is a breathtaking view. Many say and I agree - it's the best and most stunning amphitheater rice terraces! 
It's one of the most beautiful thing I've seen in this trip! How can he say it's just okay?!?!!?




Camouflaged?!

We arrived in the Philippines when April started and we stayed some days in Manila, it was Easter weekend and the city was, they said, deserted. I won't recommend it because of the things to see or the traffic, baggers, pollution or lots of signs of poverty. I would just say that our stay there, 3 too long days, was  "saved" by the people we meet there, including 3 great Filipinos and loads of internationals passing by or staying for undefined time.



We did videoke, we had cheap okay food, walked the old city, soaked an afternoon in a swimming pool, saw the many churches packed, followed the crowds in the streets, said thousands "no" to street kids eventually, we couldn't get more of it. We left overwhelmed to Banaue, and what awaited us in Batad was just heaven.

Our days there wouldn't have been so amazing if we perhaps had not met the super duper cool French couple - Luïc and Lucile. Why? Because we literally highjacked their plans and join them for their whole time in Banaue. And it was sooo much fun!




So what was expecting us in Batad?!? Yes, rice terraces. No internet. Many hours hiking and stunning view points. Rain and beautiful sun. An unforgettable peace. I also can't forget that in the evenings we played "truco".

Just going back to where I started, I wonder...
How much beauty we miss sometimes just around the corner? How much do we miss a place, a person, when we are not there or we can't hug that person? How little importance do we give to someone that sits everyday just across us? How much do we take for granted?

We must, more often, stop and look around us, be thankful and never stopped to be amazed by the small things. We all will be so much happier and feel, more often, special.
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From Laos to Thailand

We cruised through Laos as we decided to stay longer in the Philippines - decisions decisions decisions.

Even though it was a small sample from the country I had a blast in Luang Prabang and in its many cute little streets and in the best night market so far (I would have bought a lot of things there if I could:)). It was also in Luang Prabang that I saw the most volunteering offers since we start traveling - my favorite was The Big Brother Mouse. It was clear: there is still so much to be done in the country, not only with children but also with nature and wildlife. 
We had the opportunity to see part of the work done with elephants in the Elephant Village. The portion we contributed (1h elephant riding) was quite small compared with all possibilities there: from a full day training to become an official elephant rider (aka mahout), to staying over in the village or buying all sort of elephant-type souvenirs. You can always help. The cause is quite noble and riding that 40 years old elephant, I must confess, was something completely unexpected. I never imagined that rough skin, those funny moves and that thick fur. I was quite amazed by the obedience (and cleverness) of our elephant - when the mahout told her to refresh herself, while crossing the river, she did it promptly whole over her and me. It was sort of weird great experience. 


Having movie nights with popcorn or pizza at home it was all we wanted in some evenings these past months. Resting our feet while doing something we enjoy so much. The fact that we have no laptop with us makes it quite hard, but we managed in Luang Prabang, in one of the many cute cafes and restaurants. No pizza, no popcorn just movie and Laos' food, comfortable in the middle of some pillows. Sweet. Almost home. Some extra points to the city.

We slowly moved west into the border with Thailand - literately slow. It took us 3 days and 2 nights to get to Chiang Mai by boat (and 5h van). The Mekong river is beautiful, the landscape is great, it's one hell of a river...but it was so tiring that we don't wish to repeat it any time soon.

We get to northern Thailand safe and sound, tired, restless in a hard mattress room but Chiang Mai was keeping a little nice surprise for us. We got to know that there were friends around the corner - how energizing is that?! A lot! We had dinner dates with Michele and Patricia every night after doing loads of stuff with the daylight (temples, museums, massage course, hunting for postcards, sending  packages home, eating good food, etc.). 
Crazy Blues Singer. Great night!

Our last evening together in town was spent cooking, or learning how to do so in Thai style - it was so yummy! 

  






Sweet cooking partners German couple.

Little warning about mosquito bites in Thailand, I never saw my body reacting that bad - note to self use plenty of repellent day/night/everywhere or pick a good skin/bad blood like Will's :):)

And girls, thanks, it was awesome to be around you! The live music, the crazy tuk-tuk driver, the great restaurant host, the long talks & walks looking for food, the many beers, the street food and the night markets...the happy smiles! Our stay in Chiang Mai was 100% improved because we met you! 


The mainland Southeast Asia circle was about to be closed, but there was still a  unforgettable train trip to happen. Check out this post.
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Simply Laos

The overlooked gem of Southeast Asia. We always knew we wanted to go to Laos but for no specific reason. There are Khmer temples but not as wonderful as in Cambodia. There are a few scars left by war but not like in Vietnam. There are no beaches at all so I won't even compare it to Thailand. As far as I could see there was nothing special about it. How come everybody I knew highly recommended it?! Well, like I was told so many times, you have to go there and experience it for yourself. So that's what we did and it was wonderful.

It all started with a pleasant quick flight from Hanoi, Vietnam, to Luang Prabang. We arrived in our guest house at night and went hunting for dinner at the night market. We choose the first Lao restaurant and ordered some typical food and veggies. What a great surprise!
Clockwise from the top: chicken salad, steamed veggie & spring rolls.

The food was delicious, different but not weird. Easy to savour, full of original flavours and surprising combinations. To top it all, the Lao Beer is light and refreshing, just like back home. Even when its served with ice. Great start!

On the second day we did our own walking tour around town which is an UNESCO Heritage member. We visited many Buddhist temples and absorbed the city. It's quiet, gentle and inviting. The mighty Mekong on one side and the Nam Khan river running in a sharp angle at the other. Both meet at the base of a hill where you can climb to visit another temple complex - hilariously pronounced "Pussy Hill" - and gaze at the breath taking surroundings. And if it's dry season, pay a little fee to cross the artesanal Bamboo Bridge and walk in Nam Khan's bank.

Tipical scene over the bamboo bridge

We survived the Popular Street Alley Food Buffet

Walking is probably our favourite thing to do. We usually walk 6 to 7 km every day. Even when its noon and 40 degrees, which was the case. Sadly, March is the month to burn the fields to make way for the new crops.
Smokey and beautiful views

This means smoke, a lot of it.
Covering the whole sky, burning your eyes and that bad smell. All that smoke really bothered me, like that jerk puffing his nasty cigar at you while you have lunch. It didn't ruin it but it was not cool.

Luang Prabang is too nice to be ruined by smoke. There are a lot of interesting cafés and restaurants to try, like the super popular Utopia. Hard to find but absolutely original. Overlooking the Nam Khan river, you can eat on low tables, chilling on the cushions, listening to rock and pop classics. Or you can have drinks and play beach volleyball. Or just sit on the totally open deck on the hill side contemplating the night sky and the river. A truly great experience.

Staying in town is cool but its even cooler to explore its surroundings. We went for a 2 days 1 night combo expedition: truck, speed boat, jungle trekking, hut lodging, elephant riding and kayaking. What an incredible experience! We went together with a young American couple and a local guide. We got friends really fast and talked at length about life on the road. There's always a new amazing story to hear from travellers. The expedition was exhausting but we enjoyed every minute.
Baby monkey pet of a village

How many Water Buffalos can you spot?

First time cooking since our trip started!

Double date dinner without electricity

The trekkers and the smoke

Lumber-kids

They don't have alternatives so they start early


There was only one uncool thing. My phone got soaked with water inside a waterproof bag while we were kayaking. How ironic isn't it?! All due to a bottle with a crappy cap. I let my phone rest in rice for 3 days and it finally turned on but it's not the same as before. The front camera, compass, SIM card all stopped working. And the battery barely lasts a day now. So basically I have an old small tablet. I'm still figuring out what to do with it.

 We did a few more things in Laos but I'm going to let Di talk about them. It was a short stay in Laos, in only one city. Does Laos has more to offer? Absolutely! Was it enough? Definitely. We had our blast and incredible memories were made. Everything worked out as planned. What else could we ask for?
I even "drove" an elephant!

Our timing in Laos was perfect specially considering our next destination but I'll tell more about it on my next post.

Cheers!
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