Lancashirelad
9th January 2011, 22:12
Hi,
I got back from Phils last week having spent Christmas and New Year with my fiancee, heres a summary of my trip
My dad dropped me off at Manchester airport 2 hours before my flight, it was reading -7c in the car on the way to Manchester, i had been worried that the flight might be canceled as Heathrow had been shut already due to snow and other airports had canceled flights.
Anyway Manchester was open but the check in desk didn't open for another hour, so im sat in the draughty waiting area with -7c wind whipping round the room my teeth were chattering!
Checked in ok with Singapore airlines, the flight touched down at Munich to take more passengers, where we were delayed 4 hours then on to Singapore. Now at Singapore as we disembark we are told we must hurry to the connecting flight as the gate is closing and its in the other terminal!! So im running down Singapore airport trying to catch the flight to Manila. Needn't have rushed they were still accept passengers for 30 mins after i boarded.
Arrived at Manila its now about 24 hours since i set off from home, waiting for my suitcase at the carousel, everyone seems to get theirs before me grrrr. Now theres just a couple of people waiting for the cases theirs arrive and the track is turned off and i have no suitcase!
I go to the singapore desk and tell them my bag hasn't arrived, i fill in lots forms and show my passport, boarding pass, luggage reciept and they take my girlfriends mobile number and say they will ring me when they find my case. They also give me 2200 peso for emergency clothes.
Hmmm so onward to Davao my last flight! its about 34 hours since i set off when i arrive in Davao, ive no suitcase so straight out to meet my fiancee for the first time in person after over a year of chatting on cam.
So took i took a deep breath before i left the airport and i look for my fiancee in the waiting area, i see her beaming a big smile and we hug and have a short awkward kiss before we jump in a taxi. Were holding hands in the taxi and within a couple of minutes were chatting away just like we do on camera and were so comfortable already
im tell her about the lost luggage and she teases me telling me i smell, we arrive at the hotel Pinnacles in Davao and check in its 10 30pm, we then go for a drink in a bar close to the hotel and we both laughing and chatting comfortably. Her friend texts her to see if shes ok, i think shes checking up to see im not a weirdo! i say invite her to join us for a drink so she joins us for an hour or so. we then finish our drinks say goodnight to her friend and retire to the hotel for the evening.
Next morning we go shopping for some clothes for me plus toiletries i had a toothbrush from the flight but im desperate for a shave. We go to G Mall near the hotel and spend a fun morning there shopping for me. My girlfriend wont let me buy her anything, hmmm im sure that will change in time!!! lol
We spend time hanging at the mall, we go to McDonalds i get an ice cream she gets a coke float, i tell her that if you put your ice cream in your coke in the uk people will think you are buang! we then go to my Gf house to pick up the rest of her clothes for the hotel, we spend some time at her place. she gets a phone call saying they found my suitcase and it will arrive tomorrow. We go to Jacks ridge for the evening and the food is really good! I love the spicy Chicken mmm nakapakapakasarap! The setting is really nice overlooking Davao, its definitely a must visit for anyone traveling to Davao.
Next day i meet her sister and some more friends, i chatted to them before on camera, so its great to meet them in person everyone is so friendly.
Next my Gf says she would like me to meet some of her work friends ive chatted to them before so i agree so its off to her workplace! i get there and wow everyone comes to chat and see me, such a fuss. Im shown around and meet the doctors and im invited to the Christmas party that evening. I said sure!
Well i have never seen anything like it in my life! the xmas party games included some sort of a quiz where you shouted out to answer waving your hand in the air.
The filipinas were hysterical screaming and shouting such noise and excitement, more than any football game ive been to here! i had a great time and im made so welcome.
Next day its off to the crocodile park, we arrive and its closed for a private party!! grrrrrr.
So we get taxi to the mall and go to the cinema, watch the Narnia movie as most of the others are in tagalog and im not fluent enough to follow a film completely.
have a great day at NCCC mall do some kareoke in a booth there, visit a net cafe and just hang out.
Next day is the trip to the province, its a 3 hour journey or so to Sigaboy, im not sure what to expect, i know we will be sleeping on the floor at moms for 2 nights but its ok. Oh i forgot to mention its so warm! my fiancee keeps hand me tissues to mop my brow cos im sweating, it must be 85 or 90c ive been to hotter places, but its humid also and it makes me sweat, especially after coming from negative 7c weather at home.
So... we arrive at my fiancee moms village, the place where she grew up!
We arrive at auntys house after a bumpy dirt road track i the taxi! Lots of people start to appear soon theres maybe 30 people or so greeting my fiancee, i hear the word Amerikano and kano lots, so they are talking about me, lol i think i created quite a lot of curiosity.
People help carry our bags to moms house a few hundred yards up a track, where im greeted by lots more villagers all staring and saying hello, im not usedto so much attention! My girlfriend is beaming seeing all her old friends and showing me off it seems!
We get to moms and mom is quite shy she welcomes me and thanks me for coming, im then taken round the back of the house to see 2 baboy lechon ( roast piggies) roasting over a pit! apparently its in honour of me and my girlfriend visiting and now im quite humbled!
the baboy are carried into moms house and all the village seem to join the feast! people there are so friendly to me. Im ask my girlfriend how many white guys visited the village before, she said maybe 1 but she thinks many of the villagers im first white guy they have seen! hmmm no wonder so many people are watching and staring at me, lol. I have a great day there lots of photos and really enjoy the fantastic hospitality shown to me.
Next day we go for a walk around the village early in the morning maybe 8am, its really beautiful palm trees bannana and coconuts, chickens running round everywhere, there is a crystal clear rivermy gf tells me its where she learned to swim, children join us on our walk.
Nearly every house we walk past we are invited in, they try to give me coffee, beer, cola, food! im really humbled again, im apologise and tell them im ok, busog (full) already. the walk last most of the morning and im meet lots of lovely people. As we are walking round the village they are butchering a pig down by the river, not something you see at home.
later that day i try some dinuguan at moms its pork blood soup, first taste is like black pudding, but the texture is eww to me as i see little bits of chopped up viens so i just have a few spoons! i consider it my bush tucker trial whilst im in the jungle!
That night is Xmas eve and i join the village at church for the service which is in bisaya, the singing is so happy, makes me miss my church at home, i join communion and have a lovely evening, later we have a beer at moms outside.
In the morning im say goodbye and im sad to leave that place, i will return soon god willing!
next day we back in Davao city its Xmas day and we are at the Baptism of my gf nephew, im a ninong (godfather)and im honoured to spend xmas day with a baptism with my new family
the Holiday continues well, more sightseeing the crocodile park which was excellent, i did zorbing too which was fun! we went to Eden nature park also good, we did the zipline there, time at the beach, lots more in Davao we went bowling, kareoke hanging with my gfs freinds and family, all the time my gf is sweet and lovely and im fall for her even more!
so the time to come home its sad to say goodbye, i had an amazing time and the sights and sounds are so different there, something i will treasure and as well as being in love with my gf, now im love the Philippines too!
well its a bit rambling im not a great writer and ive missed lots! Ive posted some pictures on my profile page if anyone wants take a look!
I got back from Phils last week having spent Christmas and New Year with my fiancee, heres a summary of my trip
My dad dropped me off at Manchester airport 2 hours before my flight, it was reading -7c in the car on the way to Manchester, i had been worried that the flight might be canceled as Heathrow had been shut already due to snow and other airports had canceled flights.
Anyway Manchester was open but the check in desk didn't open for another hour, so im sat in the draughty waiting area with -7c wind whipping round the room my teeth were chattering!
Checked in ok with Singapore airlines, the flight touched down at Munich to take more passengers, where we were delayed 4 hours then on to Singapore. Now at Singapore as we disembark we are told we must hurry to the connecting flight as the gate is closing and its in the other terminal!! So im running down Singapore airport trying to catch the flight to Manila. Needn't have rushed they were still accept passengers for 30 mins after i boarded.
Arrived at Manila its now about 24 hours since i set off from home, waiting for my suitcase at the carousel, everyone seems to get theirs before me grrrr. Now theres just a couple of people waiting for the cases theirs arrive and the track is turned off and i have no suitcase!
I go to the singapore desk and tell them my bag hasn't arrived, i fill in lots forms and show my passport, boarding pass, luggage reciept and they take my girlfriends mobile number and say they will ring me when they find my case. They also give me 2200 peso for emergency clothes.
Hmmm so onward to Davao my last flight! its about 34 hours since i set off when i arrive in Davao, ive no suitcase so straight out to meet my fiancee for the first time in person after over a year of chatting on cam.
So took i took a deep breath before i left the airport and i look for my fiancee in the waiting area, i see her beaming a big smile and we hug and have a short awkward kiss before we jump in a taxi. Were holding hands in the taxi and within a couple of minutes were chatting away just like we do on camera and were so comfortable already
im tell her about the lost luggage and she teases me telling me i smell, we arrive at the hotel Pinnacles in Davao and check in its 10 30pm, we then go for a drink in a bar close to the hotel and we both laughing and chatting comfortably. Her friend texts her to see if shes ok, i think shes checking up to see im not a weirdo! i say invite her to join us for a drink so she joins us for an hour or so. we then finish our drinks say goodnight to her friend and retire to the hotel for the evening.
Next morning we go shopping for some clothes for me plus toiletries i had a toothbrush from the flight but im desperate for a shave. We go to G Mall near the hotel and spend a fun morning there shopping for me. My girlfriend wont let me buy her anything, hmmm im sure that will change in time!!! lol
We spend time hanging at the mall, we go to McDonalds i get an ice cream she gets a coke float, i tell her that if you put your ice cream in your coke in the uk people will think you are buang! we then go to my Gf house to pick up the rest of her clothes for the hotel, we spend some time at her place. she gets a phone call saying they found my suitcase and it will arrive tomorrow. We go to Jacks ridge for the evening and the food is really good! I love the spicy Chicken mmm nakapakapakasarap! The setting is really nice overlooking Davao, its definitely a must visit for anyone traveling to Davao.
Next day i meet her sister and some more friends, i chatted to them before on camera, so its great to meet them in person everyone is so friendly.
Next my Gf says she would like me to meet some of her work friends ive chatted to them before so i agree so its off to her workplace! i get there and wow everyone comes to chat and see me, such a fuss. Im shown around and meet the doctors and im invited to the Christmas party that evening. I said sure!
Well i have never seen anything like it in my life! the xmas party games included some sort of a quiz where you shouted out to answer waving your hand in the air.
The filipinas were hysterical screaming and shouting such noise and excitement, more than any football game ive been to here! i had a great time and im made so welcome.
Next day its off to the crocodile park, we arrive and its closed for a private party!! grrrrrr.
So we get taxi to the mall and go to the cinema, watch the Narnia movie as most of the others are in tagalog and im not fluent enough to follow a film completely.
have a great day at NCCC mall do some kareoke in a booth there, visit a net cafe and just hang out.
Next day is the trip to the province, its a 3 hour journey or so to Sigaboy, im not sure what to expect, i know we will be sleeping on the floor at moms for 2 nights but its ok. Oh i forgot to mention its so warm! my fiancee keeps hand me tissues to mop my brow cos im sweating, it must be 85 or 90c ive been to hotter places, but its humid also and it makes me sweat, especially after coming from negative 7c weather at home.
So... we arrive at my fiancee moms village, the place where she grew up!
We arrive at auntys house after a bumpy dirt road track i the taxi! Lots of people start to appear soon theres maybe 30 people or so greeting my fiancee, i hear the word Amerikano and kano lots, so they are talking about me, lol i think i created quite a lot of curiosity.
People help carry our bags to moms house a few hundred yards up a track, where im greeted by lots more villagers all staring and saying hello, im not usedto so much attention! My girlfriend is beaming seeing all her old friends and showing me off it seems!
We get to moms and mom is quite shy she welcomes me and thanks me for coming, im then taken round the back of the house to see 2 baboy lechon ( roast piggies) roasting over a pit! apparently its in honour of me and my girlfriend visiting and now im quite humbled!
the baboy are carried into moms house and all the village seem to join the feast! people there are so friendly to me. Im ask my girlfriend how many white guys visited the village before, she said maybe 1 but she thinks many of the villagers im first white guy they have seen! hmmm no wonder so many people are watching and staring at me, lol. I have a great day there lots of photos and really enjoy the fantastic hospitality shown to me.
Next day we go for a walk around the village early in the morning maybe 8am, its really beautiful palm trees bannana and coconuts, chickens running round everywhere, there is a crystal clear rivermy gf tells me its where she learned to swim, children join us on our walk.
Nearly every house we walk past we are invited in, they try to give me coffee, beer, cola, food! im really humbled again, im apologise and tell them im ok, busog (full) already. the walk last most of the morning and im meet lots of lovely people. As we are walking round the village they are butchering a pig down by the river, not something you see at home.
later that day i try some dinuguan at moms its pork blood soup, first taste is like black pudding, but the texture is eww to me as i see little bits of chopped up viens so i just have a few spoons! i consider it my bush tucker trial whilst im in the jungle!
That night is Xmas eve and i join the village at church for the service which is in bisaya, the singing is so happy, makes me miss my church at home, i join communion and have a lovely evening, later we have a beer at moms outside.
In the morning im say goodbye and im sad to leave that place, i will return soon god willing!
next day we back in Davao city its Xmas day and we are at the Baptism of my gf nephew, im a ninong (godfather)and im honoured to spend xmas day with a baptism with my new family
the Holiday continues well, more sightseeing the crocodile park which was excellent, i did zorbing too which was fun! we went to Eden nature park also good, we did the zipline there, time at the beach, lots more in Davao we went bowling, kareoke hanging with my gfs freinds and family, all the time my gf is sweet and lovely and im fall for her even more!
so the time to come home its sad to say goodbye, i had an amazing time and the sights and sounds are so different there, something i will treasure and as well as being in love with my gf, now im love the Philippines too!
well its a bit rambling im not a great writer and ive missed lots! Ive posted some pictures on my profile page if anyone wants take a look!