Phillippines

 

The breeze picks up and blows salty tropical air over the balcony of our tiny beach shack. I take in a deep breath and let out a sigh of relief. 

We've finally arrived in paradise after a crazy week of international travel, a cross country roadtrip, and a weekend getaway at a Wyoming jail. (Those who know the story, this is where our Asia trip begins).  

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Our mad dash to the Philippines started Monday morning when I picked up Theo from the Sublette county jail after spending the weekend there over a minor marajuana charge.

Our flight was at 6AM the next morning and google maps predicted that we would barely have enough time to get on our flight. No breaks, all gas . 

After a 15 hour car ride from Wyoming to San Francisco, we hopped on our flight to Los Angeles and RAN to connect to our next flight. We had a 45 minute layover in Tokyo then flew to our final destination in Manila. We arrived in the Capitol of the Philippines at 10PM.
Tired but excited to be in a new city, we made our way to our hostel, dropped our bags in the room, and headed out. The streets were bustling with backpackers, motorbikes, and bars selling cheap booze. After a few beers and a lively chat with a Canadian chicken farmer, we passed out around 3AM and slept for 18 hours straight.

After catching up on sleep for a couple days, we flew to Cebu, another large city on an island south of Manila. It was a transit stop on our way to Siargao- where we would spend a majority of our time in the Philippines.

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Between a creaky fan and the giant rats that were running around the room, I didn't get much sleep that night in Cebu. 

The next morning we woke up at sunrise, sleep deprived and desperate for coffee. As we walked around I noticed the stark contrast of my surroundings - one that I've never seen in any city before. 

We walked down rows of houses made out of wood pieces and metal scrap built on top of each other. Chickens and malnourished dogs ran freely as we passed rivers of garbage that scented the air of sewage. We turned a corner and ended up at a shopping mall with manicured lawns and Starbucks. 

Crumbling shacks next to high rise buildings. Dirt roads polluted with trash, a block over from paved streets lined with palm trees. Mega malls advertising designer brands were surrounded by slums. 

I was ready to get out of the city... to an island covered in palm tree forests.  

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That afternoon we took a flight from Cebu to Surigao, a smaller island next to Siargao (confusing I know). We stayed at a hotel for the night and took a two hour ferry to the island of Siargao the next day. 

We got off the ferry at Dapa in Siargao and took a tuk tuk ride to General Luna, the largest town on the island. GL is mostly known for its famous surf break, Cloud 9. However, it still reminds untouched by major tourism and upholds a backpacker vibe. 

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The locals were exceptionally friendly. Everyone smiles and waves, especially the kids who all yell "HELLO!!", every time you pass them. When talking with the locals, they acknowledge you with "sir" or 'ma'am". 

A huge plus traveling to the Philippines is that it's CHEAP. We splurged on big fish dinners, with drinks, for $20. Motorbike rental for the day were $6.

From the main town, we headed over to a smaller fishing village where we rented a beach shack for a week. It was a beautiful place, however the electricity and water ran sporadically, which made it tough for cooking. We spent the rest of the week trying to find surf-with no luck. But successfully found a lot of great places to eat. I was lucky enough to stumble on a cafe that served really good acai bowls and espresso.

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One afternoon we biked to the north side of the island and found ourselves at Pacifico Beach. An Aussie couple we met at the airport were staying there, and the four of us spent the afternoon surfing and hanging on the beach. As the sun set, rum shots were poured, and we ended up at a Karaoke bar singing all the 90s hits.

After 2 weeks of eating, drinking, and exploring the island of Siargao, we caught a flight to Palawan, a popular island chain on the other side of the Philippines. Many people recommended that we check out Puerto Princesa, but after hearing that its packed with tourists, we took a different route. We spent the majority of the time in Port Barton- a sleepy fisherman town with a chill backpacker vibe. 

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Morning coffee while digging my toes in the sand…

... afternoon yoga sessions overlooking the bay 

The Filipino's are very genuine and extremely nice- even the local locals, not just the people working in the bars and restaurants. When passing local villages, the people would look at us with smiles, waves, and curiosity. When our bike got a flat, a construction worker from the area took us to the nearest repair shop. One afternoon a younger guy asked us if we wanted fresh baku and returned with freshly chopped coconuts from an exceptionally tall palm tree. He refused our money when we offered, gave us a wave and biked off. The vibe was warm and friendly, more so than any other place i’ve visited before. 

Though there are some beautiful places in the Philippines, we’ve found that those places were unfortunately littered with chain hotels and obnoxious tourists. I recommend checking out the little gems off the beaten path.

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TravelHillary Atalina