Adventure to Asia: Philippines, Pt. 3

Saturday, August 2: Dumaguete City

After paying for an extra bag we walked to our gate. Our flight ended up being delayed an hour! This wouldn't have been a problem, but we had to catch another plane in Manila. When we landed in Manila we had to wait for our checked bag which is exactly the reason we didn't want to check any bags. We had about 30 minutes to get to our gate. I just told Jillian I would try to get our tickets without her there. When I got to the counter I explained pretty impatiently that my sister was waiting for a bag and we had a flight with the same airline. She hesitantly gave me both tickets and I ran to wait for my sister. Of course cell phone service was terrible and literally at the time we needed to be at the gate Jillian finally came up but there was a family that couldn't decided what they wanted to do and I was just yelling at Jillian to ask if she could cut in front of them. Then we ran through security and to our gate with all our bags. Luckily, we made it on time. I don't know how but God was looking out for us. I tried to sleep on the flight, but I couldn't.

When we go to Dumaguete we went to a hostel owned by someone my sister knows. We ate breakfast and then went to her apartment. When we got there there were so many roosters tied up that my sister had never seen before. We figured they were being used for fights. We both showered and then took a nap. We left her apartment around 5 and she took me to a coffee shop called Scooby's where she had me try Halo Halo. It's this purple ice cream (I can't remember the name) and they put lots of different toppings on it and it all sits on some ice. We both forgot our phones so Jillian went back to get them while I waited for the food. It came while she was still gone and I felt bad starting to eat it before she came back.

A little bit before 7 we headed to a place called Pasta King where I met some more of my sister's friends. After we ate I really wanted caffeine. Jillian and I walked to a coffee shop but they didn't have to go cups. I just gave up. After we ate some of us went to vidaoke. It's like karaoke but with videos. It's big in the Philippines and my sister wanted me to experience it.

Sunday: August 3: Dumaguete City

On Sunday Jillian, her two friends, and I went to Dauin to go swimming. It took a while to get there, but it was a really nice spot and there weren't many people around. We stayed there for a long part of the day but it was really windy!

Afterwards, we decided we were going to have dinner together so we went to a market and super market called Lee Plaza. Lee Plaza was strange because there were so many check points and security to get through. I bought a buko shake because Jillian wanted me to try it and it was SO GOOD! It tasted like a vanilla milkshake. Outside of the super market two guys were with a little puppy and it was so cute, but then they tried selling it to us and we declined. We then headed our separate ways to shower before dinner.

Around 6 we headed to the one girls apartment. She made us iced coffees and when the other girl arrived they made guacamole. We ate so much guacamole that by the time we made the pasta we weren't too hungry. We finished the night watching 50/50.

Monday, August 4: Cebu City

In the morning I packed up all my stuff and we went to where my sister works. I dropped my stuff off and then we walked to a coffee shop where I got some tea and food. Jillian had to leave to go to a meeting so I finished everything myself. I almost started crying because I get really emotional when things end, plus I was sad to be leaving my sister. We had our arguments while on our 3 week trip together, but it was still really sad to be leaving. After I ate I walked to a little souvenir shop and bought last minute gifts. I walked back to my sisters work and met some of her co-workers. Then she took me to the airport.

We said good-bye and I went to check in. When I got to the counter they had to weigh me and all my stuff. I was waiting to be charged for an extra bag again but it turned out they only need the weight because it was a propeller plane. When I got on the plane a woman was sitting in my seat and I just let her have it because she was with her husband. I got a seat the faced everyone and it was really weird to be sitting that way. So, there is a stereotype that Filipina women date old white men and that stereotype rang true on this flight. The first three rows in front of me and 2 out of the 3 rows on the other side were Filipina women with these really old white men.

The airport was a lot smaller than I was expecting and I spent 10 hours at this coffee shop with no food. I met a guy named Ferdie and we talked for most of his shift. He was really nice. Then he left and I still had so much time before my flight. I just journaled for most of the time. Finally about 10 pm I was able to check in and wait for my flight.

Adventure to Asia: Philippines Pt. 2

Thursday, July 17: Bohol, Philippines
Since our trip was so short we had to do a lot of tourist excursions. There were several places on Bohol we wanted to see, so the best way to do it in a short amount of time was to take a tour.

The first place we stopped at was the Blood Compact Monument. It was just a monument, but it had a beautiful view of the ocean. There was a guy selling jewelry and he wouldn't leave us alone. It was so annoying. Then our tour guide asked my (younger) sister if I was her daughter!

Our next stop was the Baclayon Church. It was the oldest coral church in Bohol. It was damaged pretty badly by an earthquake that occurred several months earlier.

The third stop was the Loboc River cruise. On the boat they served us a buffet lunch. I tried several different Filipino foods. There were two stops on the cruise. On the first stop they played local music. The second stop was at a tribal area. It was really awkward being there because it felt like they were exploiting this tribe. Jillian and I just stood there feeling weird. I couldn't wait to get back onto the boat.

The fourth stop was at a tarsier rescue center. The tarsiers were one of the things we wanted to see while on Bohol. They were so cute but since they are nocturnal they were sleeping. So did manage to open their eyes. You need to be really quiet when you are there because apparently when they hear loud noises and get stressed out they will bang their heads until they kill themselves.

The fifth stop we made was to a butterfly center. It was really sunny and there weren't a lot of butterflies around, so I didn't get very good pictures.

The sixth stop was at the Chocolate Hills. This was another place we really wanted to see. The chocolate hills are limestone mounds which were a natural phenomena from when the ocean covered the islands. They are called the chocolate hills because they turn brown during dry season. It was really cool to see in person, but definitely not something you'd spend hours at. The stairs up to the lookout were so steep. I'm so out of shape.

The last stop was at the Sipatan Hanging Bridge. This bridge was terrifying. I almost dropped my phone off the edge. My feet also kept getting caught in the bamboo.

Friday, July 18: Manila, Philippines
We flew to Manila in the morning because we were flying out of Manila to Thailand. We ate Wendy's when we arrived at the airport in Manila. I was already craving American foods. The portion size of the fries was really small! A lot of Peace Corps volunteers were in Manila because a new batch of volunteers were coming so we took a taxi to their office. I met several of Jillian's friends.

It is really hard getting a taxi in Manila because it's really busy and the taxi drivers are jerks. We went to a mall to buy some shampoo and get some food. Then we went to a bar with a few of my sister's friends. That night we went back to the airport and slept on the floor. Somehow I managed to get a few hours of sleep.

Adventure to Asia: Philippines Pt. 1

I've been struggling with how to present my trip because there was so much that happened. It's going to take a while to edit all the pictures, so bear with me. I was really sick the day before I left so I didn't do half of what I wanted to do. I didn't get much sleep either, but it was just enough to make me feel better.

Monday, July 14: Cebu, Philippines
I flew from Cleveland > Chicago > Incheon, South Korea > Cebu, Philippines. It was a long flight. When I finally landed in the Philippines I had to go through customs. In the Philippines the culture is much different. People were cutting in line and really just didn't care. I was getting so mad because I was hot, tired, hungry, and my backpack was so heavy. Eventually, I just decided to do what they were doing. I finally got to the counter and the officer didn't believe my passport was mine because I look a lot different than the photo. Luckily, I had my driver's license or else I don't know what I would have done.

After going through immigration I pretty much bribed my way through customs. This guy came up to me, looked in this plastic bag I had from the Korean airport, said that the candy looked good, I said he could have a piece, he took one and let me through. I finally got to my sister and we took a cab to our hotel. I had bought an outlet/surge protector and as soon as I plugged it into the wall it sparked and cut all the power in our room. I went to see if the power to the to the whole hotel went out. I thought I opened our bedroom door to the hallway, and I told my sister it was all out. She then went to the door and opened it up and we realized it didn't. Apparently I went into the bathroom, but I swear I was in the hallway. Jillian went to the fuse box and turned our power back on. I just hoped I wouldn't screw up like this the rest of the trip.

Tuesday, July 15: Cebu, Philippines
The next day we went into Cebu City and got our new hostel. I napped for a few hours then that night we went out with my sister's friend and his friend who also came to visit. We went to a French bakery where I tried my first macaron. Later we went to a bar and drank beer and listened to music. It rained a lot the first few days I was there because a typhoon was going through the country north of us so we were getting the outskirts of it.

Wednesday, July 16: Bohol, Philippines
The next morning we woke up and there were ants ALL OVER our stuff. The lady in charge of our hostel told us not to eat food in our room, but I didn't think much of it. I thought these ants were going to be a much bigger problem than they were, but my sister dealt with it before and said as long as the food was gone they would leave our bags. We threw away the food and shook out our clothes and luckily they were gone. So, if you ever have to deal with this problem just know that it seems a lot worse than it actually is!

We left Cebu via ferry and went to Bohol, another island in the Philippines. We weren't sure if we were going to be able to get there because all the other ferries canceled their trips as a result of the typhoon. Luckily, we were able to go. One thing I learned from my sister is not to get a tuk tuk/motorbike driver right at the port/airport/train station. If you walk a little ways away you'll always find a cheaper ride. We didn't have a hostel booked for Bohol, but my sister managed to get us a discount at hotel right on the water because a friend of hers recommended it.

We walked around a bit to get some food and find an ATM. Another thing you want to watch out for is that the motorbike drivers will tell you something is really far when it really isn't. It may be a walk, but nothing is really THAT far. While we were looking for an ATM we ran into an Australian volunteer my sister is good friends with and her boyfriend. It was out of the blue. When we got back to our room I went to sleep. One nice thing was that when I would take naps my sister would wake me up to do things so I never slept through the entire day which helped me get over my jet lag quicker. That night we went to a bar and dinner. I tried a lot of new foods. I think Filipino foods were my favorite out of all the countries.

Sorry for all the writing. I wanted to make these posts more pictures and less writing, but I'm really bad at making my writing concise. My high school social studies teacher told me I needed to write less. Oops.

An Official Peace Corps Volunteer

Today, my sister was officially sworn in as a Peace Corps volunteer. It is more of an exciting moment than I expected it to be!

My sister messaged me on Viber yesterday, and she told me she would be sworn in as a volunteer later that day. She gave me the link that was going to stream the ceremony just in case I wanted to watch. However, she mentioned that it wouldn't be on until 2 am Eastern Standard time (2 pm Filipino time). She seemed really excited about it, but I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to get up for it since I'm pretty selfish and like to sleep. But I set my alarm anyways.

I'm so glad I woke up. The ceremony itself reminded me of a college graduation, but it was so cool to watch my sister speak Tagalog and perform a skit where she sang! That's one thing I really love about technology. The fact that I can watch my sister, on the other side of the world, accomplish one of the biggest moments in her life is definitely a benefit of technology.

I messaged when it was over letting her know I had woken up for, and watched, the whole ceremony. She was genuinely excited that someone had watched it. It makes me really sad though that I considered sleeping through it. How often is she going to do something like that again? Probably, never. So, even though she is 12 time zones away I'm glad it felt like I was there with her.

Asian Invasion

Have you heard the news?! That's right my sister is going to...

My sister, who has already been to Haiti, Venezuela, and India, is going to the Philippines for two years with the Peace Corps. I already knew that I wanted to visit her where ever they put her, but all along I was thinking Peru because that was her first choice. But here she is leaving in July for the Philippines.

I never thought I'd be wanting to go to Asia any time soon. I've been saving change and the few tips I get at work for possible trips. I've been wanting to visit the West Coast of the USA again (Arizona, San Francisco, Seattle) but I've also been dying to visit Europe. I wasn't sure what I was saving up for but I knew I needed to make a decision soon so that I knew how much I had to start putting away. I always thought I'd visit Europe before Asia, but here I am making a wish list of places I want to visit in Asia.

I figured I'll try to visit next year sometime. It's just tough because it's a LOT of money and I'm already paying a fortune in loans. Not only do I have to buy a plane ticket over there, but I also need to start thinking about food and shelter. If I plan on being their for at least a month that won't be cheap. Luckily, I've been paying more on my car so I should have it paid off by the beginning of next year and then put the extra money towards my trip. But I don't work at great paying jobs, so I'm hoping I really can make it before she returns. I also figured since I'm visiting the Philippines I'll save up and do a bit of traveling to other countries.

Ever since my sister told me about her placement I've been trying to think of places I wanted to visit. Let me tell you it's a lot harder thinking of places in Southeast Asia than it is for, say, Europe. I can name a million places I want to visit in Europe, but when it came to Asia I was drawing a blank. I also want to travel to places that will be the cheapest. Unfortunately, that means I really have to pick and choose where I want to go. That means places like Korea and China will be at the very end of my list and India won't even make it on. Anyways, without further ado here is my list:

Burma/Myanmar

I would love to visit Bagan and the Shwe Dagon Pagoda.

Bagan

Shwe Dagon Pagoda

Philippines:

Obviously, I would visit my sister where ever they place her in the Philippines and hopefully, if she can't travel to other countries, she can travel around the Philippines with me. I really want to see the Banaue Rice Terraces, Taal Volcano, and possibly some beaches. I'm not a beach person in the least, but when in Rome, or the Philippines, do as they do.

Banaue Rice Terraces

Taal Volcano

Cambodia:

Cambodia has very pretty temples. I'd love to see Angkor Wat or Ta Prohm Temple.

Angkor Wat

Thailand:

There are a great deal of places I would love to visit in Thailand! Bangkok would absolutely be one of them. I'd also like to see the Grand Palace, Ayuthaya, Sukhothai, and Phang Nga Bay. I mean come on look how awesome that rock is at Phang Nga Bay. It's crazy that something like that actually exists!

Ko Tapu at Phang Nga Bay

Vietnam:

I would love to visit Vietnam! As a history buff I've learned a lot about the country. Although, the history we learn about is pretty terrible, it would still be awesome to get an understanding of their culture. I would love to see the Old Quarter of Hanoi and Sapa!

Fruit market in Hanoi

If I have the money and the time I would also like to visit the Great Wall of China in China. I'd love to see Tokyo, Mt. Fuju, and Kyoto in Japan. Those are just a few places I'd like to see. 

I also found this awesome website that shares how to pack for different parts of the world, including places in Asia! You can visit the Ultimate Female Travel Packing List here! The other site I will take advantage of explains how to pack two weeks in a carry on. You can visit that site here!

Have you ever been to Asia? Is there any place you'd like to see, especially around the Philippines? Do you have any helpful tips for traveling or any websites I should check out. I've never left the country (I haven't even been to Canada), so I am completely open to suggestions. Also I'm also recruiting people to join me! :)

**None of these photographs are my own nor do I claim them to be my own. You can find the original source by clicking the photo. The first picture I am using with my sister's permission from her Instagram.