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Other entries in Iloilo City

1 week in Philippines

So yep, I've been in the Philippines now for a week now and have finally got around to updating my blog.

So I arrived in Manila on Thursday night - welcomed by a sign that read "Welcome to Bird-flu free Philippines"! - very reasuring.
Since everyone was at the wedding in Iloilo - I was picked up by another cousin, Vicvic. She took me to a hotel that was near the airport and also happened to be the red-light district too. We were walking down the street a one of the "working" girls stroked my arm! Quite forward! So I took her home ;-)

Was told to be at the airport 2.5 hours early as I had to pick up my ticket to Iloilo before check in. What a mission! People here move as slow as wet week. Enter the airline office and take a number. There were 5 infront of me and the turn around way about 1 customer every 10 minutes - so I was going to be stuck in the line for 50 minutes before being served!
The guard (they are everywhere with big guns) saw that my flight was leaving in an hour so bumped me to the front of the queue - still took 50 minutes though. The next thing was the huge line outside the airport for the security check - you have to have a ticket to enter the airport! Anyway long story short - plan was delayed so I had plenty of time anyway.

Was picked up by Ryan and his cousin Farah, she took us back to the family house. We ate funny food and drunk really strong alcohol - the beer "Strong Horse" and the local rum (rhum) Tanduay(Tan-du-eye) - so cheap at 52 pasos which is less than $2! I dont normally like rum but this stuff is GOOD - so smooth and easy to drink!
The food was great - I even ate the fish which looked aweful but tasted great! Anyway after a few beers and shots of Tanduay we ended up out on the street where a few lads where sitting - so we bought 2 bottles of rum. They were so stoked and overwhelmed that a Kano (Ka-nU) - a white man - would sit and drink with them - apparently they will be talking about "the kano" for months! It was a very special moment.

Every where I go people stop, double-take, and stare - especially the little children, they point and their jaw drops. I am very big here. I went to the mall and bought some clothes, here I am a L or XL. And I have been called "Mega Muscles" which I find very strange as in NZ I am just a wee man.

Spent the last 4 days on a tropical island - Boracay (Beroc-eye). What a wonderful place - so many people trying to sell something, every 2 minutes "Yes sir - you buy?" and I reply "No thank you" - every 2 minutes. I am very very rich here and they are so poor.

The local delicacy here is Balot (Baa-luu) - a under-developed duck fetus, par-boiled in its egg. I was NOT going to try one (Im alegic to eggs you see), but Ryan did. I will upload images so you can see for yourself.

We drunk heaps - happy hours every nite - 2 cocktails for $5 - 2 beers for $1, ahhhh but no hang overs, but lack of sleep. We had fun at night - even went skinny dipping a few times!

The water was always warm - but sometimes something would sting you - a tiny jelly fish that you cant see - the sting was like a small burning needle for a few seconds - nothing much.

Anyway enough now. It is so different here and always something new. Tomorrow I am going to the dentist cause I chipped my tooth.

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