White beach, Mindoro
So you take 80 million people (good thing they are quite small), put them on numerous big and small islands in the sea and voila, you get the Philippines. There was a time when I thought all Asian countries were quite similar to each other. Now I know that the Chinese are hard working, the Thais pretty and excellent with tourism. The Vietnamese are tidy and keep everything very clean. The Philippines differ from all of these. They take a lot of influence from the US when it comes to lifestyle, but mainly they seem like they cant be bothered with too much. Friendly as they are, laidback is a good word to describe them, lazy could be used if wouldn't want to be nice. What makes travelling here so easy is that everyone speaks english. Thats an asset the Philippinos could take advantage of much more...To decide where to go in just 2 weeks in this massive place was hard. We decided we wanted to see both the native country as well as the touristic side. So, from Manila we got ourself to the Romblon island group in the Visayas. Apparently I was the first female Finnish person ever to set foot there, and during our whole stay I saw one other white female. The day of our arrival, we were the news of town... The attention got almost too intense at times, especially when walking without Raine, but by the next day they had gotten used to us =) They were all really friendly though, not pushy, just curious. Romblon is one of the poorest provinces in the Phils, but to us it seemed they were living quite a nice life. Life is much harder for those who try to make it in Manila without success.
The weather got a bit cloudy (although still hot), so it was time to move on. Mindoro Island and White beach next, which is where we are now. Prices more than doubled, the locals ware labels, but with European standards its still very cheap. Tourism is the main industry, its your perfect little resort. You have the beach bars with 80's music amd colorful drinks (its really like Coctail =), nice restaurants that serve great grilled fish and meat. Went snorkling today at Long beach Coral gardens, which was great and also good exercise cos of the strong current. My favourite was a fat black fish with sparkly bright yellow dots all over, and some more yellow things around it =) Although swimming through heaps of colorful fich was a good second.
What I miss here is good coffee. They serve a strange instant mix that has coffee, whitener AND sugar all in one. Yuc... Tonight Im looking forward to trying their blue-green-yellow parrot fish for dinner - the food got much much better when we got to the tourist area. Local Philippine cuisine has only one great advantage, its very cheap. Period. Now I know why at home we eat Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Malaysian food. But not Philippine.
Still have to mention the kids. Philippine kids are so cute! They seem to really have fun with whatever they do, and they smile all the time. Hope I don't do the Madonna thing and come home with one of them =) (just kidding!)
We'd love to upload some pictures that we have taken plenty of, but apparently USB is still not standard in Philippine computers..., hoping to find that in Manila!
Time to stop,
till next time
Carina
posted by Carina @ 12:12 PM
2 Comments:
Skoj att ni har det bra. Det är så uppiggande att läsa om allt ni har för er och funderar över (väntar också på att se era bilder). Kul idé det här med en gemensam blogg... alla lägger ju märket till olika saker. Förstår att du saknar kaffet... det är ju lite som en drog. Bra att ni kan göra er förstådda. Här har det kommit massor med snö men ännu mera av den varan fanns det i Trondheim som var totalt insnöat =) Men det var en solig dag och vi hann gå runt ett par timmar och insupa atmosfären med en kollega. Så lugnt och stillsamt att det blev vidunderligt =). Där fanns en massa låga trähus (mitt i allt hamnade vi in på en liten bakgård med en liten smädja... som att stiga in i ett annat sekel) och ett mäktig katerdral (Nidarosdomen från 1200-talet).
Nu tillbaka i Helsingfors och skall sjunga på Helsingfors sång- och musikförbunds 90-års jubileum idag och imorgon se "Disney on Ice" i Hartwall arenan med Victoria och Elliot (som fyllde tre igår... få se om han gillar det). Så det blir ett lite annorlunda veckoslut. Sköt om er och skriv snart igen!
Hejsan!
Som jag ren sa at Marianna, roligt att ni hinner lasa vara historier! Bra att ni anda har fatt sno, det sku ju ha varit skumt om hela vintern sku ha blivit utan...
Vi ar tillbaks i Manila o har far man hur bra kaffe som helst =)
Trondheim later kiva och Disney on Ice ocksa. Hoppas den ar bra!
Skot om dig med! Har forresten fatt bra anvandning av anteckningsboken, fast jag inte tidigare har anvant en san sa har jag nu haft hur mkt som helst med tankar att skriva ner. Sa tack!
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