Chad Is Everywhere

Manila is a big city. And well a big city with developing country reputational issues. It's reputation is that of bad traffic, pollution, and petty crime. So my plans included only 2 nights of Manila. 2 nights too many for many who have been there before. Unfortunately reputations like cliches exist for a reason. And in the case of Manila although they formed a backdrop to my level of awareness I didn't let them totally overshadow the visit. The traffic just spoke to me of the opportunity there is for improvement through a metro and bus system. Improvement that would lift the quality of life. It's a young country with aspirations. They'll get there. In Manila my focus was to merely to make sure I was in Manila in time for my departure home. I purposefully made sure I was not connecting flights into Manila the same day to then fly out that night. I then also wanted to show the city some respect. Heck it's the capital for a reason. So 2 nights was like a compromise. I...

Bohol was the winner of the competition between the islands of the Philippines on which island was to get my tourist dollar's attention on a first trip to the Philippines. It had been a close battle in the planning stages between the excitement of Palawan versus the traditional highlight reel, Boracay. But from the YouTube videos came a dark horse, or should I say a tiny monkey. And all of a sudden the eyes had it. And my what big eyes they were. This island had come from nowhere to snatch the victory. Bohol, for the win! Here I could still get the reefs and beaches as the other destinations promoted. But more importantly I could also get the nature in the form of animals and inland rivers. This was just another dimension the others couldn't match.  My transit to Bohol was just a two hour ferry from Cebu City to Tagbilaran and then 20 minute taxi from the terminal to the main tourist accommodation area of Alona Beach on Panglao Island. This was a small island off the bigger i...

I am sure most have been in the situation I found myself, staring up at a ceiling, unable to move a limb, wondering how the light will turn off, writing out lines in my head like Bart Simpson in the credits of a Simpsons episode.   I am not 25 anymore. I am not 25 anymore. I am not 25 anymore. I am not 25 anymore.   Not sure I'll learn from this experience. However I survived!   Where did my planning process go wrong. I do remember looking at the day tour before departing Australia. Oh look, snorkeling, zipline, and canyoning in the one day. Sounds fun. Sign me up. What could go wrong. In my defense when I was in the planning stages of my trip to Philippines Moalboal had come up as a must see. Initially I watched the YouTube videos, and started to investigate my options around the concept of staying in Moalboal for a few days, completing the snorkeling one day, and the canyoning the next. Then reality of distances and organising trips from afar started to muddy the waters...

In terms of a traveling reference when you say the word Cebu for to a trip in the Philippines you need to be careful. Island or City? What's your prospective? Cebu City is the second city of the Philippines. However when you say Cebu most think you mean the whole region. There is so much to Cebu. A lot to take in from the city, to the north, to the south, and there were even destinations on the Matcan Island to the east I missed all because of time. Hence you can understand why it makes for such a good launchpad for seeing the Philippines. For me there were stays in the city making it a central anchor to my tour. I had arrived by plane, but then nearly immediately departed by bus for Bantayan in the north. Then I returned by bus only the then go on a day tour south to Moalboal. And then after my stay I left by ferry onto Bohol. It's large, it's developed. The city is no iconic must see for nature the city itself but it is an important jump point from which everything is fou...

Upon leaving Subic Bay I transported down to Bantayan Island. Not that transiting is a true depiction of travel days in the Philippines. The truth was getting anywhere in the Philippines is a journey. The exit flight from Angeles Clark Airport to Cebu City was re-scheduled to become 5 hours later into the evening than planned. Fortunately my assigned drop off from the office was able to adapt. And then the next morning from Cebu I then spent 5 hours sitting on a bus and ferry ride to my tropical destination, Bantayan Island. Included was an hour waiting on the 8am bus to depart for the Hagnaya port apparently only 2.5 hours away.  Alas I didn't know it at the time but these were my my first experiences of "Philippine time". I received a bit of an explanation from an experienced Australian expat traveler I found on the bus. The buses always wait to fill right up, and everything is at least a half hour after the schedule. Only once had he nearly missed the 8am bus. He had a...

Subic Bay was my introduction to the Philippines. On reflection starting here gave me time to adjust. This was an introduction to the Philippine office environment, and a snapshot into what it is like to be living in the Philippines. By day I was busy into the depths of completing our Australian engagements. Only I was now doing this so from the office with my colleagues physically in the room. Finally I could just walk over and ask for their assistance and tell them the underlying background stories of clients as they called. It was an underrated joy to not have to wait for a weekly "Teams meeting". To see how they even had a food truck arrive daily at the office as an option for staff to purchase lunch as opposed to walking out to get food was interesting. In Australia we'd only associate food trucks with construction sites but to staff here this was their normal. The office was just a bit away from other places and I could see how in wet season this would mean staying ...