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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
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Mar 10, 2008 07:00 PM Arrivederci Roma!
On my way home I have a stopover in Rome. It was rainy when I was landing in the evening, but the morning awarded me by sunny weather. I took a long walk to the places I did see... 34 years ago. Not many changes: Rome is still charming and in March the tourist crowd is not so heavy... It is huge city so if you want to jump to the specific place subway is a good idea: the single 75-minutes ticket valid also for the transfer to the bus cost 1 euro, or if you want a one day pass it will cost you 4 euro...
I took new pictures of the old fountains, St Peter's, Colloseo.
In the aternoon I went by shuttle bus from Termini Station (6 euro) to the Ciampino Airport for my low-cost flight to Gdansk.
Arrivederci Roma!
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Mar 09, 2008 07:00 PM Flying hours and hours...
I made a choice of Qatar airlines because they offer competitive internet prices and allow you to make open jaw: to fly to Indonesia and to return from Philippines.
Our Airbus 330 was full departing just after midnight from Cebu. It is long - 10 hours flight to Doha/Qatar. They serve 2 meals - with beer and wine...
I landed in Doha at sunrise. Now it is 7 hours to wait for the onward flight to Rome. Then I will fly another 5 or 6 hours to Fumicino.
Go with your boarding pass to the transfer desk on 2nd floor - they will issue vouchers for the substantial meals in the cafeteria! I found also "silent room" to rest after a night on a plane. On the 2nd floor of the terminal there are two free internet stands - but the time of usage is limited automaticaly to 10 minutes. That's what I use...
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Mar 08, 2008 07:00 PM Chocolate Hills are green!
This is one of the best known tourist landmarks in the Philippines. In the central part of Bohol Island you will find more then 1200 little conical hills - hard to see in the other place...
It is 50 km from the capital of the island - Tagbillaran where I stay at Everglory Lodge - close to the jetty paying 500 peso for the fan room. Sure - you ca go there by taxi, but much cheaper is to get there by local junk bus heading to Carmen. After 2,5 hours you will disembark the bus before village Carmen. Then it is 15 min walk uphill or 20-peso motoptaxi ride.
From the top of the hill you will see the great panorama - 40 or more conical hills 40-120 m high. All of them are coral rock uplifts. Nice view - but they are not brown like a chocolate, but green! Maybe in the other months they change colors.
Sorry, today is my last day in The Philippines. The voyage to the paradise islands is coming to the end - so is my money. In the evening I will take the ferry back to Cebu and there will be midnight flight back to Europe. Do not forget to keep some pesos (550) for the intl airport tax - it is never included in the ticket price!
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Mar 07, 2008 07:00 PM Funny tarsiers on Bohol Island
Best wishes to all ladies on the occasion of International Woman's Day! It is today!
Hot and strong sun is shinning here again! My ferry reached crowded and polluted Cebu on 10 am - pier 4 - from the same pier I had at 12.01 pm fast ferry to Tagbillaran on Bohol Island. It was fast escape to the province!
Nice Bohol Island is famous for tarsiers - miniature monkeys - they say they are smallest primates in the world.
I found them 14 km from the capital of the island - they are in the little wildlife sanctuary in the jungle. They are like little rats... Very funny! In the day they sleep but from time to time they open huge eyes so I took some pictures for you...
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Mar 06, 2008 07:00 PM Guimaras - one more of thousand island
Cloudy Philippines... Just opposite the city of Iloilo lies another - little island of Guimaras. I decided to escape the pollution of the big town... Big pumpboat crossing the strait every half an hour cost only 12 peso. On the other side the life goes much quiter and slower. Jeepney took me to the north - to the village Navalas with little colonial church. Walking onward along the beach I reached nice colonial mansion built on the rock overlooking the sea. From this place you can easily see seven rocks in the sea - The Seven Sins...
Transport in the middle of the day is erratic on Guimaras - I took a moto-taxi to move to the Trapist Monastery. Guimaras is famous of its mango plantations - there were many of them on the route. The monks have also mango orchard - is the little, contemporary monastery they sell their products like jams and dried mango...
After crossing choppy strait back I decided to take overnight ferry to Cebu. I prefere to travel during daytime but - sorry - all ferries go at night - no choice... Cabin bunk costs me 800 pesos - I'll save on the hotel room...
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Mar 05, 2008 07:00 PM Six hours in the bus to Ilo-ilo
I took a big, nice Ceres lines bus going almost every hour from Caticlan (opposite Boracay) to Iloilo - the big city on the south of the Philippines. We were crossing the big Panay island by bumpy road. But this was the best bus I used in the Philippines - they charge 244 peso. Iloilo is nicer then Cebu city. I found here few poor, colonial churches and many nice old mansions built in the gardens. They have also little but interesting museum (you will pay 15 peso entry fee). Smokey jeepneys are polutting the air in the streets but they are also the best to moove around - they charge 7 peso per ride. Another error in the Lonely Planet book: Ceres Lines terminal is located now on the outskirts of the city: you have to use two jeepneys one by one to get to the center.
I stay in the lovely Penssione del Carmen located on the bank of the river. The old, charming lady charges there 650 peso per room and you feel there like the member of the family.
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Mar 04, 2008 07:00 PM Boracay - the Grand Dame of the Philippines
I'll tell you the true: I do not like those famous beaches with the crowds of tourists. But I wanted to compare my imaginations with the reality - I spent on Boracay one day. It is on the little island. It is expensive - the last expensive beach room costs 1800 peso and they say it is still high season...
Hotels, dive shops, bars and restaurants stay one by one - wall to wall along the famous White Beach. Yes, the beach is long, very nice and clean - the fleet of little excursion boats is waiting for you... There are also hordes of sunglasses- souvenirs- and pearls-sellers. This is the front. But there is also the backyard: the narrow, smoky, crowded and noisy only road going to the ferry pier. They built a lot: more and more pensions and hotels on this little piece of ground - the landscape from this side is miserable... Sorry... I took my front pictures and I escaped by bangka to Caticlan where I stayed for 400 peso/night. I definitely prefere El Nido! But if you want sun, sand and party every evening - Boracay is a place for you, just do not go to the backyard!
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Mar 03, 2008 07:00 PM By bus through the outback... to the ferry
I want to continue my voyage from Mindoro to Panay by ferry. But the ferry departs from the other side of Mindoro Island - from Roxas! Well - every morning there is a bus - old junk without glass in the windows. The plastic-covered seats are very narrow - just enough for two kids, not for the adults.
We departed at 6.30 - the bus was full of cargo: dried fish in packages, shrimp, sweet potatoes in sacs... Good - they allowed me to take my backpack inside the vehicle - it was protected against rain and dust...
We were crossing the mountains? Gravel and stones road was climbing up the green hills covered by lush jungle. Soon we got a flat tyre... There was spare one thanks God. Again holes, stones, mud... We reached Roxas at 11.30. The friendly driver took me directly to the jetty - the ferry to Cacticlan was departing at 12 pm. Lucky me! I bought the ticket for 330 peso and jump to the ship. This was big, car ferry. But the sea today was competly different: strong wind, high waves and some rain... Thanks God yesterday on the little bangka in the Mindoro Strait I had calm weather!
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Mar 02, 2008 07:00 PM Through Mindoro Strait...
The stars were still shining when I came with my backpack to the little beach near Michelangelo Hotel. This was low tide. They took me in the little boat to the bigger pumpboat. Five local passenger were already on board. Soon we departed. They said that this little boat with outriggers departs Coron (if weather permits) every Mon and Thu at 5.30 am. They charge 500 peso per person.
I was lucky again: the sunrise was picturesque, thenn we sailed 6 hours on the calm sea in the big blue of the sea and the skies. Hard to believe... no pirates... just one ship passing by...
I was happy when in the midday I landed on the beach near the mouth of the little river in San Jose - Mindoro (San Jose is very popular name) . Tricycle took me for 6 pesos to Hotel Plaza (only 300 pesos for fan room). I did not see any other white tourist... I the evening I was celebrating my crossing of the strait. It was my new invention: papaya in rhum or rather rhum in papaya... Very tasty! Rhum is inexpensive here: 1.5 USD a bottle. I was buying less expensive rhum only in British Guyana (like 1 USD)...
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Mar 01, 2008 07:00 PM I reached Coron - the divers paradise
My boat arrived at 9 pm. I bought a ticket (850 peso - ask for discount - they have them!). When at 10 pm I boarded old junk - 20 m long they said they will sail at 12.01 am. It was hot (no breeze this evening) to wait - they sailed at 2 am. It was the luck - because this gave me opportunity to see in the daylight the most interesting islands on approach to Coron. We arrived at 11 am.
Coron has beautiful location in the bay full of green islands. I took a long stairs to the cross located on the hill overlooking the town and the bay. Not far in the blue, shallow waters are shipwrecks of the second war - they say it is one of the best places in the world to dive around. Coron is divers place - expensive, people are not as nice as in El Nido and Port Barton.
I have a problem: do not trust Lonely Planet... San Nicolas ferry to San Jose mentioned in their book do not operate since 3 years. As a alternative I have a little outrigger boat (called bangka or pumpboat) to cross quite wide Mindoro Strait. Not so safe - min. 6 hours - it is not already pleasure sailing between the islands... But I have no choice. Keep your fingers crossed, please!
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