“Weird.” This is the word that we now use to describe everything when we are deep in thought. We have so much free time to sit and think that we have started to think too much. It’s so weird that the sky is blue. It’s so weird that dogs bark. Trees are so weird. Mountains are weird. Life is weird. Basically, we are weird! You may also remember from our last blog post that our conversations had been mainly based on food. That still stands, although the cravings have now evolved from drooling over a McDonalds to longing for some fresh home cooked meals. What we would give for a home made Sunday dinner, a freshly baked shepherds pie or a loaf of fresh bread! Obviously this yearning only last for snippets of time until we look around us, realise how lucky we are and tell each other to shut up.

So, leaving Thailand behind it was time to head to the endlessly fascinating city that is Hong Kong. As we drove into Kowloon from the airport through the hustle and bustle, soaring skyscrapers and flashing lights our excitement started to kick in. Then we arrived at our hostel, found ourselves 16 floors up at the top of what looked like Devonshire Road high rise in the smallest room you could imagine. After an initial panic and a quick online search we realised that this was unfortunately the only place we could afford and was destined to be our home for the next 4 nights. The good thing however was its location because despite having to dodge the local drug dealers outside, we were in the middle of everything and we managed to do and see a lot in our 4 days. On day one we found what is supposed to be the cheapest McDonalds in the world, a proper Fish and Chips stand and a European Carnival where we spent the afternoon acting like big kids riding the Swinging Ship and eating our way through to day two. We then spent the rest of our time visiting the Big Buddha Statue in Lantau Island, riding the glass bottomed cable cars & the Star Ferry, exploring the local parks and filling our evenings with local foods and light shows along the Harbour. Luckily there were also a lot of Chinese New Year celebrations going on so we had plenty of street acts, shows and parades as our entertainment. There really are countless things to do in Hong Kong and we could have spent so much more time in this vibrant, diverse city. However, it was soon time to say goodbye and board our next flight to the Philippines!

Just hours later and we were in Manila with our good ole friend Kim (AKA our tour guide for the next two weeks), two bags of mini eggs and a very tight schedule! Our first destination was Palawan. The three of us hopped on board our internal flight with Cebu Pacific which is now our favourite Airline because the cabin crew play singing games with prizes. I’m not sure what’s more entertaining, the game itself or watching Jen sit on the edge of her seat hoping to guess the song before throwing a tantrum when she doesn’t get picked. Anyway, one flight and a 7 hour bus ride later we reached El Nido in the north of the Palawan Island. This small charming town has a lot to offer with its main focus being on its affordable activities and tours, a couple of which we had booked on for the next few days.

Waking up refreshed the following morning we were ready for our first tour. We met up with the rest of our group and guide before exploring El Nido’s famous Lagoons based around the Miniloc Islands. The first stop was the Small Lagoon. The boat anchored in the middle of the sea and we had the option of swimming or kayaking to the Lagoon itself. To swim we were advised to have something to protect our feet such as aqua shoes or flippers. We were then warned that the coral beneath us was a national treasure so everyone who enters the water should ensure that they avoid touching it as it could cause damage. Finally, we were aware from our previous tours that some of the coral could be poisonous. With this in mind, we watched the rest of our group hire kayaks. And yet, for some unknown reason we made the decision to swim, bare foot, with nothing but a snorkel. How hard could it be, really? We could see the Lagoon entrance and there were other tour boats and a few other swimmers. It would be a much nicer experience. Plus, we are strong swimmers. Erm, actually, no, we’re not. Jen and I seem to have this perception of ourselves being able to swim the English Channel just because we were chosen to compete in the Swimming Gala in year 6. If anything was going to destroy this perception and snap us back into reality it was this tour.

One by one the three of us sat on the edge of the boat, fitted our snorkels and slipped gracefully into the water. Off we went. Ten minutes into our swim and I found myself amidst the waves in blind panic as I had sliced my toe on a piece of coral and was adamant that it was going to be poisonous. We then drifted into very shallow waters where there was nowhere to stand because the coral was too sharp and of course we didn’t have the appropriate gear on, just our natural flipper feet. Kim was too panicked to hang about so she swam off on a mission, everyone else was floating away on their kayaks and it was too late to turn back to the boat. Our only option was to carry on. The waters were so shallow that even when we bent our knees they smashed against the coral and I was so panicked that my only chance of survival was to lie face down, try to keep my lanky limbs afloat and hang off Jen’s back as she doggy paddled to the Lagoon.

Almost half an hour later we had made it. Exhausted and panting like wet dogs we entered the Lagoon to be greeted by everyone peacefully paddling around the turquoise waters and admiring the towering limestone cliffs. We quickly found Kim, managed to take 3 pictures on the GoPro and took one sweeping look around before being told that it was time to swim back to the boat. Our next challenge was to avoid being submerged by the 30 kayaks around us as they all battled to get through the small partition in the rocks, narrowly missing our 3 bobbing heads in the water before leaving us behind. It wasn’t long before Kim panic-paddled off again and she had just about made it back to the boat as the kayaks were being strapped back on and everyone was sat on board topping up their sunscreen. And then there was Jen and I, half a mile away, trapped in the shallow waters, fighting with the coral. With me still clinging on Jen’s back for dear life, I could tell we were in trouble when her doggy paddle had slowly turned into startled splashes, our goggles had steamed up and we were stuck in the same spot choking on the South China Sea slowly sinking. Minutes later our guide had come to what we thought was our rescue; in hindsight, he had probably come to save the coral. And suddenly, in front of about 8 boats full of tourists, we were both hanging off the back of his kayak, being towed back to safety. Embarrassing is an understatement!

Now running behind schedule, we set off to the Big Lagoon and obviously this time we decided to kayak. The general rule is two people per kayak but inevitably we asked if the three of us could go on one. Moments later this turned into what felt like a game on The Cube. The tour guide was left hanging on the edge of the boat, balancing the kayak with his feet while the three of us all tripped, slid and rolled into it one by one. We then found ourselves trying to balance against the current, gripping onto the main boat in fear of being taken by the waves; during which time our guide, who’s body was being dragged further off the boat, pleaded with us in frustration to let go so we could paddle away and he could have his feet back. Before he could finish his next sentence, the kayak capsized, the guide was dragged in and all four of us were spinning upside down under water wondering what had just happened. As you can imagine, we reached the surface to find one very pissed off fully clothed tour guide and we soon obeyed the two person per kayak rule!

The following day and to our guide’s dismay we were back on board ready for round two. The majority of the second tour was surprisingly relaxing. We sailed around the Tapiutan and Matinloc islands, snorkelled along the coral reefs (this time aware that they weren’t poisonous) and divulged in the local BBQ’d food on the beaches. Unfortunately half way into the tour our boat broke down which left the 10 of us having to join another already overcrowded boat before heading to our final stop – the Secret Beach.

Once we had arrived at what was meant to be the Secret Beach, the only thing in our view was a cliff in the middle of the sea and if you looked closer you could just about make out a hole in it where people seemed to be disappearing into. Typically, our boat was the last to arrive so we couldn’t get close and had to swim to it. We were under strict instruction not to go through the hole until given a signal to do so because apparently the sea was unusually rough. We were also advised to cover up fully because of the Plankton and Jelly Fish. We have come to accept that travelling the world on a budget is never going to afford us the privilege of having the right gear for all the trips we do. So, escaping the panic of the 20 people trying to get their flippers, snorkels and rash-guards on, the three of us hit the water in our bikinis and life vests. Did we regret it? Within seconds. There is no exaggeration when we say that at that precise moment in time it felt like we were in a scene from Titanic. Every 60 seconds one of us let out a scream because we had been stung and the sea was swarmed with people trying to fight against the crashing waves and make their way to the cliff. Lets just say that this trip would never come close to passing the health and safety regulations in the UK! Despite this, it was probably one of the most hilarious moments so far. When we eventually made it inside we found ourselves being swept up onto a huge rock. The waves had spat Kim out on the other side, I was clinging onto someone’s life vest while they attempted to lift me out of the water by my arms and Jen was clinging onto my legs to avoid being sucked back out the hole. While all this was going on there were rows of people serenely lying on a small pocket of white sand opposite us (the Secret Beach) sunbathing and watching the horror show unfold. 15 minutes later and we were all back out at sea being attacked by the waves and plankton and once we had made it back to the boat everyone was so exhausted that the final stop was cancelled and we were all taken back to land!

So, after a hilarious but terrifying few days in El Nido we were ready to catch our next flight to Cebu. This place is absolutely stunning and for anyone planning to travel to the Philippines, you have to go. Sadly we didn’t get to spend as long as we wanted to here due to time constraints but it’s at the top of our list of places to revisit. One of the highlights for us was of course our day spent Canyoneering, during which we had suddenly transformed into trembling adrenaline junkies jumping off 35ft cliffs down Kawasan Falls. It was jump two when Jen’s trusted trekking pants finally gave way, splitting down the middle leaving her flashing her bum to the world and on the final jump she ended up fracturing her nose. Still, she powered on through hand in hand with her new found love, our tour guide, Michael 😆 . If anyone is considering Canyoneering in Cebu we would highly recommend Highland Tour Adventures. Despite some inevitable minor injuries, our guide looked after us all incredibly well throughout what was an amazing day spent riding motorbikes, river trekking and swimming the fresh water pools. The whole day was brilliant… The next day however was painful. Waking up like battered and bruised old women unable to move our limbs, we eventually made it to a beach but were too exhausted to even leave our room.

A couple of days later we were on our way to the mountains in the north to visit the Banaue rice terraces. Unofficially labelled as the eighth wonder of the world, these huge man made terraces carved into the Ifugao mountains offer one of the most breathtaking views we have seen and it was definitely worth every hour spent on the freezing 10 hour night bus it took to get there. We spent the next couple of days trekking, visiting the hot springs and relaxing outside our traditional Ifugao hut overlooking the steep green mountain slopes and thick mist. This was the perfect location to recharge our batteries before heading back to the city.

Our final few days in Manila before Kim’s flight home were mainly spent eating, sleeping and window shopping in the malls. We would like to say a huge thank you to Kim’s Uncle Ned who looked after us and even let us gatecrash his workplace for the day at the Philippine’s MTV studio! It was then time to say a sad goodbye to Kim as she flew home to the cold snow and rain – thank you for a fun filled two weeks Kimmeh!

Jen and I have since been lying on White Beach in Puerto Galera getting hair braids and personalised bracelets made. We timed our trip here perfectly because by chance there has been a music festival going on in the mountains and after hours spent trying to find tickets online, all it took was one conversation with a local man and we had two tickets in hand and a one man tent. Off we trotted! Hours later, red faced, dehydrated and once again wet with sweat we stood at the top of the mountain after trekking uphill in the burning sun, only to be told that we couldn’t enter unless we had booked a camping spot online for £20. Er, what? Desperate for a cold drink and some shade to collapse in, we suddenly snapped into automatic lying mode where we insisted that we had booked and paid online, gave our names and stood waiting impatiently for them to search through the list as if almost expecting them to find us on there. Of course they didn’t so the next option was to give them a payment reference number. Jen was straight on her phone scrolling through her latest emails before handing it over to staff, maintaining that a £24 payment confirmation email from PayPal to funkypigeon.com was our camping reservation. We don’t know how, but it worked – thank you Funky Pigeon! We also got away with smuggling in a litre of white rum disguised in water bottles before proceeding to pitch our tent and party the night away! The festival was so much fun, we met some crazy characters from all over the world and saw some talented acts before waking up in the 30 degree heat, trapped in a tent with a very sore head.

So, Hong Kong was fabulous and we have unexpectedly fallen in love with the Philippines. Our next adventure starts tomorrow when we hit Malaysia and begin our work exchange programme… Here we go!

Jen and Rach xxx