Wow, it really has been a long time since i last posted to you fine viewers of this blog. So much has happened, such as leaving countries, exams, blissful boat rides in tropical paradises, which also leads to dengue fever. son of a bitch.
So really, it's not neglect as such, it's merely just being uber busy. I know, i use that excuse alot, but is it really an excuse if it is the truth????
So i will try my hardest to keep this as brief as possible, because, let's face it, it's going to take me FOREVER to fill you in, much longer than it will take you to read it.
So firstly i had my final week of assignments and exams. I can quickly skim over that telling you that i am so glad that is over!!! I hate exams. So stressful, while trying to pack up our house and get everything organised. It was a nightmare. Hopefully we have passed though.
Our final presentation the night before we left Manila was a final kick in the pants. We presented and went to hand in the assignment and the teacher gave us feedback on what to change and redo...ummm lady, we LEAVE in the morning... when do you suggest we redo everything??? I felt super bad to leave the majority of the work with our partners on the project though, since we didn't have the capacity to do anything else at that point. Sorry Nikay!
It did seem to be one final kick up the crotchal regions from the university. pretty sure it hates us. alot. lots of hatred from UP to us.
That night we also had our final goodbyes with our new lovely Filipino uni friends. We all headed out to Shakey's near our house and ordered mass amounts of pizza and pasta. Such lovely people, I will really miss them all.
A few of us headed back to our place and Hannah and Haneka helped to pack up our house (or mostly Tania's room at that point) which was exceptionally nice of them. You know you have some good friends when they are folding your delicates ;) haha.
The next morning we were finishing off the last of our packing and organising and our Landlord came around to finalise everything. Something we had been wanting to avoid because she really isn't the brightest bulb on the tree and is convinced that the residence before us owe her a months rent...not sure what she wants us to do about it, they are long gone.
Anyway, there was alot to do and we got screwed around with some of the bill payments etc and that seemed to be manila kicking our asses one final time. grrrrrrr.
APPARENTLY NOT. as we were finally leaving, my bag strap broke and we were unable to easily get a taxi. I could try to explain it all to you, but it just wouldn't do justice to our final annoyance of leaving. And just when we thought we would be lifelong friends with Manila. NO DICE!!!
We got on the plane and headed to Palawan. You have no idea how excited I was about this. A tropical paradise, away from computers, with no plan but to spend the night on different islands, cruising like pirates with nothing but a song in our hearts and rum in our bellies. True Jack Sparrow style.
We arrived in Puerto Princessa and stayed at this amazing hostel called Banwa. It was pure artists hostel and i can say that it was the best hostel I have ever seen in my life. After lot's of backpacking, I believe this statement can be verified and taken as gospel.
We met some lovely girls from Denmark and a lovely boy from sweden (excuse me while i fan myself down, Damn those Manila goggles!)
Now onto the rest of the stories. tut tut, have no time for daliances!!
SO - we hopped on a bus the next day to head up to El Nido. The van was exceptionally squishy and they sped around corners at dangerous speeds. I had to close my eyes with the fear of breakfast coming up faster than anticipated. I woke up at one point to see a rain storm happening outside, and yet the van hadn't slowed in anyway and still weaved around corners dangerously.
That night we got into El Nido and stayed at the Spider Pension hostel. Can't say that this was in any way luxurious...i am not even sure the bathroom had been cleaned at all, but it was somewhere to rest our heads. We spent the night at a restaurant watching as rats ran across the floor and looking out into the beautifully starlit sky.
The next morning was when our tour started. We took a tricycle to the Tao office and tried to get ourselves paid and organised. Alex and I paid for a crate of red horse beer to share for the trip and we were ready to go.
Another Australian guy rocked up still drunk from the night before and we found him later passed out on the beach. Alex had to remind the crew to make sure he was brought on the boat as well and not left behind.
Basically we spent the next few days in absolute bliss, getting to know our amazing team of Kuya's, and each person on the boat. Seriously some wicked people, and ended up snorkelling pristine waters and staying in huts in beautiful tropical destinations. The chef on board made delicious fresh food for each meal, seafood and vegetarian and we stuffed ourselves silly.
The first night there was even massages on the beach as we relaxed under the stars. oh, and a monkey!! and you better believe that made friends with that monkey!!!!
The day the weather was less than desireable, but the rain didn't stop me from spending time sitting out on the bowsprit of the boat trying my hand at sea shanty's while balancing in the rain. There was several options if i fell... fall as be eaten by the propeller of the boat, or a shark, however that didn't seem likely, so we can clearly conclude that the only logical explanation if i fell would be that i would suddenly sprout a tail, and have some nice shells for bras and swim around for the rest of the life enamoured by shiny objects with my shellfish friends.
The second night our house was made with a of tarps and during the rain storm of the night we awoke to the bamboo snapping, water pouring in and Alex shouting TSUNAMI!!!! We appeared to have accumulated water in our roof over night and once it poured in on his side the rest bounced several inches above my head threatening to squash me. We shouted in high pitched voices how we needed a roof to our kuya's and they, like the seven dwarves set off to work. They came with buckets and emptied the water and tied the roof back up and went to bed. Wordlessly. It was amazing. I love our kuya's.
Only photos can really describe the trip really. I will attempt to put up.
The third night we were on an island with a random kareoke machine in a shed. as you do. So while I am being fed shots by the crew members we all got up belt out a tune and watch our Kuya's dance their hearts out. SO FUNNY!!!
After we got off the boat on the 5th day I was all ready to go have a Kuya party that night with everyone as a final goodbye, however my stomach had other plans and i found myself instead hugging the toilet bowl for the night, not sure why i was sick.
We left the Philippines the next day and I headed to Bangkok where i slept overnight at the airport. Yep, the white chick with limbs wrapped around a suitcase sleeping on the floor, that would be me.
I still wasn't feeling to well when i turned up in Phuket, but i spent the next two days with mum doing elephant rides, AVT rides, and white water rafting as well as checking out the islands. I still was feeling quite nauseas and exceptionally tired, and i wasn't sure why I was so sick. Mum and Dad did a swap over and after a day with Dad i was in bed with immense pains in my stomach that he took me to the hospital. After blood tests it was determined. I had dengue fever.
I spent the next 2 nights in hospital on an IV drip and trying to keep the contents of my stomach where it belonged and trying to work through the pain. Turns out i had every symptom of dengue fever, and now i have a severe paranoia of mosquito's. One comedian says in his show "When Noah was choosing animals for the ark, was he in a foul mood when he put mosquito's on board".... i think so!!
I have since said goodbye to dad (he painted my nails for me and played angry birds with me in the hospital :D) and have now caught up with Emmah in Bangkok to fly out to Chiang Mai.
Wow, i did that all quite speedy. Condensing it all down so that i can be up to date. yay me!
Anyhoo, I better be sociable.
Peace out Hombre's and whatever you do... STAY AWAY FROM DENGUE, ITS A BITCH!!!!
xoxoxox
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