And here I am, again in the Philippines, again writing a post. What happened between? Mostly nothing. All the drinking done could have been fun if ... if there wasn't so much of it. During my last week in Seoul the alcoholocaust turned me into something I don't want to remember - I actually DON'T remember, I just believe folks who told me about it - and after going home for a few days with Ramon we fell into a makkolocaust that not only made me too lazy to go to the post office and send makkoli to a friend in Japan, it made me drink the bottles I bought for him. So much for my promises. I will blame the cold winter.
Now I'm mosquito bitten all over, sweating like a pig and the beer I opened a few minutes ago is already lukewarm. I guess I'll go for a bucket of ice cold beer in a bar nearby, only 190 peso. It can't get worse than it started. Yesterday evening, to be precise. I was at the Incheon airport, waiting to board my flight (drinking beer in a nearby cafe) when I heard the first announcement for my flight. It was time, I tought, gulped the rest of the beer and set myself in motion just to find a little crowd in uproar. The boarding? The flight is delayed, explained a guy, seeing the dumb expression on my face. Ah well, I guess I can drink another beer then. What's the delay? They don't know how long it will take to fix the airplane. WHAT? They said it's nothing serious, they just don't know when they will get the OK to go. Yeah, sure, I bet they don't let the bird to fly because the captain didn't wash his hands properly. I was no more in the mood for another beer. Eventually we hit the air and in Manila I experienced the most rough landing ever. I don't know why the bird couldn't reach the exit ramp - it was parked just a few meters from it - so we had to use the stairs to get off the plane and then climb again on the ramp... what's the problem? Well, you see, now in the Philippines is the dry season so, of course, we got off the plane in the middle of a tropical dry rainy night.
My wish to move around Manila City by night is as hot as absolute zero. I had a few coffees at the airport, took few naps and this morning I was ready for my urban survivor adventure. No cabs, I don't want to be ripped off again. Jeepneys only. I got lost only twice - heading more or less in the right direction, but still lost. At the end I "hired" a street boy to spot the right jeepney and stop it for me and gave him an enormous tip, full 10 peso, the exact same ammount of my last jeepney ride to my destination. Usually these boys get some small change from drivers for their service to shepherd customers on a specific jeepney, I guess this one got a day - or even more - wage from me. In the end I spent two hours and half more than with a cab. And I spent thirty (yes, 30) times less than with a cab. Call me stupid.
I plan to stay at the Green Mango Inn for a few days and just chill out (with temperatures above 30 C and real feel above 40), join the WWOOF Philippines and find a farm to stay there for some time.
Sounds like we have a plan, ha?
Now I'm mosquito bitten all over, sweating like a pig and the beer I opened a few minutes ago is already lukewarm. I guess I'll go for a bucket of ice cold beer in a bar nearby, only 190 peso. It can't get worse than it started. Yesterday evening, to be precise. I was at the Incheon airport, waiting to board my flight (drinking beer in a nearby cafe) when I heard the first announcement for my flight. It was time, I tought, gulped the rest of the beer and set myself in motion just to find a little crowd in uproar. The boarding? The flight is delayed, explained a guy, seeing the dumb expression on my face. Ah well, I guess I can drink another beer then. What's the delay? They don't know how long it will take to fix the airplane. WHAT? They said it's nothing serious, they just don't know when they will get the OK to go. Yeah, sure, I bet they don't let the bird to fly because the captain didn't wash his hands properly. I was no more in the mood for another beer. Eventually we hit the air and in Manila I experienced the most rough landing ever. I don't know why the bird couldn't reach the exit ramp - it was parked just a few meters from it - so we had to use the stairs to get off the plane and then climb again on the ramp... what's the problem? Well, you see, now in the Philippines is the dry season so, of course, we got off the plane in the middle of a tropical dry rainy night.
My wish to move around Manila City by night is as hot as absolute zero. I had a few coffees at the airport, took few naps and this morning I was ready for my urban survivor adventure. No cabs, I don't want to be ripped off again. Jeepneys only. I got lost only twice - heading more or less in the right direction, but still lost. At the end I "hired" a street boy to spot the right jeepney and stop it for me and gave him an enormous tip, full 10 peso, the exact same ammount of my last jeepney ride to my destination. Usually these boys get some small change from drivers for their service to shepherd customers on a specific jeepney, I guess this one got a day - or even more - wage from me. In the end I spent two hours and half more than with a cab. And I spent thirty (yes, 30) times less than with a cab. Call me stupid.
I plan to stay at the Green Mango Inn for a few days and just chill out (with temperatures above 30 C and real feel above 40), join the WWOOF Philippines and find a farm to stay there for some time.
Sounds like we have a plan, ha?
