Welcome to the Philippines!

We've finally made it. After a four day trip from Kota Kinabalu, we are now officially checked into the Philippines. It's the first new country I've been into, since Indonesia (some eight months ago) and so far, it's looking fantastic. Our first greeting in Filippino waters was from a speed boat as we were trying to pass through a small channel between some tiny islands. The boat came roaring up and the guy wearing camouflage (army?) warned us away from entering the 'protected area' ahead. There was a big gun lying handy in the boat...no arguments with this guy, then. We made a fairly quick about-turn and went via a different, slightly longer route. Sorry about the poor picture, I was trying to be subtle.

Puerto Princesa is considered the capital of Palawan Island, where we spent some time today, wandering around and getting a feel for our new habitat. It's an interesting mix of cultures. 'Jeepneys' are converted WWII vehicles that the US Army left behind - today they're used as small buses. 'Tricycles' are motorbikes with side carts attached (I asked how many passengers they can fit, and our first driver boasted 6*!) - something like the typical Asian rickshaw with a colourful twist. In fact, everything is more multicoloured here with a

fascinating blend of spanish language, Asian food and beautiful, fun people. Perhaps the biggest difference is the lack of covered heads, calls to prayer and minarets in the skyline. Instead, the people are almost western with their dress and strongly Christian as a nation, with a beautiful Cathedral dominating the approach to Puerto Princesa from the sea. From what I've seen so far, I have a feeling this country will take the place in my heart of best beaches and most incredible scenery. This will be a hard one to judge, but in a short time we've already seen karst mountains coming up dramatically from terraced rice fields in close range of spectacular coastlines. Apart from Burma, this is only the second country I've visited in the last two years that drives on the right hand side of the road. Crossing the road has suddenly become a lot more difficult for me and entertaining for everyone else!

Sadly, this is the only place where I feel like misinformation is a business - Petrina and Madara find the Philippines similar to India (although quieter and less intense) in the sense that everyone has a vested interest in the answers they give to your questions, so they tend to be biased. For example, our tricycle driver told us there were no more local buses to the other side of the island (although we later found out this wasn't true) which meant we'd have to take a more expensive minibus (which means he gets commission from bringing customers to his friend). I've never seen it to the same degree before (even in touristy Thailand) where you might come across the occasional scam artist or dodgy deal - here it seems to be the norm. Maybe as a result of this, the people here are not as outwardly friendly as the Thais, Indonesians or Malaysians. However, they are incredibly polite. Anyone that speaks to us, tags on "ma'am" at the end of the sentence, or even to get our attention. I've also never had a distinction for being a woman before - in Indonesia and Thailand it was "Hello Misterrr!", regardless of

your gender. 

The Phillipines were hit by the devastating supertyphoon Haiyan a month ago (or Yolanda, as it's known locally) - we've yet to see any signs of destruction, but we heard from the cruisers hanging out in PP that there were strong winds of 30knots but little else. As we head further north, we expect to see more damage, particularly on the island of Coron and the northernmost tip of Palawan. We  don't intend to head towards the area around Tacloban, where most of the damage was centered. The boat is carrying plenty of provisions, should we come across an area that has suffered badly and is in need of any help. 

Tourism is especially important to a country suffering from a natural disaster like this - it's a natural way for the Philippines to begin to rebuild and support itself, although obviously some care has to be taken to avoid the areas which are still suffering from collapsed infrastructure. Hopes are high for the adventures we'll have here - swimming with whale sharks? Yes please. Climbing into the crater of an active volcano? For sure. Paddling on an underground river through an extensive cave system? Already done. All of this, with less tourists around? Perfect! 

The phrase to get around the Philippines? Bahala na, or 'no worries'. This place is going to suit me just fine!

*Asian people, not us whities, duh.