Manila Part two, and surfing at Anawangin Cove.

After the farm, took an overnight bus back to Manila. The trip taught us important lessons about engine brakes and driving down mountains while trying to sleep. the lesson is that you cannot sleep, at all. Arriving at 4.30 in the morning, we took a taxi to the family's house, and went promptly to sleep.

The next few days were a real change from the previous week with no electricity. We found ourselves thrust into high society, with an afternoon at the polo club followed by a very posh marienda (think ming vases and numerous ivory carvings). Marienda is the meal between lunch and dinner, a wonderfully middle-earth custom of the Philippines. Over the next few days, we were to renew our visas and party like the upper crust society members that we are not. The best of it included rockeoke, where Ian sang the Beatles song "Until There was You". It came off a hit, and the supporting band was terrific. Filipinos have a very strange love for love ballads, and the crowd's reaction was great. We also went to a really cool bar with board games and liquour steeped in cobra. and yes, that cobra does have another smaller green snake in it's mouth. awesome right? we played extreme jenga.

After a few days of luxery, we craved some more camping, and headed north to Crystal Beach for a bit of surfing. The waves were super small, but enjoyable none the less. attempts to hang ten all resulted in falling off the front of the board and having it flip wildly over our heads. The camp we were staying at had a strange collection of animals, including monkeys near the restaurant, and a small, shallow, circular pool containing five sea turtles. They had lived there since their mother mistakenly layed her eggs there, five years ago.

After two days, we met up with DJ again, our friend from couchsurfing. He had arranged a camping trip with 17 others in Anawangan Cove. We took a bangka there, and had a steller night and two days. The food was fresh fish and veggies grilled over the fire, and the evening's entertainment was group song singing. A little bit of island exploration the next day, and back to manila for a brazilian model's going away roof top pool party. did i say how great DJ is?
Thats all for now. I hope everyone who reads this is doing very well, and i'm sorry i'm so piss poor at keeping in touch! we miss you all very much, and think about you fairly often.

best,

gaelen