The Philipines

The Philippines-

People have asked me what the Philippines are like since I came back. What can I tell them?

The Philippines, even though I only saw a small part of the over seven thousand islands that make up the country, are beautiful beyond belief.

Everywhere you look you see huge patches of green, bright and emerald. All over the place are flowing palm trees laden with coconuts and bananas and flowers everywhere. The whole country seemed to be in bloom just for us, and it was winter, pretty much the dead time for things to be in bloom. I cannot imagine what it would be like in the summer!

The water was incredible too. From the deep, milky, green of the Loboc river with its silky smooth feel to the incredibly clear salt water that welcomed us to the shore of Pamlican Island it was all just, well, awesome.

Besides the sights, the sounds, and the smells, the real pearl of this undiscovered, often overlooked gem of a country is the people. Never, in all my travels have I met more people who were, well, just genuinely friendly. I have never waved as much as I did as I traveled throughout Bohol and Manila. Even though many of the people I met have probably never used a computer or even had running water in their homes they were all happy, I never once heard an angry word or saw a fight the entire time I was in the country. Every time I asked to take a picture of people or things I had to take two or three to fit everyone in who came running towards the man with the camera. I have never met people so willing and wanting to have their picture taken!

I would also like to thank the people that I had the honour, the privilege of traveling with. Kelsey Anderson, Helen Dainty, Kirsty Prior, Saun Casey, and Kelly Hardy. A truly great bunch of people who made my holiday in Bohol and Manila probably the greatest nine days of my life, thanks to all of you.

Last but not least, to the people of Nuts Huts who catered to our every need and were so incredibly helpful with advice and local knowledge, thanks guys.
Finally I would like to say this. For all of you who read this who go to Thailand or Malaysia, think about the Philippines, it is the most undiscovered, untravelled, wondrous part of South East Asia! Don’t wait, just go and buy your tickets now!

What follows is just a little selection of the over five hundred pictures I took on this trip. If anyone wants to see more just give me an email at jonofragusa@yahoo.com and tell me what you would like to see more of and I will send you some more pictures.