Manila streetscapes

One last update from Manila - I am flying to Ho Chi Minh City tonight!
Had a lazy weekend with my friend S who has been living in Manila since February. Of note- my main activities were shopping in Manila's countless malls and buying organic soaps at the Legazpi Sunday market!

Pictures below are from Poblacion, a "local area" situated a stone's throw from upscale Makati City.

xo

(Français)
Bonjour! Une derniere mise a jour avant mon depart pour le Vietnam. J ai passé un weekend de paresseuse, à manger et faire un peu de magasinage dans les nombreux centres commerciaux de Manille.
Deux choses que j ai bien aimé:
- le marché du dimanche de Legazpi;
- une randonnée dans le quartier Poblaciôn, qui est littéralement dans l ombre des gratte-ciels du quartiet huppé de Makati City.  Contraste interessant et fort typique de Manille, je dirais!

xo
Mia

Palawan is Paradise

Palawan is an island on the westernmost area of the Philippines which is reputed for its excellent diving and breathtaking lagoons. In the Philippines it is also well known as a) an archipelago within and archipelago - it has some 1,000 of the Philippines' 7,000 islands-  and b)  as a spot that is blessedly spared from typhoons and earthquakes.

If you ask me at the end of this trip what place I enjoyed the most, I may say: Palawan! It has superb beaches, islands galore, and many activities to do such as kayaking, diving, snorkelling, etc. I don't usually consider myself a "beach person" but after spending a week in Bohol and a week here in Palawan i may have to reassess that.

My itinerary for this island was 2-2-2-2:
2 nights in Puerto Princessa (to visit the Underground River);
2 nights in Port Barton, a quieter version of El Nido, where they grow pearls;
2 nights in El Nido, to see the beautiful Bacuit Archipelago;
2 nights in Coron, another set of islands famous for its 12 shipwreck diving sites.

I flew into Puerto Princessa, a smallish town with lots of traffic that can be skipped for those who have a tight itinerary or who want to focus on diving.  I elected to stay here for two nights because I wanted to visit the PP Underground River, which was included as one of the new 7 wonders of the world. The River is pretty cool to visit but I am not sure I would recommend it to everyone given how crowded it gets- we arrived at 9.30am and didnt get in until 2.30pm (our guide did take us zip lining and on a tour of the mangroves while we waited, given the expected delays in visiting the river).  It is filled with stalagmites and stalagtites, and an audio guide helpfully points out which rocks look like the face of Jesus or a bunch of carrots, hehehe.

Port Barton was fabulous for me since I enjoy quiet places. I stayed at Coconut Garden, a small resort on the island of Capnica, owned by a Swiss-Philippino family whose young adult kids are working in Switzerland. Hung out with two lovely French women and spent my time there snorkelling and finishing book 3 of Amitav Ghosh' s trilogy on the opium war , Sea of Poppies.

In El Nido, I went island hopping again. Tour A was fantastic- we saw a small lagoon that we swam into, a larger lagoon that has turtles, and some great snorkelling spots..  El Nido is a bit touristy but well worth a visit, in fact I could have spent 5 days rather than just one and a half days there! Las Cabanas beach is also lovely and it is possible to kayak and paddleboard around the bay.

After a pleasant 6 -hour boat ride (which can be challenging however if the weather is uncooperative) I arrived in Coron Town, a small town that serves as a base for many diving expeditions.  Coron is a famous diving spot thanks to its 12 World War II Japanese shipwrecks.  It also offers some amazing island hopping tours. The Backpacker Guesthouse where i stayed helped me book the "Ultimate" tour which was so much fun although very tiring! :) We went to Kayangan Lake (a lake on an island), saw the Skelleton Wreck (the prow of the sunken boat is clearly visible even for snorkellers) and saw amazing marine life- electric blue starfish, clownfish, table corals and corals that look like ginger, and even what looked like a whole forest of blue and purple corals that ressembled the underside of a squid. I didnt take any underwater pictures unfortunately but will try to get pics from others on my tour.
Had so much fun in the Philippines!

xx Mia

Bohol: Eat, Sleep, Beach, Repeat

Good morning.  I have been enjoying the beach on Panglao Island (Bohol), the Philippines, for the last 3 days or so. Bohol has many attractions other than the beach though, so today I went with 5 others (3 other Canadian women, 1 Dutch guy- who I had also met in Myanmar (!), and 1 Filipino guy) on a tour of the Chocolate Hills and Tarsier Conservation Area.  The Chocolate Hills are a unique geological formation, a mass of small round hills that turn brown in the dry season. They say that the Hills are formed from a giant's tears.    We also saw the tarsier, a unique and adorable looking small "monkey" which is native to a few area of the Philippines including Bohol.  The tarsier are very territorial and only meet very occasionally to mate, before going their own way.  They are nocturnal so sleep in the daytime when most visitors go see them.  Super adorable critters.

I also went "island hopping" with three other ladies, we swam around a long sandbank area and also did some snorkelling.  The Phils are popular among divers and snorkellers. Alona Beach where i am staying (Moon Fools Hostel) is small and there are lots of dive boats, not as picturesque as other Pinoy islands but still quite enjoyable, with white sand and lovely sunsets.

One more day in Bohol before i head to Cebu and then Palawan (Island).  It is National Elections tomorrow so I elected to stay on the beach and not go to any major cities on that day.  Among the Filipinos many favour R. Duterte, a foul-mouthed mayor of Davao city.  He has apparently done a good job of ridding Davao of corruption and the Filippinos appear favorable to his approach to crime and corruption although one could qualify them as hard-line.   It may take up to a month to announce the election results but in any case I wish them free, fair and peaceful elections!

Hugs
Mia

Manila And Cebu City

Hello from Cebu City! Day 3 in the Philippines.

After a 10hour delay at Singapore airport and temporarily losing my baggage (for two nights-but hey not too bad since I am trying to live with less stuff anyways) I arrived on Sunday afternoon in Manila and got picked up by my Japanese friend. From what I have seen of Manila it is one traffic clogged city!! My friend is staying in the heart of Makati City, so I mostly explored Makati City- skyscrappers and chic boutiques- as well as visiting the American memorial cemetery and the old city or "intramuros", literally "between the walls".
The best place to get a crash course on Spanish colonial times is San Augustin Museum, possibly the most beautiful and comprehensive museum I have visited on this trip. San Augustin is a former convent and still used by Augustinian friars. It has a long and sometimed tragic history- witness the memorial plaques for the friars who were murdered during the Japanese occupation during the Second World War.  Definitely a must see if you go to Manila.  The other experience I enjoyed was travelling by river ferry, although it was disappointing to see how polluted the Pasig River is with trash floating all over the place.
I flew to Cebu City yesterday and am exploring a bit today before heading to Bohol island.  The first pic below shows the view from the Tops View Deck above Cebu. Cebu also has lots of traffic and is a little grimy but colourful.  People mostly get around by jeepney, or shared taxis which are sort of like comfy pick up trucks with a top and seats. some of these jeepneys can seat 30 people from the looks of it alhough most carry about 12-14 when full.
The food is pretty oily and very meat heavy.  I tried lechon or pork yesterday , a typical Cebuano dish. After being practically vegetarian in Myanmar so much meat is a bit much for my system so I think I will pick up food from the supermarket more often here or opt for seafood. So far I have tried raw fish marinated in vinegar and chilis which was quite tasty.

I am looking forward to going to the beach!!
Hugs to all.
Mia

Solo, Female, and Traveller

From Amelia Earhart to my own Chinese great-grand-mother who crossed the Pacific Ocean in the 1920s to come to Canada-the Golden Mountain, solo women travelers have done amazing things and have been doing so for a long time. 

Before deciding to travel solo for six months (or rather 5, since January was spent with travel buddies), I had done my research and had some prior experience of the risks and rewards of "paddling my own canoe" in other countries.  Many articles, books, blog posts have been written about the experience. Nevertheless, the most frequent two questions I have gotten about my travel have been a) Do you get tired/scared/lonely when travelling solo, and b) How much does it cost to travel for six months.  I will leave question B for another time but thought I should offer my own take on A.

Travelling solo and female: The rewards
First off, the good news: What is so great about solo female traveling? While I can't give you the male perspective, I can say that travelling alone has been for me an incredibly positive experience.  The reality is that finding a travel buddy for six months would have been difficult for me. so the decision to do it alone was born of necessity.  But it is definitely something I recommend trying at least once, as in my experience it is easier and more fun to interact with all kinds of people when you are one person. Traveling alone and traveling as a woman does make one appear more "vulnerable" for lack of a better word, but it also makes one more approachable. I have received many kindnesses from strangers, people are as a general rule willing to help you (of course there are exceptions) and even let you be a part of their lives for a short while.  I've had people offer to pay for my meal, people offering to drive me places and people offering to share their meals with me (all with kind intentions- dont worry, I only accept free rides from other young women!!)
The other great advantage of solo travel is flexibility and the ability to go where I want, when I want. I do enjoy travel with friends but after a while it can get a bit tiring to compromise on things like budget, speed, level of comfort, things to see vs not see, and so on.
So my ideal formula is 3-5 days with friends or other travelers Ive met, followed by 2-4 days of doing my own thing. It is surprisingly easy to meet nice fellow travelers so I rarely worry about this- and leave it up to fate most of the time whether I find travel buddies or not.

Travelling alone and female: The challenges
There are also challenges related to travelling by yourself, and as a woman. There are times where I do wish for a travel buddy who I havent just met. The main thing is probably that traveling with one other person allows you to share the best and worst experiences. Simply put, amazing sunsets and beautiful and unusual sights are more fun to experience when shared with someone. Also, being sick doesnt seem quite so bad when you have someone to get you water, cancel or make reservations or just make sure you are ok. (I ve been lucky and only got sick once, but that was enough to cause me to have a "I wish I were home" moment!)
As for safety, well, I am a naturally cautious person who is probably more alert and aware of her surroundings when alone. The one time I got robbed- in Colombia last year- was when I was walking with a Colombian female friend back to our hotel. I have met both solo travelers and couples who have been pick-pocketed so traveling with another person doesnt guarantee you that things wont happen. I follow basic safety precautions- dont walk down a dark street at night, use recommended taxis where available, keep an eye out for suspicious activity, let guesthouses know generally where I will be and what time I plan to leave/return.  I have felt safe 99.9% of the time while traveling, exceptions being Medellin Colombia at the end of the day, and aggressive touts in India which in the end were more annoying than dangerous.

Overall, as I said, solo female travelling has been a super positive experience for me. I have made many good friends and had fun experiences that might not have taken place in other circumstances. I enjoy a range of types of travel, including volunteer and study/work abroad, which also offer routine and ready-made friends, something that is not as easy to come by when backpacking. In the end it is about knowing yourself and your travel style. But definitely dont "knock it (solo travel) til you've tried it!"

Thanks for reading, All the best,
Mia
p.s. I had a 20 hour layover at Changi airport-happy I at least had a blog to keep me busy! On to Manila!

Yangon Day 1

(edit- had to post this out of order due to poor internet access! enjoy).
Yangon, April 2016. Aung San Suu Kyi 's government has just taken the reins of power after years of military dictatorship and Myanmar, the country formerly known as Burma, is an exciting place to visit as it begins to open itself up to mass tourism and exchanges with the world at large.    
A few observations:
This place definitely reminds me more of India than Thailand. Not only is there lots of action in the streets, people also look somewhat Indian , and the buildings are pretty run down, a la Chawdani Chowk in New Delhi. Men wear the longyi or sarong and you dont see any girls wandering around in shorts, as one does in Bangkok. The men all have stained red teeth from chewing paan(betel nut). (Contrary to India, this is a primarily Buddhist country so you do see a lot of monks like in Thailand... and there are no sacred cows blocking the streets!).

People are so kind and helpful in Yangon, Im almost embarrassed to be treated so well.  When I bought my 1$ plastic bag to keep my wallet from getting wet, the vendor shows me how to close it properly. I have already met a nice young Chinese- Burmese girl who was manning a free food table.. and a young engineer who treated me to a bowl of noodle soup.  One little kid was a bit terrified of me but on average the kids are very friendly and quite enjoy the chance to soak a foreigner with water (well in fact they dont really care whether you are a foreigner or not because its fun to soak everyone!  )

There is a five day street party going on... and having been to Chiang Mai, Bangkok and Yangon for this water festival called Thingyan or Songkran, I have to say that Yangon is by far the most INTENSE. Lots of music, dancing, everyone being driven around in pick up trucks and getting super soaked. The atmosphere is really friendly and fun, but I am glad my hostel is so central because I really needed to nap this afternoon and take a break from the street action.
  I dont mind spending a bit of time in crazy, intense, gloriously wet Yangon but I think I will enjoy something more laid back after this!  Happy Burmese New Year. xx

(Français).
En bref: Oh lala! La fête de l eau (Thingyan a Myanmar) est encore plus intense ici qu'en Thaïlande. C'est un enorme street party, avec musique et camionettes qui servent de navettes pour les fêtards.  Je me sens un peu comme une vedette parce que les gens sont tres gentils, et contrairement a l'Inde, ils sourient plutot que de simplement dévisager les étrangers. J'ai bien hâte d'aller voir les temples de Bagan et le lac Inle, mais je me compte tres chanceuse d avoir pu fêter le Nouvel an birman ici!!

Shan State Exploring

Hello! Shan state and particularly Hsipaw was a highlight of my trip to Myanmar... Loved the two day trek we did despite seeing barren landscapes due to slash and burn agriculture technique in preparation for corn planting.
Six of us- a Brit, 2 Americans, 2 Aussies and me la Quebecoise- went treking through the help of Lily s guesthouse (Lily herself is adorable and very helpful). Along the way we got to visit Shan and Lisu villages.  The villagers are quite poor so we were happy that our money went to some locals rather than to a corporation or whatnot.  We stayed overnight at Pan Nyaw, which has the cutest kids ever (or cutest "nuggets" as my trekmates said). Half the group was pretty althletic and did some gymnastics with the kids.  The non athletic half- including yours truly- had fun also playing games and letting the kids enjoy using our mobile phones and cameras.  Truly these kids are genius- figuring out how to use my voice recorder while not actually being able to read English.

Most treking is done with a guide which is a smart idea tiven that locals dont speak much English. They were very welcoming to us...treating us a bit like celebrities.  I wonder if the novelty will wear off as Myanmar welcomes more and more tourists over the years to come .  My main hope is that tourism will benefit locals and that it will be done in an environmentally sustainable manner...Myanmar from what I have seen is getting increasingly polluted which is such a shame.  The country has some great natural beauty to preserve.

The hike was somewhat challenging due to the heat but we enjoyed the views.  I was reaaaally happy to have a shower, change, and have a mango shake at the end of it all.