Philippines February 14-18, 2013

These are notes I typed furiously onto my iPad on the dusk of my first trip this year.
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Recap
Day 1
Flight @ 7:45 am/Left HKU @ 4 am
Kinabuch
First tuk tuk ride (30 pesos!)
First time experiencing everyone in your party being called m'am/sir

Day 2
Island hopping
Snorkeling
Pandan Island aka The Most Beautiful Beach in My Life

• Dragon Henna (a poor decision in retrospect as it is still quite present on my arm nearly 4 months later)
• Buko buko buko ("What is buko?" x a million)
• Halo halo
• People tossing (partially successful)

Luli Island 

• Gorgeous but wildly windy crescent shaped island that disappears under hide tides

Delicious lunch on the beach
Balisasayaw (sp?) dinner
Tuk tuk funsies with extreme overcrowding (I've learned that there are very few laws that rule the road in SEA)
Chocomucho and mangos - a defining aspect of our culinary existence

Day 3
Underwater cave tour (...I didn't mean to fall asleep there...)
"Spelunking"
Zip lining
Amazing boat rides
Mango boom
Kahlui dinner
I love rum
Bumming in front of the ABCD store

• Durian disaster

Tiki bar
Raging Tom and the hunt for a finger pricker

Day 4
Late morning
Kahlui ♥ again for lunch
Glorious half hour massage
Glorious passing out post massage
Fireflies

• First evening boat ride...and very likely not the last
• Ridiculously romantic

Dinner at Gypsy's
Souvenir shopping
Realized that pinoy bands are really quite good
Nyquil drinks....

Day 5
6:30 am 
Amazing amazing day of motorbiking 
New marriage requirement = ability to ride a motorbike
Iwahig minimum security prison
Gangnam style with inmates
No mo' pesos
Sonny Serna
False alarm of Jonah crashing
Followed by Danny falling off his bike :(
Amazing local beach with only us

• White sand, shallow water, lone tree

Funny little kids at the beach
Badjao restaurant by the seashore
Lessons on mankind and myself
Crocs do not fancy me
Bye bye A&A Plaza

Day 6
Manila...is awful
Abandoned baby in subway station
I hate Manila
More lessons on mankind
Ariel - 20 minute boyfriend
Mabuhay Manor
Sharp contrast to Palawan
Midnight wandering