Trip to Batanes, Day 1+2

So, I decided I'd blog a bit about my trip to Batanes. Mostly for my family, but also for my friends so that you could see what kind of a place it is and the sort of stuff you could do and how you'd go about it, if you ever go there.

Well, to start my day, my flight came into Manila at about 1am. Now, to set the scene, Manila is a pretty shady city during the day, let alone at night, so I was a little intimidated at first knowing I'd be getting in so late. I was hoping there were taxis. So, I got in, went through customs easily and then went to where there was a sign for taxis. These taxis were ones were you first went to a guy at a table and told him where you wanted to go and then he wrote down a quote for how much it would cost. So I told him my inn and the location and he wrote down the price, gave me a paper and then I handed that to my driver. My driver didn't exactly know where I was going to, so luckily I printed out directions before getting there. (tip: always have directions)

So I finally get to the lodge after getting lost for a bit because my taxi driver turned the wrong way. Luckily I noticed after a while and told him I think we were going the wrong way. I give him the money and he claimed he doesn't have any change (small chance of that being true, but it was only a little so I let it fly). I got into the lodge and crashed in my dorm room. Luckily this night I was alone in my 6 bed dorm room.

So I woke up the next day and had bfast of bread and coffee and struck up a conversation with a couple from Holland and they told me about how they were doing wash because the day before their clothes got splattered with blood from an easter procession they saw where the people there were beating themselves. Crazy! I thought. Anyway, I also asked them what sort of things there were to do and they said I should probably go check out Tagaytay where a volcano was or check out Fort Santiago. I opted for Fort Santiago as it gave me more time and I didn't really have time for Tagaytay. So at close to noon I ask my hostel owner how I can get to Fort Santiago by public transport (jeepney, bus, or trike). They did, and I started on my venture to Fort Santiago. First I got in a trike that took me to a main road. Then I took a Jeepney to an area of town called Baclaran. Every Jeepney seems to go here. At Baclaran it seemed like a shady part of the city, but I had to find a jeepney to go to the Fort Santiago area. I looked and didnt' find anything, so I asked some people. They poined down an alley to a major highway. I walked down there in the scorching heat and didn't find the jeepney I was looking for. What I did find was a taxi that wanted my business. So they haggled with me and I got in for a short 10 minute ride to Fort Santiago. While there I checked the place out and it was a neat cultural place. Don't really know anything about it though as I didn't get a tour guide. Yes, I'm cheap. So after Fort Santiago, I wanted to go to Mall of Asia. Well, I thought I could just walk out of Fort Santiago to get to the main road. Well, after walking around for 10 minutes, I couldn't find anything like a main road and I was walking down these streets where it was just me, my camera, and some local kids. So, eventually a trike comes driving by asking me where I want to go, I tell him and he asks for too much, so we bargain back and forth while I'm still walking and I eventually just ask him to take me to the main road for like 30 pesos ($1US). He does and I have no clue how to get to Mall of Asia without taking a taxi. So I eventually took a taxi to the Mall of Asia. I then hung out there for 3 hrs just walking around the whole mall (it's huge), and checking out the ice skating rink there. I watched the sunset and then I took a taxi back to my lodge.

Back at the lodge I met the owner who insisted that I eat with him and his staff. That was cool...so I did. We had chicken feet for dinner, and sardines. It was actually quite good and he was all interested in the US and American Culture and stuff. Even asked how the lodge could be improved. They just started in January. Anyway, after that I wanted to hit the hay pretty early, so I went to bed around 8, and got woken up around 10 to people coming into the dorm room. There were guests finally. The awkward thing was that it was three females. So, I introduce myself and pretend like I wasn't sleeping at that absurd early hour and then after chatting a little they invite me to have drinks with them out in the little patio area.

So I grabbed an orange soda, and chatted with them. It was cool as I found out they all worked at an international school in Shanghai. Turns out, the one worked at a school up in some other town in China, but actually knew Brent here at our school as he talked to their school about how to do boarding. Anyway, we talked and chilled for like a hour talking about our different schools. Then I went to bed. It was funny because the one girl warned that she talks in her sleep. I didn't tell them that I did as I thought I wouldn't.

Turned out the next morning I woke up and saw them eating bfast. They said that I yelled in my sleep that night. Ahhhh, can't get away from it :-) They were headed to Boracay. As for me, I was headed to church. So I managed to do public transportation to church. After church I went out to eat with some people I knew from Faith Academy, and then I found an internet cafe and then went back to my lodge for the rest of the night. Soon it'd be my trip to Batanes.