Salamat Pilipinas

Day 229 - Wednesday 25th January 2017 2.27pm

Who am I kidding, a stationary familiar life is not on the agenda!

There is a rooster on our boat. Cockadoodledooing away. On a boat. In the sea. To an island. In the Philippines. Guess there's a first time to experience everything.

I don't think it had quite sunk in yet that we are actually in the Philippines - one of those destinations you dream of your whole life but seems like another world away. It was one of the tops of my list and when Megan and I were deciding where to map our route, Myanmar and here were the first places we both said. That feels like forever ago now, yet here we actually are.

After our tragic flight we grabbed a taxi straight to our little hotel (Star Movies and a comfy bed are always crowd pleasers) and ventured across the road to the swanky western shopping mall to be cheered up by chilli con carne, blue cheese burger, hot fudge brownie and the best salted caramel ice cream you could ever dream of.

Our ride through Cebu City reminded me a lot of Yangon and arriving in Myanmar - it wasn't quite what I expected but I don't know what I had thought before. Rustic and fascinating and real - it's hard to describe but fascinating to watch, I love watching life in places like this. Cute kids running down the path in their oversized school uniform, a man sleeping against a lamppost with a big straw hat, street vendors and traffic sellers with their bags of peanuts and unidentifiable objects. There's something going on whichever window you look out from, with people's lives that you simply cannot imagine a day of.

Now we are on a boat to Bohol island, unsure of the dark weather conditions approaching this week. First we are staying in the Chocolate Hills then we'll head to the beaches of Panglao, hopefully for some diving, dolphins and dry weather!

Day 230 - Thursday 26th January 11.45pm

Listening to dogs howling, roosters cockadoodledooing, the pitter patter of rain and the squeaky fan rotating.

We are now staying at 7P2 Guesthouse in Carmen, ran by a very friendly chap who fell in love in Italy then returned to his hometown to welcome guests from around the world and hear about their stories.

We negotiated a taxi here from the boat with our first Filipino pal Sammy, attempting to befriend him so he didn't rip us off or decide to kidnap us. The journey was a few hours long but gave us our first glimpse of Bohol living. The scenery is beautiful and it reminds me a lot of Sri Lanka with the sounds smells and humidity. The Philippines offers a unique mix of European and Asian culture twisted in with island life too; instead of temples there are churches every hundred metres, shaded by palm trees, standing proud from the Spanish era. Christmas explodes all over the Philippines too, something they fully celebrate for many weeks longer than any other country I’m aware of!

Life in Carmen is simple, rustic, real living. It is the most back and beyond we have been and it reminds me even more of Myanmar. There’s nothing at all here for tourists, it’s just the local village to the famous ‘Chocolate Hills’, so not many people stop by. Hence every person we pass will have a good look, including all the trucks tricycles and motorbikes driving by! It has very comforting to be greeted by all the friendly locals though, welcoming us to their country.

We tried to be adventurous for dinner last night by hitting up a local shack, mainly because there wasn’t any other options. Still we have absolutely no idea what we ate, three unidentifiable hotpots that unfortunately were not the most appetising. Filipino food, you are letting down your country. Luckily we found a snickers style bar for only 7 pesos in the pharmacy opposite, this may have to be our diet for a while.

We took our trip up to the Chocolate Hills on a tricycle with Edma, our next Filipino pal, stopping off at a bakery with all four giggling cashiers coming to serve us whilst we took a risk on the red bean pastries (which we hoped was jam or chocolate). The scenery from the top of the hills was beautifully odd; lush perfectly circular hills blobbed around the landscape. It is thought that they were formed hundreds of thousands of years ago from coral formations when the island was partly underwater, sculpted slowly by rain and erosion over the years to produce some Hershey’s Kisses style hill tops (hence the common name), covered head to toe in every direction with palm trees, paddy fields and endless greenery.

Another very local lunch for 40 pesos, with a similar style to last night where we pointed and some indescribable dishes were presented on plates that were not quite big enough. Still yet to be convinced on this cuisine I must say.

Today we had a short break from the sprinklings of rain for a chance to actually read in the sunshine, plan our route through the Philippines (hello private jet – watch this space) and have a walk through the dusty village to check out the local market. We thought we’d be safe with dinner tonight – a pot noodle and bananas, accompanied by the resident shrew in the outhouse.

Day 231 - Friday 27th January 12.27pm

Day 231 – the longest I have ever been away from home! Spending it in true Asian style, packed at the back of a colourful old bus, winding between the paddy fields and palm trees, getting lots of shy looks and goggles from the locals, towering two feet above all their heads, with the people who can't fit climbing up to ride on the roof. All for £1 for a 2 hour journey through the entire island.

2.44pm

Well that ended up being one of the most enjoyable bus journeys, despite the constant bum bouncing on the hard benches. And for the first time ever I've been told "You've got a nice nose"!

From asking the bus boy what he was using a wooden block for when we stopped (to prevent the wheels from rolling down the slope), I had opened up an invite for Rafi to become our new best friend/tour guide/Tagalog teacher/Megan's husband. It made the rest of the long journey very entertaining, we weren't quite sure if we were learning some rude language but his excited giggles were the highlight, and he kept emphasising how much he wanted to swap noses. He helped us get a jeepney (common local transport, literally a jeep with three bench rows and not enough space for your head) to our next destination of Panglao for only 25 pesos, but not until an obligatory group photo and a kiss on the cheek!

Once again the views and greenery remind me fondly of Sri Lanka; endless farmland, bamboo huts and always a dusty looking man lounging in the wooden bus stops, seeking respite from the rays. I love watching local life, especially when everyone is smiling, waving and shouting “Hello Mam”!

5.55pm

Our first steps on the silky white Filippino sands - Palm trees, clear seas and the sunset bordering the beach. I'm quite looking forward to the next three weeks.

Day 233 - Sunday 29th January 3.33pm

Friday night was filled with celebratory cocktails, American food and good old Asian karaoke, so Saturday was a struggle. We are staying at Alona Hammocks, pretty much a mattress or hammocak with a net in a treehouse, but we have the additional LUXURY of a two man tent, crammed into a non-existent space next to the reception/bar. An interesting location but great to meet people (not so great when there’s a really annoying loud voice and constant cackle at 7am.) When we finally mustered the energy to get out the tent, we wolfed a 'traditional Filipino burger breakfast', grabbed our sarongs and headed for the beach, just in time for the heavens to open as we walked down our road. In desperate need of a banana shake we were told at the only/closest cafe that they didn't have any fruit. So trawled back through the downpour to a cafe next to our hostel where we spent the next few hours with a shake, cheesecake and lazily rinsing the wifi. Back to the hostel to watch TV from our tent and eat Filipino pork, rice and noodles for 80p. It’s getting better. But still an Italian dinner to satisfy our bellies and a quick stop at a beach bar once the rain stopped.

Today has finally provided a dry break to head to the beach to enjoy the crystal clear sea with our tree house friends and Greek tapas for lunch (they do international food a hella lot better than their own.)

Day 234 - Monday 30th January 7.04pm

It feels about 11pm after such a packed long day; we spontaneously joined the guys from our hostel for the island hopping boat tour - something we'd thought we'd have to skip due to the measly weather. Instead a 5.15am alarm after one hour sleep and a few too many 99 pesos cocktails. Nothing that a little catamaran bounding through the waves won’t heal (Megan wasn’t quite so sure).

The sea was truly beautiful, bright turquoise and immaculately clear - the iconic postcard scene that still doesn’t feel real no matter how much you pinch yourself. We spotted dolphins streaming through the water, catching a glimpse of one jumping against the sunrise, which was a magical sight and one I wish I was more awake for, it felt like I was dreaming! Our first boat stop was Balicasag Island for a quick fruit shake and snorkelling on the reef wall, spotting a whole rainbow of fish and sea life at our feet. After that was the stunning Virgin Island sand bank. What better than a fresh coconut, spontaneous Chinese photo shoot (they love it) and 'The Beach' style jumping shot with our hammock friends. Sand banks are so simple yet enchanting, literally just a bank that rises above the water with the odd shrub; but the contrast of the white sand, turquoise sea and blue skies make it unreal. Shame about the other tourists being around eh?

The rain managed to hold off all day and the afternoon was once again a delight - of course this was the time we had to pack, find food and start our journey to Cebu.

Right now we are on yet another boat, full of a hundred bobbing sleepy heads, from Tagbilaran to Cebu, for a quick stop before our early morning flight to Boracay. A squished journey with three in a tricycle to the port, sitting on our bags for two hours in the port asking the security guards for some chocolate (they loved it) and an achy uncomfortable sail to Cebu City. Are we there yet?

10.30pm

We’ve made it to Cebu. The tricycle seemed to take hours, the boat definitely days and the taxi was stuck in traffic for decades. Arrived to our spacious four bed family room, convinced ourselves to shower, and our only dinner option was a local 'buy one take one' burger from a little shack in the wall. Better than the stodge in a pan.

Day 235 - Tuesday 31st January 12.12pm

It feels like today has lasted forever.

Barely shut our eyelids before another early morning hit to get to the airport. Spaghetti bolognese at 7am for breakfast and only a 45 minute flight over to our next stop, Boracay.

With a runway next to the beach and getting a coach from the plane through the town to the airport, we could tell immediately this place was going to be great. The wooden shacks lining the street remind me of Myanmar once again, giving it a local charm that really makes you smile.

The sky had turned dark since the early morning sunshine we saw in Cebu, but we decided to take a stroll to the beach regardless. The rain had stopped so we dozed on some sun beds with a perfect view of the ocean and a couple of hours later the sun was back out and the clouds cleared, leaving us with the most majestic sunset, the sky a vibrant masterpiece, honestly one of the best I have ever seen. How can a place be so incredibly beautiful no matter what time of day?

The sea is so calm and refreshing, you could just sit in it all day and be contempt watching everyone enjoying this paradise. I’m not sure we’re going to want to leave.

Day 236 - Wednesday 1st February 3.21pm

Wow. Just wow. I've fallen slightly in love with the Philippines.

That idyllic scene of crystal clear water turning to turquoise and backed by the coral reef, under the blue skies and palm trees, exists perfectly and pristinely in the Philippines. I haven't ever been to a beach this beautiful, and I'm only in Boracay where the beauty of White Beach attracts a thousand other tourists. It doesn't seem to matter though how many people are here, everyone sits in the shade of the palm trees so the white sand stretches untouched for miles in both directions. We came down early this morning and that's when it looks the most incredible and enchanting. Photos and words will not do this view justice, so to understand it the only option is to come here to experience it yourself! (What a chore eh.)

Day 238 – Friday 3rd February 3.25pm

We are loving life here. Enjoying floating in the calm sea, reading in the sunshine and trying out all the wonderful (international) cuisine on offer (they do a mean Mexican here). Anyone who’s been to Boracay will have heard of Spider House, a trek to the perfect sunset spot one end of the beach with the weirdest interior and great food. Raw tuna sushi, spring rolls and a banana peanut butter milkshake really hit the spot. I can't get enough of this place, it’s delicious in every single way.

10.40pm

Today was my first experience getting my legs waxed by a man, which surprisingly was one of the best I’ve experienced in Asia (I have horror stories of paper and privacy which do not want to be relived). Tonight was topped off with a pineapple mojito and seafood pasta, then making pals with the sand artists, security guards and shop assistants, and now a guilty treat of a white Kit Kat Chunky in bed. The simple things.

Day 242 - Tuesday 7th February 11.10am

We've had an airport security guard escort us, to our own terminal, with a gun, for our private jet to the paradise island of Coron. Yes Filipinas.

Well, when I say private, nearly. It is a jet, with only 7 other passengers.

Our trip to the airport consisted of a tricycle, 40p boat ride, then another tricycle, costing a grand total of £1.67. We absolutely loved our time in Boracay – meeting great people in our hostel and more local pals, watching fire shows on the beach and enjoying double dinners over sunset. Yesterday we ventured on another boat trip, which started off just Megan and I, adding on a German girl who we met for a photoshoot down the beach, a massive group of Brazilian guys with a never ending coolbox of beer, then an Aussie and American we met at Pasta Night at the hostel. Absolutely soaked, absolutely hilarious, absolutely choppy with waves crashing over our little boat and annihilating us all. Snorkelling with the rainbow of fish around Crocodile Island (luckily it just looked like one), cliff diving on Magic Island (I wasn’t so brave) and a brief visit to Crystal Cove. Dinner went from a gang of 2 to 16 as well, with the most delicious burritos and mango daiquiris courtesy of our new friend (only the owner) to say thanks for bringing them! A cheeky little massage to end the evening then a late night packing session, not wanting to leave this paradise.

Boracay, you’ve been amazing.

2.38pm

So our private jet with Air Juan has security higher than Heathrow, in the tiniest little airport I’ve encountered. Not gonna lie we felt like celebs walking over to our jet, waving off the paparazzi and holding our hats. It was like a luxury minibus with wings, literally all just sitting with the pilot. No air hostess trolley on this one though.

The views and everything about the experience was insanely incredible, sailing over turquoise reefs and paradise islands, it was worth every penny just for the scene through the window. Something I would definitely recommend to anyone heading to the Philippines – Air Juan do a few routes but on limited days and they get booked up quick, so get right on it!

Baggage claim is just a wooden block, where you watch them carry your bag from the jet ten metres away onto it. No staring at an empty conveyor belt for days thanks.

The airport road is like a jungle safari on a single bumpy dust track. A hundred cows were herded towards us on the narrow road, their farmers like Cowboys cantering up on horses behind them. I love this place already.

Day 243 - Wednesday 8th February 9.16pm

Time to discover our new destination. Yesterday we explored the maze of streets around the tiny town of Coron and watched a dusty game of basketball with the sunset as the backdrop. They absolutely love basketball here, there’s a net along every mile of every road no matter how rural. So we had to make sure we fit in with our new obligatory Filipina and Golden State jerseys from the market too. Dinner was an amazing chicken curry at Brujitas (an absolute must) and a gelato pud on the way home.

Today we gave ourselves a lazy morning but were productive with research and planning for our remaining days, then a hike up Mount Tapyas fuelled by a delicious lunch of fresh spring rolls, spicy aubergine and watermelon juice at Levine's. With over 700 steps, we scrambled in the sweltering sun up to the Hollywood style 'Coron' letters overlooking the bay, catching our breath on top of the grassy hill to watch the sun set over the island cliffs and glistening sea. Next a back-breakingly-bumpy tricycle ride through local life; fruit stalls, wooden shacks and petrol sold in Sprite bottles. We arrived at Maquinit Hot springs for my first ever experience. Despite a small crowd it was actually very chilled out, and the steamy water enveloped you in a warm comforting hug. Sitting back, staring at the stars and moon shining down and listening to the water was bliss. This is the life!

Day 247 - Sunday 12th February 10.59am

Somehow it's time to hop on yet another boat and say goodbye to an island we've loved. Unfortunately there's still going to be many many hours sitting uncomfortable on a hard waiting room bench in the next week, as we will have four destinations of boats buses and planes just to get us to Sri Lanka. What a great excuse to catch up with my blog and book eh?

Coron has been an incredible experience. Chilled, stunning and unique, it is definitely on my list to return. We hopped on the boat with a handful of others and our new Canadian friend Carl for a trip to Coron Island (we stay in Coron town opposite) - the majestic home of turquoise lagoons, hidden lakes and white sand beaches. It is inhabited by the indigenous Tagbanua tribe, one of the oldest ethnic groups in the Philippines, who protect the island and live in a couple of small villages, with their own language and lifestyle to survive. On our trip we snorkelled around the corals of Siete Picados and turquoise depths of Kayangan Lake, marvelled in the white sands of Banul and Atwayan Beach and swam with the tropical sealife through the towering cliffs of the Twin Lagoon. Lunch was a fresh seafood buffet on the sand, complete with an interesting dish of squid ink seaweed. Can we repeat this every day please?

Canadian Carl joined us at Brujitas for a chickpea curry and the healthy pick-me-up of fresh calamansi juice and another ice cream stop off on the way. Little did he know, he was to become our best buddy for the rest of our trip, making business plans for living a chilled life in this fantastic town.

We loved our boat trip so much that we hopped on another the next day, to the further island of Malcapuya, the definition of paradise. This just gets better and better. So insanely beautiful that your eyes widen and your smile grows and you can’t stop yourself saying Wow. With a fresh coconut, sarong in the sand, book in my hand and a dip in the crystal water, life felt pretty good. We stopped off at a sand bank and Banana Island too for another freshly caught seafood lunch and spectacular snorkelling amongst Parrot fish, Rainbow fish and baby Nemo’s. If you’ve ever dived or snorkelled you’ll know the predominant sound you hear is from the huge fish nibbling on the coral, something that has always marvelled me. After a great day we invited our tour guides out for a drink with us and Carl, learning more about their everyday life in Coron town, and how much they love exploring the islands and waters surrounding it.

Yesterday we decided to read by the pool and soak up the rays, visiting the Banh Mi van for lunch (we got super excited, but didn’t top our Hanoi favourite), browsed the markets once more then enjoyed a rooftop dinner at Levine's with the most spectacular colour show after the sun had set behind the mountain. Scoffing cake on our dorm floor with Carl and Megan, it was the perfect way to end a brilliant trip.

Day 254 - Sunday 19^th February 9.43pm

We’re here! Over five months later I’m back in my second home, Sri Lanka. Surprising how easy it is to sleep on a noisy airport floor when you’re exhausted.

Our weekend of travelling began early yesterday morning with a tuk tuk from the guesthouse to our five hour bus ride with Ricardo (the lovely bus driver who let us sit at the front and invited us to meet his family and couldn’t get enough of Megan’s singing), waiting for what felt like days in Puerto Princesa airport, a quick hour’s flight to our new bed on the tiled floor of Manila airport. Yay. Then on to Kuala Lumpur for the same floor experience, this time on a carpet fortunately, although the cleaning wasn’t quite so fortunate. Thirty eight hours of travelling and sleeping in airports made us delirious, but we have had a laugh reminiscing on our backpacking experiences together so far.

After we left Coron on our extremely bumpy boat ride to El Nido (I was a little scared for our safety and my stomach), we explored the famous streets of El Nido town, but felt a bit lost after feeling very homely in Coron. After a very disappointing burrito we decided on an early night, hoping tomorrow would bring a brighter day.

Instead we felt fed up, with no motivation to explore. Backpacking life most certainly isn’t thrills and adventure every day. We kept trying to shake ourselves, YOU’RE IN THE BLOODY PHILIPPINES! But after turning into Sand Man on the insanely windy beach, we decided enough was enough. Time for a massage to lift our spirits.

Valentine ’s Day was a romantically sandy day at Las Cabanas beach, only a 20 minute tricycle away. The beautiful sunset made our backdrop to a funny photoshoot and we treated ourselves to some fresh barbequed seafood for dinner. The next day we were going to join the obligatory boat trip around El Nido’s famous sights, but after a fisherman got killed in the waves all boat trips were cancelled and we decided on Las Cabanas again, this time slightly less sand stormed. The next day was another bumpy tricycle ride with Roy to Nac Pan beach for a day of sun, sea, sand and singing Filipino kids, who sat with us to practice their English and show us their best school songs. The boney chicken adobo wasn’t as appetising as I hoped and may haunt me for a while. Yet to find that delightful Filipino cuisine. Our day ended with the most amazing rainbow sunset ever, spreading right across the beach and sea. The skies and scenes here most certainly make up for the lack of local food, one million percent.

So for our last day in the Philippines, what do we decide to do? Be lazy f***ers in bed all day, with intermittent trips for food/shopping/booking buses. Backpacking is draining, and I feel sick, so I’m allowed a lazy day no matter where I am in the world.

We had heard a lot about El Nido before we came, from travel blogs and passers-by, it’s often referred to as the number one destination in the Philippines too. Don’t get me wrong it’s great, also I think our experience was different as we weren’t able to do the famous boat trip, but overall I was a little disappointed. Coron was by far more stunning and fascinating, especially as it’s still more rural and untouched. But one of my favourite experiences so far. Now our days in the Philippines are up, and it’s on to the next chapter back in Sri Lanka.

I most certainly hope I’ll be back, there’s too much more still to explore. Salamat Pilipinas.

My Asian Advent - Twelve thousand temples, Eleven enchanting sunrises, Ten tonnes of noodles... Four hundred flights, Free tasty cocktails, Too many tune rags, One hell'a Festive Adventure.

Day 192 - Monday 19th December 4.35pm

Myanmar you continue to amaze me.

 

We have just got back from our eleven hour boat trip - what a brilliant day!

Our 4.45am alarm was a slight shock, but worth every sleepy grumbling second. A tuk tuk took (ha...) us to the edge of the lake where four of us hobbled onto the long wooden boats, narrow enough for one seat behind the other. The driver hopped on and tightroped expertly to the back of the boat along the edge for his spot steering the engine. It was pitch black, misty and absolutely freezing cold. And I mean leggings, trousers, socks, t shirt, cardigan, pacamac, hood up, blanket and my shawl wrapped round my head still cold kinda cold. It's all a bit of a blur for the first part as I don't think I was quite awake yet, but as the sun grew behind the mountain the beautiful scenery began to emerge and we settled next to the marshland for sunrise. As we watched, we were handed our cheese and jam sandwiches (even autocorrect changed that to ham), an interesting combination, and a tea mix consisting of 80% sugar and 20% water.

It was one of the most amazing and peaceful places I've sat and watched the sun rise, right up the top there with my hammock in Pai and 5,200 steps up to Sri Pada, with a slight mist gliding across the serene still lake. What a way to start your day.

You may have seen the iconic Myanmar image before of the fisherman balancing on their canoe with a bamboo cone fishing basket. There were a couple conveniently positioned between us and the mountains, making for a picture perfect sunrise silhouette. Sadly though, they are fake. The local fisherman don't use these beautiful looking baskets, they've fortunately found more practical ways to fish, so the ones you see in photos do that purely for a living. Interesting and bizarre. The real fisherman are just as beautiful to watch and photograph though, carefully collecting their nets, one leg balancing on their wooden canoes and the other gently rotating the paddle. Yup, they use their leg and hips to paddle across the lake, now that part is authentic!

Another amusing sight was the floating gardens of tea and tomato plants, thriving in a field of green and red on top of the river between the stilt villages. We stopped to climb up to some of the stilt houses, learning how to make and roll a traditional Burmese cigar from scratch using a special leaf (men and women of all ages are seen with these often - the young girl making them with her family was only 13 too! We watched blacksmiths hammering away with unbelievable strength to make their tools, machetes and machinery, then discovered lotus silk weaving, unique to Inle Lake despite lotus flowers being prevalent across Asia. The process is very long and requires careful retrieval of the fine strands from the lotus stem, which are then twisted together to make a thread then weaved with a hand operated machine, rolling a block back and forth whilst operating a complicated mechanism of levers and foot pedals to make a beautiful pattern. Because of the long process and uniqueness, Burmese lotus silk products are a little bit outside of my budget, despite being tempted with many beautiful dresses and scarves attached to too many dollar signs.

The next stop was Thuang Tho Pagoda, a bizarre structure up a huge staircase, passing through a derelict market place and then arriving to a hundred glistening Pagodas with bells chiming in the wind. The view down to the lake and across the hills were beautiful, and the peaceful atmosphere atop the hill with only the tinkling bells made it a very unique experience amongst the thousands of other temples I have visited on my adventures.

One of my favourite parts was stopping for lunch in the floating village, joining a family in their stilt house and canoeing around with them in a traditional boat. Their home was no different to yours or mine; made solely of wood but curtains fluttering in the breeze, family photos on the shelves and an old tv in the corner. The family had a very cute chubby baby too who wanted to play and they showed us how to make the thanaka paste, mixing the tree bark and water then applying it as makeup/sun cream on the cheeks and forehead. It was a really special experience speaking to the young ladies who's whole life revolve around the lake, knowing also that they probably haven't ventured much further than its banks. The boat trip ended visiting Maing Thuak floating village and bridge, famous from Lonely Planet readers as I realised that the founders had donated the bridge to the local community. They had trouble transporting goods and their children to school each day, so the bridge became a key structure to ease the challenges of life on the lake.

The view is beautiful but it's definitely the community that make this place special. Between the villages of rusty iron and faded wood sit bright orange satellite dishes alongside sparking pagodas and wrinkled fisherman and a new world where you balance your life on a canoe. The rotating village market on the banks reminded me dearly of Tanzania - the bustling madness and smells and humble vendors and wandering children and bizarre foods; chickens flapping about and pots of local delicacies bubbling away throughout the wooden maze of people in their daily lives. I could sit and watch for hours, intrigued by how different the lives are of the individuals surrounding me. Wouldn't it be fantastic to join them for a day? Think of how much there is to learn outside of our boxed in view of the world.

9.32pm

Admired another sunset from the rooftop then ventured to find the best dishes in town - cycling with a tiny torch along the bumpy dust tracks to the night market for yet another tea chicken curry and chapatti. What a day!

Day 193 - Tuesday 20th December 6.19am

Watching Shan life at dusk from the rooftop, the cockerels are cockadoodledooing, a young boy just cycled past in his matching pyjama set and the lady next door is washing her dishes in her outside kitchen. The light is growing very gradually as more life stirs, the neighbours opposite are wiping down their white car before their first journey today, and the house next door are waiting patiently for the monks to pass for almsgiving. It's very peaceful aside from the occasional whir of a motorbike passing by and the edge of the sky is tinted pink. The air feels fresh and mornings like this make me happy to leave my duvet and dreams.

6.39am

You can hear the steady bell chime as the saffron robes pass barefoot through the village, small silver pots ("alms bowls") held in front ready for the daily almsgiving. This is practiced widely around Buddhist countries such as Myanmar and Luang Prabang, where the community show their respect to the monks by offering food each morning. In some places people will queue to wait for the monks to pass and accept their offerings.

8.47am

Shan noodles for our fresh morning meal - this food continues to become my new favourite. Peanutty, intense and filling, this should be my breakfast more often.

Day 196 - Friday 23rd December 11.30am

Christmas Eve Eve. It's been a pretty surreal Christmas so far! Had some classic festive tunes on this morning to remind us that it is actually only two days away. Hard to believe when you're surrounded by sun and temples in Myanmar!

Tuesday was our last day to enjoy the serenity of Inle Lake, soaking rays on the rooftop and cycling to Bamboo Hut for more tea leaf salad, ready for another long bumpy night on the bus to Bagan - the iconic ancient kingdom of Myanmar. Feeling particularly queasy after the journey, it was a huge relief to be able to check in at 4.30am when we arrived at our guesthouse. Good thing too, as I spent the next 48 hours stuck in bed, damn those travel bugs.

So that was Wednesday wasted being too ill to leave my bed, but I was determined to get up for a sunrise. We are in the place that brought me to Myanmar after all! On Thursday morning we forked out for a taxi at 5am and headed to Law Ka Oushaung, a recommended temple to watch the day begin. Luckily there was only a small bunch of people there, most tourists are shuttled to the nearby seven stories of Shwesandaw Paya, which became our sunrise silhouette to the view beyond.

We clambered our way to the top of the old ruin, through minuscule tunnels and staircases just about wide enough to breathe. As the suns glow warmed up the horizon, more temples and beauty rose from the mist. It really was a delightful sight, and when the blazing orange broke the skyline it was the most magical experience. The colours of the sky are something no words or photo could capture, with a silhouette of trees and ancient architecture below and a dusting of hot air balloons above. As the sky became more intense and beautiful, my body decided it couldn't hold on any longer. With no toilet in sight, we ran to the taxi as the entire sky was decorated in the most insane beauty, crying inside that we had to leave. I think I would have cried more if I shit my pants though.

After a snooze I felt a bit more human and got slightly too excited about the concept of food, devouring breakfast on the rooftop, then immediately regretting it. Back to bed, feeling absolutely gutted and uncomfortable with an endless knot harassing my stomach.

I was so disappointed that I'd come all the way here to spend two days in bed, it's really not as fun as you hope it would be. So after long discussions we decided to push back another night, with another chance to catch the sunrise and explore the temples before sunset. Means that Christmas Eve will be interesting spent on a river boat though!

Dinner and breakfast seemed to go down well, so this morning we were able to head out on some bicycles to catch the rest of the sun rise experience at a small crumbling temple. Today there was a semi-circle of clouds dotted around the sun, which made it a different but still beautiful scene. Plus there were only two others at this temple, which isn't too surprising as there's over 2000 stupas to choose from! I'm glad I made it for another sunrise, without needing to run home, with the additional pleasure of cycling through the maze of temples as the morning light illuminated them.

8.09pm

May have got overexcited and overdone it slightly today, but it was worth every moment!

We lugged our bags from Golden Rose to our fresh beds for the night at Winner Guesthouse around the corner - both highly recommended to anyone travelling here, mostly because of how amazing the staff are! I have definitely found that from everywhere I have travelled the people in Burma have been consistently the most kind, generous and helpful. When I was unwell at dinner the other evening they gave me complimentary green tea for my stomach, the guesthouse kindly drove our bags to our new accommodation so we didn't have to cycle with them and everyone will stop to help you or answer questions, not just those who want to sell you something. It might seem trivial but it makes a huge difference when you're travelling around to weird and wonderful places!

Then it was time to grab our bicycles and explore the city, chancing different dusty pathways and marvelling at the old architecture we passed. You could spend a week simply enjoying the views and the mass of Buddhism splurged across the landscape, but in the intense heat one day is enough to visit all the biggies.

Schwesandaw is the famous sunrise sunset pagoda with seven floors, with views equally as fantastic in the day. It looks more like a Mayan pyramid, with staircases facing all four directions. From the top you can see stupa after stupa after stupa, with all other evidence of life shielded by trees and grassland in between. This is what you imagine when you picture Bagan.

Between the stupas, you have a maze of dusty pathways, some too sandy to cycle and most lined with bizarre cacti. We passed many farmers with their cattle and goats, shading from the sun as they watched them graze. Imagining their lives just blows my mind.

Despite the number of tourists that would be in Bagan right now, we rarely crossed paths with anyone. That's the beauty of this place, especially as it only recently opened up to visitors. I feel privileged to have been able to experience it before the tour bus masses arrive, overtaking Angkor Wat, detracting from the soul and character that thrives behind the scenes.

We treated ourselves to sunset at our sunrise temple from this morning, but then so did 30 others! The views were still great and we spent some time chatting to the locals, encouraging them to wish everyone a Merry Christmas with us!

Feeling absolutely exhausted now, it's time for an early bed. Zzzz...

Day 197 - Saturday 24th December 10.57am

Christmas Eve! On a boat! In the sunshine! We're cruising down the Irrawaddy River towards Mandalay for Christmas, feeling a bit perplexed at the thought. It's my sixth day in a row being up at 4-5am, which is not ideal when you're feeling ill. Better than another long bumpy bus ride though I'm sure.

I wasn't really sure what I expected, but I imagined the river meandering through jungle and small tribal villages, instead its banks are quite wide - up to 2km at times, and the landscape has been completely flat for pretty much the entire journey. There's long sandbanks and sometimes wooden communities lined up along the edge, other times we've spotted farmers grazing their cattle or tending crops, but mostly it's just sand or grass with a few trees. We've just passed a village's communal washing spot - a rainbow of coloured cloth and dark bodies bathing at the river edge. The boats around us range from tiny fishing canoes to big industrial tanks, often getting a wave from the crew as we pass! I spent the first couple of hours snoozing, glimpsing the sun rise above the palm trees, now I wonder how accurate our arrival time will be. Hopefully we get there before Santa?

2.42pm

We have just passed a small fishing boat, with dark backs of three young boys facing the sun, one jumping into the river to collect their net. I wonder if they go to school? Spending your days in this silent sparse land, fishing on a tiny boat with your friends or brothers. Does life get any simpler than that?

Day 198 - Sunday 25th December 11.11pm

Merry Christmas from Myanmar! It's been quite a random celebration, from a surprise midnight mass to cake and karaoke with the priest to wishing people Merry Christmas on top of a hill in the sunshine!

Our boat trip yesterday ended up at sunset after 11 hours, so when we got to the hostel it was time to refresh and fill our bellies. We started chatting to the others staying at the hostel for Christmas and began our attempt to find food... Why is it never simple. Pizza anyone?

After our failed and frustrating attempt to find food (i.e. a bowl of unidentified soup and a plate of cashew nuts) our night was brightened up unexpectedly with a Burmese Christmas twist! We stumbled across a Midnight Mass church service, so we popped in to take a look. As they were doing the bit where you swig some wine, the priest caught sight of us between the hundreds of Burmese church-goers flitting around under the oh-so-Asian tack-galore shiny Christmas decorations. He translated his next speech for us, so when we went to thank him after the service it resulted in an invite to cake and carols in the back hall! One of the most random, hilarious and heart-warming experiences, crammed into the church back room with twenty Burmese Christians and a priest singing Silent Night and Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer with guitars and tambourines and a grin from ear to ear on everyone's face! What a Christmas experience!

This morning Megan and I had our own songs and presents dancing around our room, with a trip and trek to the top of Mandalay Hill to celebrate Christmas Day. It's the first time we have been away from family at the special time of year, so it's no surprise that pangs of homesickness have hit hard today. Missing our roast dinner and loved ones, feeling sweaty and sad, we snuggled up in our blanket (under the air con of course) to watch a movie and cheer ourselves up with the best Burmese Christmas dinner available - pizza delivery!

Day 199 - Monday 26th December 12.20pm

My stomach has decided it's still not happy, accompanied by an annual Christmas cold and a very croaky voice. Fantastic news when we are sat in an airport about to embark on over 24 hours of traveling to Bangkok down to Koh Pha Ngan for New Year.

Two weeks in Myanmar has somehow passed, feeling like a lifetime yet flashing by in a blink as usual. It has been a dream of mine for so many years and I have absolutely loved it. The people have shown us their kind friendliness and the handful of places we have visited have been especially amazing. I really hope to come back, One Day, to explore the southern coast and beyond. Chezu de Mari Myanmar!

9.38pm

Rocking away on my top bunk, we just about made it to the train! Taxi, plane, bus, metro and train, here we are on our way to Surat Thani for a bus, boat and tuk tuk to our destination. With a quickie 7/11 ham and cheese toastie for dinner (anyone that's been here should know how grossly delicious this staple food is). The journey so far has been pretty good, we got chatting to a guy from Brighton who was sat next to me, on holiday after touring with his band Yossarian (coincidently the random name of my dad’s boat!) in Australia and New Zealand. Small world eh! Can't say it's been a smooth ride in the slightest, but I'm definitely ready for a nice long snooze.

Day 212 - Sunday 8th January 12.30pm

Nearly two weeks have passed already, now we are sat by candlelight in a powercut, indulging on Italian food as the never ending monsoon storms on outside. Hello paradise of Koh Phi Phi.

This island has changed a lot since my first visit in 2011. I remember back then hearing someone talk about how it was THE paradise island before the tsunami. Now all those ignorant tourists are just getting drunk and ruining the island. Not only was it heavily affected by the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami, but the tourism boom had indeed boomed all over the backpacker island; from a true representation of The Beach paradise to an Irish pub, fancy hotels and endless tattoo shops. Don't get me wrong, I have once been that typical English backpacker; watching fire shows, burnt, drinking too many whisky buckets. But now the island seems to be a mini Ibiza, the natural beauty has been taken over by lots of shiny new plastic everywhere; instead of a quiet but fun backpacker haven. Even the great view down to the beach and limestone cliffs from the bathroom at my usual digs Rock Backpacker has gone downhill; now instead of trees you see shiny hotel rooftops. Anyone who has been to Phi Phi will know Woodys, the bucket fuelled beach bar with no health and safety limits, instead a tall wooden pole with a 'platform' just about big enough for your toes to stick over the edge, where it was custom to get naked and climb for a free bucket. Now replaced by a building site for a huge hotel complex; probably not a totally bad thing but different to before. I rolled my eyes at that stuck up nostalgic girl six years ago, but now I totally understand her pain. It's a real shame that the island has lost its charm - I hope it can keep up with itself.

Despite this, Phi Phi's food is fortunately still top of the chain. I'd highly recommend the Prawn Panang curry at Garlic, any dish at an all time favourite Papaya, a cheeky Moussaka at Cosmic, and the street spring rolls or samosas -our daily treat from an evening on the beach.

Our trip in southern Thailand began with a long stint in Koh Pha Ngan, starting with my 200th day in Asia and ending with a bang on the biggest beach party in the world. I introduced Megan to the bubble of Koh Pha Ngan - brilliant street noodles, Mama's Schnitzel, fire poi and dancing until the sun comes up. Eat Sleep Rave Repeat. Most nights with no alcohol I may add! I returned to my friends at Drop In bar to fall in love again with the fire, freedom and forgetting life in the music (no, no, I do not do or need any naughty substances).

Most of the week has involved watching the sunrise before bed (yes you read that right), contemplating life on the soggy beach (monsoon season still prevails) and celebrating the feeling of being young and free one more time, bare feet in the sand and smiles all round. We were pretty lucky in our 12 bed dorm to have a great bunch of roomies, from Australia to America to Argentina. It meant that when the rain poured it was acceptable to lay in bed all day chatting and imagining all the waterfalls we could have visited. One sick soldier decided to take part in the Exorcist after getting some dodgy food poisoning, so we took a family trip to the hospital (to make sure he wasn't faking it) to give him some company and help him feel better.

New Year's Eve was a mental night celebrating with thousands of others on the sand, loving life with our roomies, ending up with a fantastic Mama's Schnitzel sandwich at 8am on the way home. Definitely an experience to remember!

A rather early 5am finish after our final night at Drop In and some very early morning fried rice with our Burmese friends, just in time for one hour sleep before our long sloggy day in a van, ferry, bus and boat, to the unexpected destination of Koh Phi Phi. I'm here again?! This place was certainly not on my list for this trip, but I think I'm in need of a simple place to unravel my head after Koh Pha Ngan. What we didn't realise was quite how packed it would be when we arrived, making accommodation slightly hard to come by. When you hear the instant cry of 'FULL' on your tenth attempt to step into a hostel it gets slightly concerning, but the "paradise" of Flower Bungalows came to the rescue, offering overpriced dorm beds with friendly mosquitos and the kind of bathroom you have to force yourself to enter. Time for a night of more sleep than I'd tallied in the past eight days though.

Our first day back to a proper island beach - and the sun was actually shining! Shame we got a tad too excited, forgot how strong the sun was and ended up with burnt butts. In the evening we ventured down to the beach to watch the fire at Slinkys, they put on a pretty good show! I could just sit and watch for days, mesmerised.

Day two was yet another hot sunny day at the beach, finally able to lay in the sand and feel the rays. I managed to carefully avoid burning like the previous day, however Megan wasn't quite so lucky... (who knew you could burn your eyelids?) We revisited Banana Bar (one of my old favourites) for a bloody good chilli enchilada, waiting for the nightly rooftop movie to begin when a switch flicked and the downpour started (little did we know this wouldn't stop for about a week). Time for some pineapple fritters and ice cream then?

The next day brought a full spectacle of relentless rain, forcing us to slouch around, eat and finally begin researching my flights for Sri Lanka. In need of a cuddle, I opted instead for the obvious alternative - an hour long foot massage. (N.B. a foot massage in Thailand consists mainly of your full leg, with a back, neck shoulder and head massage usually thrown in at the end. Not bad for £6?) We moved camp to the trusty Rock Backpackers opposite, my usual (/only ever) accommodation on the island. What I like about this place is the open bathrooms up on the hill which looks down on the ever expanding backpacker buzz below and out onto the beach, sparkling sea and craggy cliff cove beyond.

The rain decided to ease to a slight drizzle for long enough to watch the fire show at Slinkys - complete with some acrobatics, juggling and tightrope walking too. Another ice cream anyone?

6.18pm

Feeling fed up and grumpy. Everything's damp. And came back to a flooded room. Realities of paradise.

Is it time for another massage?

Day 213 - Monday 9th January 3.20pm

Megan and I have officially survived each other for four full months, not a night apart, that's a new record for me!

So today's been a weird one. Opened the door at 9am to be blinded by brightness (the rain has actually stopped and even unveiled some blue skies). Went to get our morning shake, then by 9.15am had somehow considered, decided and booked a trip back to Koh Pha Ngan. That gives us a total of 30 minutes to grab some fried rice, pack our bags from scratch and stumble to the port for a boat ride of alternating scorching sweat and torrential rain. We're coming back!

Day 216 - Thursday 12th January 4.50pm

The sun's out! It's been a weird week of soggy weather, with black clouds constantly lingering ready to burst, but luckily we just missed the days of monsoon and severe flooding in Koh Pha Ngan. More endless nights on the beach dancing on the sand and playing with fire, indulging on the famous Mama's Schnitzel sandwiches and getting a daily dose of Panang curry - no wonder I quite like Koh Pha Ngan. Time to lay on the beach with my book and watch the Full Moon preparations begin - ready for round 6!

Day 220 - Monday 16th January 10.10pm

Going to bed at 5am with a storm fast approaching. Waking up to the taxi at 6am with it horrifically thundering and pouring from the high heavens. It's time to leave this outrageous paradise. 

We could feel the storm coming for the last few days, chancing a day at the hidden paradise of Leela Beach just around the corner too. The Full Moon party was good but the lead up and the quiet nights are by far my favourite. I need sleep but can't, cocktails beers balloons and fire are the best part of the day, followed by Burmese breakfasts on the way home.

Yesterday we relished one last night of prawn panang, watching fire and a Mama's Schnitzel on the way back before the storm brewed. After an hours kip we headed for our 14 hour journey to Bangkok. The rough boat trip and getting our bags ransacked on the coach. Of course they didn't find any valuables or money, but I'm pissed they lost my shower loafer when they rummaged through our bags as we sat blissfully unaware on the top deck. Also not the best situation when you're about to board a plane; would people plant drugs or explosives..?

After a safe flight I could relax, and we began reminiscing all our memories over the past few weeks. Koh Pha Ngan sure screws with your mind, but I wouldn't change a thing.

We had a sleepy flight and a taxi stuck in traffic, but a hot shower, spaghetti bolognese and the world’s comfiest bed have left me collapsed in heaven. It's time for some much needed luxury. Good night! 

Day 226 - Sunday 22nd January 4.31pm

Megan and I have enjoyed the luxuries of splashing out (on a backpackers budget) in Bangkok, with pillows that you sink into, big fluffy duvets, buffet breakfasts (pain au chocolate dipped in yogurt with a starter of red curry), wifi and nothing necessary to do all. Sun, sweat and sleeping by the pool. It's an amazing feeling to have a swimming pool, with no sand in sight too. We've indulged on an Italian restaurant across the road most nights and treated myself to a Thai massage and clean laundry. We have been productive planning our route around the Philippines and booked my flights home for Kathryn's wedding next summer too!

Nevertheless we've found it hard to leave paradise. We cuddled up to watch The Beach in bed and treated ourselves to our last Chang and Panang. You have stolen my soul once again. I don't want to leave, what have you done to me?

Day 227 - Monday 23rd January 8.42am

After two hours sleep and a sausage Mcmuffin, we are sat at the departure gate in Don Mueang, not quite believing that we are leaving Thailand. Once again the Land of Smiles has stolen my heart and I've had the most memorable six weeks. I hope to be back sooner than is acceptable, 'cause we ain't never growing older. See you when you see me!

12.51pm

Arrived in KL - they've got a H&M at the airport! Feels very strange to be surrounded by Western clothes (and lots of jumpers too surprisingly?). May have got a tad over excited and splashed out on my card. Oops.

Day 228 - Tuesday 24th January 1.16pm

Today is not the day. Today we near missed our flight and got stressed with an urgent flight to leave the country and had seconds to spare before check in closed. Today I got fed up with all this travelling and want a stationary, familiar life. Today is just not the day.