Philippines bound!

In the Summer of 2013, I had the opportunity to visit the Philippines, Asia, with my family. This was my first time leaving North America, and I was so excited, but anxious not knowing what to expect. Since my step mom is Filipino, we were taking a month long vacation to her hometown to see the country and bring back her son to live with us. We flew for 16 hours total with a layover in YYZ and a direct flight from there with a stop in YVR. The Philippines is a country in South-east Asia, consisting of thousands of small islands, on the other side of the world.

We had landed in Manila, the capital city. Honestly, I was just happy to have my feet on the ground after such a long flight. The Philippines have a 12 hour time difference advancement. It was pretty weird to be landing there in the morning and texting family back home and they were going to bed.

Our next flight wasn't until later that day, so we headed over to SM Mall of Asia for the day.

Panoramic view of SM Mall of Asia

Mall of Asia is the 9th largest in the world with over 1000 stores, 360 dining outlets, an olympic sized skating rink, multiple cinemas, concert grounds, an amusement park and mutiple buildings connected by walkways. We spent the day walking around and shopping, eating at TGI Friday's, and of course, checking out the Starbucks. (My first frap in Asia!)

Manila is a really large city, and way over populated. They do not have any rules regarding driving and it is basically a free for all. If you fit, you go. There is always 1-2 lanes of traffic more than there should be. I would never ever attempt to drive there but the locals seem to have chaos down to a science.

Our next flight to Tacloban City, on Leyte island, was that night and we were off to the airport. One of the things that really surprised me was the fact their security is non existent compared to what we are used to in North America. They ask you to put your luggage through the scanner and then you pick it up on the other side and walk onto the flight. Luckily, this flight was only 40 minutes long.

We went straight to the hotel, were her family was there to great us. It was great they all came out to meet us and invited us over to their house for some food. We eat a lot of Filipino food in my house at home so I was already accustomed to the excess amounts of rice they eat, and the different meat dishes, and noodles. I honestly would rather eat their food than Canadian food most times.

Rise and Shine! 

Downtown Tacloban City

Pedi cabs (left and far right)

The most common transportation in the Philippines is by pedi-cab, which is a bicycle with a side car and it can hold up to 2 passengers. They also have jeeps which can hold a lot more passengers and they all sit in the back while the driver is in the front. They have these all over the town and you just flag one down. It is a really cheap way to get around, fun too!

One of my favourite day trips we took was in Abuyog, Leyte about an hour away, Castanas Spring Resort. It is a river that runs through the jungle and it has been formed into 3 swimming pools, with all different depths. The park has a karaoke hut so you can listen to music while you hang out and swim. Don't like hanging by the pool? If you are feeling adventurous, you can take a 20 minute hike through the jungle and you will come to a beautiful waterfall at the other end of the river.

San Juanico bridge

We took another day trip to Samar island. Leyte and Samar are connected via San Juanico bridge. The bridge is 2.14km and is the largest in the country. We went to the beach in Samar, primarily because of the white sand, and picturesque views. I may or may not have filled two bottles with sand from here.

We actually were fortunate enough to be there during the Tacloban City fiesta to celebrate Tacloban City day. This fiesta is every year on June 30th, and the whole downtown area is decorated and they have a parade.

We got to celebrate Canada day in the Philippines. We made poutine, had rice with butter, hot dogs with buns, and pepperoni and cheese. Some of our typical Canadian foods, that they had never tried. They decorated the house with the Canadian flag and red decorations and bought a cake reading Happy Canada Day.

Did you know that McDonalds in Asia serves rice with all meals instead of fries? You can order fries if you want but it automatically comes with rice unless you specify! As a rice lover, I thought that was the coolest thing.

I got to experience eating fresh coconut, taking a tour of a local elementary school (pictured above), visit a rice field, oh and seeing the excessive amount of wild dogs and cats! We went to see a movie at the theater and had to buy snacks and drinks at the grocery store before because popcorn at the theater is not a thing. They do not even have a concession stand, everyone just brings their own treats.

Some of many wild dogs

Family photo at the waterful in Abuyog

This trip was absolutely incredible and hands down unforgettable. I am so grateful for the hospitality we received and to have shared this experience with my family. I could probably talk about this trip forever and not have told you everything, but these are some of my highlights and most memorable adventures. I would absolutely go back in a heartbeat...as soon as the locals learn to stop starring at white people. Just kidding. But seriously guys..is there lettuce in my teeth?!

Samar beach or paradise.. I'll let you decide.