Philippines Photography

 Batad

 Batad

On the Bohol Hanging Bridge

The largest python in captivity

Banaue

Mactan

The Hanging Coffins of Sagada

Mactan

Mactan

A blast from the past: My first ever post!

I've started a few blogs but sadly this is the only one I've kept up with so it really made me chuckle when I stumbled across the first post I wrote way back in 2009. I just had to post it here as I was so scared of being alone and now I wouldn't have it any other way. I love the freedom solo travel brings, I can do what I want, when I want without ever having to explain why I want to. If you're thinking about it, pick a safe destination and just do it. If I can, anyone can. Anyway here goes my first blog post, enjoy if you can :)

So will this be the craziest thing I've ever done? I'll be flying to distant lands of dim sum and sake in just over 2 weeks, 17 days exactly but who is counting down the days anyway? :D 

I know these entries should be about my experiences while I'm 'in' the far east but I just couldn't help sneaking in an early entry or two as there's only so many times people want to hear how excited you are and these last few days are really dragging...I'm bored as hell lol!

Planning this trip has been such an experience that it's likely to become as much a part of the journey as the journey itself. I've learnt some really interesting things along the way but I'm suffering from total information overload and feel as if I've got the stuff coming out of my ears.

The first weeks found me DESPERATELY looking for somebody to take this trip with, boring my friends to death with plans they could never afford or have time to do and frantically leaving posts on pretty much every travel site going. People did want to go to places, it just felt like everywhere except where I was going. The few people I did meet online ended up letting me down so pretty soon I started to realise that this would be something that I'd have to do alone or not at all. It was a terrifying thought but one that didn't last long. My fear turned to excitement, I was nervous yet realised there were so many positive things that I could get from doing this alone. I'd be a whole new woman! I began to look for local people to meet online, which went really well and I've met some great people who I'm really looking forward to meeting.

Anyway, ironically as soon as I begun looking forward to travelling alone people began contacting me about the trip. I now have 2 wonderful girls to travel with, Mimi and Lina Although I can't deny I'm thankful to have them join me for most of the trip I'm going to miss being able to boast that I did my first trip alone haha!

Weird and Wonderful Munchies

I'm certainly no foodie but I really like food and another thing travel has given me is the opportunity to eat some pretty wacky and delicious stuff that I'd never get to try back home.

Tea (Various)

Not that crazy but I have a whole new appreciation for tea and never would of dreamed there was so much variety out there!

Fruit and loose leaf hibiscus tea

Image @ etsy

Doesn't really taste too much like tea, made out of flowers and fruit. once you're done drinking it you can eat the fruit to making it a sort of snack at the same time.

Seaweed and salt 'kombucha' tea

Image @ https://wawaza.com/products/Kelp-Root-%26-Sea-Salt-Japanese-%22Kombucha%22-Seaweed-Tea,-50g.html

It sounds disgusting if you don't like seaweed but it was much more soup than tea and it was yummy!

Blooming tea

 Image @  www.aliexpress.com

A flower emerges from these tea balls when they make contact with water, not tasty but really beautiful.

Bubble tea

 Image @ Bubble Tea

This high calorie beverage looks pretty wacky as it has tapioca balls floating around inside it and tastes more like juice than tea but it's fun and delicious. Just don't drink too much of it unless your aim is to look like a bubble.

Street food (Various)

Looks like an health inspection fail but passes in the mouth!

Fried Insects (Various)

Crunchy on the outside and hollow on the inside, they sound and look a lot worse than they taste, which is actually of very little. Very strange but maybe it's more stranger that I'd eat them again.

Ice Cream (Japan)

Ice cream is serious business in japan. if it can be eaten, drunk or smelt I'm pretty sure there's a flavour for it at Ice Cream City, sunshine city, Ikebukuro. Named by National Geographic as one of the top 10 places in the world to eat ice cream, it houses over 300 flavours and with everything from sea weed to lavender it can be as scrummy or strange as you fancy it to be. For someone like me this place was as much a hell as it was heaven, I just couldn't decide what I wanted but in the end I played it safe and had chicken wing but even then couldn't decide if I liked it or not.

Japanese Crepes (Japan)

Not that wacky but Japanese crepes are certainly delicious! If you eat only one treat in Japan make it one of these! 

Nutri-Express (China)

This milky yogurt type drink is so yummy though sadly it's only available in mainland China but that might just be because the name translates into nutritious fast cum. Makes you wonder what you've been drinking...

Dog (Cambodia)

Fatty and rank, the only reason to eat this is to show you had the balls to.

Halu halu (Philippines)

With everything from cheese to ice cream halu halu really is one of the strangest concoctions I've tried. Confusing as hell as one moment it's delicious and with the next sip it's horrifying but it's refreshing and a must-try.

Balut (Philippines)

The worst thing I have eaten by far, I say I 'ate' it but actually failed miserably. Balut or balot are fertilised duck eggs. It stinks and tastes just like blood, egg and organs...Yummy!

Image @ http://www.gpwa.org/forum/eatting-filipino-balut-198757.html

Angry Birds Sushi (Thailand)

I never tried this as I'm not a massive fan of sushi but it looked so cool I had to add it to the list.

Pig blood noodle soup (Thailand)
Yep, you read that right this spicy soup is enriched with raw pig's blood and it's surprising delicious.

Image @ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nam_tok_(food)

Kalamay (Philippines)
Kalamay/Calamay (or sugar in English) could not be a more perfect title for this sweet and sticky treat I had in Cebu. Totally ang sarap (delicious).

Image @ http://www.marketmanila.com/archives/calamay-from-bohol

I'll be updating this all the time so if anybody is reading this and you like it keep an eye out for it, follow or subscribe to me! 

Panic, plans and patches

I must of been lying when I said I wouldn't be going back to Asia for a while because on the 28th of this month at 1.30 pm I'll be taking off for India! I'll have 21 hours there before heading to Bangkok, Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos all in only 5 weeks! 

6 countries in just 5 weeks may seem a little rushed and perhaps it is (I'll be on the move every 1-3 days) but things don't always end up how we planned them to just like how they're not really going to plan here recently either.

more...

Work short changed me by £150 this month, which means I've only got £100 for the first few days of my trip but I was able to do some begging and get them to agree to pay me early next month and these few hours in India have ended up costing me a lot more than I originally thought they would. Price and red tape varies depending on where you're from but all visitors to India require a visa regardless how long they stay. Silly me thought it would be available for free on arrival for Brits but only decided to check after I brought my flight and it's not, it's £66 in advance. I'm excited of course but the thought of being rejected and having to wait in an airport for 21 hours isn't my idea of a good time. Needless to say I'm feeling rather nervous about this trip, maybe I'll feel better once I know I have permission to enter India...

 It's funny how I feel so little fear about going off to some place new like India (not really I'm terrified!) but sometimes even the smallest of decisions like what to have for dinner can have me undecided for hours. As long as I can remember I've been obsessed with sew/iron on patches, I may ooh and ahhh when I spot a colourful bag covered in stickers or badges but I've always been concerned it might draw unnecessary attention or make me look like a show off. Anyway I finally took the plunge and brought a couple, there's obviously some places you certainly wouldn't want to be seen walking around with them on but for the most part when you're walking with a big bag on your back you stand out anyway, a few patches surely won't make a difference. As you can see I've decided to really let my hair down and be 'crazy' this year :D I can't wait to have a bag filled with them!

Thailand: A death railway, a pass made out of hellfire and large ladies? it's my favorite place in Thailand, kanchanaburi!

I love Kanchanaburi! It's the perfect place to escape busy Bangkok, the vibe is electric and there's a little something for everybody here. Officially three days should be enough but I could easily spend a week or two in this chilled out town. also there's a lot of larger ladies here, I have no idea why and even asking Jeeves didn't get me the answer either but I don't feel quite as balloon like as I do in other parts of Asia.

It's no stay up all night place like Bangkok, Kanchanaburi is more about chill but there are still a number of bars and nightclubs to keep you entertained come nightfall. The bridge on the The River Kwai gets lit up at night to and is well worth a visit.

Erawan National Park 7 tiered falls

Kanchanaburi has loads of natural attractions to visit and one of the most beautiful waterfalls I've seen. 7 tiers of absolute bliss; calm and serene Erawan waterfall is pure paradise. As well as Erawan there's also Chaloem Rattanakosin, Khao Lam, Sri Nakarin, Sai Yok, Thong Pha Phum and Lam Klong Ngu national parks, which feature a variety of waterfalls, mountains, caves and a number of animal and plant species for you to check out. Including the water dog, a rare frog with a croak that sounds just like a dog barking!

Hellfire Pass

It's educational to as there's a lot to learn about here. This was the place where Japan had prisoners of war and slaves build The Thai/Burma Railroad so they could transport  military supplies between Thailand and Burma (now Myanmar) during World War 2. The Death Railroad is still partly operational and you can take a train all the way from Bangkok, through Kanchanaburi, over The bridge on the River Kwai and Wampo Viaduct all the way to Nam Tok. There is a memorial and a number of museums to commerate the dead and learn more about those tragic days. You can also pay your respects at the Chonk-Kai and Don-Rak cemeteries and take an eerie walk along a section of the railroad at The Hellfire Pass Memorial Museum.

Kanchanaburi even has animal parks! Elephant World and Kanchanburi Monkey School where the elephants are free to roam without having to work and the monkeys have been rescued and trained in all manner of things from coconut harvesting to basketball. Also there's the infamous Tiger Temple where you can see and walk with tigers, However, with the exception of Elephant World you'll have to decide if monkeys performing tricks and perhaps doped up tigers are worth the photo opportunities.

How to get here

Air-con/non air-con buses frequently leave Bangkok's Southern and Northern Bus Terminals for Kanchanaburi every 15 to 20 minutes. The journey takes 2-3 hours, costing between 99B-105B and buses run from about 5 am right up until 10.30 pm.

You can also take a tourist minibus from Khao San Road, which costs 120B and takes only 2 hours.

Trains depart from Tonburi Station twice a day at 7:35 and 13:45 and take just over 3 hours to get there. On the weekend and holidays you can take a tourist train from Hua Lampong, tickets cost 75B and the train leaves at 6.30.

And the Lefootprints Awards go to: Best and Worse of everything

So as my time in Asia recently came to an end and now I've decided I'll be throwing darts at other parts of the world map (Macchu Picchu is calling), it got me thinking about what I've enjoyed while I was there. What was it that kept me coming back year after year and also what didn't I enjoy about it? There was plenty of stuff that just wasn't worth flying 1000's of miles to see but what were they? So the awards for...

Highlights:

30,000 Tori Gate Shrine (Fushimi Inari Shrine) 

Take the winding trails of this beautiful shrine in Kyoto, Japan and you’ll be amazed by just how many tori gates line the paths of this place. I don’t know if there really are 30,000 of them but it feels like there are millions! Follow the paths up to the top of Inari Mountain and the picture perfect becomes atmospheric and eerily quiet.

Golden Pavilion (Kinkakuji)

This Buddhist temple in Kyoto, Japan has two floors completed covered in gold leaf. It’s beautiful and a must-see.

Shibamata Taishakuten Temple 

A lot of Japan doesn’t really feel like what it should but with a trip to this Tokyo temple you can be immediately transported to the real Japan. It’s made completely out of wood and features a traditional style garden and delicate carved decorations.

The Bamboo Train

The bamboo train in Battambang, Cambodia might look slow but it’s not. Have a go, it’s so much fun!

Chu Chi Tunnels  Fun and educational, you can experience these tiny 75-mile long tunnels in Saigon, Vietnam that were once a hiding place for the Vietnamese during the war. Bamboo rafting and elephant riding  Ever fantasied about being Indiana Jones? Well that’s what I felt like when I did this, just like I was in the movies! Touristy but none the less it’s an unforgettable experience.    Floating villages and markets They come in different styles and sizes from touristy markets to entire communities and some are better than others but they’re all an experience and no 2 are quite the same. The White Temple (Wat Rong Khun) It is rare I get amazed by a temple but this one in Chiang Rai, Thailand is exceptional. Considered blasphemous by many locals, the unconventional temple features all manner of things from illustrations of Spiderman to creepy hanging heads. It really is one of a kind and is highly recommended if you’re ever in Thailand.

Erawan National Park 

One of Thailand’s most popular attractions and it’s easy to see why. The seven tied waterfalls are spectacular and the best I’ve seen so far. There are also 5 caves consisting of interesting stalactites, stalagmites and limestone formations to explore as well.

Mount Merapi  Feel the force of nature with a visit to Indonesia’s most active volcano and witness the nothingness left by the eruption in 2010.  A reminder that human’s are powerless to stop mother nature. Truly an experience not to miss.    Kawah Ijen In Indonesia kawah means crater and if you do manage the 2,600 meters to the top of this one you’ll be rewarded by magnificent views of the world’s largest sulphuric lake. You’ll also get to witness what must be one of the hardest jobs in the world, sulphur mining in action.   Banaue Rice Terraces 2,000-3,000 years ago these rice terraces in The Philippines were carved from the land by the hands of the tribes’ people of Ifugao. Considered to be one of the most beautiful places in the world and the 8th wonder to, this really should be on your bucket list.     Angkor Wat Temple Complex  If I was asked to choose the best thing I’ve seen, hands down it would be the largest religious monument in the world, Angkor in Cambodia. This place is so vast and every which way you look there’s something of interest. If you only get to see one thing in Asia, make it this. Zhujiajiao Ancient Town About 2 hours drive from Shanghai, China lays Zhujiajiao, a picturesque water town a world away from ultra modern Shanghai. It’s considered by many to be too touristy but I really enjoyed my time here and consider it a highlight from my trip to China.   Miajima and Hiroshima Hiroshima doesn’t have a lot to do but what it does do it does well. It’s quiet, relaxing but also eerie and feels more like one huge graveyard rather than a city. Everywhere pays homage to the atomic bombing that took place on the 6th of august 1945 and all around there are tragic reminders of the lives that were shattered that day. 2 hours boat ride away is Miajima, in the list of the world’s top 5 beautiful places it really is an awesome sight, the famous floating tori gate is fantastic and the wild deer will you keep you entertained for hours. Make sure to stop by if you’re ever in Japan. All hype:

The Great Wall of China
They say it’s great but it’s just a wall and not a very tall one either, the views were pretty good and it did seem as if it went on forever but I was a little disappointed with the Mutianyu section of the wall.

Puerto Princesa Underground River
It may be the world’s largest one and the only nominee of Philippines to make it in the new 7 wonder list but it’s just a river under a mountain. It has a few interesting formations but you can see those kind of things in most caves, worth a look but only if you're in PP anyway. 

The Golden Triangle
More of The Mekong River, as if you hadn't seen enough of it already...

Food:
Favorite: Chinese
Least Favorite: Japanese
Best Dishes: Northern Thai Curry (Chiang Mai), rice soup (various), crepes (Harajuku)
Weirdest: Scorpion (Bejing), dog (Banlung) and balut (Manila)


Money:
Least expensive: Thailand
Most expensive: Japan
Most scams: Vietnam

Least scams: Japan 

Misc: 
Best skyline: Hong Kong
Worst skyline: Jakarta

Best music: Vietnam 

Worst music: Cambodia

Most beautiful places: Hong Kong, Banaue, Kuala Lumpur and Miajima

Favorite cities: Lopburi, Tokyo, Hoi An, Beijing, Yogyakarta, Jakarta, Manila, Hiroshima, Kanchanaburi and Battambang. 

So that was The Lefootprints Awards, I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed reliving some of my best moments. I’d love to hear about where you've been to so please leave a comment or subscribe and tell me all about your favourite and least favourite places, which place had your favourite munchies or even if you just think this post was a load of rubbish and Cambodia has the best music ever.

Penang: Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's ass-saving Kevin!

I didn't get arrested I got this fine instead!

Wow! It's been a while since I posted but you may have guessed I didn't get arrested, in fact the staff at immigration were all smiles and they were happy to accept my 1000 bath no questions asked. Long live Thailand ha ha!

Anyway, I don't know if it's due to lack of planning but every time I go to Malaysia I have problems and this time was no different. it's always somewhere that's just been transit for me and I always end up stuck in KL so this time I really wanted to see a different side to Malaysia. Now for some weird reason I'd seen some photos and thought Penang was going to be this quaint and quiet riverside town place.

Boy, was I wrong...

Instead I found myself in a massive city, which was part mainland and island! I guess I'd been looking at pictures of Georgetown all this time but that's just one part of Penang! I was tired and so grumpy when I arrived as it had taken me a good hour and a half longer than I thought it would of done to get to my booked accommodation. The traffic and rain was killer, I was running a day behind schedule and I'd forgotten to let anyone know that. Now I know websites like Hostelbookers and Hostelworld claim you'll be hit with charges for not contacting your accommodation if you need to cancel or change your booking but I've never seen it. However upon my arrival I noticed a note pinned on the door with my name on it.

Please help yourself to tea or coffee I will be back in 10 minutes.

Cheap plastic shutters instead of toilet doors...really?

I knew then, it wouldn't be that simple...

Unfortunately for me the manager had lost some business and sat up till midnight waiting for me to walk through the door. I'm feeling pretty guilty but then he tells me he'll have to charge me for the extra night and now I'm feeling pretty pissy but thanks to my grovelling skills he feels sorry for me and lets me off. I'd never stayed in a home stay before, I normally avoid them as cosy houses converted into hotels/guesthouses really don't do it for me but it turned out to be pretty cool. However, just as expected there was very little privacy. Everything was provided from soap to banana bread though but not sure I would stay in one again mind.





I can honestly say there have been very few times in my life I have been so scared I just wanted to go home and hug my mum like I did while in Penang. I'd seen posts online about people stumbling across old cemeteries and graveyards and getting awesome photos. I wouldn't go out of my way to find one but if I happened to come across one I would definitely venture inside to. So after I managed to miss the Komtar building twice (how? I don't know, it's a bloody obvious bus stop!) I do indeed stumble across a fantastic looking cemetery so I ring that bell and stop the bus. Turns out this was a christian cemetery that was built in the 1700's and it was as cool as it had looked from the passing bus, creepy and like something from a scary movie. So I'm in there having so much fun, getting snappy with my camera and thinking how awesome I am for coming across this gem and then it happens...

I see that stupid doorway, I almost miss it and I wish I had done. It's the entrance to the catholic section of the cemetery and the beginning of a very stressful day for me. Everything is going well, I'm happily taking photos still and trying to be as respectful as I can by avoiding stamping on graves but it's almost impossible there's so much foliage. When suddenly I feel my arms tingling and when I look down I see what remind me  of miniature soldiers, my arms are covered in rows of mosquitoes! My skin crawls but this is too cool to just walk away so I ignore the burning on my arms and keep taking photos. However, by the time I do leave my arms are killing me and all I can think about is tigar balm!  I don't manage to find any tiger balm but the pharmacy I come across do have a cream for only 12.90. I'm annoyed but cough up the ringits, my arms are bright red and feel like they're on fire now!

Now the killer itch has subsided, I'm starting to worry about getting malaria and dengue. Having no travel
insurance and only a shoe string budget doesn't help matters, if I do get sick I am in serious trouble, big big trouble...I'll die! I try to calm down and get on with my day but really start panicking when I meet 2 local guys who are curious about my lumpy lobster coloured arm and tell me that "it's the black and white ones that make you ill" and oh the joy, those were the ones that bit me! It's going to be all ok though as one of them knows there's a clinic nearby where I can go to get medicine, it will only cost 1-2 RM and it's oh so important or else I will get sick. So off we go but we get lost several times on the way and after we do finally find it I spend the next few minutes being scared stiff by a doctor who basically says there is nothing you can do but wait and see if you'll get sick but he can prescribe cream in the meantime. URRGGG cream, I just brought cream so it's a no thanks, well you'll have to pay 35 RM regardless if you take the cream or not! Again, what a waste of money! I'm now in a foul mood and about 2 hours behind schedule so the man's attempts to touch me up as we cross a road later don't go down too well. Luckily for me the streets of Georgetown are nothing short of brilliant and there's something to see down every corner from fantastic artwork to charming old buildings. It is truly a pleasure to spend a day walking in these streets.

I get back in the evening to discover my phone is missing but I'm beginning to panic again and far too tired to look for it but I can't sleep either and spend most of the night tossing and turning and researching dengue mosquitoes. I can't find it in the morning either so I head to reception assuming the worse. Lady luck is rarely on your side in these situations but she must have been watching over me while I was in Penang as some brilliant person had handed it in! I never did get sick either but I learnt the value of travel insurance, I'll not travel long term without it again.

At the snake temple

I met Kevin through one of those random face book encounters and it just happened that he was living in Ipoh about 2 hours from Penang. Thank goodness for the randomness because without him I wouldn't of seen half of what I did while I was there. He liked to call it saving my ass and remind me of this numerous times we were together. I'd seen a night tour advertised in a magazine at the war museum that would have been IMPOSSIBLE to get to and a complete waste of time without the help of Kevin and his awesome jeep (really wish I had a photo). I couldn't have afforded the taxi fare and it could have possibly been quite dangerous to as there wasn't much in this part of town, it was closed and pitch black when we arrived and I may just have been eaten by the barking dog who greeted us at the entrance. As we were driving back Kevin asked me to check how old the magazine was...January 2011 of course.  We also went to check out the snake temple and the jewellery making tour, which would have been IMPOSSIBLE without Kevin and complete wastes of time as the snake temple is nothing more than a typical temple, it's tiny and features a few vipers doing sod all cos they're nocturnal. Believe what people say, it is that bad and do not go here if you don't have your own transport. The jewellery tour is by far the BIGGEST tourist trap I have ever come across and I'm so glad I didn't take a bus or taxi out to see this and I don't advise anyone else to do so either unless of course you want to buy jewellery. You'll be given an explanation of how they put gold into molds and then you'll be shown into a show room...wonderful. Somehow Kevin managed to get me a 8 RM tram ticket up to Penang Hill also, something that would have been IMPOSSIBLE on my own as foreigners usually pay 35 RM! but thanks to Kevin's ID and a shift change I was able to get the local price. I hate to admit it but I think Kevin's right he did save my arse, I got to see everything I wanted to and it would have been IMPOSSIBLE without him.