Hi All,
Having travelled on buses and planes for 48 hours, we arrived in Cebu city in the Philippines. We couldn’t wait to get into our budget hotel to catch up on some well earned sleep but as it was only 6am, we had to kill some time until 1pm check in. What better way to make use of our time than to feast on the local delicacy of lechon - spit roasted pork marinated with soy, vinegar, lemongrass and lots of herbs and spices.... delicious! When we arrived back at the hotel, we received some terrible news regarding the health of Ross’ grandmother. In light of this, we have decided to make some changes to our original plans and return home a couple of weeks sooner than originally planned. We made the decision not to return immediately as we know it’s not what Grandma would have wanted and wouldn’t have changed anything back home.
Determined now more than ever to make the most of our time left, the following morning we caught a 4 hour bus to Moalboal, a diving hotspot with some great natural landscapes nearby. We didn’t have the time to dive but instead snorkelled 30 metres off shore where we became surrounded by millions of sardines. It was fun swimming down amongst them with them and watching as they darted away in mass synchrony, shimmering silver in the fading light.
Ross hasn't stopped banging on about renting another ‘proper’ motorbike (manual... not a moped!) so Danielle finally gave in to the idea with the promise of a day of sightseeing. Having scoped out a suitable dirt bike that evening and reacquainting himself with a clutch, we got up early the next morning to make the most of the day. We set off to a waterfall 50km away. The road was pretty smooth... Danielle was adamant a moped would have been fine! We winded along the coastal road passing palm trees and clear blue waters. An hour later we parked up, rented some water shoes and met our mandatory guides. Normally we’d prefer to explore for ourselves but they insisted, owing to some recent ‘accidents’! Walking down to the first level (there were 8 in total) we were really disappointed as it’s the end of dry season here so all that remained was a small stream. Our guides told us not to worry and that there was still plenty to see higher up. We walked across slippery rocks in knee deep water and saw the first falls. The beautiful, blue water cascaded over the glistening limestone rock. The first section involved climbing up a steep rock face using a rope. We then continued up the levels, stopping for photos and jumping into deeper pools; we even climbed into a cave under one of the falls which was pretty cool. At the top level, we found ourselves sat in a natural infinity pool and bubbling ‘jacuzzi’! Our guides were actually a real asset; they helped us to find hand holds and got us to pose for some great photos.
Our plan for the afternoon was to head inland to Osmena Peak, the highest point on Cebu Island. The roads up to the mountain were somewhat more rustic then the coastal road so Danielle had to agree that a scooter would have made for an uncomfortable ride! We were just 5km away and the heavens opened. With shear cliffs and so much water following down the road, Ross pulled in to the first building we saw. We jumped off and ran inside to get out the thunderstorm. Soaked through, we had stumbled across a billiards youth club. It had two shabby tables each surrounded by ten or so local boys. Immediately they all smiled and came over with chairs for us. There was a table for younger boys practising their shots and one for the older ones who were playing for money! Ross watched for a few minutes before being handed a cue and was promptly thrashed by the locals. After 40 minutes the rain had subsided and although it was still very overcast we continued undeterred to the trail head. We walked up and sure enough there wasn’t much to see, just the cliffs of the next hill and thick clouds. We did still feel a sense of achievement having made it to the top even if the view was a little disappointing. We drove back, Ross loving every second of the two hour drive on twisty mountain roads.
Having returned the bike, we caught the evening bus back to Cebu city ready for our flight the following morning. Somehow we slept through our alarms, waking at 4am for a flight that took off at 5:15! Panicking we grabbed our stuff and leapt into a taxi. We ran through the airport apologising frantically to all the people we pushed past. After what felt like an age, we made it to the check in desk. The attendant saw our flight, looked at his watch and made a phone call. Thinking it was too late our hearts sank. Then he asked for our passports and printed boarding passes, we couldn’t believe our luck! Thinking we were then in the clear, we handed over our bags for check in. He said he was sorry but there was only a 10 kg allowance per person which meant that we had to loose 5kg in a matter of minutes if we wanted our bags (and us) to get on the plane. Danielle pulled out a selection of heavy clothing to fill a shoulder bag. Meanwhile, Ross attached a snorkel and tripod to his carry on and layered up with a shirt and jacket! Looking ridiculous we finally got to the gate just as they called out our names on the tannoy.... Phew! We think this even tops the train we nearly missed in Varanasi India when we got the wrong date!
Next stop Coron for a 6 day scuba diving trip as a finale to this incredible 9 month adventure. All our love and hugs to everyone at home, we seriously can’t wait to see you!
Love R & D xxx
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