First Impressions: Philippines

Listen, sometimes things don't go as planned. If you remember, our first Airbnb in Sri Lanka didn't work out, and now here I am again reporting that our planned month on the tiny island of Cabilao in the Philippines got turned on its head, and in just 24 hours we moved to not only a new Airbnb, but an entirely different island!

Views from our first house - not so bad!

I won't lie, having a fairytale-Moana-esque boat take us across the most crystaline waters I'd ever seen in my life to a beautiful house on stilts on a basically private island sounded good - it really did. It wasn't until we arrived and faced problem after problem - unusable internet, the house being totally dirty, and some problems with the water - did we decide that our fairytale wasn't turning out how we had imagined. The food turned out to be the biggest problem. To get any real groceries, we'd have to leave the island, hire a car, and drive at least 30 minutes to the nearest grocery store! With everything piling up, we decided we needed to leave. Luckily, we had a very understanding Airbnb host, and we found a place we could move into the very next day on an island called Panglao - the island that we had flown into! So after that whirlwind of a beginning (and inevitably getting sick), I think I can now officially give my "first impressions" of the Philippines.

I've been playing a fun game since we left Cali called "Zero to Hawaii," where we rate everywhere we go on that exact scale, but 10, being Hawaii, has to also be as cost effective as possible. Basically, I want to live in Hawaii but can't afford it. Who can?!? Sri Lanka was ranked at about a 7, and Thailand at a 6. I can already tell you that the Philippines is winning this game at a whopping 8!

The island vibes here are just off the charts. Everywhere you look, everything is super green! To be fair, this might be because we've had some pretty rough weather - it's rained every single day since we got here! But this has made everything look super mystical and very Jurrassic Park. After the extreme heat of Laem Ngop, I'm loving the cooler weather here.

Like Thailand, this island seems to be pretty spread out. The good news is that it's a small island in general, but because we booked so last minute (and because beachfront properties are always pricy), we ended up sort of right in the middle of the island. Because of this, you really need to have your own transportation. There are tuktuks, but they're way too expensive to use consistently. Cue the most terrifying learning experience of my life: renting a scooter.

If I told you that I used to hate motorcycles, that wouldn't be a strong enough statement. I was so ANTI motorcycle, that it's actually insane that I learned to drive one in right around 40 minutes. I don't want to toot my own horn, but I am very proud. Having scooters, though expensive, has really opened up the island for us, and we have easy access to beautiful beaches!

In terms of the ocean, the Philippines is really winning so far! This water is absolutely unbelievably clear, and it's so easy to find really beautiful underwater life super close to shore! I'd never seen starfish in my life until I came here! At the most famous beach, Alona Beach, you'd have to work hard not to see a starfish! I won't lie, I have a hard time not freaking out each time - they're just so cute!

Now, the negative...I've only been here a week, so maybe it's too soon to really judge, but this blog post is called "first impressions," so here we go. I am not a fan of Filipino food. It's a lot of pork, and that's just not a very reliable meat. Sure, sometimes it can be bacon, but sometimes it can be Colombian chicharron. If you know, you know. I've really steered clear of a lot of the local food, and it really makes me miss all of the vegetarian options from Sri Lanka. Andrés, on the other hand, has no fear, and he recently ate a "fish cake" at a roadside stand. Said "fish cake" was a bunch of tiny sardines fried together. I could see all of their little eyes staring at me as he ate them!

Luckily, Panglao has some international restaurants as well, and my current favorite place to eat is a little vegan spot 20 minutes walk from our house. They have a pretty extensive menu, and they also rescue animals and let them wander around the restaurant to play with you! All the animals are up for adoption, and eating all day breakfast is way better when you have a kitten sitting on your lap.

It's so fun that each of the countries we've been to has been so different! All three of us have learned and loved things from each of these countries, and I can't wait to explore more of Panglao!