Saturday 15th Dec 2018 - Road to Manila

Got up just after 10am today and got ourselves packed and organised. Booked out of hotel and got a lift to the bus terminal from one of the motorbike/side car rides. A picture will follow in another post as I forgot to take a picture. Thank goodness for mobile phones as explaining where we're heading makes it so much easier showing it on a map. Got directed to the correct bus and off we headed. 2 hrs to Manila. Roads were fine, no pot holes as in other countries but traffic is mayhem. Worse than anything we've seen. Even just to cross the road, they'd run over you!! We got dropped off about 30 mins from our hostel so we headed for food first - McDonald's!! Tasted just the same as back home and half the price. Everything very cheap but I'm Definately not eating from street vendors after Jack's food poisoning last year. Before we left Scotland, I had downloaded an app called "Grab" which basically you put in your destination and a cab comes and picks you up and takes you where you want to go. Price is set before you confirm and again very cheap so we used this for the first time today, and got dropped at front door of Our hostel. Not the nicest of areas. We're in downtown manila and since coming to the Philippines, we've not seen one westerner! That will change next week as I don't think alot of people come in via Clark. Hostel is only £17 for the 2 of us for 2 nights, so u can imagine but has good reviews and they are all so friendly. Had a quick change then headed out and walked for most of the afternoon. It is very poor here and the area we are in is dirty and over populated. Made it back for a half hour sleep about 6pm then back out for food. We booked a grab taxi once again and headed to Pizza Hut! Had a drink in a local karaoke bar and then taxi back to hostel. Just having a beer outside just now while updating blog but about to head to bed. Not sure how much sleep we'll get as it's a 6 bed mixed dorm we are in. In hindsight we would prefer to have been moving tomorrow but we have another day and night here which might just be a relaxing day. Weather still very warm and we managed to find out that we don't need to do a travel visa extension. We can just pay on departure from the philipines at the airport. You can see from some pictures the dirty streets and the poor kitten that hangs around hostel. Don't think I'll manage it in my suitcase.