Manila Philippines!

So I stopped over in Manila Philippines to visit some friends I met in Taiwan! It was a nice relaxing week filled with old city charm and laughter. But getting out of Jakarta was TERRRRRIBLE!

SO I get to the airport in jakarta for my flight and there are these 9 American highschool boys infront of me who are more interested in playing stupid games than actually checking themselves in....it took 50 minutes! 50 MINUTES! to get them checked in.....so I only had about 30 minutes left until boarding....so Its me next I hand over my passport and put my luggage on.....and then the check-in clerk asks "Do you have a visa or on-ward travel plans out of Philippines?"...I reply " No, I don't need a visa I get a free tourist stamp, and I havent booked my ticket home yet, Im staying for for 2 months"....his reply "You may not get on this flight without one or the other of those things please step out of line"....me "WTF ARE YOU JOKING ME?!?!?!?!?" I only have 25 minutes now!! So I ask where there is internet to book myself a flight home to Canada - which is about 1KM away....so I put my ;luggage behind their counter and RUNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN to the hotel that has internet! I am in no shape to be doing this! I Get there and their internet is closed, so i VERY quickly explain my situation and they let me on - but my visa doesnt work when swiped so I had to run out and get money from an ATM first then come back and pay them I got on and the internet was sooo slowww....I was almost in tears I was so panicked!!! But I finally booked a ticket home off Expedia, printed it, and RANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN that 1KM back to the desk with only 5 minutes to spare and they GLANCE, like SLIGHT SLIGHT SLIGHT GLANCE, at my ticket, and say ok have a good flight. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!??!?!??! And when I arrived in Philippines they NEVERRRRRRR checked or asked for anything!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOW. Hating Jakarta and CEBU airlines for scaring me almost outta my flight!!!! but I arrived PHEW!!

So its 5:30Am, I get off my flight....and nobody is around....hmm??? haha So I find a bistro and try to talk to everybody online but nobody is online cause its 5:30am....so I call Gabe, who is the only one whos number I actually have, but he is in the South oh Philippines in Davao, but he works his magic for me and everybody sorts it out and I meet them on their University campus, De La Salle, which is near the Airport. Woot. And my week was happily ever after. I stayed with an AIESECer in his HUGE mansion of a house in a gated community and just relaxed. Francis took me to Intramurous which is the old walled city and we saw beautiful churches, and I met lots of AIESECers and just hung around Manila :)

Now I flew to Davao and life is good. I am in a hostel for a few days before moving into an apartment with other Interns! Just exploring Davao City. :)