OUR NEW FRIENDS ARE TOFFY, MARK, REENA, NICKI, ALEX AND KATE

WE ARE ON THE ISLAND OF PALAWAN PHILLIPINES, in EL NIDO.

we were really lucky and we met some amazing young people at the airport here. there are 6 of them and we were able to share a 41/2 hour ride from PUERTO PRINCESSA to here. the bus takes about 9 hours and the road is really rough, undescibible really. large unpaved sandy clay section, glad i wasnt driving!

when we got here at 230 am. we were informed that there were no rooms available so we slept on the beach at a families place, not much sleep as we were up by 7 am! we got a hotel, we signed inot the same one as our new friends and then we went out on a boat to explore this wonderful place that is raved about in the lonely planet! ok, so they said it was great norkeling, but i have yet to find that...after 2 days out there. too much dynomite fishing and the coral has not recovered. the islands are amazing though and th rock formations are beyond compare. we had a great time on both days.

trenyn is working at mastering climbing coconut palms and a few people tried it including ome of our boat guys and be cut a top branch. from this he made birds and fish and out boat capitain made a wonderful hat! i decided that it is the 'sexy' hat and whoever wears it is automaticly sexy. the pictures tell the rest!

this group of 20 somethings has been so great to hang out with! they all speak enlish reallyt well and a few have done some travelling. trenyn has enjoyoyed wearing them out and they have enjoyed him too.

OUR LAST DAY ON BORACAY WAS SPENT WANDERRING THE BEACH AND IN STARBUCKS!!

STARBUCKS HAS A ROOFTOP PATIO AND AS I WAS SERIOUSLY SUFFERING FROM SOY CHAI WITHDRAWLS.....I HAD 2! BUT I ALSO RAMDONLY WON A COUPON FOR A FREE ONE (WHICH I GAVE AWAY TO SOME SWEET YOUNG MEN ON THE BEACH). THE YOUNG WOMEN WHO WERE WORKING AT STARBUCKS WERE SO NICE, THEY GOT OUR ORDERS RIGHT AND THEY REMEMBERED MY NAME. IT WAS A LOVELY EXPERIENCE. TRENYN BOUGHT POI AND WAS PRACTICING WITH AUDIENCE ALOT, THEN HE TRIED AND WAS QUITE GOOD AT SKIM BOARDING. IT WAS A LOVELY DAY AND TOMORROW WE TRAVEL TO PALAWAN!

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ONE MORE DAY IN BORACAY THEN OFF AGAIN!

WE HAVE ENJOYED OURSELVES HERE AND HAVE REALLY GLORIED IN THE TOURIST-NESS OF THIS PLACE, TODAY I EVEN DISCOVERED A STARBUCKS! WE HAVE EATEN INDIAN FOOD AND PIZZA AND MEXICAN. THERE ARE GOOD SALADS, THINGS THAT WERE SADLY LACKING IN BORNEO. SO THIS HAS BEEN A VERY NICE STOP, BUT ALSO QUITE EXPENSIVE COMPARED TO THE REST OF OUR ISLANDS! FOOD COST THE SAME AS HOME I THINK, WE ARENT USED TO THAT, BUT SUCH A TREAT. AND MOST PEOPLE SPEAK ENGLISH AND THERE ARE CHEAP MASSAGES ON THE BEACH. AND THE BEACHES ARE SO CLEAN, BARELY ANY GARBAGE. I REMEMBER SNORKELING ON THE GILI ISLANDS AND LITERALLY HAVING TO WADE THROUGH THE FLOATING GARBAGE BEFORE I GOT TO THE CORAL, IT IS ALWAYS SUPRISING WHEN YOU ARE PEACEFULLY SNORKELING AWAY AND A PLASTIC BAG CATCHES ON YOUR ARM OR BACK. IT FEELS LIKE A SCARY WATER ANIMAL (THE AMOUT OF PLASTIC BAGS IS DEFINATLY SCARY, WE SAY NO TO PLASTIC ALL THE TIME NOW AND THE SHOP OWNERS THINK WE ARE CRAZY!). BUT NO SCARY PLASTIC HERE, AND EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE QUITE A FEW PEOPLE HERE AND YOU HAVE TO SAY NO THANK YOU ALOT WHEN YOU ARE WALKING (MASSAGE-SUNGLASSES-ICECREAM-BREAKFAST-LUNCH-DINNER-SNORKELING-BOATING AND ON AND ON...) IT DOESNT FEEL OVERLY CROWDED. IT IS JUST A DIRT PATH BETWEEN THE BEACH AND THE SHOPS THAT YOU WALK ALONG, NO CARS OR MOTORBIKES. AND THE TOURIST ARE ALL SO HAPPY, I ENJOY WATCHING THEM WITH THEIR HAPPY LITTLE CAMERAS! THE KIDS ARE VERY HAPPY TOO. THERE ARE SOME THAT BEG BUT I SAY 'NO, GO TO SCHOOL'. THEY SAY 'CHANGE?' AND 'I SAY CHANGE WILL COME WHEN YOU GO TO SCHOOL'. I KNOW THEY DONT UNDERSTAND ME BUT I FEEL BETTER HAVING PUT IT OUT THERE.

BORACY IS A BEAUTIFUL ISLA. madonna was right!

WE ARE ENJOYING OURSELF HERE ON BORACAY, IT IS WHITE SAND BEACHES AND WARM WATER. LOTS OF A VARIETY OF FOOD AND QUITE A FEW TOURISTS, ALTHOUGH THE TOUTS SEEM TO OUTNUMBER US ANYWAYS. WE SPENT 3 NIGHTS IN CEBU, NOT REALLY LEAVING THE HOTEL, WE WERE WORN OUT! NOW WE ARE RESTED AND TRENYN IS PLAYING WITH THE LOCAL KIDS ON THE BEACH WHERE THEY HAVE SLIME FIGHTS! WE WILL BE LEAVING ON THE 20TH FOR A FEW DAYS ON PALAWAN ISLAND...AHH WHAT A LIFE!

WE HAD A GREAT TIME ON THE ISLAND

THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST AMAZING PLACES THAT I HAVE BEEN. THE WATER THAT YOU CAN SEE ABOVE HAS DOZENS OF GIANT SEA TURTLES, WE SAW ONE AS LONG AS TRENYN! HIM AND I WERE SNORKELING AND WE JUST FOATED AND WATCHED IT EAT. IT DIDNT CARE, SO COOL. YESTERDAY I PLAYED TURTLE TAF WHEN I SNORKELED THERE, I WOULD WATCH A TURTLE TILL I SPOTTED A DIFFERENT ONE, THEN I WOULD SWITCH, I DID THIS MANY TIMES. THEY HAVE THE GREATEST FACES.

TRENYN MET MANY OF THE LOCAL KIDS, NONE OF THEM HAVE ANY ENGLISH BUT HE WAS ABLE TO FIND OUT HOW TO PLAY THE CARD GAMES THAT THEY PLAY AND HE PURCHACED CARDS FROM A LOCAL MAN.

THERE IS NO ELECRTICITY HERE BETWEEN DAWN AND DUSK SO THE PEOPLE ARE OUTSIDE ALOT AND THE CHILDREN ARE ALWAYS PLAYING ON THE SANDY ROADS, I DID NOT SEE ANY CARS HERE AND VERY FEW MOTOR BIKES, PEOPLE WALK, IT IS VERY SMALL, ABOUT 250 HOUSES IN TOTAL.

WE ARE IN TARAKAN TODAY AND WIL SPEND 2 NIGHTS HERE BEFORE HEADING BACK TO MALAYSIA AND MORE SNORKELING!

WE SPENT 4 NIGHTS ON A LITTLE ISLAND "DERAWAN". WITH GIANT TURTLES TO SWIM WITH & SANDY ROADS & FRIENDLY LOCALS