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Dirty Kitchens: A Filipino's Multi-Purpose Paradise

A dirty kitchen is so common in the Philippines, you can pretty much argue that a Filipino household isn't complete without one. Although they're mostly found in the provinces (the countryside), it's still an essential for your typical city-dwelling families.

Dirty Kitchens: A Filipino’s Multi-Purpose Paradise
by Ewemiz C. Insigne

Imagine hearing a friend or colleague proudly proclaim "I love dirty kitchens! I even have my own!"

Before you immediately go all out in lecturing them about the importance of hygiene and cleaning routines, take a moment to ask them if they're Filipino (or Kuwaiti, Buhraini, or West-Asian) — because if they say yes, chances are that their "dirty kitchen" isn't literally a dirty kitchen — instead, it's a smaller and messier kitchen, usually built outside the main house, and is considered an extension of the ever-tiny Filipino houses. It's where all the dirty work comes into play: mass cooking (when there's a fiesta in your barangay or if your relatives from the U. S. are coming to visit), broiling some meat or barbecue, washing tons of pots and pans; heck — even laundry! It's the be-all-end-all of multi-purpose rooms.

A dirty kitchen is so common in the Philippines, you can pretty much argue that a Filipino household isn't complete without one. Although they're mostly found in the provinces (the countryside), it's still an essential for your typical city-dwelling families. You'll find your Filipina mom in here about 80% of the time, cooking and cleaning and cooking some more. Your dad will come briefly to store some of his tools as a cousin of yours rummages through the Balikbayan boxes to look for her old toy bear from when she was three. Almost always, you’ll find Filipinos with some close memory associated with their dirty kitchen: whether it be cooking some chicken adobo with their parents or cutting their anak’s hair.

Photos of dirty kitchens; often comprised with a sink and a lot of clutter. Top photo credit: Kirsten Dianne Delmo; bottom photo credit: Ewemiz Insigne.

COOKING IN THE DIRTY KITCHEN

It's a pretty hot place in the Philippines, and it's not exactly pleasant to have smoke everywhere inside your house when it's as humid and warm as it is. This is one of the primary reasons why people prefer to cook things that often produces a lot of smoke, or broil in the dirty kitchen. A lot of Filipino houses (specifically those that aren’t well-off) aren’t ventilated properly, and more often than not, the house is just going to be filled with, if any, one or two small air-conditioners hidden away in rooms while the rest of the house is plagued with small and large electric fans. Because of this, the vapor and smoke coming from cooking inside can sometimes stick around longer than it should. In order to avoid all of those problems, Filipinos just cook outside where the fumes don’t have to stick around anywhere.

CLEANING THE DIRTY KITCHEN

There's also the notion of cleaning: while a dirty kitchen should be relatively clean, it’s normally a lot dirtier in comparison with the main kitchen, so having stains on the sink and a mess of a cabinet is pretty forgivable. There's no pressure on having to keep it spotless, since it's usually a "backstage" of sorts, often accessed by those who need to cook or wash dishes. Clutter is often just piled up in organized stacks: there’s a pile of old balikbayan boxes that hold toys from years past; a few shoe racks of old shoes that are too worn out to be recognized; maybe old books whose pages are torn and inks too faded to be read. This is where a lot of Filipinos often just dump things either too sentimental or too broken to be given away.

LAUNDRY IN THE DIRTY KITCHEN

Another big problem about Filipino households is that their houses or properties are small. There’s no expansive backyard or front yard to hang out all our laundry clothes; heck, you’ll probably find some households hang their laundries on the rails of their windows, sometimes inside the house. There’s not enough space inside for a laundry room; a lot of houses and apartments have to make do with the space they have, which is why you’ll often see a washing machine or a bunch of labadors or palanggana stacked at the side somewhere in the dirty kitchen. This is also where you’ll find the laundry wires, where everything is left to dry: towels, baby clothes, polos, etc. That being said, a dirty kitchen is basically an essential to a Filipino household, and a nice addition if you really want to make do with what small space you have. There are tons of things you can do in the extension, and really, it’s up to you and your family to make the most out of it. Be it playing outside with your anak, washing the dishes with ‘inay or ‘tay, or barbecuing something for your kaibigan at kapamilya, beautiful memories can be made in the humblest of places when you’re with beautiful people.

 Glossary of Filipino Terms
(in order of first appearance within the article)

Barangay – officially considered the smallest local government of the Philippines; can also be considered as a ‘village’ or ‘neighborhood.’

Balikbayan boxes – literal translation: “boxes that return to the country”; these boxes are often one of the most looked-forward to of any event in a Filipino’s life when they have a close relative (usually a tita, or aunt) that brings a box full of stuff (books, clothes, food, etc. ) from where they work/live, which is usually either in the Middle East or the U.S.

Anak – child.

Chicken adobo - the national food of the Filipinos, truly iconic to the Filipino cuisine.

Labadors/palangganas - basins, can be either big or small; usually used to wash clothes.

Inay/Tay - shortened forms of Nanay and Tatay; Mother and Father.

Kaibigan at kapamilya - friends and family.

# # #

Dirty Kitchens: A Filipino’s Multi-Purpose Paradise
by Ewemiz C. Insigne

Imagine narinig mo sa kaibigan mo o colleague na nagsabing,: “I love dirty kitchens! I even have one!”

Bago mo silang lecturan ng hygiene at cleaning routines, tanungin mo muna sila kung sila ba ay Filipino, (o Kuwaiti, Buhraini, o West-Asian) – because if they say yes, chances are ang “dirty kitchen” nila ay di literal na dirty kitchen. Instead, ito ay maliit at maraming kalat na kusina. Nakatayo ito sa labas ng main house at isang extension na maliit na bahay ng mga Filipino. Dito ginaganap ang karamihan na gawain sa kusina, tulad ng mass cooking (kung may fiesta sa barangay), broiling some meat or barbecue, paghugas ng malalaking pots and pans – kahit sa paglalaba! It’s the be-all-end-all of multi-purpose rooms.

Ang dirty kitchen ay common sa Pilipinas. You can pretty much argue that a Filipino household ay hindi kumpleto kung wala ito. Although makikita ito mostly sa mga provinces, it is an essential for your typical city-dwelling families din. A typical Filipina mom ay makikita mo palagi sa dirty kitchen, about 80% of her time is spent sa pagluluto, paglilinis at pagluluto ulit. Itinatago ni tatay ang kanyang mga tools dito, kasama ng mga balikbayan boxes kung saan ang laman ay mga old toys ng cousin mo from when she was three. Almost always, you’ll find Filipinos na ma associate nila ang kanilang memories sa kanilang dirty kitchen: whether nagluluto ng chicken adobo, o nagputol ng buhok.

Mga larawan ng maruming kusina; madalas na binubuo ng isang lababo at maraming kalat. Nangungunang kredito sa larawan: Kirsten Dianne Delmo; credit sa ilalim ng larawan: Ewemiz Insigne.

COOKING IN THE DIRTY KITCHEN

Mainit sa Pilipinas, and it’s not exactly pleasant to have smoke everywhere sa loob ng bahay mo when it’s as humid and warm as it is. Ito ang isang rason kung bakit ang Filipinos prefer na magluto sa dirty kitchen kung maraming smoke, o nag-iihaw. Karamihan ng mga bahay (lalo na yung mga di naman masyado mayaman) are not ventilated properly, and more often than not, ang bahay ay may, kung meron man, isa o dalawang air conditioners lang, at ang ibang rooms ay may malaking electric fan. Dahil dito, and vapor at smoke na nagmumula sa pagluluto can stick around longer than it should. Para maka-avoid ng problemang ito, Filipinos just cook sa labas, where the fumes don’t have to stick around anywhere.

CLEANING IN THE DIRTY KITCHEN

Nandiyan rin yung notion sa paglilinis. While ang dirty kitchen should be relatively malinis, it’s normally a lot messier in comparison with the main kitchen, kahit magkaroon ng stains sa sink o mess sa cabinet ay okay lang. Walang pressure to keep it spotless, since nasa likod naman ito ng bahay, parang “backstage,” often accessed by those na magluluto o maghuhugas ng pinggan. Clutter is often just piled up in organized stacks: nandiyan yung mga balikbayan boxes na may laman ng toys from years’ past; mga shoeracks of old shoes; at mga lumang libro. Dito tinatago ng mga Pilipino ang mga bagay na may sentimental value sa kanila, o mga patapon.

LAUNDRY IN THE DIRTY KTICHEN

Isa pang problema about Filipino households ay ang maliliit na bahay at properties. Walang malawak na backyard or front yard para ma-isampay ang nilabhan na damit; heck, you’ll probably find some households hang their laundries sa kanilang mga bintana, minsan sa loob ng bahay. Walang space para sa laundry room; a lot of houses and apartments have to make do with the space they have, kaya makikita mo ang washing machine o a bunch of labadors o palanggana sa loob ng dirty kitchen. Makikita mo rin ang laundtry wires para ma dry ang mga towels, baby clothes, polos, etc.

That being said, ang dirty kitchen ay essential to a Filipino household, and a nice addition if you really want to make do with the small space you have. Marami kayong magagawa sa extension place ninyo, and really, it’s up to you and your family kung ano pa ang mga ito. Maaring gawin ang paglalaro with your anak, paghuhugas ng pinggan kasama si ‘inay o ‘tay, o mag-barbecue kasama ang mga kaibigan at kapamilya; beautiful memories can be made in the humblest of places when you’re with beautiful people.

# # #

Paradise Kitchen Is A Dirty Kitchen

Something you will learn when you are in the Philippines is that a number of English words take on a completely different meaning here. Most Filipinas desire a dirty kitchen! No, it isn't a roach and rat infested kitchen with grease splatters on the walls and a pile of dirty dishes in a clogged sink. A dirty kitchen is simply an outside kitchen, not located inside the main house. The dirty kitchen has been part of the Filipino Culture for hundreds of years and everyone who owns one is proud of it! “We have a dirty kitchen,” is proudly proclaimed!

A dirty kitchen is much more common in the province, aka the countryside, however, many modern homes in towns and cities have one. Townhouse and condo dwellers cannot have a dirty kitchen but they are found in many houses located in subdivisions. The dirty kitchen is the pride and joy of every homemaker and they make it nicely as can be afforded.

Dirty Kitchen Advantages

Anyone who has ever cooked a meal knows that cooking food leaves odors in the house. Some of the odors are actually pleasant but many odors are not so pleasant. Seafood is a staple in the vast majority of the Filipino homes and is cooked daily. With a dirty kitchen, the odors of cooking and preparing food remain outside the main house!

When we bought our home in Bacolod City in 2011, it was about 90% completed and there wasn't a dirty kitchen. One of the first things my wife wanted to add to our new home before it was totally complete was a dirty kitchen! Inside our dirty kitchen is a LP gas burner, a large sink with underneath storage space for cooking utensils, counter space, a 4 tier rack for further storage and for placing newly washed dishes for drying, a full length wooden cabinet for storing spices, flatware and dishware, 5 gallon jugs of purified drinking water, wall shelves, a rice storage bin, aka rice dispenser, and an electric fan. One of the more important items found in a dirty kitchen is an electric rice cooker! It is used daily. The dirty kitchen is actually a space saver and frees up the home living area for better utilization.

In the Philippines, where there is food, there will soon be ants! Having a dirty kitchen keeps down the ant population inside the main house.

The Philippines is already hot everyday, so cooking outside the house does not increase the heat level inside the family home.

A Gathering Spot

Filipinos love preparing food and they love to eat. Who doesn't? The dirty kitchen is also a gathering spot when friends and relatives drop by. Preparing food and talking about what's happening or what's going on is a favorite pastime among many. Tismis is often the term used for this type of talking, which is what Americans may term as gossiping! Filipinos do not have a monopoly on tismis, as expats also tend to gossip at expat gatherings. Not so much in a malicious manner but just talking! Hello?

Sharing about that new brand of wok, the sharp cutlery, non-stick skillets, clear glass pots, the waffle iron, the bread toaster, the sandwich press, and other kitchen gadgets are always interesting conversations.

There is nothing wrong with having a few cold ones while gathering in the dirty kitchen! In my opinion, a home is not complete in the Philippines without a dirty kitchen, if it is possible for you to have one. If you are living in your own house, a dirty kitchen can be added without spending an arm and a leg. We spent only P20,000 to have our dirty kitchen built but we already had 3 walls to work with, which were already constructed. If you can't stand the heat, get a dirty kitchen!

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CHICKS FROM THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS: lovigin — LiveJournal

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Today we have on the agenda the glorious state of the Philippines, because Yagoda-Manila beckoned us to visit you in the summer. In this review, there are three components - this is Manila, the city of debauchery Angeles and the island of debauchery, but with a beach - Boracay. Thus, in 40 photographic pictures you will see three components of the country: a garbage dump, developed prostitution and beautiful beaches that hold a worthy rebuff so as not to slide into the first and second components. nine0017 The group "Krovostok" has a wonderful song that starts like this:

Night. I sleep soundly. Phone.
Khuyase surprise - Shurik is on the wire.
Shurik is one of those types who, according to the mind
, should have been a blind man for a long time.
Shura says he's calling
From the Philippines, gone to cal...
communication interference, but in Shura's voice
I hear an unchildlike intensity.
Shura reports that he found
his love and stays there,
therefore he forgives those who owe him,
and asks to forgive those who owe him...


I would make it the anthem of the Philippines and calm down forever in the place of the local government....

VISA

We flew to the Philippines from a mysterious and boring place called the Sultanate of Brunei. In general, a visa to the Philippines is issued upon arrival, but at the Brunei check-in they were asked to show a ticket FROM the Philippines. And we didn't have it. We urgently needed to buy a ticket somewhere. The choice fell on Hong Kong, as the closest, and therefore the cheapest destination. They poured a handful of Brunei coins into the cashier, because the airline did not accept cards, and the nearest ATM was only in the city center. Such is it, one of the richest countries in Asia, Brunei. nine0018

MANILA

The taxi driver from the airport circled around the area for 40 minutes, could not find anything at all. Finally, with a sin in half, he found our hotel. There also dragged a couple of drunken foreigners in an embrace with the Filipinos.
"Yes... still a bastard!" - I thought and was not mistaken.

Manila turned out to be the most disgusting city that I liked. Although it was constantly overcast here, it stank from the sea, and in general the situation was extremely unpleasant for life. So most of the time everyone was asleep. I wanted, perhaps, to show Manila as some kind of realm of hope. .. but, God knows, nothing happened...



image by [Bad username: varlamov.ru]

This is a unique man. Not only did he distort his entire face with a ballpoint pen - so a little over a year ago he got into the lens of Varlamov , and under the impression of this - he stopped cutting his hair and got on his feet ... well, at least with me, his leg is no longer bent.


Beautiful Filipino sculpture. But I still remain in doubt: this is vandalism, or so conceived. The child does not have both hands, the mother is also not rich in limbs, the doggie - and he is deprived of one paw, the father of the family perfectly complements the overall picture. nine0016
As a result, the family of Bezrukovs performs some joyful dances over the children's shoes lying in the center. Oh, the great art of the Philippine Islands, unknown and mysterious! To hell with their shoes, when they could find their hands!

Transportation in the Philippines is varied. In addition to banal taxis, there are a) trikes . A motorcycle with a sidecar in which I sit, doubled over, and 10 more Filipinos climb in.

Well, b) the legendary jeepney . Whoever wrote about them, therefore I myself will not. If someone does not know - read at least Wikipedia.

But jeepneys are beautiful, bright and unlike anyone else. But even they do not save Manila on cloudy days. Therefore, we are moving with a confident look to the city of Angeles.

Angeles. Capital of the world.
Once the inhabitants of the city of Angeles looked like this...


But then, not far from this place, the Americans built their military base.

... and the residents of Angeles took up their minds and began to look like this:

Well, it's true, everything is in the pictures. In reality, it was much worse. We settled quite far from the main places of "concentration". The hotel was called the Blue Fields, and had a filthy pool around which Vietnam veterans clustered, surrounded by young Filipinas.
I passed by them with the same phrase:
- Well, have you screwed up Saigon? And now the whore has arranged!? nine0032
The veterans nodded in response and tried to put on their battle decorations. Which made the Filipinos ecstatic.
These chicks get turned on by everything. The Americans generously paid them for affection and care. There was nothing else to pay for. Nothing more, I don't think it came up.
Every time I wanted to shout:
- Grandfather, won't you give up the ends under it?
The veterans again nodded in response and adjusted their shorts, medals and baseball caps.

My fellow traveler Nikita kolbovskiy describes it more colorfully:
"...I liked Angeles. It's not often that you find yourself in a cheap American movie scene come to life. I was not at all surprised to see Las Vegas in the list of sister cities. No city called me such clear associations with the word "hole". City-bottom. If you ever want to "prick and forget" or just for a while (or permanently) abyss, selflessly destroying yourself - Angeles is ideal. A normal person has nothing to do here. However, the trip out of pure curiosity, it can also be an entertaining enterprise.0032

The hotel carefully chosen the day before was called Blue Fields. The pictures on the site corresponded to the definition of "clean" from Russian apartment rental ads. But I had an assumption that in such cities it is necessary to settle in this way, and it was justified. The bed linen, worn to transparency, stank of bleach, which was reassuring. The air conditioner, built into the wall, screamed frantically, leaving no chance for conversation, and, at the same time, blowing into the room all sorts of crap that had been accumulating in the radiator grill for centuries. nine0016



I understood everything right away. In such places, the main thing is not to sober up. I woke up when the guests were already leaving, immediately had a drink, checked my passport, counted cash, took out a laptop from under the mattress and watched my favorite American films of the right theme.

I went a little too far with the hotel. Even unspoiled visitors spoke of my decoration only as "cozy and simple." If it's "simple" for a local girl, then - generally fucked up. However, the economic Catholic Filipino soul was pleased with the presence of a kitchen in the form of a separate room and a reproduction of the Last Supper hanging on the wall. A penis on the kitchen table, carefully scratched out by one of the guests, pleased no less. "

I will continue again.
Fast forward to the main street, which, like in all cities of this type, was named Walking Street . Peddlers scurry about, offering Viagra and cigarettes from their trays. The same veterans drag their knees. Beauties lure into the bars from every porch. But like I said, looks can be deceiving. The institution exposes all the most beautiful workers just to lure the client inside, so from the girlish assortment that is trying to portray something on the podium or at the pole, you want to yawn. For the most part, they just stand still without even trying to somehow draw attention to themselves. nine0020 "Snickering!" - I thought. I finish my beer and leave immediately.
If suddenly ... well, suddenly (well, you never know what your tastes are!) You like someone - you pay the institution a fixed amount, and go with the girl wherever you want.

But one establishment stands apart. Disco High Society (High society), although in the case it should be called in the Russian pronunciation "High society" - so rather. There is no need to buy anyone from the institution, if you have money - any of the locals will go with you. You negotiate with her. nine0018


The phrase typed on the iPhone screen due to disco noise "go visa as til moning" , given to two aborigines, solves all issues and temporarily eases your wallet. We load into a trike, drive to the "Blue Fields", the porter (well, if you can call him that) opens the door for the brought beauties.
They don't care about your age, social status or anything else. But if you are a foreigner, then her happiness is quite possible. Get out of the Philippines - what a dream she has! But I did not notice the thirst for money alone, as, for example, in Cuba. They keep moderately nobly, without pressure and with excellent knowledge of English. nine0018

Those who are not yet old enough to give themselves to a foreigner, charm him and eventually get married - are still desperately indignant. But soon their time will come.


For some reason, it seems to me that Angeles is the carrier of those shells with which American veterans (and not only them, young people also fall) are transferred to the island Boracay . Here in Boracay, about 70 percent of couples is when she is a Filipina and he is a Westerner. Everything else here is made up of Chinese. Chinese in Boracay - the sea. Well, at least they don’t go to the sea by this sea. nine0018


We lived in a hut that looked more like bast shoes for three days. They crawled out to the beach, drank the mysterious Weng Weng, where it seems like they stupidly mix all the contents of the bar.
What follows are completely unexpected photos for me - photos of a beach holiday. I even thought about buying myself an inflatable mattress in the form of SpongeBob. But a toad came and strangled SpongeBob. I didn't want to take anything at all - how did these photos even appear...

During these 10 Philippine days, I think I have seen everything in this country, and at the same time I have not seen anything. And such a wording is a very big reason to come back again. Because Shura from the song "Krovostok" spoke correctly: after visiting the Philippines, he really wanted to forgive everyone who owes him, and he asks for forgiveness for those who owe him ...

petrlovigin.com / 0032 / Petr Lovigin's Twitter / Petr Lovigin's Contact / INSTAGRAM . Petr Lovigin's version In every port my sister is waiting for me - she wants to save me ... BG "Guarding the barge" ...

  • Chicks from the Philippine Islands, Manila and high society. nine0235

    Today we have the glorious state of the Philippines on our agenda, because Yagoda-Manila beckoned us with you, Yagoda-Manila invited us to visit in the summer. In this review…

    We went to a gypsy village on the outskirts of Chelyabinsk without an invitation. We never got the phone of the local baron, according to another - unconfirmed ...

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    • The most slutty cities in the world (Petr Lovigin's version)

      Every soul has a sharp needle that cuts right to the bone; In every port, my sister is waiting for me - she wants to save me . .. BG "Guarding the barge" ...

    • Philippine chicks, Manila and high society.

      Today we have the glorious state of the Philippines on our agenda, because Yagoda-Manila beckoned us with you, Yagoda-Manila called for a visit in the summer. In this review…

      We went to a gypsy village on the outskirts of Chelyabinsk without an invitation. We never got the phone of the local baron, according to another - unconfirmed ...

    Semi-finished product: Let's go to the Philippines

    Tanya Kovalenok, a member of the adukacyja.info team and an avid traveler, shares her experience of a surf trip very close to the equator with us. How not to get lost on one of the 7,000 islands, where to go if you want to conquer the wave and how to make the most of it if you are afraid to ride a bike - Tanya's word.

    Why Philippines?

    After my first surf trip in Bali, I fell in love with the sport. I often looked at different sites where a beginner would go to pump up his poor surf skills. The Philippines appeared in all the tops with their picturesque spots, and the prospect of getting lost on one of the 7,000 islands at a comfortable +28 ° with a surfboard, a faithful girlfriend at your side and a drop of Philippine rum in your blood looked very tempting when I was on the other side of the window joylessly watched the Belarusian February. And although Sri Lanka could have become a more budget option, it was not possible to resist and not go to the turquoise sea. nine0018

    How to get there?

    When we were ready to buy tickets to Sri Lanka, Air China opened its third eye. That is, a sale with beautiful prices on the route Moscow - Manila - Moscow (and a cool daytime transfer in Beijing). It took just a couple of hours to calculate everything and decide where to go. In terms of the sum of the expected impressions and the convenience of transfers, the Philippines won, and I froze in anticipation. nine0018

    And we had to wait from the very beginning - Air China's online check-in is so difficult that we managed to defeat it only on the way there, and back we had to be content with staying at the check-in counter. If you need special meals (and these guys have a very large choice), then you need to order it 72 hours in advance by calling the representative office.

    We arrived in Beijing early in the morning, and using free visa transit, wandered around the Forbidden City all day, and then looked for pandas and coffee, so in the evening we were very happy to return to the airport and fly to the treasured islands. The return docking was only 2.5 hours. nine0018

    During the flight Minsk-Moscow-Minsk, I finally got acquainted with the new Zhukovsky airport. Although it is not very well connected with the city (there is only a bus, and then a metro / train), it is very cozy, with extremely friendly staff. Tickets purchased a week before the trip cost only € 55 round-trip - cheaper than the train. So if you have a little more time, you can safely fly here.

    A bit about visas. If you are the owner of a Belarusian passport, then you need to apply for a visa in advance, and the consulate - according to the classics - in Moscow. Fortunately, these southern guys do not require personal submission and the documents are quite minimal: round-trip tickets, hotel reservations, a 1-page application form with a photo, a passport and $ 40 (neither a certificate from work nor a bank statement is needed!). All this must be put in an envelope and sent by courier service (€ 15 for sending and collecting documents). The whole procedure takes about 10 days. nine0018

    Manila

    Manila has become a forced transfer and shopping point, because the schedules of domestic flights did not quite coincide with our international ones. Here we spent the night on the way to the islands and stayed 1.5 days on the way back. Apart from SM Mall of Asia and our hotel, they didn’t see anything there and didn’t even want to - the city is dirty, smells bad, with constant traffic and noise, and there are no sights at all. But you could safely travel around the islands and not burden yourself with purchases: one trip to the Manila supermarket - and all the gifts in your pocket. If possible, I would recommend getting out of here directly from the airport. nine0018

    "If possible, I would recommend getting out of here directly from the airport"

    If you still need to spend the night, then know that there is Uber here, which means that with a high degree of probability you will get to your hotel safe and for little money.

    By the way, it is better to buy local SIM-cards immediately upon arrival in the departure area - they will be free there, you pay only for the tariff plan (there are two main operators Globe and Smart in the country, which have options with prepaid Internet, see which one to choose here and here). You can immediately change money at the airport - the exchange rate is good and it is likely that this is the last place with local currency, because there will be no exchangers and ATMs on your island. nine0018

    El Nido, Palawan

    There are tons of options for flying from Manila! Manila and Cebu are the main transfer points in the entire flight network of the country, and if you need to get to some small island, then most likely you will need to make a connection in one of these cities (sometimes with an overnight stay, because often planes fly or once a day, or several times). We were lucky and managed to grab a direct flight to Puerto Princesa, from which we traveled 6 hours by minibus to El Nido (they run every hour, cost € 8-10). It seemed like 6 hours! But they flew by very quickly - the minibus has air conditioning, there are stops for a snack, and around there are green palm trees, blue skies and the life of local residents in all its glory. By the way, if suddenly you didn’t change money in Manila, then upon arrival it’s time to do it for the entire duration of your stay on the island - you won’t find further ATMs, as well as exchangers, and unless you can negotiate with the locals (but a good exchange rate is not wait). nine0018

    Why El Nido? Yes, because these are the very pictures that will be the first to pop up in Google if you drive in the Philippines. A place that is called the "pearl of the country" with its vegetated cliffs rising straight from the turquoise water, lagoons of all shades of blue and white sandy beaches. We came here precisely for this, and three days were enough for us to feel and consider all these joys. In the village on every corner you can book a place on one of 4 tours (they are the same for all operators), where for € 20 you will be taken on a boat all day, shown the Secret Lagoon, snorkeled, fed a freshly prepared seafood lunch and entertained with conversation in the process . In the Big Lagoon for € 3.7 you can even go kayaking between the rocks! nine0018

    The infrastructure in the village is adapted for tourists, so you can eat a burger, sit in a coffee shop, and even intercept dumplings in Odessa-Mama. And if you suddenly decide to hit the sport and after morning runs your legs refuse to walk straight, you can fix everything at a massage session - for € 7. 5 per hour, complete relaxation.

    "The infrastructure in the village is adapted for tourists, so you can even intercept dumplings in Odessa-Mama"

    nine0341

    Due to the large number of boats that take tourists on tours, there is nowhere to swim in El Nido itself, so for sweet idleness on the beach you will need to ride or tricycle (local modification of a motorcycle with a sidecar is not for the faint of heart, especially along the serpentine) , or rent a bike.

    A tricycle costs "as agreed", but usually around € 0.7 for a trip around the area, and a bike costs € 8-10 per day + petrol at € 0.75. You can take a tricycle for the whole day to tour all the beautiful beaches (€ 20). We took the whole day to Las Cabanas for beach affairs, where there are a couple of good bars with a kitchen, i.e. no need to go anywhere for lunch, and at the end of the day - the most beautiful viewpoint on the island for sunset. They say that there is very little Nacpan Beach, but we didn’t get to it - it’s about 20 km from El Nido. nine0018

    Siargao

    We got here longer than planned, because our flight was canceled due to bad weather at the host, and we had to fly on the next one (thank God, it was on the same day, but after 5 hours). The airport is located on the side of the island where there is no infrastructure yet, so having paid € 5.5 for a minibus, we drove 40 minutes to the other side, to General Luna, the most surfer-friendly village with palm jungle around. nine0018

    Housing

    Upon arrival, it turned out that our hotel, booked in advance for the first 2 days, canceled the reservation without permission. "Well, okay!" - we thought and went to look for an overnight stay in the neighboring ones. Fortunately, this was not a problem, and for the same €40 per night for two, we got a very nice hotel room right on the beach, with a pool and a restaurant. I must say that we didn’t book anything for a long time or much in advance - as a rule, we just looked at what booking. com and agoda.com had to offer for the next 1-2 days (so there is an option to get a promotional offer) or asked at the hotels themselves and, Of course, there was a little haggling over the price. As a result, we lived in 3 places - in two hotels in General Luna (Cherinicole Resort and Vivo Inn) and at the main surf spot Cloud 9 (Ocean 101 Beach Resort) . Everywhere was good - clean and comfortable, but the staff was always very happy and ready to help in any matter.

    Transport

    We couldn't overcome our fears and get on something two-wheeled, so we used public transport - also two-wheeled. A trip to the immediate surroundings cost only € 0.4 (20 pesos). When we ran out of local money, a trip to the town with an ATM Dapa cost us € 5.5 for two back and forth, so we did not feel much need for a bike. nine0018

    Of course, if you want to ride around the island, then you can't do without a two-wheeled friend, and it costs € 8-10 per day. You always have to bargain depending on the lease term. As always in the Philippines.

    There are a couple of spots that you need to get to by boat, and here you will need to pay € 3.7 (200 pesos) for a round trip - we put them in the surf budget.

    Food

    They say that a couple of years ago there was nothing special in these places - no hotels, no establishments, no fashionable tourists, but now it's hard to believe, because on an area of ​​1 sq. There are only four Italian restaurants here! There are places to get hummus, croissants, smoothies and all the other joys of hipster surfers.

    Kermit Surf Resort - an extensive Italian menu, the most professional waitresses and delicious cocktails.

    Bravo is the most delicious veggie burger on the island and a very good signature cocktail for €1.

    Viento del Mar - very beautiful presentation of very tasty dishes and unexpectedly cheap wine at € 1 per glass, one of the best places in terms of food experiences.

    Shaka is a fitness place that serves "healthy" bowls of fruits and superfoods + coffee - all for €6, has energy smoothies.

    Ronaldo's is a place with cheap Filipino food, when for € 4 you can fill up to satiety.

    Fresh fruits within walking distance from roadside stalls for €0.7 per mango/papaya/bunch of bananas. General Luna has a market where you can buy fresh seafood (it's better to come to them at 3-4 pm). nine0018

    Surfing

    The island has about 5 of the most popular spots of varying degrees of difficulty, accessibility and wave quality. Cloud 9 is the most famous, one of the top 10 best spots in the world. It is there that the big competitions take place in September. If you, like me, are still far from the competition, then you can safely train all year round at such spots:

    Quicksilver - right next to Cloud 9, a little to the left, on our trip one day there were the coolest waves. For advanced intermediate level. nine0018

    Jacking Horse - even to the left of Quicksilver, where we surfed most of the time, because the waves are just right for beginners and almost intermediate levels, it can be crowded. There are reefs under your feet, with which you need to be very careful.

    G1 - I've only been able to visit once, but this is probably the most picturesque spot due to the palm-fringed sandy beach and surrounding small islands. There are right and left waves, suitable for beginners and intermediate level.

    Cemetery - you will need to get to it by boat or swim if you have a lot of strength. The waves are good, and already for a good average level. nine0018

    There are two training schemes here - either live in a surf camp and ride together with a dedicated instructor and a whole group of guys, or hire an instructor yourself, whose main task is to choose good waves for you and help you get up on them (depending on from your level - either just by giving acceleration, or also supporting the board for balance).

    We took the second route and found our instructors through the hotel reception. Standard prices - € 11 (500 pesos) for a half-day surf rental + the same amount for an instructor's hour. If you are going to surf for at least 3 days, then you definitely need to bargain and agree on 2 skiing per day for € 22 (1000 pesos). Boards are rented directly from Cloud 9or General Luna has a couple of stores (like Fat Lips).

    "In pursuit of good waves, be prepared to get up at 5 am and go to bed with the sunset"

    According to the reviews of surfers met, good camps are Kermit Surf Resort, Patrick’s on the Beach, Buddha’s Surf Resort.

    Oh yeah, and get ready to get up at 5 am chasing good waves and go to bed with the sunset (okay, 2 hours late - max), because if you have 2 rides a day, then in the evening already strength remains only to crawl to the bed. nine0018

    What else to do?

    If surfing is already unbearable, then you can take a bike and ride around the island. Crowds of tourists have not yet had time to run here, so there are many places with touching rural landscapes and nature of such beauty that the eyes themselves begin to cry. The road towards Pacifico beach is especially good.

    In addition to land trips, you can rent a boat (about € 25 per day, maximum 7 people) and go to the nearby islands. But in fact, if you have especially been to Palawan, you can do without this activity - the islands are beautiful, but not so much. And you have to be prepared for additional fees for "stepping" on each island - it's all private property! nine0018

    You can also go to the Sohoton cave - 2 hours from General Luna on a regular boat or 45 minutes on a high-speed boat to swim with jellyfish (calmly, those that do not bite live here, especially good from March to May).

    Goodies

    You don't need to worry about where to have fun in the evening - every day of the week the parties take place in one and all known place. If you forget the schedule, just ask the locals and they will give you such options depending on the day of the week - Rum Bar, Kermit, Viento del Mar, Jungle Tattoo. nine0018

    You will have to calculate your expenses in advance, because you can withdraw money from an ATM only at airports and larger cities. General Luna has an exchange office, so if anything, you can change the balance of foreign currency.

    Internet here - like on any other islands - is rather weak. It’s better not to count on Youtube videos and downloading large files, but you can scroll through the Facebook feed. Almost all institutions and hotels have wi-fi, but the speed of it and the mobile is about the same. nine0018

    If you are going to surf in Siargao, be sure to take out insurance for outdoor activities. There is no free medicine here, there are no hospitals either (only a small clinic), therefore, in an undesirable and unpleasant case, there may be transportation to Cebu - and here it is better to be with insurance.

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