6:30 in the morning our alarm sounds as we have a ferry to catch at 8am from Tagbilaran port heading to Dumaguete, we flag down a trike which will be Jades first time travelling by this somewhat strange form of transport. The trike is painted with loud colours and there are many trinkets and religious artifacts hanging inside. Our huge bags strapped on the back with some sort of bamboo twine, it seems safe enough!

Now on the ferry heading to the City of Dumaguete. An hour and forty minutes has passed with us trying our hardest not to watch the on board movie "captain america" as we have it on the laptop. We approach the port of Dumaguete, it looks more western than the impoverished looking Cebu City. Once again, our trip is requiring a trike and a bus/jeepney ride as we need to head 40miles south to Siaton. Our trike driver drops us of at the jeepney terminal for us to board one straight away, (pure luck? mmmm, not so as we have to wait for the jeepney to fill up with people for it to be worthwhile to leave .. once again this is where "filipino time" springs into action).

We now arrive in Siaton after a 2 hour jeepney ride, not having an absolute clue how to get Monarch Sands Beach resort. A couple of filipino men approach us saying Habal-Habal , jade and I look at each other very bemused. We cross the road to find out that our next part of journey is, by the only way i could describe it, an extended seated motorbike. Both thinking, how the devil is he going to fit both our bags on this motorized contraption, they do it again... our bags are strapped on either side of the bike. Jade is saying "oh my goodness I have never been on a motorbike before", Luckily Jade was on a motorbike without the bags, I had drawn the short straw. Although, to be fair, Jade was trying to balance on the bike, as well as hold her summer dress down, and hat and sunnies on... she should be in the circus!

Monarch Sands Beach Resort was chosen, lets face it, by accident. Whilst looking carelessly online we came across this little beaut... cheap, with good photos and reviews, it seemed like a safe option. Well, we weren't wrong.... It is heaven. A private white sandy beach, native nippa huts and staff who wait on you hand and foot (and all for £8 a night!!!). The sea is crystal clear and a refreshing relief after the morning's journey. After breaking a couple of bamboo chairs I settle upon a hammock and swing in the shade of the scorching afternoon sun while Jade bakes and gets confused looks from the locals (they can't comprehend the idea of a suntan.... Why would you want to ruin your beautiiful white skin?).

Back up at our "cottage" we listen to the birds in the trees, feeling all tight from the sun and watch the most beautiful sunset. We honestly can't believe our luck in finding such a spectacular place.... I feel like something out of Tarzan or Robinson Crusoe and could happily stay shipwrecked here for the rest of our stay in the Philippines.

So 5 days have passed in a happy blur of sensational sunsets, good food and riveting recounts of Filipino culture from the American owner Ron. Today though, we accepted a tour from Ron and To-To to hike the local area to see more of what this community does with the mass of land they occupy.

By 8.30am we were trekking through a jungle of palm and banana trees, through shriveled up streams and clambering over volcanic stones until, finally, we came out onto towering fields of corn and sugercane. We pass cows and goats, tied close to wooden huts and try our best to avoid the endless armies of ants (with little success). We pass through the local "village" and feel very lucky to observe the everyday life of a Filipino... Mothers washing their children with the water pump, big angry c*** (!) preparing for their next fight and pigs being fattened up for the oncoming fiesta. Washing lines provide a rainbow of colours and somewhere, I can hear a television blaring noisily (althought how it works after seeing the electric cables is beyond me ...!). The locals stop their daily chores to wave at the aliens trampling through their home and we head back to our freshly prepared fruit/ eggs and rice, feeling enlightened and maybe a little humbled by the whole experience.

Deciding to tear ourselves away from this paradise (before it can fully take hold of us), we choose to move onto Sipalay in the morning.