Part 47: Destination ?....... I contacted my insurance company in regards to a claim and they instructed me to obtain a police report. The district where my wallet was stolen, rather conveniently had a tiny police depot close to me. Since I had nothing to lose, I chose to pay them a visit and see if I could get one. Although slightly weary with thoughts of bribery and corruption stories in the back of my mind. It was more like a small wooden hut than a polic...

Part 46: Oh ffs!!!...... The first thing I did with some of the remaining £15 was buy plenty of food and water. So whatever happened, I would not go without. The rest I saved for public transport, or if I needed anything for emergency. I also rang HSBC again to check how long my card would be. They told me exactly the same thing. 'Two weeks sir, is there anything else we can help you with today?' - They would be sending the card to the HSBC bank in Makat...

Part 44: Mount Gulugod baboy The weekend of the next mountain trek was already upon us. Knowing that my shoulder would not have withstood the full boot camp sessions, I had been secretly training everyday on my own. Well it did not feel at all like I was alone, with the aid of half of the village, and Paranaque cheering me on everyday. I never looked forward to training so much in all my life. Having said that, It was hard watching all my friends participati...

Part 45: Decisions..... I felt I deserved a bit of a break from the training for a while, my body most certainly needed rest. A few more Filipino massages, and days by the pool helped with that! My Filipino friend organized a few trips for me over the next coming days. The first one was to one of central Manila's most famous outdoor markets, named Quiapo. We rode a jeepney and crowded MRT train there from Paranaque city on a Saturday afternoon, and when we ...

Part 43: Controversy.... As each day passed in Manila, I was feeling much less like a tourist and more like a local, smiling, and not complaining, two of the most recognisable Filipino traits. which is almost the opposite of living in the Uk. I was learning basic phrases of Tagalog too and most people who visit here quickly discover that the Philippines, and its people were really quite amazing. The rawness and frantic nature of the congested capital became se...