Part 90: The other side of backpacking... As much as I'd enjoyed exploring the mountains, it was nice to be back to some of the comforts Makati offered - like hot showers for instance, and the social vibe of the hostel with all my friends here, plus there was always something going on every night to keep me occupied. From the movie nights, or the games, to drinking out the front with the guitar playing staff, and food we would all take turns to prep in the kitc...

Part 62: Crazy things to do in Manila I'd spent the last week doing my best to stick to my budget which meant strictly no restaurants and taxis, instead living off a heady diet of baked potatoes cooked in the hostel microwave and tinned tuna. Breakfast was included in the price of the accommodation, so this was great opportunity to save some money - bottled water was also free. Occasionally the hostel staff would bring out free ice cream or snacks whilst we wat...

Part 61: Makati City..... 'Good afternoon sir'... 'How are you sir?'... 'Have a nice day sir'... 'Nice tattoo sir'... 'Heeeeey sir'... 'Would you like a taxi sir?'.... Oh how I missed the Philippines - there is nowhere quite like it. I'd been greeted, checked out, and smiled at more times in 10 mins walking through the airport than I would do in a whole year in England. It was precisely what I needed after such a crappy delay in Doha. Casting my mind ba...

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...