Hi all!!

So much has happened since my last email that to write it all would simply take too many pages to fill it all up!

So in summary, met a guy called Troy at the airport in Singapore who lives in manilla and he offered to let me stay at his since it was so early in the morning and as it happens he showed me around for four days and I stayed at his with his family (he has freelance job so can just take time off). Went to a family do (22 people, crazy!!) but had fun, especially cos 68% absinthe was involved, and he has a cook who cooks great food, have been eating like a pig!

Anyway, was then supposed to fly to place called Cebu (where beachy islands are) but there was a conference there of asian leaders and the UK, US and Australian embassies all issued emergency warnings for no travelers to go there because they had news that terrorists were in the final stages of planning an attack on tourist areas there,Gulp!!Luckily the conference was cancelled (official reason was bad weather, yeah right!) so I rescheduled my flight and went to Cebu with Troy who had never been there so decided to come also.

Ok so in Cebu we got bus/ferry to the diving island of Malapascue but just caught the only ferry to go there because a typhoon had hit the island squarely the evening before and the sea was NOT nice! (incidentally I had missed a typhoon in north Philippines by two days when I first arrived, all these typhoons hunting me!)

Island was beautiful, although damaged by typhoon..the pier had been washed away so had to wade through the sea to beach for last 100m! Debris all over many of the beaches including seaweed, coconuts and human rubbish but many beaches were simply exquisite..pristine powder white sand with warm clear seas with loads of coral and snorkeling. Such relaxed island life!

Stayed for four days and then went to another island called Bantayan Island which is EVEN more pristine (tho larger and more touristy). We are staying in amazing resort (2 pound fifty per night each for seaside bungalow) which has privately maintained beach which is the finest white sand imaginable with warn shallow seas with NO waves!!This island was also hit by the typhoon but our beach was sheltered so very little seaweed still. However other beaches have huge jellyfish (some were like 50cm wide!!) washed up.

Our days here have been filled with relaxing and sleeping and sunbathing and swimming. Yesterday went to an underground cave which has freshwater spring pool which was cool though initially filled with Filipino tourists. Also all they local kids have been calling me an American negro basketball player cos I am so tall and dark.Hmmm, I’l take it as a compliment!

However, must mention the food!Been eating lots of cool stuff cos im with Troy who knows his Filipino food so recent highlights have included Dorado, Swordfish, Barracuda, as well as roast chicken cooked in suckling pig juices and the not so nice Balut…..this is a Filipino delicacy. Basically it’s a fertilized duck egg…ie a foetus and you peel the eggshell, drink the juice (eggy with aftertaste of chicken) and then peel it all to reveal the embryo and depending on age can be compete with feathers and beak!! Eat in either one go or many with rock salt…I though I would throw up but in fact it was ok, mind over matter…mind over matter!!!lol

Can’t believe I’ve only got 12 days left, its mad!! Future plans include going to visit Tarsiers (tiny primates, wait for photos) and more beaches. Watch this space…

Love and hugs from your friendly gay American negro!