The Philippines- 6 weeks to go!

I really think this is the very best part of a trip... or at least, personally, the most exciting one.

Flights from London were extortionate, so we opted for Paris instead... to Manila, with stopover in Dubai. We have not yet looked at the domestic flights from one island to the other, nor have we booked any sort of accommodation - this is the eternal dilemma when we organise a trip: to what extent do we want it to be improvised, 'free' and open to changes, and how many prior arrangements should we make to avoid hiccups, delays and possible disappointments?

Anyways, my weekends are now filled with questions: 'How many days should we spend in Boracay? Is it better to do scuba diving and snorkelling in El Nido or in the less touristy island of Bohol? Can we fit a visit to the rice terraces north of Manila? They are mentioned in the Lonely Planet guide as one of the unmissable highlights of the Philippines, and, even though we know that two weeks are not that long when you go to the other side of the world, well... we still try to make the most of it, and we are definitely not big fans of just beach-sun-and-relax type of holidays.

My head is now filled with choices, change of plans, contacts with people who have been there already, online bookings, reviews-reading and comparing, blogs-scanning, risk-taking, pure adrenaline and expectation... that's what compulsive travellers like me call their daily fix... give me more and more please....

Ok, so far, the two travel guides I need to read through have been taken out of the local library, and my first draft of the itinerary is taking shape.

Considering that, like the United States and Peru, the Philippines have never really been on my top 10 list, here are some (basic) facts I know about this country:

- the country is in Asia (good start!) and its capital is Manila
- more than 90 million people live there (Jesus....) and the country is one of the countries with the highest density of population worldwide.
- there are 50 listed volcanoes in the country, 22 of which are active!

- there was a three-hundred-year-long Spanish invasion and colonisation, which left a rich cultural, architectural and culinary legacy (hence why the Philippines are often referred to as the maverick of South East Asia and there is something peculiar about them).

- (linked to the point above), unlike most other Asian countries, Catholicism is the most widespread religion, and not Buddhism or Islam as one would think.

- there are more than 7,000 islands, so locals use boats and ferries, and tourists need to catch domestic flights to travel around, and do some sightseeing.
- they speak Filipino (official language), but also the vast majority of the population speak English and Spanish (legacy of the colonisation), and, last but not least, the Filipinos are known as very friendly people.

I'll stop blogging now and get on with some flight-booking with a chocolate bar and a cup of coffee to keep me company!