I woke up around 8.30 and messaged Ritchie from couchsurfing and then I did some more planning before heading to a nearby travel shop but they didn't sell bus tickets to Banaue I would have to go to their station which is north east. They also didn't do boats, I would have to go across the road to a travel2go office so I checked a return flight with them and it was a lot more expensive than an online ticket as they didn't sell AirAsia. I left and went across the road but the shop opened at 10am. I went to the Robinsons supermarket which had just opened at 9 and bought some papaya and macopa apple to try and ate them with some banana at the hostel. The macopa was not very nice, too bitter. I tried to book a flight to Vietnam as I'd worked out how long to spend in Taiwan but the website wasn't working well so I went back to the travel2go shop and got a cruise ticket for 1950 which was cheaper than normal. Back at the hostel I showered and packed, trying to arrange my stuff and my jacket was a bit mouldy so I washed it and hung it up and sent myself an email not to forget it. I left my suitcase downstairs where all the other bags were and felt better having plans for what to do for the next couple of weeks. I needed to do something today though so I headed out and decided to go to the St Augustin church which was shut yesterday as it was world heritage. I went along the waterfront where there were more statues, past the childrens museum and got to the park where I went to a food stall and had 2 vegetable dishes with rice for 70. They did a free soup and distilled water and it was ok. I'd missed the church though as there was a golf course in the way which meant going round so I decided to cross the river, see Chinatown and go to the church on the way back. Across the bridge was a massive shanty town area I'd seen from fort Santiago and I walked through some of it. I got to a small church of Christ and tried to go in but someone stopped me. Another persin who was quite big told me I would have to come on Sunday for mass and shook my hand a few times, his name was June. I headed on and there wasn't too much to see until I came to a church that was actually something so I had a look round then went to a small park nearby where there were chinese drummers with fillipino transvestite dancers who were rounding on people for money. I left and after a brief check of the area followed a street along Chinatown that was busy. The drummers had left the park and were also walking along the street which meant the trannies kept asking me for money. I did see a lion dance in the area before I headed back towards the south side and there was a temple in a high rise block. It looked interesting and could be on the top floor so I went in and the security man wanted my id and took a while before I could go up, but the temple was nicely decorated although small and the view was not great as there were tall buildings across the street mostly. I went back down and the security man thanked me for coming and was my best friend shaking my hand, it's strange how people change one minute to the next. I came to chinatowns gate next which was big and on the main road entering the area before I crossed the bridge with a view of the post office and I headed along a rampart and then went to the church where the museum was open but not the church. It was 200 entry so I was going to leave but I asked if it allowed me into the church and it did so I paid. Went round church and took a while as they had so many things but after a while they repeated information and it got too much about Christ and the order so I left and went to the park where the fountains were on but not dancing. I was considering trying to do a loop from Palawan island to Cebu and back to Manila so I checked with travel2go in the park to see what their boat prices and times were.
Then I left the park and headed back to the hostel and found a place that filled my 1 litre water for 5 pesos and I got some fried food to go. At the hostel I looked at flights from Palawan to Cebu and they were over £100 and not direct so I just went and hot a return boat to Manila from travel2go as it was even cheaper at 1,800. Back at the hostel I picked up my things and was rushing a bit and almost forgot my jacket before heading to the bus station. I walked to a train station and climbed up the steps which had a queue for the security check and I had to open my suitcase up which I did and bought my ticket for 20 pesos and went to board the train but the trains were going the wrong way. I looked for a way to cross to the other platform but there wasn't one and I asked if they would let me through to the other platform but they wouldn't and pointed out that the standard fare for going on the platform was 20 pesos so I should get a new ticket. I jumped the gate just so I could keep the ticket as a souvenir but then security insisted I have to give up the ticket as its their property so I did and crossed to the other platform where I had to open up my suitcase again for a security check. I told them to contact the other side who had just checked me but they wouldn't so I opened it up and then caught the train the few long stops. I got off and walked to the bus station and came to a gate on the way. I went to take a photo and a security person said I shouldn't leave my suitcase there but I said it would be ok as I could see it. I carried on and turned so it was only a short distance to the bus station and I went past the other more expensive company Florida. I checked the map after a bit and I had somehow gone the wrong way. I made the extra distance and arrived at 8.30 with the bus at 9 it should be ok but the place looked really really busy. I went up and they asked if I had a reservation and I said I'd phoned up but they told me to just turn up. The guy asked how many people and when I said 1 he found me a ticket on the 10.15 bus. I left my suitcase and bought some noodles to eat. There were a few backpackers around and I talked to one guy a bit who was going to see a legendary old woman tattoo artist. Someone came round selling 5 oranges for 20 so I got some and they were good. The bus turned up and was naturally packed but I took a window seat and a woman sat next to me who then leaned on me and sat sideways which was annoying so it took a while before I could sleep.
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