Philippines:
Country file:
about Year: 2008
Country: Philippines
Currency: Philippine Pesos [PHP] ( € 1 = 60PHP)
Official language: Tagalog.
... Speak also: English (very fluent), the Visayas, the Ilocano, the Pampagan (as location) and many other local dialects.
Important: The Filipinos do not speak English.
Airport: Ninoy Aquino
... Easy Access : No, 2 of which controls a very thorough customs, immigration passage often very long ... expect 3 to 4 hours before takeoff.
Visa : From 21 days only.
Tax output Country: From 720PHP.
Cost of living: very low
Crime: High.
Health Precautions: Avoid drinking tap water.
Vaccines: Those recommended in France + yellow fever, no vaccine mandatory.
Malaria: In rural areas, nonexistent in big cities.
Complexity for a single trip : ****
... Due to extreme poverty can destabilize, even shocked some people.
Chapter 2: Manila city of angels and demons
Yes I know it feels a bit like I am the kind of farts that title but that's really what this city inspires me.
-Click on the photos to enlarge .-
Manila is a very special city, capital typical for a country voice in development, several things strike us when we arrive here: heat (24 to 36 ° C all year) but the heat is different from that which can be felt in France.
more "dense" (24 ° C here seems to be 40 in France and I am not kidding), but strangely more tolerable, probably because of the humidity (over 90% humidity in the air ).
The second thing that strikes you is the people, then biensur is an image, the first thing you should know about Filipinos is that they are very warm and welcoming, do not believe these sites will tell you that death lurks at any street corner or you may end up a pile by putting a foot outside, all this is false.
It goes without saying however that the Philippines is a country with extremely poor inconvenience this brings, we must expect to be harassed in the street by street vendors, if you think you have been victim of forced sales in France are never going to Manila, people hurl it on you, you follow the street to offer watches, belts, ornaments, water bottles and even women (I 'm arrived this morning) technically you just ignore them, but some are highly persistent or even tacky (I have to follow me 4 blocks away).
Most striking about this phenomenon it is children, children are angels here, but an angel who is hungry can do anything we must be careful to these pockets (without not fall into paranoia, I truly pay attention but no one has tried to make me your pockets) it is very hard to resist these little already because unlike France or misery is sometimes pretended she is here ben true in all cases, there are many children in the streets of Manila, children abandoned sleep on the floor ...
But the only "vice" of the Filipinos is that persistent poverty, they are lovely people who really just facing the harsh reality of life.
Besides a thing to try, asking for information to a Filipino, answer him, saying "salamat" (Thank you in Tagalog) and you'll see the cave Alli-Baba, Philippines love foreigners, especially when they take the quill to learn some words in their native language.
It the only country where I felt like talking to a friend of long standing with a total stranger tans are nice and warm ... not having a strong GNP Filipinos are immensely rich man ...
be continued in Chapter 3 ...
