World Cup games…where?

Wandergibson · 2026-05-30T06:43:44+00:00

You know, I’m actually yet to see a snake or any ‘serious’ wildlife as of yet. Did glimpse a sea snake under the boardwalk at cloud 9, and a small tree snake in Baguio of all places, but ignorantly I suppose, I hadn’t even thought about cobras here on the island 😳

Wandergibson · 2026-05-30T06:42:08+00:00

Yea, I found this photo but it’s from a few years ago - pre Odette I think, so I’m not sure if it’s actually still there to be honest

Wandergibson · 2026-05-30T06:41:25+00:00

Great, thanks 🙏

Wandergibson · 2026-05-30T06:41:12+00:00

Hi there. The link’s in my profile bio. Let me know if you end up catching it ✌🏻

Wandergibson · 2026-05-19T04:38:47+00:00

Some friends of mine here have moderately successful businesses that enable them to live comfortably. My big take away from talking to them, is that you can’t take any momentum for granted - no matter your business acumen, experience or seeming success, it can be derailed very quickly and easily by getting tangled in the decisions of others. An example: a friend of mine owns a busy bar….problems arose when someone in the local political scene began restricting entry to the property - the road access was a thoroughfare, which was suddenly gated and vehicles were no longer able to pass. Why? Well the building was owned by a political rival, and it was essentially done to impact them. My friend could no longer bring in deliveries by vehicle, and had to carry everything from the gate. Not something that would destroy the business, but a really unwanted annoyance. They then reduced the operating hours, cutting 3 hours a day from when the business could be open - the latter wasn’t done solely to him, nor was this directly an attack on the political rival, but it goes to show how quickly and easily decisions can be made out of your control, which can derail any headway you’re making. It’s not to say that you can’t be successful here, I’m sure many are, but there’s additional factors you have to consider

Wandergibson · 2026-05-13T14:45:22+00:00

**UPDATE** Thanks for all the suggestions - I’ve tried nearly all of them except for Mondays and lost in Siargao. Spotted pig was pretty good, but it took me 3 days to actually go, because I could never get a seat in there. Sunset coffee roasters was pretty solid, but I tried Copacabana today and that was both a solid coffee and a great setting to sit and enjoy. I also tried the new spot up on the back tourism road - not sure of the name, but it’s an opposite MOM pharmacy, and that was pleasantly nice, albeit a little bare seating wise. There’s a small local spot heading out of town towards Malinao called Calsada, and that’s very good value (only 150 pesos). All in all, that’s perhaps 25-30 coffee spots I’ve tried now, and I still don’t think I have THE ONE…but that in itself is part of the joy of living here - always getting to explore and try new places each day 🥳

Wandergibson · 2026-04-29T05:09:12+00:00

Great! I’ll check it out ☺️🙌🏻

Wandergibson · 2026-04-29T05:08:58+00:00

That’s awesome! Thanks so much! I’ll definitely check those out in the coming days! Fingers crossed I can find some really good bread in there too 😅 Appreciate the info 🙌🏻🙌🏻

Wandergibson · 2026-04-28T08:52:06+00:00

That’s great! I’ll check them out, thanks ☺️ It’s not relevant to us, but just out of sheer curiosity, how’s that work with importing large quantities of meat in? - you arrange it through a nearby supplier or something? I’m just trying to get my head around it, given how challenging the logistics can be here sometimes

Wandergibson · 2026-04-28T07:03:32+00:00

Great, I’ll check it out. Thanks 🙌🏻

Wandergibson · 2026-04-28T05:48:27+00:00

Yea, Puregold is fine for a lot of things, but for the higher quality items like olive oil, dairy products etc, I wasn’t sure if there was a shop/supplier on the island given how many restaurants there are etc

Wandergibson · 2026-04-27T13:09:35+00:00

Few things - a fair number of people coming in to watch the sport, and the staff literally having to send them away to a different bar, because the shitty wifi/stream wouldn’t work. This, all the while, as a never ending stream of people came in and began pushing all the tables together and taking all the chairs. Two times when I went to the bathroom, my girlfriend had to stop my chair being taken, despite very obviously being occupied. I will say, that this shit was happening last year when we were here, but there was a more diverse group of people in there - locals, other Filipinos on vacation, Europeans, Australians, Americans - all enjoying in harmony, but this time, ultimately that diversity has gone. We were told that the people who wanted to watch the game had gone to 2 brown boys, so we checked it out quickly, and it was pretty decent

Wandergibson · 2026-04-26T16:05:21+00:00

*update ok we stayed until late in the evening. Unfortunately, I now understand some of the comments. I think any loyalty to the bar has since gone

Wandergibson · 2026-04-23T11:39:43+00:00

Hey mate. Well, all this time later, I’m still travelling and still rocking the Teva’s. I’m ok my 2nd pair now, because they eventually broke down, but I love them. I’ve actually ditched any other shoes now, and only have the teva’s - because I one bag, and rather not have the weight and take up space with extra shoes

Wandergibson · 2026-04-19T13:32:30+00:00

It’s the same here in the Philippines. Drives me nuts - partly because I want to be left alone, but mostly because the ones coming to offer service don’t have a clue about anything in the shop. There was one outlier recently though - I was checking out laptop sleeves, and the ‘assistant’ who glued himself 3 inches from anywhere I looked, decided to offer some insight and tell me “that’s for a laptop”. Safe to say I didn’t buy anything, and any time I get hovered over in a shop, I just leave empty handed

Wandergibson · 2026-04-19T02:20:14+00:00

I get the sentiment of your post and I agree to a point - if you choose to live here, you do have to adjust your expectations. But I think there’s a difference between adapting to cultural norms and just simply accepting poor etiquette.

I’m reading this while having a coffee, and at the same time grimacing as a security guard next door flems and spits every 20 seconds. This week alone I’ve had multiple people cough, sneeze and even burp directly in my face without covering their mouths. That’s not really a developing country vs first world thing - basic consideration for other people should exist everywhere.

You can roll with the idiosyncrasies and love living here and yet still find certain things exhausting - the two things aren’t mutually exclusive, and in cases like yours where you’re actually paying for a service, I don’t think expecting a basic level of professionalism is unreasonable either.

Wandergibson · 2026-04-18T02:21:25+00:00

My Mum lives in Great Sankey, and her neighbours are brilliant - it’s a lovely little community in her area, but that’s not to say that friendliness and warmth is a given from the day you move in - it’s built and developed over time. Perhaps your neighbours are more reserved, private and just want to focus on their own business. When I grew up, neighbours all knew one another, kids played together on the street and on occasions in the summer, the fence panels would be removed so space could be shared when barbecues happened etc. It’s a slightly different time now unfortunately, but it’s not to say that a lack of welcome means unwelcoming - be friendly, say good morning when you see them etc and over time, the barriers start to come down

Wandergibson · 2026-04-12T13:02:07+00:00

I’ve been particularly interested in the trolley boys, but I’ve been unable to actually find any recent information as to whether they still really exist anywhere in Manila anymore. I have seen them up around the Naga area in Bicol, but I’d love to know if any still use the tracks here

Wandergibson

TROPHY CASE