today's highlight is...

Walking to the mailbox at the end of the drive!

Not much I know, but I'm still here at home with the sore back, good news is I think I will be able to go back to work tomorrow. Most likely not doing my normal job because there is a lot of shoveling will bent over and the back isn't that good yet....

But I should be able to do something, most likely working on repairing one of the railway engines we have at my work. What ever I end up doing tomorrow HAS to be better then sitting here at home!

Mind you now that I can sit for longer (not the 2 minutes as before) I have spent a lot of time looking at websites about Hongkong and also the Philippines, why? Because the wife and myself will hopefully be traveling back to the Philippines next year via Hongkong. The plan is to have a layover in Hongkong of about 5 days before flying to Cebu in the Philippines.

I have found out a lot of information and found some good blogs and websites so now have a better understanding about Hongkong & the Philippines, can't wait to travel again! As I said in my first post, I spent 8 weeks in the Philippines last year and LOVED it, loved it so much that I MISS the country!

I have talked for many years about wanting to "travel" and I always come up with a reason not too.... no money, no time, to much risk..... etc etc etc, you know how it goes, Now that I have traveled and gotten over those what/if's and maybe's, I find I only have one thing left.... and that is I WANT TO TRAVEL MORE! I want to see what this world is like, but not so much the "normal" tourist spots, but more of the untraveled places.

Untraveled you say? places like Mindanao the southern most island in the Philippines, it's meant to be "unsafe" maybe the western side is but the mid/east side of the northern coast isn't and that's were I spent 6 weeks last year.... it was very different to what I'm use to and very few tourist, how few? I saw only about 10 others in 6 weeks! but I had a blast! the locals are friendly and welcome you. it's was great and I felt safer there than any other place I've been.

The only problem is the NZ government has Mindanao listed as a "extreme" risk for travelers, means it's almost impossible for me to get travel insurance, I don't know maybe the government needs to have a look and make it only the south of Mindanao as extreme risk, but I guess it's easier for them just to say "all" of Mindanao is....

As a interesting aside... I have just found out the travel insurance I was sold for my last trip didn't cover me will I was in Mindanao! when I got it I made a point of asking the travel agent if it did cover Mindanao and I was told "yes" Oh but it didn't! luckily I didn't need it!

Jeff

P.S almost forgot the weight today... it's 127.40 kg (280.28) being semi careful about what I'm eating as I'm not doing much to burn it off for now.