After one of those sleepless nights like you get when you move around the planet, I awoke to be told I had to sleep for another 6 hours.

After 5 of those we resorted to an hour of telly before finally getting up.

Down to reception to collect our travel breakfast and coffee then a short taxi ride to the ferry terminal.

The terminal seemed almost as busy as ever despite it only being 5.00 in the morning. Dispensed with the luggage (when shall I see you again?) And then into a holding area to enjoy our breakfast and be entertained by the blind entertainers.

Only one of then so far, others are still tuning up!

The ferry departed on time. We found ourselves sharing the entire business class section with probably 4 or 5 other travelers.

The crossing was smooth.

We were treated to most of one film (all apart from the last 10 mins) and some of another, the sound was fairly quiet so you had to make up your own dialogue most of the time!

Arrival at Ormoc was uneventful, we managed to secure the release of our baggage from the ever so hopeful porters, one of which put it upon himself to escort us all the way to our transport. He was of course handsomely rewarded with a smile and a thank you though I was clutching a twenty peso note just in case things turned nasty.

We met our taxi driver, Bambi, and got into his old but very comfortable car which had been bedecked in tasteful brown corduroy with a few scatter cushions thrown in. Lovely! Perhaps time for a snooze…? Just to go with the 70s theme we have The BeeGee’s Tragedy on the wireless…

Ormoc is a hustle bustle sort of place. A riot of colour hits your senses as you leave the port. Market stalls line the roads selling every type of exotic fruit you could wish for and the roads are full of brightly coloured tuk-tuks. But within five minutes you have left the town behind.

The scenery is beautiful. We are driving through paddy fields, which are being tended by farmers and dotted with the odd water Buffalo, in the distance are mountains and between the two is rain forest. The sun is shining as a few puffy white clouds go past. The paddy fields are broken up by small clusters of homes, ranging from brick buildings to shacks all with their own beautifully tended gardens. It is all so very different from home.