It has been some time since I have written this blog. Dad takes the pictures, not me so sometimes I wait for him and he figures I'm not going to do it so he does. Doesn't matter to me who writes as long as something gets written down. In fact, I will be having him add pictures to this for me.
The past 2 weeks have been so wonderful. Garen and Kaitlin flew in Monday night, August 3rd to
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| At Green Hills Mall |
spend a week with us. Tuesday we decided to go to Greenhills mall. I wasn't sure what that would entail, but everyone talks about it so we went. Unfortunately the traffic was crazy there. We found out when we were leaving it was because the president of the Philippines was somewhere there. We only went into one area of the mall. It consisted all these booth set up that were selling imitation name brand stuff. It was crazy. I actually had one woman grab my arm and pull me back to her booth because she wanted me to buy a purse. Everyone else was ahead of me so they had no idea that I had been abducted. I was so grateful to finally leave. It was driving me crazy to be there. Dad, however, loved it. Garen (because he found a pair of "Vans" for $12) and Kaitlin seemed to enjoy it too.
Early Wednesday morning we had arranged to take a trip to a beach. Heck you can't come to the
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| On the boat over to Siquijor. It was a bumpy, wavy ride! |
Philippines and not have a beach trip so we took them to Siquijor --pronounced Seek-ee-hoar. A beautiful small island about 1 hours 15 minute flight from Manila. We actually flew into the island of Negros (city of Dumagueta) and then had to take a ferry or speed boat to Siquijor. Going we took an enclosed speed boat and it was a rough ride. There were several that were sick. They gave everyone little barf bags it got so rough. It was so rough that I actually felt motion sick and I never do. Leaving to come back we were able to get on a open air ferry. It took a little longer but it wasn't quite so bad.
The island was beautiful. If you haven't seen all the pictures yet, I will have dad post a link right
here (it works now!).
We stayed at the Coco Grove Beach Resort. The first day we got there it poured and continued to pour off and on for
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| Coco Grove Beach Resort (the ocean is just out of view) |
most of the time. We hadn't arranged any activities for the next day because the forecast said rain. However, when we got up the next morning (Thursday) it was a beautiful day. The front desk arranged for a driver to come take us around the island. Our first stop was Batele Tree. Here we soaked our feet in the water and the fish came and nibbled on our feet eating the dry skin off. I thought it felt wonderful especially when the bigger fish would nibble. Garen and Dad didn't care for it so much.
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| Fish Spa |
If fact, if you could have heard those two --they kept screaming out 'ouch'! Not so tough when it comes to little fish nibbling on your feet!
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| 140 year old Convent |
We stopped at Lazi convent and the old church across the street. The bottom floor of the convent has been turned into a school and the upper part a museum, but the museum was closed that day. We did meet an American who had once been a covert spy for the US but retired many years ago to the Philippines, married and has 4 children. He was an interesting man.
Next stop was to Cambugahay Falls. We had
to walk down 137 steps to get down to the falls. It wasn't a very big falls, but the water felt really good. We jumped in by the falls, enjoyed the water and swam behind the waterfall. It was nice until we had to climb the 137 steps back up to the van.
We then headed to a government owned beach called Salagdoong beach. They have there some diving platforms you could jump or dive off but it was so windy and the water so rough that no one was doing it. So we ate lunch ( Dad and Kaitlin's food was yucky). Then walked around. The diving platforms were across a bridge so we walked over to check it out before we left. There was a guy there trying to decide if he was brave enough to jump. We took a few pictures and left. As we were walking we watched the guy jump and then a girl. Garen thought, if they can do it, so could he. So back he went and jumped off too. Way to go--you are forgiven for being such a baby when the fish were nibbling on your feet.
A few other things, that were not a high "cool" factor on my list was the first house built on the island, a mangrove area that was once upon a time a small resort built out on the water but now is used sometimes by backpackers. And somewhere along the way we had this really good bread that we bought along the road. All in all it was a good day and the rain started soon after we got back.
After dinner we went to the desk and asked about doing some snorkeling. The beach at the hotel was rough but Joy, who was working the desk but is higher up then a desk attendant, but we could never figure out exactly what her roll there was, set us up to do some snorkeling in the morning and another part of the island along with a trip to Lugnason falls. That morning (Friday) we went to the drive shop and rented some snorkeling gear and headed off with the driver. Let me just say that the place we went to snorkel took us on all these back roads. We almost got such in the mud, but the snorkeling was great.
It was low tide so we were rather close to the coral and stuff in fact, I scratched my knee up on coral one time when I was trying to stand up. The coral was large and interesting. We saw lots of fish and even more starfish including a blue one. We saw "Nemo" and "Dory" too.
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| Lugnason Falls |
From there we were to go to Lugnason Falls according to Joy. We didn't really care whether we went there or not, since we had already been to a waterfall, but are glad we did. It was a delightful place. Kaitlin was the first one into the water and I followed right behind. At Cambugahay Falls I was the last to enter, but decided I could be brave and get in ( It was also easier to get into). The water was cool, but we soon warmed up and enjoyed the time we were there. The workers there showed how you could grab a vine, climb up the side of his hill and swing over a shallow area and then jump into the deeper area. Once again Garen was brave and tried it. He was one brave man to do it because the vine just reached the outside edge of the deep area and between the deep and shallow area was a concrete wall.
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| Leaving Siquijor (bye!) |
Then back to the hotel and more rain. Saturday morning when it was time to leave the sun finally came out. But while we were there we were able to do everything we had wanted to do and the weather was pleasant and not hot like it was going to be on Saturday. Back on the ferry (which left several hours earlier than we had planned to leave because we changed what we were going back on),
then to a restaurant to hang out for 2-3 hours to wait for our driver to take us to the airport. All in all, a wonderful trip.
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| Lunch at Coco Grande |
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| Chinese Cemetery |
Sunday morning we had our driver take us to drive past the Chinese cemetery in Old Manila. Interesting place. Some of them have these gated house type places built around 2-6 tombs. They had chandeliers hanging in them, pictures of those who have died and benches to sit on. Definitely different than anything I had seen. Of course, it was pouring, so we just looked from the car. Then back to the condo for lunch before church.
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| At Green Hills Mall |
Monday, Dad and Garen wanted to go to Greenhills mall again. This time we got there right as they opened and the sellers were not so aggressive. Garen and Kaitlin were able to get something for her mom for watching the girls. I got a purse and a wallet (the bills here are bigger than US dollars and I kept getting mine stuck in the zipper so it was something I really needed) a picture for our bathroom and Garen and Kaitlin got little jeepneys for the girls. We came back to our condo, then went to David English for lunch and then to Mission Impossible to a theatre that consists only of 24 recliners with a small table between each pair. They brought each of us a big box of popcorn but unfortunately no water. I really enjoyed watching the movie from a recliner and managed to stay awake for the whole thing!!!!!
We had a great time with Garen and Kaitlin and look forward to each of our children coming to see us and the adventures we will have.
Goodbye for now from the Hidden Gem of the Pacific
We then headed to a government owned beach called Salagdoong beach. They have there some diving platforms you could jump or dive off but it was so windy and the water so rough that no one was doing it. So we ate lunch ( Dad and Kaitlin's food was yucky). Then walked around. The diving platforms were across a bridge so we walked over to check it out before we left. There was a guy there trying to decide if he was brave enough to jump. We took a few pictures and left. As we were walking we watched the guy jump and then a girl. Garen thought, if they can do it, so could he. So back he went and jumped off too. Way to go--you are forgiven for being such a baby when the fish were nibbling on your feet.
A few other things, that were not a high "cool" factor on my list was the first house built on the island, a mangrove area that was once upon a time a small resort built out on the water but now is used sometimes by backpackers. And somewhere along the way we had this really good bread that we bought along the road. All in all it was a good day and the rain started soon after we got back.
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