PhilChina

Hong Kong, China: August 20-25, 2005

2005-08-26T21:00:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, August 20 we flew from Cebu to Hong Kong. The weather in Hong Kong upon our arrival was terrible. A tropical low was sitting off the coast nearby causing heavy rains and flooding in the countryside. Fortunately, we had changed our plans about visiting mainland China because of warnings concerning malaria and avian flu. Although I was disappointed about that, it was just as well, as we heard that the weather was also very bad where we had been planning to go, resulting in flooding and washed-out roads. Entry into Hong Kong through immigration and customs was fast and efficient. We took a shuttle bus to our hotel, BP International House (http://www.bpih.com.hk/welcome.shtml), located in the heart of the island of Kowloon, near Kowloon Park. The hotel (shown in the website photo taken from the park) is a modern, high rise structure. Like most hotels in Hong Kong, the rooms are small. However, our rooms were clean and well-appointed. The room reserved for our family of four had two bunk beds. Luz and Christopher were next door in a standard room with two single beds. The hotel staff is courteous and helpful. Most understood and spoke English. The hotel location is excellent, only a half a block from Nathan Road, the major thoroughfare on Kowloon. It's proximity to the park is also great, as you can take advantage of the indoor and outdoor pools and other recreational facilities there. Shopping and a variety of restaurants are within walking distance, as are bus or subway transportation to other parts of Kowloon or Hong Kong island. We spent our five days (the first three of which it rained heavily) sightseeing and shopping. We got around using buses, subways (MTR) and the Star Ferry. Besides the Kowloon Park, we visited downtown Hong Kong, including a nightime trip to Victoria Peak via the Tram; Ocean Park (a marine and amusement park) and shopped in a variety of stores and markets in the area. We all enjoyed our time in Hong Kong, but after five days of hotel and city life, I think we were all ready to come home to rest and relax a little before the start of school and work. The flight home was rather uneventful, with the possible exception of some unexpected scrutiny from Hong Kong customs. As the final photo shows, Chris and Adrienne seemed to enjoy the apparently endless number of movies and cartoons available on the flight.

Coral Point Resort, Cebu, Philippines: August 18-20, 2005

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On August 18 we ended our stay in Leyte. I think we were all sad about having to leave Carigara, particularly the family members and friends we had so enjoyed spending time with. We left by van in the morning, accompanied by Danny and Jerry, to travel to the second largest city on Leyte, Ormoc. From there we caught a Supercat ferry to neighboring Cebu. We were met in Cebu by Anna, the caretaker of the Coral Point Resort condominium, on Mactan Island, where we would stay for the next couple of days. The first picture is a departing shot at our house in Carigara, the rest are of Coral Point. As you can see by the photos, Coral Point is a beautiful, well-cared place. We stayed in a studio condo owned by retired Hong Kong physician, Dr. Peter Lee. Anna got us settled and then showed us Dr. Lee's impressive personal residence at Coral Point, for which she is the caretaker. We spent the remainder of our time at Coral Point relaxing and swimming in the freshwater and salt water pools. Before leaving Cebu, we did some last minute shopping for souvenirs from the Philippines, including a handmade guitar. The last picture is of our group before departing Coral Point. Shown with us are Enia's sister Luz, her son Christopher, brother Danny, cousin Jerry, Anna, Elena (Dr. Lee's maid) and our driver.

Lunch with Josie and Lee, Carigara, Leyte, Philippines: Tuesday, August 16, 2005

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We had the pleasure of having our friends Josie and Lee, from Manassas, Virginia visit our house in Carigara for lunch. They are staying with relatives in nearby Santol. It has been 5 years since we last saw them; we hope it is far less time until our next visit and perhaps we will be able to manage it in North America (instead of Asia)!

Visit to the San Juanito Bridge and MacArthur Park, Tacloban, Leyte, Philippines: Monday, August 15, 2005

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Today we visited Tacloban to do a little sightseeing. We traveled across the San Juanito Bridge, the longest in Asia, to the adjoining province of Samar. We also visited MacArthur Park Landing, the site of the World War II landing by General Douglas MacArthur, the start of the liberation of the Philippines from Japanese control.Besides the monument of MacArthur and other military personnel wading ashore, there is also the original imprint of footprints when stepping ashore and messages from world leaders when the monument was dedicated in 1993. Visiting the MacArthur Park Landing was particularly meaningful for Adrienne, as she did a report on MacArthur last year.

Party with Enia's High School Classmates, Carigara, Leyte, Philippines: Sunday, August 14, 2005

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Today we hosted a party with Enia's high school classmates at our house in Carigara. It was an afternoon of good food, conversation and song. It was a pleasure spending time with them and we look forward to future opportunities.

Visit to the Department of Education, Palo, Leyte: Thursday, August 11, 2005

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Enia and I visited the city of Palo, just outside the capital of city of Tacloban to meet with the superintendent of schools for the island, Aurora Aquino-Villarente and her assistant superintendents, Mr. Segio Samoria (standing) and Mrs. Vicenta Alibangbang (seated to my far left). Mrs. Lilia C. Arbas, a retired teacher, was kind of enough to escort us to the department headquarters and introduce us to the superintendent and assistant superintendents. She is the second person from the right.

The Leyte school system is the largest in the Philippines. There are 246,000 elementary students and 86,000 high school students. The system employs more than 9,000 teachers in 62 school districts comprised of 1,152 elementary schools and 112 secondary schools.

We discussed a number of ideas for collaboration between the Eastchester Schools and schools on Leyte.

Market Day in Carigara: Wednesday, August 10, 2005

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Enia, Luz, Maribeth, Adrienne and I went to the market to shop for some souvenirs and food. Each town has a market day each week when a large number of vendors come to town to sell their wares. You can find virtually anything there - from tools to all sorts of fresh food. We spent several hours at the market. Above are a few pictures taken there.

Carigara Elementary and High School: Tuesday, August 9, 2005

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Today Enia, Adrienne, Chris and Christopher Romero visited the Carigara Elementary School and High School, which is about a half a block from our house. There are several other public and private schools in Carigara. The two schools are on the same campus. The elementary school is in the front of the campus. It has more than 700 students in grades 1-6. The high school is an annex behind the elementary campus. It has more than 600 students in it. Class sizes are quite different from what we have in Brewster or Eastchester. Elementary classes have between 30 and 40 students in them; high school classes have 70 to 80 students. The first picture is of path leading to the high school, which is located behind the elementary school. The second picture is of Adrienne and Chris posing with the grade 6 math class of Mrs. Teresita F. Sonon. Pictures 3-6 are of the elementary school, the final two are of the high school.

Notre Dame of Jaro, Leyte: Tuesday, August 9, 2005

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We visited Enia's former high school. We received a tour of the school by the former principal, Sister Casaria (shown in the first picture with Enia), who was principal when Enia attended the school. Above are some photos taken during the tour, including one taken in the school library of some of its charming and bright students, together with Enia, the school librarian and its current principal, Sister Joy.

Meantime, work continues on the house...

2005-08-09T14:30:00.000-07:00

Carigara Beach Resort: Saturday, August 6, 2005

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Our family and relatives gathered at the house in the morning and then went to a nearby beach for an afternoon of food, swimming and volleyball. Besides the usual dishes (rice, chicken and fish), we also had roast pig. The day was great and we were treated to an afternoon rainshower. Chris especially enjoyed since he was able to go there and back via motorcycle, thanks to his Uncle Danny's friend Jonathan.

Jaro, Leyte: Friday, August 5, 2005

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Enia and I traveled to a nearby town, Jaro, for a visit with her former classmates from Notre Dame High School. Enia's friend Barbara hosted the get-together at her parents' house.

Tacloban City: Tuesday and Wednesday, August 2-3, 2005

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We spent much of the day in downtown Tacloban, running some errands to get things for our house in Carigara and taking care of a real estate transaction for Enia's sister Luz. Tacloban is a busy, congested city. There are a lot of vehicles, many of them using diesel fuel, so the there is noticeable air pollution. However, the "pulse" and activity of the city is interesting, especially after the relaxed pace of Carigara, so it is worth a visit. Enia has friends and relatives who live there. Her classmate from years ago, Barbara, was kind enough to take us around the city to see its sights and run our errands. One night we went to dinner at the home of Enia's cousins from Connecticut, Jun and Tessie, who were visiting the Philippines with their daughter Terry. While there, we met Elsa and her family.

Leyte Park Hotel: Monday - Wednesday, August 1-3, 2005

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We went to Tacloban, the capital city of Leyte for a few days. Essentially there are two hotels in Tacloban that cater to tourists such as ourselves. They are the MacArthur Beach Resort and Leyte Park Resort. We stayed in Leyte Park. Right now, if you stay here, don't expect the quality of room or service that you can get (for significantly less money) at the Marriott Cebu City. Leyte Park Resort is in a great location, with views of the bay and the islands beyond, but unfortunately, it has not been maintained and some of the staff do not understand how to take care of their guests. Our room, one of the villas near the pool had a bathroom that was "worn" and not clean. However, because there are limited places to stay in Tacloban, it was late and MacArthur Park didn't look much better, we elected to "stick it out." We found the front desk staff, particularly a clerk named Ruth very inflexible and of little help. On our last day, we wanted to have lunch before leaving by bus for Carigara, so we asked if the hotel could store our luggage (just a few carryon bags) for a couple of hours while we had lunch nearby. Ruth insisted that it couldn't be done because the bags would be there after their 2:00 pm late checkout. So we had to carry our bags down the hill to the nearby San Pedro restaurant (in which we had a great lunch). While at the desk we had requested the name of the person in charge of the hotel so we could register a complaint about the condition of the room (for its cost) and about the service. Coincidently, while we were doing so, a consultant (to the owner) named Roger Landry, hired to get things in shape, overheard our discussion with the front desk staff. He pursued us down the hill apologized for our treatment and the condition of the room. He called for the hotel transportation to take our luggage back to the hotel to store for us and he treated us to lunch. Based on his what he told us and did for us, I would guess that within 6 months to a year, he will have Leyte Park shaped up. My suggestion is that if you are dissatisfied with either the condition of your accommodations or the service you get at Leyte Park, you should ask to speak with Roger. As the accompanying pictures show, the resort is in a great location, so there is a lot of potential. They need to fix it up and retain staff who understand how to take care of their guests. Roger and the owner might want to send their staff over to the Marriott in Cebu City to see how it should be done.

Tolosa and Burauen: Thursday, August 4, 2005

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We hired a car with a driver to take all of us to the beachside home of Jun's sister in Tolosa. It is an interesting and beautiful two-hour drive through the countryside from Carigara to Tolosa; on the way you pass rice fields, coconut groves and small towns. There are high, cloud-shrouded mountains on either side.

Jun's sister's home is situated on a large (1 hectare) piece of property right on the beach. It is still under construction. There is a main house, a guest house, a pavillion and a large tower with a statue. We arrived about lunch time, so we first had lunch in the pavillion. As we did so, we watched fishermen on the beach launch their boats and pull in nets with their catch. After lunch, we went for a swim in the water. Like many beaches in the Philippines, the sand on this beach was black. The water was really warm and the saltiest I have ever been in. My eyes actually stung from the salt. We spent several hours in the water and then had a quick snack before leaving for a short visit to Jun and Tessie's house in Burauen. From there we headed back to Carigara. We all had a great day at the beach and were also able to see other parts of Leyte.

Brgy. Borseth: Sunday, July 31, 2005

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Our motorcycle ride through the countryside ended at Brgy. Borseth, home to Enia's brother Antonio and his family. Today and Monday are the days when the village fiesta is held. While we were visiting with Antonio at his house, the first of a number of parades passed by.

While we were in Borseth we escorted on a walking tour of the Brgy. by Antonio's daughter, Angie Rose, who is a Counselor for the Brgy. I seemed to create quite the stir and attracted a small crowd of children who followed us on the walk. I took a picture of some of them. Interestingly enough, during our walk I met the first other American I have seen while on Leyte. He is from Illinois and his wife is from Borseth. They were on vacation at their home in Borseth.

After several hours, we made a rather hasty exit from Borseth. It was getting dark and there seemed to be some concern about all of us travelling the distance to Carigara after dark. Danny made arrangements for his friends with the motorcycles to come to Borseth to pick us up and take us to the highway so we could catch the bus from Carigara.

Just after they arrived, one of the motorcycles got a flat and had to be taken to the repair shop to have the tire patched. When this was done and both motorcycles were at Antonio's house, we mounted up (four to a bike). Chris sat on the tank in front of the driver. I sat behind the driver, Enia was behind me and Adrienne was last. Just as we were leaving, it began raining. We traveled through the now dark countryside until we arrived at the bus stop on the highway about 30 minutes later. Chris was throughly drenched, the driver (Jonathan) and I were very wet as well. Enia and Adrienne were fairly dry. Needless to say the kids found this part of the trip very exciting. Chris has been asking to go back on a motorcycle ever since.

The Farm near Santol: Sunday, July 31, 2005

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The farm is where Danny and his mother spend a lot of their time. Danny has rice fields, cassava, coconut trees, santol, jackfruit, guava. He also has pigs and chickens. Jerry had gone ahead of us and prepared lunch, including caribaw and chicken. We spent several hours there. Chris and Adrienne chased chickens. For me, this was the best part of the day. Enia's other brother, Poldo, whom I hadn't yet met, was there with his wife. This was a chance for Enia, Luz and Maribeth to spend some time with him. Nestled in a coconut grove and surrounded by rice fields, the farm is very beautiful and peaceful. I can see why Enia's mother and brother Danny enjoy spending time there.

When we had finished lunch and socializing, Danny used his cell phone to text his friends with the motorcycles and in about 20 minutes they arrived to take us through the countryside on a narrow dirt road to Brgy. Borseth, where we would visit with Enia's brother Antonio and his family. The last picture is of Chris on the motorcycle as we prepared to leave the farm.

Hike from Santol to the Farm: Sunday, July 31, 2005

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After several hours in Santol we took a hike on a footpath through the countryside to the farm. On the way, we passed through coconut groves, crossed a small river (where we saw a carabao close-up).

Elementary School, Brgy. Santol: Sunday, July 31, 2005

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While in Santol, we conversed with Enia's friends and acquaintances. The pictures above are of Santol Elementary School, a one room school that Enia attended up to grade 3.

Brgy. Santol: Sunday, July 31, 2005

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Before entering Santol, we stopped at the marker for a picture of Enia and the kids. Santol is a small village in the countryside where Enia grew up. The second picture is of one of the streets in the village. Upon our arrival in Santol, we were greeted by friends, relatives and the Brgy. Captain (the equivalent of the mayor).

We then proceeded to the small chapel where Enia, Luz and their mother participated in a the saying of the Rosary. While this was going on, the rest of us sat nearby. Above is a picture of the street with the chapel at the end and the inside of the chapel.

By Foot and Motorcyle from Hibucuan to Santol

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We got off the jeepney at Hibucuan. We were met there by some friends of Danny who had motorcycles. We agreed that some of our party would proceed to Santol by motorcycle, while others would walk. The kids (of course) wanted to take the motorcycles. I elected to walk so I could take pictures. Above are pictures of Chris and Adrienne on the motorcycles. Adrienne is with Christopher Romero and her Uncle Danny. Chris is with his Uncle Reynaldo and Enia's sister Luz (who lives in White Plains). It is quite common in the Philippines to see up to four people (including the driver) on a motorcycle.

The trip to Santol was through the countryside on a narrow road, sometimes paved and sometimes dirt/gravel. We passed small houses, coconut groves and rice fields. It included a number of stops to visit with friends and family. One of the pictures (above) is of Enia with her long-time friend Remy, who was visiting with her family. Remy works in Israel.

Excursion to Santol & Borseth: Carigara to Hibucuan, Sunday, July 31, 2005

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Yesterday was the most exciting and interesting day of the trip. As you will see from the posts detailing the day, we had a bit of "adventure-travel." We made an excursion to the Baranguay (Brgy.) Santol where Enia was born and grew up. On the way we passed through another Brgy. named Tuba. After spending some time in Santol, we walked through the countryside to Enia's mother's farm. After spending some time there we traveled by motorcycle to Brgy. Borseth, where Antonio and his family live. We spent several hours in Borseth before taking a motorcycle (in the pouring rain) to the town of Alang-Alang, where we caught a bus to Carigara.

We started out by taking a jeepney from Carigara to Hibucuan. Each jeepney is unique both outside and in. They are converted and customized jeeps that seat multiple passengers. Typically, each has a driver and a "conductor," who stands on a platform on the back of the vehicle. The conductor seems to be responsible for the passengers (fares, cargo, seating etc.) and for minor on-road maintenance (ours filled the radiator with water at one stop).

Jeepney drivers put New York City taxi drivers to shame. They get you where you want to go quickly and efficiently (I am not certain about how safely). Our jeepney had a full load of passengers and quite a bit of cargo, including a live pig that was tied onto the back of the vehicle (which you might be able to make out on the left rear in the second picture). The driver manuevered his way through the traffic on the two-lane highway from Carigara to Hibucuan.

Pictures from Leyte and Cebu

2005-07-30T17:24:00.000-07:00

This post will basically be pictures we have taken thus far with an explanation.

The first picture is of our hotel (Marriott) in Cebu. It is located downtown near a major shopping mall, the Ayala. In the foreground are some of the Jeepneys which are a common form of transportation in the Philippines.
The second picture is of us at the top of a mountain that overlooks Cebu City. We traveled up there at night with our friends - Joe Maxino's family. It was actually cold up there.
The next picture is of us disembarking from the SuperCat ferry we took from Cebu to Ormoc, Leyte. With us are Enia's brother, Danny and her cousin Gerry.
The next picture is of the area adjacent to the ferry pier in Ormoc Leyte. The transportation was different here - many motorcycles with sidecars. We didn't take one of those - we had a van with a driver.
The next picture is of the Senilla family pedicab, owned by Enia's brother Reynaldo. This is a common form of transportation in Carigara. Many families have them and they are for hire as well.
The last picture in this post is an induction procession of one of Carigara's elementary schools. The entire school marched down the road. They played music and had signs. Some of the students were carrying baskets of fruit.

Carigara, Leyte, Philippines: Thursday and Friday, July 28, 29, 2005

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When we arrived in Carigara I immediately liked it. It is a fairly large town on the shore of Carigara Bay. Our unfinished house (see photo) is situated on the far side of the town half a block from an elementary school. Living in it is a little "primitive," but it could be a lot worse. We have running water and electricity. Although there are some "issues" with the bathroom, it basically functional. The walls of the house are unfinished, as is the floor, front and back of the house (see picture). The worst thing is the humidity; it is very humid and although we have a ceiling fan in the "living room" and a couple of floor standing fans, we are basically moving humid air around. Despite the few discomforts, I like the fact that we are in the middle of town and sort of a part of life here.

Yesterday, we spent most of the time just talking with the relatives who were present to meet us. Enia's brothers Antonio, Danny and Reynaldo, along with her cousin Gerry, have really gone out of their way to make us welcome and comfortable. It is such a pleasure to finally meet them and get to spend some time with them.

Today, Danny and I took a walk through town; we visited the library and the municipal offices where we got a map of the town. We then stopped at a small grocery store and were sitting inside having a soda when the all the students from the school up the street from our house came down the street in a parade. Luckily I had my camera and took some pictures of them. The children, like everyone I have met here, were all smiles and very friendly.

Adrienne, Chris and Christopher Romero went with their Aunt Maribeth and Uncle Gerry to the beach to do some swimming.

Tomorrow (Saturday), Enia and her family are attending a funeral in a nearby town. They will be taking a bus there. I will be staying in town with the kids. On Sunday we supposed to travel to Enia's mother's farm for the day. We are supposed to attend the fiesta in Borseth on Monday; and then later that day we will be going to Leyte's largest city, Tacloban, to stay in a hotel there.

The kids seem to be having fun, but this morning Christopher told Enia he wanted to go home or to a hotel. I think the living conditions (an unfinished house and the humid weather) seems to be getting to both of them.

Enia seems to be enjoying the time with her family, particularly her mother, brothers and sisters. Other friends and relatives have been stopping in to visit. She too has mentioned the conditions are getting to her. Maybe because of all the wilderness camping I have done, the conditions don't bother me as much. I am just enjoying being here and a part of life in Carigara.

It is interesting, as I have walked around town, numerous people (I don't know) wave and say "Hello Joe." I feel like (and maybe I am) the only non-Filipino in the town. Everywhere I go, I get stares. However, Carigara seems to be a warm and friendly place.

Last night Enia, Angelene, Reynaldo, Danny, Jerry and I finished the day by going down to the shore to sit by the water and have a San Miguel and freshly roasted peanuts.

Leyte, Philippines

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These images were taken from the road to Carigara from Ormoc on the island of Leyte in the Philippines. We drove by many rice fields, coconut groves, sugar cane fields and banana trees. Along the way we passed numerous small towns and individual farms.

This post is being made from Carigara, Leyte, Philippines. There is an internet cafe, with a DSL connection, less than a block from our house here. Not realizing how close it was, I felt kind of silly having asked my brother-in-law to escort me here. I am going to cover quite a bit to get caught up. Our flight from NYC through Vancouver to Hong Kong and then connecting to Cebu City, Cebu, Philippines was not nearly as bad as I had thought it was done. First, I would like to say how impressed both Enia and I were with Cathay Pacific Airlines. They really know how to serve their customers. From check-in at JFK to our landing in Cebu, everything was really smoothly done. The staff is courteous, helpful and very efficient. I would highly recommend flying them if you have a choice.The flight over here was nothing out of the ordinary except for one event. On the first leg of the flight, from NYC to Vancouver, about an hour before our touch-down in Vancouver, Enia fainted. As best as we can figure it, she was exhausted and stressed out from all the packing and preparations. She had very little sleep. Apparently, she was resting in her seat and then got short of breath. I happened to be stretching my legs standing behind her, when she all of sudden stood up, turned and looked at me, smiled and then collapsed. The Cathay flight attendants were great. They came to our immediate assistance and gave her oxygen. One of them was a registered nurse. Enia became herself in a short time, but at the suggestion of the Cathay crew, they called ahead and had EMTs meet us at the gate. Enia and I walked out of the plane to meet them - they put her on a stretcher and immediately began taking vital signs and asking her questions. She was, by that time, fine. There was some talk of her having to go to the hospital in Vancouver (which would have meant all of us getting off the plane and our itinerary going up in smoke), but she convinced them she was fine and wanted to continue. Luckily, the captain of the plane (who had the final word) agreed and we were able to continue on after she signed a release. The whole affair was kind of bizarre, as everyone seemed to think it was me that was going to have the problem on the flight. Anyway, Enia is fine. Again I was impressed with how the Cathay personnel handled the whole situation.Upon our arrival in Hong Kong, we had only 50 minutes to make our other flight. Not realizing that it must be a half mile from our arrival gate to our departure gate, some of us did a little duty free shopping on the way and we barely made the flight. That was the first time I ever boarded a flight during 'last call." In two and half hours we were landing in Cebu. As we approached Mactan International Airport I noticed some of the home along the shore. They were mostly on stilts and looked rather rundown. This could be contrasted with some high rise hotels and condos nearby. This was my first clue as to what I was going to see in Cebu City.Customs and immigration was uneventful, relatively fast and efficient. We had completed the paperwork during the flight, so the immigration officer simply checked our forms and passports and informed me that because I had married someone who was born in the Philippines, I could remain here for up to a year.One interesting thing that happened during the immigrations process was that as we were waiting for our turn, I noticed the baggage claim area just beyond the immigration checkpoint. I could see the belt and the luggage from the plane going around it. I noticed the five large boxes we had taken with us being off-loaded by a porter (without us being there or asking him to do it). So while at the immigrations desk, I had one eye on him to see what he was going to do. After he had collected our five boxes he just stood there. When we went over to him, he asked if we were "Blaser" and then offered to get carts and assist us with our luggage. Basically he hired himself for us - pretty swift! Anyway, we loaded everything up and proceeded out of the baggage area into the arrival areas. Once out there we were approached numerous times by taxis offering to take us to our hotel. Fortunately for us, Enia had made arrangements for three of her brothers: Reynaldo, Danny and Antonio to meet us with a van to take our luggage to a ferry and onward to Leyte. We would remain on Cebu overnight and proceed on the next day.We were simultaneously met by the family of our friends Joe and Vicky Maxino; Inday, Carmen, Theresa, Kirby, Maxine and Hannah Lee. They had hired a van and driver to take us to our hotel and then for a tour of Cebu City. My initial impression of everyone - customs officials, porters and our friends and family was how everyone smiled and was friendly. I immediately felt comfortable and welcome.We spent some time in the arrivals area talking to everyone and then we went off with the Maxinos and our luggage went with the Senilla brothers. Driving to the hotel, I was immediately struck by how many people were driving (in a variety of vehicles) and walking in the city. It was extremely busy and congested. Our driver, Manuel was amazing in how he navigated the city streets and traffic. There is no way I could have driven in Cebu. I wouldn't have even tried. I must admit that I was surprised by the living conditions I saw as we drove through Cebu. It is very difficult to describe the homes, except to say that most of what we saw seemed to be pieced together with whatever was available. As I told Enia later, in more than 10 years of discussions with friends, both Filipinos and Americans who had visited the country, no one ever said anything to me that hinted at the conditions some people live in Cebu City.We really owe Joe, Vicky and his family in Cebu a tremendous thank you. Having them there to meet us and take us through the city made all the difference in the world. They gave us a great tour of the city and we had a lot of fun with them. Not only did we tour to various locations downtown, but we also went up to a mountaintop overlooking the city and had a great nightime view. We then went to the Majestic Restaurant for a nice dinner. For me, the highlight of our time in Cebu was our visit to Joe's house in the old part of the city. Carmen and Inday had a nice meal prepared for us there and then we talk a walk to bustling Colon Street.We stayed in the Marriott Cebu City. It is located downtown. It is a really fine hotel. The service was excellent and the rooms were on par of what you would expect in a Marriott in the U.S. The staff was helpful, courteous and efficient. Our room (for 4) was $62 a night with a great breakfast buffet the next morning. We were then off to the SuperCat ferry for a two hour ride from Cebu to Ormoc, Leyte. Again, we had help. Enia's brother Danny and her cousin Gerry met us at the ferry and helped us get through the security checks. Security checks are something of a constant in the Philippines. I hardly saw any policemen in Cebu, but nearly every building and store has an armed security guard. The SuperCat ride between the islands was smooth and comfortable. When we arrived in Leyte, we were met by more of Enia's family including her sister Maribeth who is on holiday from Hong Kong and her niece Angie Rose. They had hired a van with a driver to take us to Carigara, about an hour and half north of Ormoc.Leyte was really a contrast to Cebu City. Ormoc, a smaller city than Cebu City, did not appear nearly as crowded and conditions looked better there. There seemed to be fewer cars, but many more motorcycles with sidecars. We did a short tour through the city and proceeded north toward Carigara. The ride up was through rural areas, a combination of farming areas (sugar cane, coconut plantations, banana trees and rice fields. It is very picturesque. I was somewhat surprised with how good the roads were. It was a great ride - the driver stopped so I could take pictures and the Angie Rose, situated in the front seat, took video footage.

Where are we going?

2005-07-25T08:29:00.000-07:00

This probably should have been before the others, but so be it. The Philippines is our first and main destination on the trip. As you may know, the Philippines is made up of more than 7000 islands, most of them uninhabited. We will be going to the island of Leyte in the area of the Philippines called the Visayas. It is a fairly large island in the central part of the country. Tacloban is the capital of Leyte. Our destination is Carigara, a town on the north end of the island, approximately 2 hours from Tacloban. We will be flying into Cebu, a neighboring (more populated) island and then taking the Supercat ferry to the city of Ormoc on Leyte. That takes a couple of hours. Enia's brother Antonio will be meeting us in Ormoc with a driver and van to take us to Carigara. I don't know what we would do without Antonio!