a dream that was the Philippines. . .

That's pretty much how I've felt since we returned from our Filipino odyssey. I keep asking myself, "Did we really do that?!?" I wish I could go back and replay it all in my head again. Frequently, Bill and I would look at each other in the back of a taxi, mouths agape with the mutual expression of, "Can you believe what we just saw?" or "How we did get out of that situation?" or "Where do all these people come from and where are they all going?" etc. etc. ETC.!

"Manila's moniker, the 'Pearl of the Orient', couldn't be more apt - its cantankerous shell reveals its jewel only to those resolute enough to pry. No stranger to hardship, the city has endured every disaster both humans and nature has thrown at it, and yet today the chaotic metropolis thrives as a true Asian megacity. Skyscrapers pierce the hazy sky, mushrooming from the grinding poverty of expansive shantytowns, while gleaming malls foreshadow Manila's brave new air-conditioned world. The congested roads snarl with traffic, but, like the overworked arteries of a sweating giant, they are what keep this modern metropolis alive." Excerpted from our travel guide. I could not describe Manila any better.

Here are my impressions and thoughts on our trip. . . .

BRITA!

Meeting Brita's friends and investigators/ Seeing her in action still doing missionary work/ The love the people have for her/ Speaking Tagalog and serving as our tour guide.

I wish I could have gotten more pictures of Brita communicating with our drivers. She was the hero of getting us where we needed to go. Every time she spoke Tagalog, everyone would ask her how she knew the language.

Jhunel and his sister. We took them to the mall to hang out with us and ended up at the arcade, a teenager's paradise.

Sweet Ivy, I was looking forward to meeting her from learning so much about her from Brita. We were only able to meet her on our way home. She is without parents and working and putting herself through school, a very brave girl.

Mary Lou on Brita's right had not been to church since the sister missionaries left the area almost 2 years ago. Brita asked her to come to church with us and she did! She received so much love from the sisters in the ward.

Hanging out at the institute. Notice Elder Cook on the TV. No one was listening, it was so noisy, full of active young adults. Bill was enjoying a ping pong match with a few of them.

Another amazing story from the family. Sister put herself through dental school after her husband left the family. An amazing feat in the Philippines.

The Hernandez family. All of the families we met lived in very humble circumstances, yet they insist on feeding you when you visit.

Jhunel and his grandparents in their modest home.

Meeting President and Sister Ostler, Brita's mission president, who gave high praise to our sister missionary.

Frosties at Wendy's!

Ping pong buddies

FOOD

The good, the bad, and the ugly

A busy Filipino outdoor market

For the most part I loved the food. However, some of the food did not love us back. We each got sick eventually. The middle photo is called a "Boodle Fight". Your food is served on banana leaves and you eat it with your hands. Bill thinks that is what put us over the edge. Some of my favorites were Adobo and Pancit (bottom left). The top left photo was a spread put on by our snorkeling boat captain. The top right photo is a traditional breakfast with a slightly cooked sunny side up egg, a spam type meat and rice. Photo on the bottom right was a meal served to us by Marylou. She didn't even know we were coming.

7-11s were everywhere! And they were great. You could get a full meal there. They have these deliciously soft stuffed rolls there. And they have green tea flavored Kit Kats.

Our yummy Sunday meal of mango, Tang, tuna, and rice.

Rumbutan anyone?

Wish I could have brought a few of these home.

Digging into the Boodle Fight against our better judgment. Notice the water. Do not drink the water! I thought I was doing a pretty good job of abiding by this principal, but I forgot that includes ice.

A generous meal fixed for us by the Sanchez family.

Look at the varieties of Tuna. Awesome!

Imagine loud cheesy American Christmas music while looking at this picture. Filipinos begin playing Christmas music in their stores beginning in September. This store was on the first floor of the building we were staying in. I could have spent all day in here if not for the music.

Bill was fascinated with the fish counter.

Never stand under a jack fruit tree!

Rice drying on mats.

TRANSPORTATION

Jeepneys, taxis, trikes, vans, buses, etc. / Traffic

Our ride to church. Got dropped off right at the door. Now that's service!

Jeepney drivers are amazing. They take your money, (about 8 pesos) make change, and negotiate the crazy traffic all at the same time. We got about 47 pesos to the dollar.

How many can you fit on a Jeepney? Just one more!

Hopping on a trike on Palawan.

On our trike, a motorcycle with a side car attached.

Okay, look carefully at this picture. For one thing, the driver's view is obscured which adds to the danger. He texts while driving which you can't see. We are driving on a road which is pretty much a mud bath and under construction. And, he was a safer driver than the one we came over this windy mountain road with on Palawan.

While walking in Manila, you have to walk single file and in the roads often times. You just have faith that you will not get hit.

 FILIPINO LIFE
Malls, Karaoke, Security Guards, Electricity, etc.

Filipinos love their malls. This one was 5 stories tall!

Take a close look at this picture. This is nothing unusual or out of the ordinary for electrical wires in the Philippines. In fact, this was a little tame compared to some of the wires I saw. I was fascinated by how all this worked.

Don't eat the wire! Seriously!

I couldn't find a picture of a security guard which is surprising because they were everywhere. Every store and just about every door you entered had a security guard. Every time we walked into a mall we had our bags searched. I guess it made us feel a little safer. They also open the doors for you so almost never open a door by yourself.

Another typical Filipino activity is karaoke. They love it! Everywhere you go you hear someone belting out karaoke. And I mean BELTING out. There is no shy here no matter if you are in tune or not (and mostly not, believe me).

 PALAWAN
We visited this beautiful island for a couple of days. This was also in Brita's mission although she didn't have an opportunity to serve here. She arranged for us to go to the peaceful village of Port Barton. Unfortunately, Bill and I were sick for part of the time here, but we still enjoyed this beautiful part of the Philippines.

The view from our porch

Enjoying the beach

Exploring the streets of Port Barton

Feeling the effects of whatever we ate or drank

Snorkeling was definitely worth it

Our boat captain

Beach combing

Mr. Crabs

Our boat captain cooked us a delicious meal, but Bill still wasn't sure.

Native demonstration at the Butterfly Garden. Don't we all look thrilled? Not sure what this had to do with butterflies, but it sure was interesting.

Massive croc at the Crocodile Farm

Palawan bear cat

Bearded pigs

BEAUTY (beauty is in the eye of the beholder)

Triangle Park

Beautiful Makati

American Military Cemetary

Manila temple. We were all prepared to go,but it was under renovation.

Intramuros

I am so glad that Brita gave us this opportunity to go to a place she grew to love so much. I never thought I would have the chance to go, but I loved every minute of it. Even while I was sick, I thought of how blessed I was to be there. If you have to be sick, why not be sick in such a beautiful place. It was definitely an education of a life time packed into 10 short days.