Friday, March 16, 2012

Philippine Notes: The parking lot is full...

Yesterday is a blur. We woke up early in the morning in Manila and hopped on a Philippine Air flight to  Tagbilaran on the island of Bohol. From Tagbilaran we took a bus to Panglao Island where the wedding will be held. The drive through Tagbilaran was literally overwhelming, every sight along the way something new that I had never seen before. This truly is a different world. 

We settled in at the Amorita resort (http://www.amoritaresort.com/) and had an amazing meal while we waited for our room to be ready; the seafood here is fantastic. When we were able to get to our room (splurging on a garden villa) we were greeted by our own personal cold plunge pool, a beautiful room and a toilette that opens up outside to the island air. Interesting! After a short break we had to head out to the rehearsal dinner at the Bohol Bee Farm (http://www.boholbeefarm.com/), an organic farm and resort where we were treated to traditional Philippine crafts, massages, dancing and a buffet of organic dishes for dinner.  After dinner we headed back to Amorita and immediately crashed. Saturday is when everything will start to slow down for us...

1. The power lines in Tagbilaran are like nothing I have ever seen before. Thousands of them crowd the streets and form an amazingly complex spider web that must be impossible to maintain.

2. I haven't put my finger on it yet but the Philippines has a much greater impact on me as far as being in a foreign place, even more so than South Africa. On a simple drive through the country side or city, my brain can barely keep up.

3. Best banana shake I have ever had is at Amorita.  

4. Religion is at the forefront of most things here. The roads in Bohol are crowded with tricycles (motorcycles with 3 wheels and an extra seat). Each one is decorated to the hilt and topped off with a religious quote on the back. 

5. When you are landing in Tagbilaran, the pilot gives you frequent status updates on the availability of "parking spaces," a phrase I never thought I would hear about a plane I was on. One runway only, and very limited room to deplane meant we had to circle for a bit until "a parking space opened up."

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