Pink Churches etal

Some things I love about the Philippines, the sunsets, the people, the warm water, the people, the smiles, the resiliency, the combination of old and new,  Today I was driving home from Moalboal, I decided to drive during “the fight”, figuring the roads would be clearer.  I was right; I made it home in record time.  Along the way I passed many people coming from the fight or church.  I tried to guess from their faces if Manny had won.  They were smiling and I was thinking the answer was yes. It turns out he lost.
I stopped in Minglanilla, to look at the pink church I have passed several times.  I parked in the church lot, the service inside, was broadcast outside.  There was a statue with a message, please fix the statue of Jose Rizal.  The fake Greek columns and steps and terraces could have been beautiful if they were not in such disrepair.  On the road again, I loved seeing the water buffalo being led down the center of the new SRP highway.  Had a burrito for dinner tonight, decent.  You’ve got to love the Philippines despite and because of its growing pains, contradictions and frustrations.

May Day, off to Moalboal

Off on May Day!  I like this. Off in the morning to Moalboal, a seaside town.  I hope to rest and perhaps snorkel.  Going to Cora’s place, I stayed at when I went before.  Moalboal is often suggested for good, “local” beaches, it is a 2 to 3 hour drive from here.  I am spoiled by the California beaches.  I love the long stretches of beach in Point Reyes.   Generally these are rocky beaches, although there are “white sand” spots throughout the Philippines.  The water here is much warmer and the reefs are great.  Moalboal is another of the many dive spots around, I hope to tag on a boat, called banka here, to snorkel.  

To catch you up, I had a long weekend, the end of March for Tucky’s 60^th birthday.  We flew to a sweet island, Camiguin.  We rented motorbikes for the day and went around the island.  Stopped at a beautiful waterfall.  We stayed in a very small “hotel”.  We had our own small building with a veranda, yummy breakfast and dinner at a restaurant owned by a guy from San Diego.

 

 Spring Break in Japan

Serene met me in Japan for spring break and we had a terrific trip! Tokyo was amazing, the amount of people, the train stations, the beauty. As we got off the train in Tokyo, we got lost in Shinjinkin station.  It must have six exits.  After walking for an hour, supposed to be a three minute walk, we finally took a cab.  Leaving Tokyo for Kyoto, two days later was also laughable.  We stood for an hour at the wrong level on the station, watching trains go by, until we realized our mistake.  

 We had one night in Kyoto, passing Mt. Fuji on the train, on the way.  The highlight for me here was the shrine behind Starbucks.  Across from our hotel was a Starbucks and behind that the shrine.  We learned about the hand washing, purification, at the shrines.  If I have this right, Shinto has shrines and Buddhism has temples, all of it fascinating.  Cherry blossom were in full bloom, we saw an illuminated show at the castle in Kyoto.  One could spend a lot of time there, but we had Sachiko for one day. Atchikochi.org  She was referred through Serene’s family, and she is delightful.  First stop was the Nishijin Textile Center, with a fashion show of kimonos.  On to the Golden Pavilion, the Gion district and Kennin-ji, the oldest Zen Temple in Kyoto.  We never could have done it without Sachiko guide us and to get us on and off buses.   

Next stop was Nara, an almost mystical place.  I think Serene and I both reacted to the forests.  Nara Park is known for having over 1000 deer roaming around.  We booked three nights in a ryokan, a Japanese guest house, located right next to the park.  We booked the meal plan.  I have never loved Sushi before, this was exquisite.  We had a choice of dinner served in our room or in the restaurant downstairs.  We tried both.  The dishes just kept coming!  The first night I had no idea what I was eating but I love meals with lots of tastes and small portions.  We learned to ask for a menu in English.  Nara is home to the Todai-Ji Temple with the largest bronze Buddha. It was awe inspiring.  We watched a ceremony at the Kasuga Taisha Shrine at the foot of the mountain.  The mountain is sacred, as Shintos “have faith in the veneration nature.”  It also has over 3000 lanterns. 

 I hope you enjoyed the short slide show.


Thanks if you've read this far, it's nice too know you care.  Moalboal was great, I didn't need a banka, I snorkeled right outside my door!  Awesome sunsets.

 Sardines and more sardines!

I’m off to a weekend in Singapore for a workshop in May.  School ends June 6th and I leave for China June 9^th.  The adventures continue!