Lately, I have been thinking about all of the neat things that I have had an opportunity experience during my time here in the Philippines. I thought I would write a post that shows just some of the fun and interesting experiences that I have not written about on this blog. These opportunities are very interesting to me because most of them only happen in the Philippines, and I feel lucky that I've been able to take part in them during my time here.
Trip to Ibajay
The pictures below are from a trip that we took to Ibajay. My co-teacher's son was being dedicated at their church, so they invited us to spend the weekend at her family's house.
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| My co-teacher and her family. They are such a neat family! |
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| Karoake is a very popular past-time here in the Philippines. |
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| Masarap! |
Ati-Atihan Festival
While we were in Ibajay, we were able to see one of the Ati-Atihan Festival parades. Each of the floats are decorated to celebrate the resources that are most valuable to that barangay.
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| Front of float |
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| Back of float |
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| Yes, those are real! |
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| My lunch date |
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While we were watching, one of the parade participants
thought it would be funny to put charcoal on our faces! |
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| The drums were so loud, I could feel them pounding in my chest. |
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| These participants were covered in seaweed. |
Cliff Jumping
On an island about 20 minutes from Boracay by boat is a place called Ariel's Point. You can take a daytrip there. Once there, you can snorkel, kayak, and go cliff jumping.
Helmet Diving
We had the chance to go helmet diving during which we wore helmets under water that were connected to oxygen tanks in the boat.
Duck Pin Bowling
We have taken a few trips to Ilo-Ilo city, which is about 6 hours from here. It is on Panay, the island south of Boracay. One of the things that we did there was go duck pin bowling. In duck pin bowling, you use a small, hard ball. You also get three rolls. There are people behind the pins that set them back up after each roll!
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Notice the feet between lane 1 and 2 as well as
the man picking up pins in lane 4. |
Bat Cave
There are a few bat caves in Boracay filled with fruit bats. Honestly, this was not an experience on the top of my list. However, Dan really wanted to check it out, so I decided it was a good time to be adventurous. :-) So, my friends and I headed over to the cave and a local guide showed us around the bat cave...
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Not so sure about this...
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| Climbing down guano-covered rocks. (Guano is a nice word for bat poop!) |
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| Snakes! |
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| Yes, those are all bats! |
Manila American Cemetery and Memorial
Finally, I have taken a few trips up to Manila. One of the things we did there was visit the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial at which are buried over 17,000 American and Filipino soldiers who gave their lives in WWII. That is not including the unbelievable list of soldiers that are listed as MIA. Before my visit here, I did not know that the number of soldiers that gave their lives in the Philippines was so great! It was an unforgettable place to visit.
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| Graves marked by marble crosses at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial |
Tagaytay
During my most recent trip to Manila, I had the opportunity to stay with some wonderful friends in Manila. They took us on a trip to Tagaytay, which is a few hours from Manila. There, we were able to view the countryside and see the Taal Volcano.
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| Landscape in Tagaytay |
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| Pineapple Fields |
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| Taal Volcano |
These are just some of the cool new things that I've experienced during my time here. I feel so lucky to have had these opportunities to explore and better understand the Filipino culture while serving here!
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| More to come soon from Boracay Island... |
