In the last 4 weeks we…
Wound our way around the Cordillera Sky Loop in northern Luzon where we enjoyed incredible views, went caving, hiked mountains, met mummies, enjoyed a local festival and generally enjoyed being in the mountains.
Hiked up Mt Pinatubo, the volcano that erupted violently in 1997, which combined with a powerful typhoon to drastically alter the landscape with lahars and cause death and destruction for miles around.
Took a 10 hour overnight bus from Manila to Legazpi, the capitol of the Bicol region. In Bicol we failed to see whale sharks, marveled at Mt Mayon, tried sting ray (it’s good!), and saw what it’s like to live in the shadow of an active volcano.
Then we headed south, making our way by bus and ferry and cool little boat with bamboo outriders to the island of San Antonio off of Northern Samar. Here we stayed for several days just relaxing while Sarah tried to get over a cold. The last day we took a trip out to “Seven Islands” where our hotel’s owner is building some new bungalows. They are set in an amazing location with incredibly clear water teaming with coral and fish in the little bay just in front of the new development, which is all being done with local woods and bamboo.
Sarah recovered enough to want to get moving and we continued south to Leyte island where I thought about my grandfather’s time in WWII running up these beautiful white beaches into a hellish storm of bullets and explosives. Then to Cebu City. We had some really good times wandering around these cool cities, celebrated St Patrick’s day in an Irish pub and then spent a while planning our first few moves in Indonesia.
Speaking of Indonesia, it’s time to board our second plane of the day on our way there! I’ll come back and add more pictures of our time in The Philippines sometime soon!