Philippines

I ventured out to the Philippines. There was even a typhoon a couple days before my departure, but that didn't stop my friends and me. We had our tickets, and it was going to take a little more than a typhoon to set us back. So, with adventuresome spirits and visions of mangoes in our heads, we headed out to find what else the world had to offer.

I was very blessed this trip because I went with two friends that grew up in the Philippines. So, they could guide us around Manila, and they made everything quite comfortable for us. I didn't have to do any planning, I just showed up with a little money.

We spent some wonderful time in Boaracy. This is a beach resort area. The sand is white, and the water is clear blue-green. The palm trees danced in the wind, and the reefs were filled with tropical fish. The snorkeling was truly amazing.

The rest of the trip was spent in Manila. We toured the city, and we headed for every snack food vendor we could find. It was amazing how many mango shakes and hala halas we consumed. A hala hala is an ice drink where you mix a lot of different things in the ice. You can find beans, cheese, flan, jellies, cornflakes, and lots more of mysteries. They are really quite good, but you have to have an adventuresome spirit to give it a go. In Manila I ate my first whole fish. I'm not a seafood person, but I went ahead and took the plunge and ate a Bangus, a milk fish. This fish is very popular in the Philippines, and it actually, was pretty good. I'm changing in more ways than one!

It was a great trip, and I got to form stronger friendships. Life is so much greater with good friends.