Southern Luzon

We live on an island called Luzon.  It's rather big, and will take us some time to explore all there is to explore.  However, we decided one day to go on a drive down south an hour and a half to a place called Batangas.  We were hoping to see the ocean and feel like we were on an island. . . that didn't happen!  Turns out Batangas is a crowded place that is not really a resort town.  For the resorts we would have had to travel a bit more to the east or west.  We drove right next to the water and could not see it because of the houses or buildings that were in the way of such a view!!  Disappointing.  So, we decided to make the best of it and take a scenic route home.  Not one full of water views, but more of the country side.  We were driving along when we found these creatures next to the road.

 It's a thing here to have sculptures like this done.  They are quite good and really fun to look at!  We have seen some super hero's as well in other shops, but never stopped to actually take a closer look.  I thought the dinosaur was truly unique and was tempted to get it to hide in the bushes/trees so as people walked up our driveway they would be startled by a dinosaur standing in the bushes/trees.  I really have the perfect place for it.  I'm still considering such a thing!  It would be so great.  A giraffe would work as well, i think.

This picture really shows how happy Andrew was.  He was mad I wouldn't let him sit on the elephant.  I just didn't think it was a good idea!

They have these spectacular wooden tables here.  Of course this shop owner wanted to take advantage of the foreigner and quoted me an astronomically high, almost funny price, but it gives me ideas for things to look for in the future.  It's so cool looking!

Yes, that is a pineapple inside of a lighted up globe that I'm sure is lit up at night. Why?  No idea.  Because they can?  I may have to drive back to see it at night one day.

 So that concludes the south loop we did.  I'm just starting to think of everyone else, so hopefully I'll get better pictures and more details about our adventures as I go!

Another day trip:

Just last Monday was a holiday here in the Philippines.  So since Josh didn't work, kid's didn't have school, we took off to tour the east side of the lake we live on.  We live right on the south end of it, drive on the west side of it up to Manila all the time, so we thought we would again see the landscape and see what we could see.

We found beautiful rice fields surrounded by mountains and hills.

And we found rice drying by the side of the road.  Many times while driving through these areas there are patches of rice drying on the road.  It's a flat and hot surface to dry the rice, so they do!

 We found plenty of fruit stands lining the highway or in small villages.

We found beautiful views as we drove up and down the different hills.

We even found a wind farm that made us connect with our time in the mid-western USA.  It was cool to see them take advantage of the wind they must get!  I wondered what it was like as the typhoon winds come through the area! 

This was one of the best views on our drive.  You can see the lake in the distance.  It was so spectacular!  Pictures don't seem to take the breathe away like the real thing!

Then we came to Manila.  It's heart wrenching to see the contrast.  The bridge was lined with poor huts, if you can call them that.  They get torn down at the slightest typhoon and get flooded whenever the monsoons are too heavy.  Going from the beauty the island has to offer, to the poverty the city has to offer, is really a contrast.

If I could separate the above statement from what I'm about to say with a bit more distance, I would.  But I can't.  

To end our 5 hour drive, we stopped off for the first time in over a year, at a Texas Roadhouse to eat lunch/dinner.  For me it was so nice.  I walked in and about started crying because I could smell the rolls.  Yes, I almost cried over the rolls.  We don't get up to Manila often as a family, but when we do, this small luxury means the world to us!  We do miss home.  My kids have felt the effects of this move more as we don't know how long we will be here.  We miss our family and our friends and in India we missed some of our comfort foods.  Well, it's nice that here, in Manila, we have some of our comfort back!  Even if it is just food.  We loved every minute of eating here!!

It's the little things that sometimes bring the most happiness!!