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09/2-11/2011 Trip to Philippines with Matt and Olivia.. Slideshow

Philippines Trip Log

Friday 9/2 - Matt and Olivia fly from Chicago thru Hong Kong and Laura and Tom fly from Portland thru Seoul, Korea. Manila is 15 hours ahead of Portland and 13 hours ahead of Chicago.

Saturday 9/3 - It is about a 24 hour trip and the four of us finally meet at the Manila airport a little before midnight. Olivia’s cousin and wife pick us up and take us to our hotel. We go to the wrong hotel first. It had a similar name. We get to sleep around 2am

Sunday 9/4 – We meet Olivia’s brother Henry and family plus her friend Shirley. They take us around Manila: Philippine General Hospital, Rizal Park and Intramuros (the old Spanish city)

Monday 9/5 - Fly an hour to Cebu and stay on Maclan Island. Take a day trip to a small beach and have lunch on the west part of Maclan. Go into Cebu City for BBQ dinner and see Magellan’s Cross. Try to visit the Spanish Fort San Pedro but it is closed.

Tuesday 9/6 – Take a two hour jet ferry to Bohol and do a lunch boat on the green Loboc River, visit a Tarsier Conservation Park (a very cute small animal only found in this part of the world), climb up to viewpoint of the Chocolate Hills, tour the Church of the Immaculate Conception and then jet ferry back to Cebu quite a full day.

Wednesday 9/7 – Fly an hour to Boracay and stay at a fancy beach resort for two nights. Beautiful white sand beach and turquoise water right outside our hotel.

Thursday 9/8 – Water sport day Matt and Tom do helmet diving, snorkeling, parasailing and island hopping with Olivia and Laura enjoying the boat rides.

Friday 9/9 – Fly an hour back to Manila and stay at a modern hotel on Manila Bay. Dinner with Olivia’s cousin and wife at a place on the water.

Saturday 9/10 – Day trip 2 hour drive south to Tagaytay and the Taal Volcano. Boat trip out on the big lake to the small island in the middle with the volcano. Laura and Olivia take horses up the trail to the view above the active volcano and Matt and Tom hike along behind. Late lunch with Olivia’s brother Henry and family in Tagaytay with a nice view. Back to hotel in Manila.

Sunday 9/11 – Fly back home 24 hour trip but we do gain 15/13 hours so we get back the same day in the afternoon. Great trip with Olivia being a great hostess and tour guide.