The Long Awaited Week

We have been waiting and looking forward for so long to this week when family would come to the Philippines to see us. Finally they got here, Robin, Nicky, Todd and Lisa came.

We crammed as much as possible into those few short days. We started off with a horse drawn cart tour of the old Spanish fort in Manila

We visited the Bataan Death march camp at Capas

While at Capas there was a school there on a field trip with hundreds of students. They were more interested in us than they were in the memorial. They all wanted pictures with the Americans.

We also went to Nayon Philippino, a heritage park where they put on a show. Lucky Todd was chosen to learn the dance

Todd and Lisa brought nacho cheese and chili and we had a FHE with all the missionaries and served them nachos and chili dogs. That was a big hit.

We have a big house with plenty of room but not plenty of chairs but they don't care where they have to sit.

Our New Zealand Elders doing the hauka

It was a fun afternoon for all of us

The elders sharing a ride home!

Of course we had to experience a trike ride

We drove about 9 hours to see the famous terraced rice field in Baneau. It was a beautiful drive up a terrible winding road.

Nicky, Robin, Todd, and Lisa at a look out point along the way

President and Sister Javier agreed to accompany us as our driver and tour guides. It sure made for a more relaxing trip to have them with us. Such wonderful people.

The mountains were covered with terraced farming of all kinds

Just as we were reaching our destination the clouds moved in and covered our view of the rice terraces!

To add insult to injury we cut a tire in a rock and had to change it in the rain.

We spent the night at a hotel in Baguio and had a wonderful free breakfast there.
The next day we shopped and enjoyed Baguio. 

The last day we went to 100 islands park where we rented a boat and went out among the islands

And they swan and snorkeled

We had lunch on our own little private beach

It was a great week but went by all too fast and now we are alone again!