Show them all your good parts; leave town when the bad ones start to show...

The two weeks I spent at the house near Sampaguita on Tongo Point just flew by. I was trying to decide today, as I made my way to Bangkok, what my favorite part of my stay in the Philippines was. It's impossible to say, I think. As usual, I have too many favorites. I met some absolutely wonderful people on the island of Cebu, and it's yet another place I could see myself returning to at some point. I have to mention the Insik family, who could not possibly have made me feel more welcome. As a friend of Mark & Judy's (Seth's parents) I was instantly treated as a member of their extended family. Reney, the family patriarch, took a particular liking to me (not sure why, but he seemed somehow amused by me)... he was particularly charmed by my clumsy efforts with Cebuano and I was equally charmed by his warm greetings, songs, and his walking up the beach this morning to bid me farewell. Reney, his wife Zosama, and their daughters Elvie, Hermine and Fermine along with their husbands and children were all so much fun to be around. I almost sneaked little Jonreil, who by the end of the trip was referring to me as "Auntie Josie", into my backpack to take home with me. :)

You can all look forward to many many stories about all of these people when I return... Shannon and I are hatching plans to return soon, and there will be lots of projects in the works I think. That was another piece of this chunk of the trip that was so amazing... it was such a treat to be around people I know and love. I wondered if it might make me feel homesick to be around familiar faces, but it didn't; I just thoroughly enjoyed it. I loved: the gorgeous 5:30 sunsets, the abundance of beautiful fruit (best mangoes ever!), the snorkeling, the adventures by tricycle, the calderita (goat stew) that Elvie made, the "mother of fried chicken" that Brother Fili made, listening to Makaia sing and Sierra play guitar, Tanduay rum for 75 cents a pint, falling asleep in the hammock whilst watching fireflies and listening to the waves, swimming in caves and under waterfalls, the daily smoothies, breaking into song with Shannon and/or Seth several times a day, long talks on the deck about "luxury problems", and traveling with people who have the foresight to pack fresh coffee, manchego and cheddar cheeses, and Trader Joe's truffles and peanut butter. :) I did not love: the cockfights (much like the bullfights in Spain, I'd say these were a once in a lifetime experience for me), waiting for water to arrive (yes, there is running water, but it comes from a 250 gallon tank outside the house that needs to be refilled; this might qualify as a luxury problem), or the mosquitos (although they certainly loved me!).

I know I will not forget my time on the island of Cebu. From the 3am arrival and crazy cab ride there, to rattling down the road to town in the back of a lumber truck this morning to catch the bus back to the airport, the past two weeks have been the perfect mix of adventure, relaxation and fun. I arrived in Bangkok in the wee small hours of the morning after 2+ hour delays for both of my flights. I'm looking forward to a little sleep and to seeing what Thailand has to offer.