The Philippines!!!
We had a great 10-day vacation from rainy Taiwan. It was truly what the doctor ordered. For the first few days, we stayed in over-populated Cebu City, trying to see the sights and relax. It didn’t work very well. So, we rode the bus to a place Michael had read about, a seaside village, Moalboal. At Panagsma Beach Moalboal, we got a little room directly on the ocean, had a glass of mango juice, and heaved a sigh of relief. This was the place. We ended up staying there for the rest of our time. Everything was great! The scenery (think waves, coral and thatch roofs), people, food, experiences… it all mixed together and made something we won’t soon forget.
We learned how to scuba dive, so no tan – because we were underwater when it was sunny out… but as a result, we are now officially PADI-certified Open Water Scuba Divers. woo! We’re not sure it will do us much good in Michigan, that is unless anyone knows of a lake that actually has decent underwater visibility. Mainly it sounded like a heck of a lot of fun, something to overcome and have with us as an exploring option for the rest of our lives. It seems anyone can do it – we saw teenagers, older folks, skinny rails, fat guys, buff, weak, pretty, ugly. Scuba diving apparently does not discriminate. It was hard work at times, but so rewarding to see the underwater world for ourselves! We met some young travelers not unlike us, Tom and Sarah from Canada, who were great conversation and great fun. We dove together once when Tom had his underwater camera, so maybe you’ll eventually get to see what we saw… for now, envision a Discovery Channel special on tropical reefs and the incredible variety of species that make their home in brightly-colored corals, just a few feet under the blue-green, clear waters. I would say it was breath-taking, but you’re in trouble if you stop breathing underwater. It was mind-boggling and dreamlike.
I posted all the pictures from our trip on the Pictures page, and commented on everything. I tend to do much better with photojournalism. Maybe later I’ll tell some stories.
We’re glad to be back in Taiwan where everything is familiar. I was actually glad to hear Chinese upon my return, even if I can’t understand most of what they’re saying. Still, everything was just as we left it in our little apartment, dirty clothes and all. This really is our home!
Love to you all.
Emily
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