Philippine Highlights - Papa Kit's Marina Resort

    On May 28 (Thursday) we went to Papa Kit's Marina and Fishing Lagoon.  Papa Kit's is an interesting place.  Located in Liloan just a short Jeepney ride north of Consolacion, this fairly new resort boasts some of the nicest facilities that I have ever experienced in the Philippines up to that time (we visited others of similar quality later in our tip).  An interesting mix of attractions makes it a good destination for a family (with members of different ages and interests).

     We got one of their package deals which included horseback riding, fishing, swimming, and (for my sweety and I) a ride on the 800 meter zip line (see my previous blog post for how that went...).  Also included was the hanging bridge which was (thank goodness) not open due to construction. 

      Our first stop was the horseback riding as it was right next to the entrance to the park.  Horses in the Philippines are a quite a bit smaller than the ones we are used to seeing in the states, so my kinder nature (didn't know I had one did you!) decided it would be borderline animal cruelty for me to sit on one of these poor creatures.  So I contented myself with picture taking while Daisy and our four kids went riding.  For their part, the horses were very well behaved and friendly and everyone had fun taking the leisurely 10-minute stroll on their horse.  As with everything at Papa Kit's, the staff were exemplary showing patience and courtesy through the whole experience.  For Abby and Aiden this was their first time to be on a horse, I think Aaron has done it before .

Our chariot for the day's activities

     From the horse paddock we jumped into the Papa Kit's "Shuttle" for a whirlwind tour of the entire park.  We drove by the hotel rooms (condos) built on piers right on the water.  They look very nice and modern from the outside (we did not go inside).  We got a good look at some of the private lagoon and mangrove forests that are part of this extensive property. 


     We decided to go to the fishing pond next so that there would be planty of time for the restaurant to prepare our fish to order for lunch.  This was great fun for the boys!  And I had a pretty good time too as we managed to catch quite a few fish.  We tossed most of them back (in spite of the no 'catch and release' rule) and only kept 3 or 4 of the larger ones.  The fish choices for fishing are 'Bangus' (milkfish) or Tilapia, but the guides explained that the tilapia were all pretty small so we opted for milkfish.  As for the fishing it was pretty simple, the bait is a kind of putty made of flour (I guessed) and placed on the hood to simulate the pellet food the fish are fed everyday.  As such the fish fairly fly onto the hook as soon as it is in range of them.  The trick is to keep them hooked as they really have a knack for spitting the hook out once they find out it was a cruel ruse and not feeding time.

Individual huts on the Bangus pond

     With our little bucket of milkfish in hand we paid a visit to the restaurant and gave instructions for their preparation, and placed orders for some other food to add to our lunch of fish.  Since Andy is violently allergic to fish this was kind of important, and with lunch ordered we set off in the shuttle again to continue our adventure.
     The zip line was next on the list but not before we had a look at the aviary and the monkey cage.  The zip line is covered in another blog post so I won't go into detail, and apparently the birds in the aviary have developed a nasty habbit of pecking on the visitors so we were not allowed inside.  We were pleased however to find one of their peacocks strutting around in full display which was awesome!

     Our lunch was truly a treat.  Very traditional filipino dishes nicely prepared to order.  The restaurant itself and the staff really made it special though.  I have never seen anyplace kept so clean, every time a group walks through the place someone comes along and sweeps up after them.  Again I can't say enough about the staff here and the restaurant is no different, right there every time you need them and so polite and accommodating. 

Shrimp Sinigang and Fried Bangus (milkfish)

 

      After lunch we went over to the small pool and went swimming (yes Mom, right after lunch...).  The pool is right next to a large pavilion with a full bar and two levels for large parties.  Both the Pavilion and the Pools are right next to the ocean lagoon and less than 500 meters from open ocean.
     Unlike 'most' pools I have seen in the Philippines, this one is extremely clean!  and the chlorine level did not seem over done as it is in most pools over there.  The water was very warm and felt a bit too much like a bathtub, but of course that did not stop us all from having a grand time splashing around.  They even had a very nice young man there as lifeguard and taking care of the water maintenance.  There is a very large lower pool planned but only partially constructed which will really take this part of the park to another level of  cool!

     We thoroughly enjoyed our day at Papa Kit's and happily recommend it to anyone visiting the Cebu City area looking to get away from the big city for a few hours or a few days

Philippines Highlights - My First (ever) Zipline

     On Thursday, May 28, I got a real feel for the adventure this trip would prove to be!  We visited a local resort called Papa Kit's which is located about 10 minutes north of Consolacion in a town called Liloan.  Papa Kit's is one of the nicest resorts we visited on this trip and I will blog about that later on.  One thing they have there is a Zip Line listed as being 800 Meters Long (that's over half a mile!).  To be truthful is is split into two lines, one going out to an island and the other coming back.

View from below the launch tower across 1/4 mile of open water to the landing area and return tower

Harness on and ready!

      Let me just preface this commentary by saying that I have a rule in my life that goes something like this;  "Never engage in a Risky activity in a country with no clear Safety Standards!".  So you can imagine my reaction when Daisy (my personal activity coordinator for the trip) announced that "We" were going to go on the zip line.  Then she told me that I was going first (to which I predicted that there would be no second) and sent me to get the harness gear on.   I started to protest but remembering that my kids were there I kept it under my breath.  I really was not confident that going on a zip line in the Philippines was a wise idea!

     I looked around carefully at the tower and cables, how it was all put together and how the cables were secured to the ground and found it all looked pretty solid.  They had two cables, one main and one backup which helped.  What did not help was our shuttle van driver (who worked for the resort) pointing out how "the line is completely over water so if you fall you will still live"... yikes!  Setting that aside and wanting my boys to have a good example of how not to be afraid to try new things I went to be fitted with the harness set.  I became a bit more at ease when I checked out the harness and found it good quality and US Made by Black Diamond. 

     With my harness on we moved over to the base of the tower which was a little over 50 feet high to the platform (the base of the tower was on a bluff at least that high above the water line) with 6 flights of stairs about 8 feet each.  I had my activities coordinator come along to document this madness in photos (on more than one occasion during this trip I have lamented not having a Go Pro video camera with me and this was one of them).  As predicted upon reaching the platform and looking out across the water my darling Daisy said "Maybe I Won't Go..." in a quiet little voice (tee hee!). 
     After a couple quick pictures at the top it was time to jump off the edge.  One of the guides went first on the other line (they have 2 side by side zip lines) to prepare for my arrival while the other sat me on the start platform and started getting all the pulleys and safety straps in place.  Once the other guide signaled the all clear I scooted to the edge of the bench and eased off into the abyss.
     Wow what a rush!  I had been thinking it would somehow be rough and scary, but instead it was smooth as glass (noisy glass with the pulley whining for all it was worth under my weight) and fast as greased lightning!  I lay back and screamed to Andrew and Aaron to watch and enjoyed the ride all the way across.  The process of stopping 270 lbs of blubber going full speed on a zip line is a little rough, but owing to my careful attention to all the instruction I received I had a solid grip on the harness connection cable and came in for landing safe and sound. 

The first zip line out to the island,  from about 100 feet high and over 1/4 mile long!

 

At the end of the second zip line... all done!

     The second leg was not as fast as the first with only about 2/3 of the drop since the island end did
not have the high bluff to start from,  But still a really fun ride!  After climbing the steps back up to the base of the start tower Daisy asked if I wanted to go again since we had another ticket left,  but all of those stairs had taken all the energy I thought I could spare so I called it good with one ride.  I am so glad I decided not to wimp out!  It was an amazing experience and one I will never forget.  And I am sure my children will follow my lead as they grow and be willing to try new things and experience the world around them up close and personal!

Philippines Highlights - Temple of Leah

    On Monday, June 1, we set out for a "Camping" adventure high in the hills behind Cebu City.  On our way out of town we went in search of something Daisy had heard about called the Temple of Leah.  Set several kilometers out of town and far up on a steep hillside this soon to be completed structure will no doubt become a Cebu landmark! 

Temple of Leah Facade view, outside Cebu City Philippines

     The scale of this massive concrete and block structure is hard to get your head around.  I lived in Greece as a child and have seen the Parthenon in person and this is not far off from full scale (if at all).  What is more amazing is that this is literally hanging on a steep hillside with 30 feet of stabilized wall behind and a 30 foot retaining wall holding up the massive courtyard.

     If you have ever read or heard the story behind the TajMahal, you will recognize the theme here.  Within the massive entry hall is an equally impressive gold plated bronze statue in the image of Leah Villa Albino-Adarna in whose loving memory this monument is being constructed. 
     The statue sits atop a marble pedestal at the top of the first set of stairs flanked on each side by curving staircases that lead to a private museum of sorts, the resting place for all of Leah's "Lifetime Collection".  A large framed statement to the right of the statue on the rear wall of this main hall reads:

"I constructed this temple in the year 2012 A.D. as a symbol of my undying love for and ceaseless devotion to Leah Villa Albino-Adarna, my wife of 53 years.  I adopted an architectural and structural design that can withstand time and still be appreciated for a millennium so this temple will become a landmark of Cebu where future generations of the Adarna clan coming from her can come and trace their roots and heritage.  All her lifetime collections are showcased in the 24 chambers of this Temple principally for the members of our family who cherish her memory"

There are credits given to family members who helped fund and organize construction and then it is signed:

"May this Temple serve as a symbol of a great love of a husband to his very loving wife.

TEODORICO S. ADARNA"

    I have heard estimates of around one year more to complete the construction.  When complete this will be a very impressive attraction to add to your tour of Cebu City.  If it is properly maintained it will be impressing visitors for decades to come.  I took a short video showing the building and courtyard as well as the awesome view of Cebu City and the north east coast of Cebu as far as about Carmen. 

Philippines Highlights Cebu Temple

     In thinking about how I would approach the task of documenting our vacation here the question of what order I wanted to present things kept recurring.  In the end I think it makes little difference where I start, so I will start with the most tender moments.

Daisy standing at the entrance sign of the Cebu Temple

Cebu Temple Spire and Inscription

     On Friday, June 19, Daisy and I rose early to drive with Elder Perez to the Cebu Temple.  With all the nonstop activities we had not yet had a chance to visit the temple and actually go inside.  We arrived about an hour before the Temple opened and met up with Rita Cuevas and gave her a package from her sister Fe (Martin) back in the States.  After taking care of some other things, we proceeded to the Temple with Rita to complete some important work for Daisy's Parents (who both have passed away).
     Several years ago after Daisy's parent passed we had the opportunity to go to the Temple at home in Ogden and do proxy baptisms for both of them.  Later on after the Cebu Temple opened in 2010 Daisy's sister Emmie Macasero was the one who went there and had them Sealed (Married for eternity).  Now it was time to Seal Daisy to her Parents.
     In LDS (Mormon) culture, being sealed to ones parents is often 'Automatic' since they were often married in the Temple right from the start and therefore their children are born into a Sealed family unit.  In Daisy's case her parents were not baptized members of the LDS faith and this is the reason for all of these proxy ordinances on their behalf.  It is an entirely different blog to go into the details of what we believe about proxy Temple work and I won't go into it here, suffice it to say that this is something very important in Daisy's life.
     As we entered the peaceful silence of the Temple's central hall we were greeted by another long time friend Marc Dumas who is the Temple Clerk.  He helped us with the paperwork to be able to perform the ordinance and served as my escort for our work.
     As we began I was to be proxy for Andres Aro (Daisy's Father) and Rita was proxy for Felicidad Petallar (Daisy's Mother).  As we went through the very short Sealing ordinance I thought to myself what Daisy must be feeling and how I know she has been looking forward to this day.  As we completed the work and stood again I felt a great peace knowing that we had accomplished something that my Sweetheart has been looking forward to for many years and that we had taken another big step in binding their family and our family together for eternity.
     We decided to stay and perform a few more proxy Sealings using couples provided by the temple and then left.  It has been a while since we have been to the temple together and it was wonderful to feel the peace and calm that is always there for me when I enter the temple.
     The rest of the day was spent in shopping for all of the things we needed to bring back home for our friends and family, and then capped off with a Birthday party for Daisy (but all that is another blog post).

The "Eagles" are Landing!

     A big part of our summer vacation to the Philippines this year was playing our part in two separate Boy Scout (BSA) "Eagle" projects.  After hearing through one of our friends about our activities in sending clothing to the Philippines for distribution to the needy people there, these scouts came up with a plan of their own!  Working with family and friends they purchased brand new school backpacks here in Utah.  A local liquidation company allowed them to come to their warehouse and load up boxes of school supplies to pack into the backpacks.  With the help of their respective troops they filled the backpacks up and delivered them to us.  We packed up the backpacks into the large (24x18x24 inch) shipping boxes and sent them over to the Philippines in advance of our trip.
     In the Philippines we had different venues where we were privileged to help give out the backpacks.  We gave some of them to neighborhood children in the homes of our friends Carmen Sy (in Cebu City) and Fe Perez(in Consolacion).  More were distributed at the Mabolo Ward (LDS Church) building one Sunday.
     The largest group was passed out on the tiny island of Cabul-an, part of the Bohol province.  This special place holds a sacred spot in our hearts as this is where Daisy (my very own Filipina girl [and wife!]) was born and grew up.  It is home to around 350 families most of whom derive their sustenance from the sea as fishermen.  There is electric power on the island only 4 hours a day from 6 to 10 pm (about half the time it goes down early because of generator problems).  They have no running water and the plumbing system simply flows out into the sea via a long pipe leading to deeper water.  To say people are poor there is to grossly understate the situation.  Even by Philippine standards these people are very poor.  That is not to say they are miserable or unhappy with their life, they are not!  As with Filipinos everywhere, they are friendly and positive people who go about their daily routine as though theirs is the only way a life should be lived.
     This is therefore where we chose to give out the bulk of the backpacks, in a place where they can do the most good to help change lives for the better.  The looks on their faces say it all.  The kids here were just so pleased to have any backpack at all, and it meant that much more to them that they came all the way from America just for them!  The photos of all the children who received backpacks are in the slideshow below.

Philippines Vacation 2015 (With a Twist!)

     We just returned from 5 weeks in the Philippines.  This will be our major travel event for the summer, and the first time we have been there since 2010.  Unlike all of our previous "vacations" in the Philippines, this time we had some important work to do while we were there.
     Over the past year or so we have been accumulating goods (donated by generous businesses in Utah) to be able to distribute to the people of the Philippines.  When our trip was confirmed as a "Go" in December we began in earnest to package and ship these goods over there in advance of our arrival.  In total we sent some 33 boxes (24x18x24 inch shipping boxes) containing over 3000 Lbs of stuff!  In addition to the donated clothing, a pair of Boy Scouts (each from a different troop) provided us with school backpacks packed with supplies as part of their individual Eagle Projects to be distributed to poor children in the Philippines.

     During our trip we had the pure pleasure of giving away all of these donations to many wonderful people (some we previously knew and some we just met) in the Philippines.  I will always cherish the friendly smiles and expressions of love we received from everyone there! 
     In the coming days I will be posting to Facebook and blogging about all of the amazing things we were fortunate to be able to do while we were there.  I have never been a "bucket list" kind of guy, opting not to clog my head with ideas that have no chance of happening.  On this trip I was able to do some really awesome things and experience the Philippines in a whole new way and with a whole new attitude and perspective.  I have always loved the Philippines and it's incredible people and places, but I have gained an entirely new view of my favorite place in all the world.  It seems that even as my love for my special Filipina girl is always growing, so my love for Her homeland (everything and everyone in it) is destined to keep on growing as well.
     Stay tuned folks!  There's a LOT to cover and it all starts Right NOW!