Yesterday, I went on a tour of the flower market in Manila (and other various places you will see below) with the Museum Volunteers of the Philippines. We started off the morning at the flower market. Notice the street lamps are even shaped like flowers...they have a serious theme going here. Though the stock was on the low side because flower deliveries are usually on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays (today was Wednesday), there was still much beauty to be found. And I'm going back!

 

Gerber daisies... Callalilies and bumblebees...
Orchids...
Roses...
 

 

This little girl was just reaching her hand into the roses and pulling off the petals and throwing on the ground. Amazingly, no one scolded her at all. Maybe they weren't expecting to sell the roses anyway?
Apparently exhausted from a long shift...
 

Afterwards, we visited the historic Paco Park & Cemetary. Entry was P5 per person (approximately ten cents). This was the first burial site of national hero, Jose Rizal, also a huge advocate of social justice back in the late 1800s.


 

This is no longer an active cemetery (of course, who thought of cemeteries as active in the first place). Some "tombs" are sealed still, however, and who knows what is behind them... Two thick circular walls surrount the cemetary with tombs all the way around...
The flowers here are beautiful...

 

Funny signs at the Paco Cemetery...I wonder why they don't worry about falling wet branches. Apparently masonry and rocks are all the same in their book since this is a free standing structure - no rocky cliffs or hills nearby...
A visit to F. Sionel Jose, prominent Filipino author. Our book club just read one of his books set in historic Vigan during the Spanish occupation. He frequently comments on social justice and nationalism in the Philippines. We were able to chat and debate for over an hour with the group of international ladies - a very engaging conversationalist!
And we ended the day with vendors trying to sell us things of great worth through our bus window. This one even indulged me for a picture! Look the party blower blows from 2 sides at once! How did this invention ever miss the United States?!
 

Stevii at the hair salon getting a cut, style, manicure and pedicure. How come I never got this stuff as a child?! haha
Just a fun juxtapostion of some buildings on Ayala Avenue in Makati (just down the street from me). 

A 5 day trip to Boracay - we left midday, Saturday, October 28 and stayed through November 2. This is supposed to be one of the best beaches in the world - known for it's powder fine sand (it was in parts). But here we are taking a boat from Caticlan (where we flew into) to the nearby tropical paradise of Boracay.

Sandcastles abounded, but they want money for you to take pictures...these were rebuilt almost every day and lit with candles at night.
 

Angol Point Beach Resort - we rented 2 bungalows facing the water. It was on a "coconut plantation" type lot. Just a fan and a cold shower, but comfortable and cool.

Kind of a surreal photo of the moon from Barry's camera.
 

Ingville, Kim H. Megan, Kim A., me and my dad all lounging at 3-5-7 Boracay Resort where our friends, Kim and Jeff were staying. While the rest took a wild ride on a banana boat!
From the back: Jeff, Wil, Stevii, Mom, Chase, Davis, Jaron and Spencer