The long flight to Manila.

Avner, Kate, and Tintin somewhere over the Pacific....
We left on May 17th for a two week trip to the Philippines.
Avner's market manager Anthony connected him with Tintin's
sister in the Philippines who was getting married.

Kate and Tintin still excited after 14 hours of travel time.

Manila!

We meet cousin Fran and brother Chris on our six hour layover in
Manila that became a whirlwind tour. In just four hours we managed
to taste the lemonade of the Philippines, calamansi juice, dinuguan,
or blood and intestine soup, ox tongue, and cheese ice cream.
You may not believe me after reading the above, but the
food in the Philippines is amazing. My favorite things were
garlic rice, blue marlin and swordfish, lechon, or spit roasted
whole pig, spicy garlic shrimp, and warm coconut pie.

Avner in the Intramuros, the Old City.

Pretty Spanish architecture.

One more flight and then finally we reach our
destination of Iloilo on Panay Island.

Iloilo.

Avner says these jeepneys were shot in Baguio in the north.
Jeepneys look almost the say everywhere but different.

Seats are available inside the tricycle,
but why limit your seating options.

Tintin and I on our tour of Iloilo.
The island in the background is Guimaras.
It separates Panay from Iloilo.

All the smaller boats in the Philippines are otriggers.
I love them.

This is at the waterfront restaurant Breakthough.
We went there twice.Amazing seafood.
Scallops in the shell. Yum.

The ubiquitous SM department store.

SM, Shoe Mart, We've got it all...for you!
(I went there a few times...)

Dive trip to Nogas Island off the province of Antique on Panay Island.

This church is a World Heritage Site on the way to
Nogas Island and has the most unique walls.

In the distance is Nogas Island. We are on a piece of
land owned by a friend of the bride's brother
and our great dive guide Chris.

Here is the only building on his property besides the outhouse.
It is perfect.

This is Sy, father of the bride and avid fisherman.

World famous photographer caught without camera in hand.

Outriggers: Pretty much the coolest boats ever.

Aspiring photographer Tintin.

Perfect water.

Perfect beach.

Another few day trippers to this uninhabited island.

Pretty much the only fish we saw during the trip we didn't eat.

Documentary photographer photographing photographer at work.

View from the Nogas Island lighthouse. The trees
with the white flowers are fragrant magnolias.

Go on, Google it.

We had to climb a chain link fence and slide under barbed
wire in our bathing suits to get up here. Also, the mountains in the
distance are the tallest on the main island of Panay.

Magnolia tunnel.

This is Dik-Dik the pig.
He thinks he is a dog.
I hope they decide not to eat him.

I think that I shall never see
a cuter pair of goats.

Dumaguete and Apo Island.

You will be happy to note that Negros Island is a safe place to travel.

All suited up.

Now that I see this detailed image of a balut,
(boiled fertilized duck egg. Philippinos prefer them 17 days old.)
I am very grateful to have had a fourteen hour migraine
that evening that prevented me from going into
town with the others.

Avner was able to get up the next morning,
even after eating a balut,
and take a jeepney to the Wednesday
morning market in a neighboring town.

This is called a tricycle. The ones that have a
man-powered bike instead of a motorbike are called tricicots.
They are both used to carry anything from an entire
family of twelve to a new mattress. Or a big pig.

Avner saw this little beauty splashing around
in her small pool without a care in the world.

She got up and gave a big stretch after all that playing.

Wedding.

"I really hope this wedding goes well,"
said Jack-Jack.

Maybe if Tintin and I practice really hard...

Avner and I are having a third wedding.
It will be in the Philippines.
I will wear this dress.

As you can see, Philippine weddings are "minimalist".

Beautiful ladies ready to go.
Brianna, Rachel, and Taylor all done up.

Even I had my hair and make-up done.

Maid of honor Tintin with Papa Sy and Mama Josie behind her.

Rosana the gorgeous bride.

Just a few of the bridesmaids.

The bride and groom before the Neon Jesus.

I think they were paying the hymn "...we celebrate, we believe..."
Universal Catholic hymns.

These are only HALF of the Sponsors. They will
act as godparents to the married couple and
present them with gifts throughout the mass.

This is Tito Pito.
He rocks and looks a bit like Elvis.

Um, why didn't I have this photographer for my wedding?!?!

Here is the bridal party.
Note what all of the men are wearing.
It is a traditional rice paper shirt called a baron.
Most of the men at the wedding wear it,
including the groom and the photographer.
Don't just sneak up on anyone at the
reception and give him a smooch,
it might be the groom.

These are all of the Sponsors.

These are the smaller members of the bridal party.
The one in the front is the bible bearer.
He did very well,
even though he said the bible was heavy.

Reception.

The infamous Philippino lechon.

Amazing refection shot by the wedding photographer
of the vast reception location. Room for 450 people.
And six lechon.

This is Martin the MC. He was very impressed with Avner.
He told me that my husband was a very handsome and that
I should keep my eye on him. I took his advice,
knowing Marty was around.

When the mother of the bride asks you at the wedding
if you like to dance, lie. Otherwise you will wind up being
on the dance floor the entire evening with DI.
(Dance Instructors hired for wedding receptions to get the crowd dancing)
(Who am I kidding? It was really fun.)

Kate with the newlyweds David and Rosana.

Cake time!
Just a simple, small cake.

G with a sleepy Taylor in her lap.

G and I breakin' it down.

G and I mugging in the background of other people's photos.

Finally, they give the photographer a break.

Tintin and I celebrating.

Ed going wild.
(The twins and Jack-Jack have gone to sleep by now.)

A fun night for all.

Boracay.

I would like to use this photo to let you know that
this is the point in the trip where I had to go home
and Avner got to have lots of fun without me.
Terrible place to be left alone, huh?

And with such company!

I should have stayed and kept poor Avner
from "being buried alive".

The poor guy was bored to tears.

The North.

Jeepneys can be found on practically all 7100 of the Philippine islands.

The amazing and famous rice terraces.

Awww...a self portrait with love, kisses, and family...

Wow.

These are the traditional tatoos.
Only the oldest women still have them.

Imagine walking through that?

Umm...Philippino pastime?

Really, no one wears these anymore.
Avner spent time with this man,
and he said that he was trying to bring them back.

Finally...new room pictures!

My Trip.

On my trip I will be seeing a brand new wiggly black pup named Raven. I forgot to add that. Here is her picture. Doesn't she look so intelligent?









Next I think that I will go to the Galapagos so that I can see this fantastic and regal Galapagos seal.

oh yeah, a blog.

i have one now. this is it.
check back sometime, and i may actually have something to say.
but don't check next week because i will be in northern california diving for abalone, looking up at redwoods, and going out to catch tuna in the kava kava(that's a boat.)

if you are lucky i might take a picture of myself in a mask. avner says that no one looks as funny as i do in a mask.

Trumansburg at work.

Don't be silly. He wasn't working, just checking his e-mail. duh.

Little cakes with pink sugar icing.

"Pooh," he said, "Christopher Robin is giving a party." "Oh!" said Pooh And then seeing that Owl expected him to say something else, he said, "Will there be those little cake things with pink sugar icing?" Owl felt that it was rather beneath him to talk about little cake things with pink sugar icing, so he told Pooh exactly what Christopher Robin had said, and flew off to Eeyore.