Here are the highlights to my ten day trip to the Philippines.

First, we arrived in Manila where the traffic is like no other!  The rules there are interpreted as just a matter of suggestion.  Even crossing the street in some places seem like you’re playing with Life & Death.

In Manila, we were able to learn some history at Intramuros.

I even got to see a statue that reminded me of an old photograph of one of my great grandfathers (Manuel Castell y Guitart,) a Spanish deserter, who may have lived in the Siege of Baler.

After Manila we flew over to Cebu in time to catch Sinulog.

Then we went to a beautiful paradise called Bohol.  There, I ventured out of the tourist traps into a private resort called Bitoon White Beach Resort, in Anda.  It’s close to having your own private beach.  The sands were white and the water was clear.  You don’t even need to be in deep waters to see schools of fishes of various colors and sizes.  Definitely, now, my favorite beach in the world!

There we ate at a floating restaurant, drove through a man-made forest, tasted the sights of the Choloate Hills, and made friends with the Tarsiers.

After that island, we hopped on over to the  Island of Camotes where we got stranded due to a Signal 1 Typhoon Warning which closed down the ferries. While we were there we decided to make the most of it as we explored Buho Rock, Timubo Cave, Lake Danao Park, and Santiago White Beach.

Finally, we reached our mission and reunited with my Dad’s side of the family residing near Isabela in a place called Aritao.

We ended the trip back in Makati where we stayed at highly recommended Five Star Hotel much deserving of its name, Shangri-la.