Phillipines Trip last month

Okay okay if anyone is reading the blog, then I am sorry it has taken so long to write. I have kind of hit a cross road on the blog, deciding weather to write or not. You know it is opening ourselves to the world, to strangers, as well as friends and family, and some of the emails I get can piss me off sometimes! Anyway, ce la vie??!! So it is now July, but actually we had a wonderful trip to the Philippines in early June for 10 days. Instead of writing too much, I will let most of the pictures tell the story with a bit of commentary along the way.
Above is Clariza relaxing by the wonderful pool at the Shangril-la Mactan Cebu Philippines. It is a lovely resort, with the only negative being it was filled with Koreans, when we were trying to get away from Korea! (Sorry Korean readers, but we wanted to get away) We stayed at the resort for three nights, four days and really had a good time, especially one night at our friends house for a lovely dinner. He is the EAM of the hotel (Thanks mate!) And he was also had us upgraded to an ocean view room with a few chilled beers on arrival!
Me posing at the pool area. "The incredible bulk" Haha Spent 8 hours at the pool on the first full day. Now that is relaxing!
Above is the view of the hotels beach. I swam there once, and it was full of big fish, with crystal clear water.
Great view from our room. We sat on the balcony when we first arrived and drank a few beers.
Me trying to take a professional shot! Lots of these small ponds around the hotel covered in the most colourful flowers.
A view from the room looking out to the ocean
Me in the pool as usual. Was practicing my basketball in the water as you can see!
Above another pro shot of one of the many features around the hotel. What a great property.
After swimming we raced down to the water before sunset and had a Korean couple take a photo for us. It was a lovely sunset.
Ok, so after Cebu we headed back to Manila and attended our great friends wedding in Pampanga region. It was so hectic, but we had such a wonderful time with them. Above is a shot of the bride and the bridesmaids. Clariza was a bridesmaid and I was a groomsman.
Clariza with the bride and groom. We are all friends from Dubai. THe bride lived with Clariza for a few years, and best friends with the groom. We all hung out a lot in Dubai, and loved our Fridays eating and eating!
Me with the bride and groom. Like me in the barong! I am a true kabayan! By the way does anyone that knows me notice something differant about me in the shot?.................................................. I am not wearing glasses!! Yes, two days before the wedding I had LASIK surgery done on the eyes and now perfect vision! So amazing, and the most wonderful feeling. 24 hours after the surgery I did the eye test. Each eye done seperately was perfect 20/20 and when done together was 20/15! Better than perfect.
After the wedding we spent a few days in Batangas with the family, then back to Manila where I had to work for two days but also got to spend some time with our Ninang Leslie and Ninong Brian. They took us to the American Memorial near Makati where the photos were taken. It is quiet a somber place, but is manicured to perfection and the attention to detail is amazing. Through the memorial besides the crosses throughout the cemetary the large memorial also has the names of the American and Filipinos who died representing the US.
The crosses are set up perfectly. And went for kilometres.
THis last shot is of our beautiful niece Crystal. She is just over two in this photo. She will be so beautiful when she gets older.