Catch-up time

It has been about five days since my last post, so I’ll try to catch you up. When you last heard from me, I was in Baguio City.
Our time there was lovely and included many unforgettable times. We took a jeepney to the market—not just any market—but the market. I already mentioned several fruits that are available here, but the very best one is called lychee. Lychee is a small red-skinned fruit with a whitish translucent flesh that grows in clumps and has a flavor similar to that of a perfumey white peach. It’s quite unlike any other fruit that we have in the states though.
After we were done shopping at the market, we went to a small coffee shop. I was quite pleased to find that they had a coffee that had been doubly-processed locally—once by people and once by Civet Cats. Civet Cat coffee, for my readers who do not know, is made from the coffee beans that have been eaten, and subsequently pooped back out, by a Civet Cat. All I know is that this recycled coffee is world renowned for making a cup that is heads and shoulders above the rest; mine, at least, lived up to its reputation.
We also went to weaving factory. It, too, is apparently world-famous. I had never heard of it. That kind of makes sense, since weaving isn’t really my thing. The reason I am mentioning it is because I was very impressed. These people turn out incredible patterns and fabrics using huge 19th century-style looms. The odds for making a mistake are quite high, but in the half hour we watched them, no one fumbled a bit. I’ve (hopefully) uploaded a video displaying the skill.
The next day, Saturday, we traveled back to Manila, rested, and took in several malls that were quite overwhelming. On Sunday, we went church and took a flight to a smaller island called Palawan where the grandparents of the kids my sister is teaching run a small missions-oriented hospital. Palawan is likely the most beautiful place on earth. When you think of jungle, you are probably picturing jungle like those here. Vines, monkeys, tropical birds, palms, acacia trees, cobras, pythons, bad roads, huge insects and spiders, bright flowers, fruits, humidity, land rovers—you can find them all here on Palawan.
On Monday, we went to the longest underground river in the world—so said the signs at the park’s entrance. We took a canoe into the cave where we found stalagmites and stalactites and no small number of bats of 7 different kinds. It was darker than I had imagined it would be—illuminated by a solitary spotlight attached to a car battery. The light was much brighter after I discovered that I had not removed my sunglasses upon our entry into the cave.
Today, Tuesday, was spent relaxing at the hospital compound. It is a 5-acre parcel backed up to the jungle on two sides. It houses the hospital, 4 staff residences, a guesthouse, and an all-purpose building. On the upper floor of the all-purpose room, there is a library where local pastors come to attend classes held by the aforementioned grandparents on how to more effectively teach the good news that Jesus’ death on the cross is the only way to heaven. On the first floor is an open-air dining/ meeting hall where people have all manner of get-togethers. Tonight, the hospital staff each brought their families and their favorite national foods to a potluck. We all enjoyed talking about the food and, more importantly, learning about each other.
Tomorrow, we all (Janelle, Katie, kids, parents, grandparents, and me—for those of you who lost track) are headed for El Nido, a small resort town in northern Palawan.

It is now Thursday, and I’m including an update on how things are going here in El Nido. Obviously, there is a shortage on internet. Yesterday was spent traveling and sightseeing along the way. However, this morning, we rented an outrigger canoe and spent the entire day island-hopping. We would putter over to an island, swim/snorkel for a while, and then make our way to a reef to swim/snorkel some more. The cycle was repeated at least 4-5 times. It was one of the most peaceful and restful days of my life. We’re off to dinner soon and then comes a rousing game of Carcassonne!

---

Part of trip: The Isles of the Philippines

---