Halfway done and still enjoying the view

Another few weeks but not much to talk about. Been mostly working, but I have had a few trips out and about.

A week or two ago a few of us went out to club ultima (insert link here). Apparently it's the tallest building in Cebu as well as being a hybrid hotel/resort/restaurants)/theatre/ride/suicide walk. We hit the top of the building for a bit of a view and then got on a ride which gives you a full 360 view as well as tipping you 55 degrees over to have a great preview of what you would see for the next ten seconds before becoming a street pizza (this run on sentence is dedicated to my sister, the English teacher).

Most of us were quite excited but one began to feel the sting of fear; especially with the others teasing her about loose bolts. Suffice to say; she decided to go with me because I chose this rare moment to keep my trap shut. On the ride we
started at 50 degrees and she (who will remain nameless) did great...and then I tilted it another 5 degrees just to freak her out. Sorry Kat, but I can't be nice all the time. :)

We then went a level down to go on the sky walk which included us harnessing up and taking a walk outside on a steel and glass walkway with no guardrail. We all made it around the building and even dangled our feet over the edge while soaking in the picturesque view. It was nice to take some time and remind ourselves where we actually were. A coastal city in Southeast Asia. It's too easy to forget the amazing geography when one spends their nights working and days sleeping.

A few weeks later a troup of us made our way back to Maribago (so far my fave beach) for some much needed R&R. This time the tide was out for a majority of the day, but I was determined to remain active and not just laze the day away on the beach getting sunburnt. I guess one out of two isn't bad.

Sunburns aside, the day included a round of massive chess (note my ingenious replacement for a vacant black knight), a shallow swim to a man-made island, and another fantastic seafood meal. Suffice to say, another excellent day.

I also received some amazing news; it looks like Paul and Jacquie are meeting me in Japan after work is complete. Flights and hotels are currently being booked and lists of crazy things are being written. If any of you have any tips on strange

sights in Tokyo please let us know. So far our list includes a Hello Kitty Mall and a restaurant where you are served by monkey butlers. A Hong Kong trip with the crew is also happening next weekend. The tickets are bought and the we're all getting quite excited. All is certainly on the up and up for the Cebu crew.

Bohol - with a few camera snaps!

Proof that the old camera works like a charm. Here are a few snaps from last week's trip to Bohol.

Bohol was a beautiful island which seemed much more of a resort than the places I've been thus far. The main port was busy but not congested at all. Small villages were sprinkled throughout where one could see various artisans honing thier craft. A few of the more interesting entreprenurial expeditions seen was a smithy that specialized in machete making and a group of people who made furniture out of old tires.

We then had lunch on a boat which took us on a scenic trip up river. Mother nature, never to be outdone, decided to drop a heafty amount of rain on us; adding to the ambience of the trip. On the banks of the river we saw flowers, children swimming, and a musical number put on by the locals using ukelele's. Normally I would be fine with such a production but I found some of the MTV-style grinding moves some of these 9 year olds attempting to be unsettling. The weather cleared up and so we continued on our tour.

We then went through a man made forest which felt very odd because it did not look indiginous to the area at all. Instead, the forst looked like something out of the Pactific Northwest. I was waiting to see ewoks swinging through the trees or to be clipped by a speederbike.

We then reached the chocolate hills, which are large hills originally coral deposits pushed up through the prehistoric sea bed. It was quite a stunning display, even after a 200 + stair climb (nothing Tyler nor myself could not handle). The combination of the heat and the view was energizing; Tyler and I agreed that we would be able to climb one of these hills but higher/more sensible powers advised otherwise. One strange thing I noticed at the top of the view point was a camera booth set up for picture development. At first it looked like the usual "we can take your picture in front of the Chocolate Hills and put it on a shirt" trap, but this one went a bit too far. Instead of taking your pic in front of the actual hills, they had their own backdrop which you can stand in front of. That way you can stand in front of a backdrop of the hills which is placed in front of the actual hills. I'm not sure I understand that. Then there was the option to look like you are riding a broom while your picture is being taken. I asked the guide if there was any significance to which she responded, "it's fun".

We then went to see some tarsiers, which are one of the smallest primates in the world. Though a noctournal animal, we visited an area which housed them in the day but covered. Understandibly dossail at this time of the day and although protected, I felt a little bit sad for them. Don't get me wrong, they were not in cages and are protected by the local government but to have tourists like us constantly in their faces when they are trying to sleep....I just think of how I would react. Still, they looked pretty easy going and if they took offense, we would know about it.

That pretty much finished up our trip. I had a great time in Bohol and would like to return to sample some of their beaches. I hear there are some of the best in the world.