Saying Goodbye to Marikina

We have enjoyed our time in Marikina, and have seen many beautiful things. It has been nice getting to know Tonet’s family better. I’ll miss the many cats that wander the streets here. I’ll miss the wonderful weather and the surprising sights. It’s sad to be leaving the Philippines, and I’ll carry the good memories with me.

Greg & Sally Tree Garden Cafe

For our last day in the Philippines Tonet and I went with her family to Greg & Sally Tree Garden Cafe, a beautiful restaurant near her sister’s home.

The ambiance was great, with trees providing shade, a couple Buddhas around, a jack-o’-lantern in January, a swing by the table and lots of nice little touches.

The food was very good. Mushroom sisig, garlic tumeric rice, gumamela iced tea, kangkong chips, basil oyster mushrooms and vegetable gising gising were all delicious!

A Long Walk in Marikina

Today I took a last long walk through Marikina. We fly out early Sunday morning and likely will have a full day tomorrow, so it was nice to spend a few hours wandering and seeing a few new places before I go.

Highlights included a statue of former mayor Gil Fernando and the looming Disneyified campus of the OLOPSC Preschool.

Back in Marikina

Last night we arrived back in Marikina and this morning I went out to run and walk around. There are always new side streets and surprising spots to find. I learned there is a House of Unicorns Cafe here!

I had to do some searching, but I did find one more Pokémon straw, this time of Froakie, but I may never have Chespin to be able to slurp through each of the gen 6 starters.

One Last Run in Guiuan

On my last full day in Guiuan, I visited a beach and did some running along it. The view was so beautiful that it was distracting, but it felt so good to be running though lovely scenery. The cliffs and gentle waves made for a refreshing and exhilarating experience.

Katican Island

Monday we traveled by boat to Katican Island, also known as Pearl Island. It’s a marine sanctuary and we were able to swim and see some beautiful sea life, including clams, coral, fish and sea urchin. The beach surrounding the small island is a stunning white and is made up entirely of coral.

Canhugas Nature Park

Saturday a van load of us headed to Canhugas Nature Park in Hernani. The rock formations are magnificent and the strong waves made for beautiful displays. As high tide approached, there was rough surf and I ended up with a few scrapes, but it was a great trip.

Linao Cave

Friday I headed to the famous (it’s on magnets!) Linao Cave with some of Tonet’s relatives. The cave is incredibly beautiful and it’s well worth the time it takes to trek out to it!

Guiuan Breakfast

Today I started the day with some black coffee and then some freshly fried doughnuts. The doughnuts were made simply with flour and yeast.Both were delicious, and we’re followed by an overwhelming amount of food at Tonet’s family’s home.

A Beach Day

Today we went to the far end of Calicoan Island with Tonet’s family for a day at the beach. The water was shallow and I was able to watch many sea creatures as I swam. The beach was very beautiful.