Boracay Island, Philippines

We had the amazing opportunity to visit the Philippines for vacation on Boracay Island. The small island is only 4km long, and is surrounded by powder white sand beaches and crystal clear turquoise water. Truly a beach dream vacation!

The hardest part of the trip was getting there: subway to Nagoya Station, train to the airport, flight to Manila, had to stay overnight at a hotel in Manila, an hour flight to Caticlan early the next morning, shuttle ride to the ferry, ferry across the sea to Boracay Island, then a taxi to our hotel. Then of course we had to do that all in reverse on the way back.WOW, the trip there and back was exhausting.

This was the boat "ferry" taking us over to Boracay Island.

Our stay on the island was really wonderful. It definitely exceeded our expectations. Our hotel was clean, the pool was refreshing, the ocean was warm and beautiful, the food was excellent (and very cheap!), the massages were the best we've ever had, and the people were the nicest genuine people that we've ever met anywhere before. Oh, and the fruit shakes were awesome!

Elodie's diet consisted mainly of fruit shakes, but we were just thankful that she was eating something. We were pleasantly surprised with the variety of food choices that were on the island - our favorite of course was Mexican, probably because that's the cuisine we miss the most in the U.S.



Joe went scuba diving a couple of days and got his PADI certification, so he can now dive with a professional without taking any training. We took a beautiful sunset sail one evening, which surprisingly didn't make either Elodie or me seasick. But I'm not going to lie, it was a little scary... since we were only sitting on netting on the "wing" of the tiny sailboat directly over the sea, PLUS they didn't have infant life vests. But we managed to stay safe. ;) We also went on a boat ride around the island for an "island hopping tour" which was really just a scam because we didn't make it to any other island. But that's ok, because we enjoyed seeing the whole island from the boat.

It was a very fun vacation! If you can get past the poverty of the poor country in general, and look past the vendors begging to sell you something, it really is a tropical paradise. Getting there and back was the most difficult part of the whole trip. But even with all that said, I'd definitely go back.

Did you watch the last season of survivor? If so, you have a pretty good idea of what the Philippine islands look like. Absolutely stunning!

You can see all of our photos from the trip here. Enjoy!

Autumn Leaves

Fall in Nagoya is stunning - beautiful weather with colorful autumn leaves. Fall foliage is one of the most popular outdoor-friendly activities in Japan. There are several festivals and areas around Nagoya where you can enjoy the fall scenery. The most popular places to visit are the ones that light-up the leaves at night.

Unfortunately, we tried to go to one of the famous light-up spots - but were unsuccessful. We should have known that EVERY single person in the area was also trying to go see the leaves, so the traffic backup was just awful. After sitting in a line up of cars for just under an hour and not moving but a few feet, we decided that it just wasn't worth it - so we turned around and went home.

It's really too bad we couldn't see the famous red maple leaves lit-up at night at korankei gorge. This was on the top of my list of sites to see in Japan before we leave the country. But it is what it is, and we should have known better anyway. ANY site-seeing activity in this country is bound to come with thousands of people, traffic jams, no where to park, long lines, and the list goes on and on.

MHI/Boeing Picnic

We went to the first ever MHI/Boeing picnic at a nearby farm in the suburbs of Nagoya. It was a great way to finally meet some of Joe's co-workers. We lucked out with an absolutely beautiful day, so we were able to enjoy the sunshine, in the fresh country air, surrounded by friends and animals. It was Elodie's first time to see the farm animals, so it was a fun day for her too!

I don't know why I thought we'd be having grilled burgers and hotdogs for lunch - I guess I just assumed that since we were having a picnic BBQ, that's what we'd be eating. But I guess I should have known that Japanese-style picnics are much different than American style BBQ's! They cooked up some fresh "yakiniku" otherwise known as grilled meet and veggies, which you then dip in a variety of sauces. Although it was good, I think I prefer American-style BBQ's with burgers, corn on the cob, and potato salad much better. ;)

Jenny & Chad's Wedding

My other half, Jenny, got married on November 2! So now Chad officially has to share the title of "other half" with me. ;)

She was an absolutely stunning bride, and I loved her mushy-gushy look of pure happiness every time she looked at her new hubby. I couldn't be more happy for the newlyweds, they truly make a great couple!

 

Congratulations Jenny and Chad! May you have a lifetime of happiness together. :)