Mangoes and Coconuts!: So far, so good!!!

It's been years and years since I've been back to the Philippines, so I was really looking forward to this trip. And we've been having a great time so far. After we spent a couple of nights in Manila with my Aunt Emmie and cousin, Kate, they drove us to Subic.

We stopped over in Bataan, where we'll be spending Christmas! We were immediately greeted by some tasty ice-cold homegrown coconut juice. Then, we met up with the Tan family, close family friends, in Subic city. Subic used to be home to an American naval base, but now it's just a freeport city. There are still a few old American veterans hanging around, though. We did a few touristy things, such as going to the marine park, seeing the city and walking around the beach. We stayed at a funky hotel that was built in the 70s and is owned by Aki Tan's wife's family. Unfortunately, there was a huge earthquake as well as a volcano eruption nearby in the early 90s, which destroyed a lot in the area. The effects can still be seen and the hotel was never renovated, which makes it look a little grungy. The grooviness is still there, though, as you can see in the pictures below.

Last night, we came up to Baguio with the Tans and are now staying at their place. Baguio is about 1500 meters up in the mountains. What's great about it is that it's a smaller city, so it's not as crowded, noisy, nor polluted as Manila. The air is cleaner and the city is slower-paced. What we, and especially Guido, have been enjoying most here is the food! We're being fed like there's no tomorrow, and really enjoying it. You guys all know how much Guido loves food, and how he loves trying new dishes, so he's really loving it here. It's really fun to see him try all my favorite food for the first time. We can only hope we both don't gain too much weight while we're here! Wish us luck! Here are some pictures: