Razel's Mom & family

Mom and Razel, half-sister Jennilyn in background

Razel's mother and five of her half-siblings arrived a day earlier than expected. Razel thought she spotted them just leaving the lobby while we were having a late lunch in the cafe. After a few quick SMS text messages, everyone was in one place.

Jennilyn, Razel, Joy and Marina

Rocky, Jennilyn (yes, a model), Ronald (back), Rustom (front), Marina, and Razel

Monsoon season in Manila ??

We'd planned to take it easy today anyway - good thing because it is a very rainy and overcast day. At times the rain belts down very heavily (hard to imagine it could possibly be any more intense). My mildly-sunburned arms and neck will certainly get a chance to recover with this kind of weather.

Joy is visiting the Canadian Embassy to attend to some business, and Razel has gone along for company. They're now on the way back.

The kids are pretty happy to have a day off (not travelling). They're busy with their Nintendo DSes. We picked up some cartridges with plenty of older/simpler GameBoy games on them.

Breakfast in this hotel is fairly nice - a 30-foot long buffet. It's included in the room rate for two of us, and it's only P200 ($5) for one kid and the other is young enough to be free. Having a nice breakfast is a great start to the day.

Manila - let the chaos begin...

No, not quite that bad.

Our Cebu-Manila flight was delayed by almost 2 hours. When we finally arrived at Manila, the rain was (briefly) incredible. We had to wait another 45 minutes or so for the hotel van to arrive at the airport terminal.

But our hotel suite is sweet - corner suite and it must be 500 square feet. The decor is a bit dated. The Ethernet cable sticking out of the wall seems to work (and is apparently free).

The boulevard from the airport to the hotel (Roxas Blvd) is very impressive. Four lanes in each direction with multicolour lights, flags and banners. No expense spared.

Unlike Davao, four lanes is treated as 4 lanes (not 6 or 7).

It's late. Good nite.

Flight delay

One hour delay (so far). Sigh...

Devon waiting

I'm bored...

Still at Cebu airport...

Joy has to visit Manila too. In an amazing coincidence (not!) she just happens to be on the same flight.

Razel and Joy

Cebu airport not only has free walk-up PCs with Internet access, it also has multiple free and open WiFi networks.

Typhoon Sepat has turned as forecast

Typhoon Sepat

Cebu airport - take 2

We've arrived safe and sound at Cebu airport. Max is on his way to the ferry terminal by 'rent-a-car' (with driver) to catch a ferry to Bohol. We will be on the 17:55 flight to Manila.

Typhoon Sepat

Turn turn turn !!!!

Typhoon Sepat is heading straight towards Manila, but is predicted to turn north shortly. If it disobeyed the forecast and went stright, then it would be in Manila at the same time as us. There are already reports of flooding in certain areas of Luzon, but apparently not caused by this weather system.

We should be fine so long as it follows the forecast.

All for now.

Last full day in Davao City

The Marco Polo Hotel in Davao City


Today (Wednesday, 15 August 2007) is our last full day in Davao City. Today is planned to be a relatively quiet day. We'll probably stroll through a shopping mall, and then visit Matina again.

Tomorrow morning, we'll be flying to Cebu. We will drop off Max in Cebu to take a ferry to Bohol, and then the rest of us fly to Manila later the same day. We will catch-up with Max in Bohol early next week.

This 24-hr Internet access period ends in about 8 hours, but I expect to be on-line again from Manila sometime during the extended weekend.

Foyer of The Marco Polo Hotel