Weekend fun

Jenn said my blog makes it look like I never have any fun, so I decided to write a quick update about what we did yesterday. If you really want to know all the details, ask Jenn. She documents my life outside of 3rd grade. (Well, her life... but I'm in it)

Ok, so I am frustrated with the lack of being able to Google directions to places I want to go, so I'll put them up here in case anyone happens to Google "How to get to Samal Island." If you're by Marfori Heights, you can get any jeep to around Marco Polo or Aldevinco (7 pesos) and you get off and find a jeep somewhere around there that is heading to Sasa. I saw there were different signs for Sasa, but I just picked one and it worked. You can take it out to the Sasa Wharf or the ferry (which I forget the name) and that's 13 or 14 pesos (I forget). If you catch the ferry in time, which we did by 2 seconds, you can take that across and it's 10 pesos. Then you can get a motorcycle and hope they don't overcharge you. I think we might have gotten overcharged, but it worked out well because 1) the guy was a safe driver and 2) he waited for us when we stopped by the Hagimit Falls for an hour before going to Maxima. He charged us 75 pesos one way (and it was pretty far down the island from the ferry dock).

By the way, the motorcycle guy was really nice. I know that you have to be careful with the motorcycle guys, but this one wasn't young but was pretty old... around 25. JUST KIDDING! (That was for you, Peel) Anyway, he wasn't a young teenager... probably in his late 40's or possibly his early 50s but that might be pushing it. I was glad he took us, not the other young guys hanging around at the dock.

Anyway, the guy told us that Hagimit Falls was on the way, so we stopped there first. One website I looked up said the entrance fee was 5 pesos, but they upped it to 20 because they started putting in tables and chairs and stuff. Anyway, not bad. So we went down and surprise! The Farlins were there because Angela had a birthday this weekend and they were celebrating with some of her friends and a couple other people from school or SIL. Mrs. Farlin took us up the rocks so we could jump off the waterfalls into the pools below. That was fun! I had visions of Daranak Falls, aka Beka Falls (according to Joash) and broken bones resulting from floating down the rapids. Well nothing of the sort happened, thankfully.

After we left Hagimit, we went to Maxima Aqua Fun. It's owned by the same people who own Crocodile Park. Anyway, it's still fairly rustic, other than the tarp water slide and the clean bathrooms. It's not very big, not very commercialized, and pretty nice. I liked it better than Paradise (a beach resort on the same island). We were there for a little over 2 hours. We got fresh buko afterwards. Mmmm. At the same place, there was a huge hanging bridge called "The Canopy" but you had to be strapped into a safety harness and wear a helmet and I thought it looked a little silly, so we didn't do it. I don't think the helmet was all that necessary. Someone was walking across and she was creeping like a baby. Oh come on. It wasn't THAT scary.

The same motorcycle dude took us back but I asked him to take us to the bangka (small boats) because I knew the ferry was on a schedule. The bangkas go regularly. We got on one just as it began to rain. Hooray! The bangka at Babak takes you across to the Sasa Wharf. It's 13 pesos.

After getting to the Sasa Wharf, we had to weave ourselves through crowds of people at the fish market. I wish I liked fish because it looked fresh and good. I didn't know exactly how to get back, but we just figured it out. We crossed and I saw a sign for GMall and Bajadan which was perfect. That was 13 again. Then we ate dinner at Jollibee and I started going the wrong way to get the jeep. I realized after a few steps that it was the wrong way, so we turned and found the right direction (I knew Chinese Baptist was behind the mall so I just had to find that). Anyway, you then just take a jeep (Route 1, 10, or 13.. I think) that's going to RMC Gym/Mt Apo.

So yeah. Mom, you'd be proud of me. I spoke Tagalog, looked like an idiot, but managed to get around even though I had no clue where I was going. Sometimes........you just gotta wing it! :)