This scenario often happens at airports. Too many travel bags are of the same brand, design and color. Without a name tag dangling around your bag, there is a big possibility that you would end up grabbing the one that doesn’t belong to you.

So to save you from the possible hassle and shame, I suggest you use name tags. www.QuickNameTags.com is a good resource for all types of name tags, desk name plates and office signs. Check it out!

Overloading of vessels (especially during holidays), poor maintenance, and not-so-strict enforcement of regulations that often lead to disaster are the primary reasons why I have never boarded on a ship. And to top it all off, I don’t know how to swim and I can’t stand the long hours of travel from Manila to any province in Visayas or Mindanao.

One more thing, the probability of a ferry accident is much higher than that of a plane crash, right?

I guess what bothers me the most is that some shipping companies do not ensure proper maintenance of their vessels. Hence, offshore injury (or injuries) resulting to death is more likely to happen.

If the luxury ship Titanic sank in 1912, then it could happen to any ships – at least in my opinion. LOL.

Anyway, allow me to share with you the highlights of my long hiatus.

- Had my much-awaited trip to Caramoan, Camarines Sur with my friends in the office last June 17-19.

- I dropped our precious Nikon D40 camera (DSLR) on the way to church on Father’s Day. It’s only 3 months old! We haven’t had it fixed until now. *sad, sad, sad* We’re back to using our old Samsung S630 digicam temporarily.

- As usual, our workload in the office seemed to double-up. And what’s sad is, the attrition rate went up. Almost every one I talk to wants to resign and find an account or company that would give them the work-life balance they deserve. *sigh*

- Attended the “Raising Godly Kids” seminar conducted by our church for two Saturdays. I learned a lot! I’ll be sharing with you the details of this life-changing seminar on my parenting blog when I have enough time. I look forward to attending more seminars in the future!

- Finally, my husband and I now belong to a small group in church that meets every Tuesday morning after work. Since we both work in a call center (same company), it was very hard for us to join a group that usually meets in the afternoon or evening. Thank God for the countless answered prayers!

- Had the outside of our house re-painted. Guess what the color is? Violet! Hehe. Nice one!

- On July 10, we officially dedicated our baby Ayesha to Jesus Christ. We only had two weeks to prepare for this special event, but I’m so glad it turned out fine. Click here to view the photos.

- I recently attended the 2nd PTA meeting at my son’s new school. For some weird reason, one mother nominated me to be the President. My opponent and I initially had the same number of votes. So to break the tie, I voted for my opponent. Haha! *big grin* I thought I was free from the responsibility, but the same person who nominated me as President nominated me again for the Vice-President post. And this time, I won! Waaaaaaaa!!!!

I think I have more to include in the list, but I can’t remember them all now. (sign of aging?)

Okay, there ‘ya go. It’s time to hit the sack. God bless you!

Ahhh, Samal Island! I’ll embrace your beauty some other time.

Our flight via Cebu Pacific was delayed for two hours due to bad weather, so we arrived in Palawan late in the afternoon and had to cancel our island hopping trip. And since we were all starving, we had our super late lunch at Sea Dive then headed to Maquinit Hot Spring to relax ourselves. After all, we had nothing to do for the day.

Thinking that I can handle soaking myself in a 40-degree celsius of salt water to ease my muscle pains, I got pretty excited! Only to find out when we’re finally there that my tolerance for heat was not what I had expected it to be.

I was only able to soak my legs and thighs! I feared that if I soaked my body in the hot water, the baby inside my tummy would scream in pain.

From L to R: Mae, Cookie, Mye, Don, My husband Leo and me.

The Honeymooners :hearty: . LOL

DAY 2

We woke up early the next day for our island hopping trip. Needless to say, all of us were pretty excited to explore the enchanting beauty of Coron.

Let these photos speak for themselves!

On Malcapuya Island where we had our first swim. Oh how I miss the beach and the white sand!

What a sight!

Chillin’ on the hammock

After swimming and basking under the sun, we all headed to Banana Island where we had our lunch. Kuya Jun, our awesome tourguide, grilled some pork, chicken and fish for all of us. Yummy!

Welcome to Banana Island!

GOT STRANDED ON BANANA ISLAND!!!

We were off to the next island when our boat broke down. It’s a good thing that we were still near Banana Island when it happened. The current was a bit strong and everyone started to feel nervous. My friends grabbed their life jackets and wore them (except me and my husband. Tapang-tapangan! Hehe). Some of them worried that our boat would eventually sink. But my husband assured me and the rest of the guys that there’s no reason to panic coz the problem was the rudder that fell off the sea. It’s a vertically hinged plate of metal mounted at the stern of the boat for directing its course. He said the boat won’t sink, we’ll just lose direction. Our boatmen tried to retrieve it but did not succeed. I just silently prayed that the big waves won’t take our boat farther. I tried to calm myself down but my head was already screaming, “Oh my God! Is this really happening?!”

The next thing I knew was Kuya Jun, our boatman, swam all the way to Banana Island holding a rope and pulled the boat back to the shore. We were so relieved! Napabilib kaming lahat sa lakas at tapang ni Kuya! Muro-ami ang dating! Hehe. Thank God!

We went back to Banana Island and decided to enjoy the beach and the perfect weather while waiting for the other boat that would send us back to the resort.

We swam and snorkeled tirelessly the entire afternoon. We had a lot of fun eventhough we’re stranded for six hours.

To cut the long story short, our rescue boat arrived at 6PM and we arrived at the resort around 9PM. The big waves made me feel dizzy and uncomfortable all throughout our dreadful journey, but I’m glad we were all safe. What an experience!

I can’t believe I’m having another vacation again this year despite my big tummy. As you know, I am now 5 months pregnant and everyone in the office keeps telling me that my tummy looks like it’s going to explode anytime soon because it’s too big! Haha!

We booked our tickets in April and didn’t know I was going to be pregnant, so there’s no backing out now. And besides, my OB said I am fit to travel until my 7th month as long as there’s no complication. I just hope the security at the airport won’t interrogate me for traveling without a medical certificate. I’ll just bring a copy of my ultrasound result as a proof that my tummy is just 5 months. I hope that’ll do!

Anyway, we’ll be back in Manila on September 4 but I won’t be reporting for work until the 16th. Yep, I’m on leave for two weeks starting tomorrow.

I can’t wait to see these lovely places.

Images courtesy of Google

P.S:
I’ll keep you guys posted via Twitter. Woo-hoo!

We boarded the Victory Liner bus at exactly 10 a.m after our shift. The long hours of journey to Baguio was no joke! I swear I was bored to death! :sick: I wanted to sleep but I couldn’t. My butt hurt a little and my mouth got tired of talking and laughing for hours. When we finally arrived in Baguio, it was already 5 p.m. Whoa! :stubborn:

The Manor Hotel

I love this shot. Hehe. :heart:

We hailed a taxi that took us to Mountain Lodge. It’s an old house that was turned into a lodge and I couldn’t help but notice the musty smell. It’s located in front of Teacher’s Camp so we kept teasing each other that ghosts would suddenly appear in our pictures just like what’s reported on TV. :thinking: :geez:

After our sumptuous dinner at Rose Bowl, :apple: my husband and I decided to sleep in our room while the rest of the guys had a short drinking session at the lodge’s terrace. Then we woke up early the next day to explore the beauty of Baguio. :heart:

The President’s Kingdom in Baguio.

Here are the places we visited during our tour: The Philippine Military Academy, Botanical Garden, Camp John Hay, Butterfly Garden, The Manor (it’s the most expensive hotel in Baguio. we love it!), Zigzag Road (you can see the lion’s head from here), The Wright Park, Good Shepherd, The Mansion, Baguio Market, Lourdes Grotto, and Burnham Park.

We love the Igorot outfit!

Find the lion’s head.

After our tour, we headed back to the lodge to take a rest. Two hours later, we went to Good Taste for dinner. The food was awesome, inexpensive and came in large servings! My jaw dropped in awe when I saw our bill. It’s just 2,300 for 11 persons! k: :love:

After dinner, we headed to Dug-out Bar because my team mates wanted to celebrate our last day in Baguio. I was too tired that night so I was hesitant to join the group (but I ended up joining anyway). And besides, I don’t drink at all. As in I hate alcohol! So after less than an hour, my husband and I left the bar to have that special moment alone. LOL. :heart: :hearty:

And the rest is history! :love: *wink*

Here’s our ticket. It’s sooo cheap! Look! mg:

I chanced upon really cheap seats going to Busuanga while I was browsing through Cebu Pacific. And I knew in my heart that I couldn’t let it slip away. Not in a million years! Haha. Leo and I had talked about going to Coron, Palawan before — just the two of us, but I was having second thoughts coz I didn’t wanna travel without our li’l angel. But I realized he’s right. We also need time together…as husband and wife. Honeymoon na ito! :love: Haha!

But when my officemates learned that the tickets are cheap, they got pretty excited and decided to join us! (me and my big mouth! LOL). Kidding aside, I invited them din naman. But I told them, “Hey, guys! This is not a team building huh! Leo and I are getting a separate room. It’s gonna be our honeymoon!”.

We all burst out laughing. :sick:

Our next stop was at Punta Cruz Watch Tower in Maribojoc. It was raining cats and dogs when we arrived so we had no choice but to leave Greggy, who was sleeping anyway, in the car again. There’s no entrance fee at this historical tourist spot. It’s like a mini park, but with a great view of the ocean. :love:

From its windows at the top, you can see Cebu, Siquijor, and Mindanao. What a stunning view! :cam: The tower was built in 1796 as a look-out post against pirates and Muslim marauders.

Dauis Church was our last stop. It was built in 1697 and the design was highly influenced by Byzantine and Romanesque architecture. It was past 5PM when we arrived at the church and there was a mass being held. Thus, it was kind of hard to look around. I got fascinated by the interior design of the church, especially the one on the ceiling. I secretly held my digicam up to take one shot, but the priest suddenly looked at me when the flash fired. mg: So out of respect, we just decided to leave. Haha!

We were supposed to visit other places as part of our itinerary for that day, but we’re too tired already. I asked Kuya Tatsky to drop us off at Alona Tropical Resort so we could check-in and rest. I told him to pick us up at the resort as early as 8AM on our 4th day for the Chocolate Hills tour. I also asked him to arrange the sea tour for us on our 3rd day. He was so nice!

To be continued…