In Palawan, I bought a whip made of stingray tail. Dad decided he didn't like the handle so we went to Tandang Sora to see Uncle Erning who used to do all of dad's upholstery stuff here. Apparently at one point, he also decided that he didn't want to paint a car so he had Uncle Erning cover the car in leather. Now that's all good and fine except Uncle Erning has moments where he's completely blind because of sinusitis or something and that he hasn't done any leather work in years but after a few hours, he managed to put a handle on the whip.

Yesterday I went to have dinner with a friend at her house. I was really impressed with her place. The cab drivers (both to and from) were telling me about how affluent that gated community was. But the cool part is how nice everyone was there. People like them made me really enjoy this trip

Anyway we're coming home. We're leaving tonight (Wednesday night here) and arriving there... Wednesday night. I also like this emoticon.

Though After church, Lauryn came to tell me that she wishes she could catch a leprechaun so she could give the gold to all the poor people in the Philippines. Then she wants to ask Santa Clause to give gifts to everyone here and for her too. Mom just commented that she really is Aqui's daughter.

We went to visit Kuya Lawrence's grave today. I came to realize that its the first time that I can actively remember seeing it and for some reason, I was overcome with a sense of... well actually I don't know how I felt. It was like being sad that I never knew someone but at the same time, knowing that he was watching over us. Lauryn spent most of the time after we left talking about her rabbit that was killed by a cat.

Tomorrow I'm going to go to Quiapo to look for some army surplus patches and then heading over to Banaue for possibly finding some car/motorcycle parts. Then finally its off to National Bookstore to look for flags and then Green Hills last time.

Lauryn went to go watch Aliens Versus Monsters tonight with Tito June's kids. She keeps talking about the one eyed alien.

Me

Lauryn at the bay with her bike

Lauryn posing with her new shades, hat and bag.

Me with mom's friends

Lauryn on a horse in Tagaytay

Me and Lauryn playing with a monitor Lizard

Me and the Boatman going snorkeling with Lauryn.

The monkies that we were playing with. They kept stealing food from other people. They're called Long Tailed Macaques.

I have a few more pictures that I'll put up intermittedly.

Yesterday we went all over the place on our last day in Palawan. First we went to the crocodile farm again because Lauryn wanted to hold another crocodile. The lady was telling me that they catch stray dogs and feed them to the crocodile so there aren't any stray dogs in Palawan. Mom wanted to see the bearded pig but they weren't there. I commented to her that probably the crocodiles had Lechon for lunch. Lauryn and I took more pictures holding the crocodiles.

Afterwards, we went to a penal colony. It's like a big prison town where the prisoners farm up their own food and what not for rehabilitation after they actually leave the main prison. There is a post exchange where you buy their goods so that they can make some money to buy their toiletries. I bought some hardwood sticks that are shaped like bolos from some of the prisoners just chillin by the gate for 2$ each.

Then we went to a butterfly farm. Mom was kinda laughing because Lauryn was running away from all the butterflies even though she was fearlessly holding the crocodiles, playing with big lizards, and monkies. Mom bought Lauryn a butterfly clip but not before proceeding to baby wipe everything. With the amount of baby wipes mom's used, I wouldn't be surprised if she managed to sanitize the entire island of Palawan.

Then we went back to a palenke to find some random pasalubong. We ended up continuining on to the pier not far from it where Lauryn rented a bicycle for an hour for 25p (50 cents) while we sat around and talked and she biked. I think about 50 people tried to sell us balut while we were sitting around. I was going to buy some fish balls to eat like we did when we were kids but dad commented that my stomach probably wouldn't be able to handle it anymore and that I should wait until I'm back in Manila in case it made me violently ill. I ran into mom's distant cousin again and I got a whip made of stingray tail from him. Dad said that it still had some thorns on it - the old wives tale (pun not intended) is that if you are sting by one it will make you thin (though he actually meant frail) so I offered to whack him with it. He just laughed.

It's weird here how people are really touchy, at least in Palawan. Like I had a random person about my age stop me as he was passing by me and stretched out my shirt from the shoulder to look at what it said (Its the shirt I'm wearing in the crocodile picture) then said "A" and kept walking. I had to ride on the back of our cousin's scooter to go to the bank with him and some random person pulled up next to us and just started having a conversation with me about the traffic in Manila. It's really odd.

Afterwards we went to dinner. Lauryn said she wants to come back there with Lana so that they can share mango and watermelon shakes together because they're good. Then me and Tito Boy went out to some bars while everyone else went home to pack. Some chick named Jie gave me her number though I never asked for it. I poked fun at mom for it after and her comment was "Of course. You're an American citizen." Then she quickly changed her answer to "Because you're very handsome." haha Still, after wards, we went back to the hotel and I passed out until the early morning (thankfully without a hangover) so I could pack the last of my stuff.

In the morning, we met with the owner of our hotel. He told us that he wants to run for Mayor next year and wants to invite dad back as a consultant because Palawan is having some big bug problem - its destroying their mangos.

We're kinda coasting by on the last of our vacation money (at least I am until I get paid again on Monday when I'll do the last of my pasalubong shopping particularly for Archie, Lyndon, and Lala).

Tomorrow we're going to visit Kuya Laurence's grave and then maybe go to Bugallion to visit Dad's relatives so that we can literally say we'd been to like... every part of the Philippines in 3 weeks except Cebu. A trip like that would end up being cheaper than if we stayed in Manila for the day.

I'll go upstairs to the cafe in a couple hours to post some pictures.

He was saying just 10 years ago, they didn't have fish there until they put up nets to basically keep them in the area because of the mayor of Puerta Princessa. Speaking of, this place is swarming with gays, foreigners, and mail order brides. People aren't quite sure what to think of me here. Mamang says they probably just think I'm a muslim or something. Still, at least, they still speak Tagalog rather than Visayan because 'd really feel out of place here then.

Lauryn finally also got to ride a tricycle. She wanted to ride in the back because she rode once with Lee and said it was fun. It old her riding here isn't so fun because you're not moving very fast and the roads are really bumpy. Also, weirdly enough we ran into one of our cousins here. A distant relative of mom's - another offshoot of the Jaldon family called Dalagea. He sold us some pearls and stuff like that.

The day before that, we went to the big Tourist attraction here in Palawan, the underground river. We saw a bunch of different kinds of bats and swallows. But before that, we were outside waiting for our boatmen to finish eating lunch. Lauryn and I were playing with a monkey called the Long Tailed Macaque - they were in Wild Boyz playing with the same monkeys. They're really friendly though they kept jacking bags of chips and shit like that from the other people.

They also had these big ugly monitor lizards but they were generally friendly too. People were pulling on their tails and our boatman just said just to make sure to stay away from their head if you're messing with them because they bite hard and can give you infections from the bacteria in their teeth.

When we got out of the river, Lauryn was trying to play with one of the monkeys which then started hopping toward her until the Boatman chased it off. He said the monkey probably thought Lauryn was just going to play with him and then got a bit scared when she got closer.

We're going back to Manila tomorrow. Today we're more or less just relaxing and mom wants to go shopping.

I love you. It is great to be here because they have a swimming pool but there is not a very deep part. We go to the beach and I saw fishes in the beach, it was cool. I saw blue and a green one. And I wanna give you another sentence for you becauseone time I saw a monkey and I pointed at him Tito AA but it ran at me but a man saw him and chased the monkey away. And I saw a biiiig lizard. The Big Lizard was where the monkeys were and the little lizards were at a restaurant. I holded the tail of the big lizard and we took pictures. I also held a crocodile. It was fun. It just feels like a little heavy and kind of hard and a little bit soft and that's all for this sentence. I love you and miss you. I'll be home soon

Lauryn

Mamang and I got to Manila safely though it was pretty funny. The guy in the row in front of us was a real Jihadi. Not one of those Moros but an actual like Arabian. Mamang commented that he must've came to visit the Abu Sayaf to me. Robbie's girlfriend rode on the plane with us and she was just laughing when Mamang said that.

Lauryn's happy that I'm back with her and Mom because she says I'm her playmate here. She keeps begging mom if she can stay in my room with me.

I'll try to call you guys tomorrow at some point.

I rode on the horse. I liked it. It was great. I love you and I rode for two hours. It was long. Tito King (Tito June's son) rode with me but two times it went fast but I think it's still fun. And when I was eating in a restaurant I had some repellant I mean the thing to block the flies I mean the fleas. It's just I mean because I made a mistake. Nooo don't type that. I don't want you to type that.

And in the restaurant I got bitten of a kind of a flea called a nikiniki. When it bite me, it really hurted and then after he feels dizzy and he didn't like me so it was so great. I was afraid because of other bugs are going to bite me.

Dear Mama And Dada and Chomper and Jelly and Nino and Nani and Tita Lala and Tito Archie (But you have to call him stinky),

Mama and Dada I love you. And I rode on a horse. Its great and fun and it was kinda long for two hours and I really do love you very very very very very very very very much. And That's all I want to say to you.

Chomper when I was riding on a horsey I saw a dog that looked like you but not so old. It was great. It was. And when we are going back, I miss the dog that looks like you but that's okay I told Lola that I saw one and it was great. THat's all I wanna say to you.

Jelly, I know you're a dog. I miss you and sometimes I see dogs in the Philippines and it was great. Well sometimes I see the dogs and when I was riding a horsey, I saw dogs and that's all I wanna say to you.

Dear Nino,

I miss you a lot. I'm going to bring you back a present when I come back and the Philippines is great. I also bought a toy that has a friend and its a game and I don't remember what its called though and its pet is happy right now, I mean my friend. And I don't know how to play it really. If you know how, send me back a message that says this I know how to do your game. I'll just tell you but if you don't understand, just write back a letter that says I don't know what you're saying. Repeat it. And that's all I wanna say to you.

Dear Nani,

I miss you. And I really love you. The Philippines is great. I am happy and I really wanna write you a letter. This message and that's all. Thank you.

Dear Tita Lala,

I... I said I. I am going to buy you a present and its really going to be great. Even when you come back. I love you. And its great to the be at the Philippines because I am having fun. And that's all.

Dear Tito Archie,

I really love you. I am going to send you a message and its this message and its super duper big. That's all.

Love,

Lauryn