Wednesday, July 8, 2015

The perfect last day in Tacloban -- Part I


   
         Saturday, July 4th

         Today is the 4th of July, and I kind of forgot about it --- the day was that spectacular!  We were picked up at Hotel XYZ (Yes, that's really the name, and I have the story behind it) at 7:30 in a van with the wife of the Mayor of Basey and Marian (both English teachers and colleagues of Obet's).

We had spent time with the Mayor's wife the night before and she just exudes goodness, she is so sweet, generous and kind, so it was nice to be able to spend more time with her.  Sir Aldim met us at the van and we drove to pick up Obet and the mayor's bodyguards and his driver.  It took over an hour to the Sotoham Caves and Natural Bridge.  The roads were uneven and narrow, but we saw how people who live in that area harvest rice and dry it.

Rice being dried on the street.

As we drove through the town of Basey (pronounced "Basay), I took pictures of a nipa hut, market, subdivision, and elementary school.

Boy outside of nipa hut
Love the markets

Version of the nipa hut

Elementary School

Subdivision
Subdivisions are so different in the Philippines.  The roads are very narrow








The town is quaint and simple.  We picked up two bodyguards and the driver of the mayor in town and headed to the lake where we would get on a pump boat to travel to the caves.



Then, off we went, taking two pump boats to the caves, it was gorgeous on the way there.  


The picture above is a suspended bridge.  I'm sure it is not being used since many boards in it are broken.  The sights of the mountain on the way to the caves were beautiful, it was like being in the set of a movie just before the suspense starts to build up.
   The Philippines has so much unspoiled natural beauty!


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