We were roasting hotdogs and marshmallows when Jeng and her family arrived.

Later we settled in the other house, which we found to be roach-infested, and where only one room had A/C. So we -- six kids, four adults -- slept in one room, using Jeng's sleeping bag and and cushions we had dragged from the living room sofa.

There's Got to be a Morning After

Mike and I got up early (4 am) and decided to take a stroll by the beach. I wanted to take pictures of the sunrise.

To our surprise, a sea of humanity was (already) in the water. People from the overly crowded picnic hut area we spurned the night before must have skipped sleep and spent the night swimming! (Wow!)

We walked away from the people power crowd, enjoying the sweet morning air. Then we met a boy of about 9 years carrying a plastic basin of squid. How Mike is about squid, and how I am about child vendors -- we ended up buying the whole lot of squid that was in the basin!
No ref -- so we ended up cleaning the squid -- and missing shots of the sunrise. Geez.


Rise and Shine!

The deal with the house keeper was that I'd get everyone out of the house and into the beachfront hut by 7am, so Mike and I went back to the house and kicked everyone out of bed. :)

The kids happily got up and rushed to the beach and spent hours kayaking, scuba diving, jet skiing, windsurfing -- oh wait, that's not us! -- I mean, swimming, building sandcastles and playing tag. :)


Joy Ride
After lunch of grilled squid, chicken and pork barbecue, grilled fish and adobo, we set out for a boat ride.

Our boat headed east, past the White Castle (yup, in the middle of the bay; rumored to be the backdrop of the then whisky commercial) and on to the islet where a defunct lighthouse was.
The islet had an artificial beach, which opens to swimmers for a P10.00 entrance fee. We droppped in, Jeng and the kids searching for pebbles for her collection, moi taking pictures as usual.
And where was Mike? Him who has called it a day for swimming and has showered and dressed, stayed on the rocky breakwater ledges, happily protected by my buri hat and Rel's shades.
Then we packed up and headed north, past Snake Island /Pamana Island.
The return to the Baloy beach was tricky. The current had changed and we had to drive counterstream, crashing oncoming waves. Mike, who has seen larger waves and worse sea conditions in Davao assured me there was nothing to it. I still made a silent prayer, then called my Mom out loud when a rather big wave splashed onto us.
When we got back to the beach the changing current had colored the water brown, and had brought in considerable flotsam. All four parents warned the kids in unison --"Wala nang magsi-swimming!!"
So we herded the flock back to the cottage and eating re-ensued, this time a happy snacking on fish balls and kikiam. And part 4 of my adobo. :)
We left the beach at 2pm, bracing ourselves for another 133-kilometer drive back to Manila. (Plus a few more to San Pedro.)
The kids had their zzzzs.
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PS - There would have been more pictures here -- shots taken at the Parola; view shots; the kids during the ride back to Manila-- but for some strange, unexplainable reason, the pictures I post did not and do not appear after uploading. I've tried many times and during many sessions, the reason why this continuation has been delayed. :(