Business-cum-Pleasure Trip

 I left the for the mainland with this last sight on the island where I live. Every time friends and I pass through this channel, we would have fun counting these houses on stilts that the sea gypsies erected.



I enjoyed my travel because the sea was very smooth. The flight I took with 23 others from my office was equally smooth. I am shown here with my best friends Juliet and Rose. (No one could yank us apart and even our boss is sometimes pissed off to see us inseparable.. lol!)



We travelled for twelve hours to our destination. A peaceful boat trip and flight (hmm, the usual calm before a storm?), then another boat trip where we sailed on stormy waters as a super-typhoon was hitting the country at 205 kph.

This streamer welcomed us in the most expensive resort at a tourist destination.



And these stuffs awaited in my 10,000-pesos per day luxurious cottage together with a basket of tropical fruits and a welcome drink..



This was the sitting area in my Mediterranean-inspired cottage.



I was atop on a hill with a pool that was strategically located and offered an endless view of the sea.



Uh-oh... The super-typhoon was making its presence felt. That evening we were to showcase our island dances.



We went to the islet to check the place and study the blocking for our dance. We ended up clowning around and taking pictures.





The three inseparables. Hahaha!







I found a quiet spot there...



...with the afternoon sun behind me.



The theme for the night was Hawaiian. We were not fully dressed up as Hawaiians because we came to the venue with coiffed hair for the dance. There were no good pictures of our presentation because of these strobe lights.. (Grrr!)



We made up for photo ops instead..



There were other cultural dances that followed in separate venues..





The following day was devoted to a forum and an open-air booth display where I had a photo exhibit on farmers and agricultural development.



Comics, posters, newsletters and primers were also displayed which I developed and produced in four dialects. These projects were funded under the Belgian government.



Would you believe some people liked to buy my photographs? But they were not for sale. Too bad, I could have made some money.. Haha!



I found time to bond with my fellow communicators coming from different provinces. We are shown here with the ambassador of Belgium, His Excellency Gregoire Vardakis.



And we continued clowning around..





I managed to sneak out from the exhibit and get a full-body massage at the resort spa where I was pampered to the fullest. This was the view outside the spa.. Sorry guys, I can't show myself stripped for you, so this is the best alternate picture.. *grins!*



After the two-day summit, I was presented this certificate then sailed to Cebu City at the height of the super-typhoon. It was a very scary trip, I thought the boat would go down.



While in Cebu City, I bonded with my classmates from the university I attended.. These were us after 18 years.



I also went to see family members I haven't seen in several years..







After four days, I was at the Cebu-Mactan International Airport for another smooth flight back home..



... and another peaceful sea travel..



I came home just in time because there were baby tornadoes looming the day after in the flight and ship paths I took. I later learned these were called squalls. Thanks be to God for the safe journey.



(Reposted: August 23, 2007)