EARTH HOUR 2010

I'm starting to get used to my pregnant belly. I know it's only going to be so much bigger in the next few months and who knows if I could even walk properly by then (I believe it's called waddling) but since this is going to be my last pregnancy I want to savor every moment of it.

I already started having some back pains which will only worsen later on (had that problem with the past 2 pregnancies) and am still having headaches (like now) which are no fun at all. Still, a small price to pay for helping a life grow inside me for 9 months.

Sometimes, when I'm not doing anything, I just rub my tummy and imagine I'm actually touching the baby inside. Sometimes I could feel tiny movements. Really tiny. If I was not pregnant before I would think it was something strange but I know it's the baby moving. The sonologist (during my first ultrasound) told me that I would not feel the movement for a few more weeks but I know what I felt and I was not imagining it nor was I intentionally thinking of the baby. I just felt it suddenly. I can't wait for Ruther to come home and feel the baby move. I'm sure he'd be psyched!

Oh and yeah, I'm still hoping it's a girl. :P

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Did you get to observe Earth Hour? We did. I bought some candles and we formed a 60 on the table representing the 60 minutes of no lights. Oh yeah, we have photos. :D




























I know some people think that Earth Hour is lame but I'm just glad that people from all over the world are willing to forget their differences and for one hour be united in taking part in this event. I only wish that every day is an Earth Hour day. That would be so wonderful.

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My favorite aunt is coming in June! Well, she's not actually my aunt really but Ruther's. But she's still my favorite. I know I wrote several posts about Tita Nicki (who is from Australia) and she just announced recently on her Facebook profile that she'll be coming to the Philippines! What's more, she'll be staying for a year!! That is so great! It will be so wonderful to have her here again. I missed her a lot these past months and have been calling her sometimes for advice or just when I need a shoulder to cry on. She's been so fantastic. She's been a wonderful second mom to me. I just can't wait to see her!! Ohh! Wait til she sees my tummy! :D

BAD HEADACHES

I've been having headaches lately. I think it's because of the summer heat. It's been so terribly warm these past few days. Yesterday I had a nasty nasty headache and I was in such a grumpy mood poor Ruther had to message me frequently to cheer me up and make me feel better. Today I had a little headache but before it could escalate into a migraine, I turned on the AC for a few minutes just to keep my head cool. I also had to take a nap because I got so terribly sleepy this afternoon. It did me a world of good (although I feel like I'm getting sleepy now).

Anyway, I try not to resort to taking meds immediately when I feel a headache coming on. I would do massages or apply mild liniments first or take a cool shower before finally taking paracetamol should the headache prove to be intolerable after a few hours. I hope my headaches don't recur any more. It's just so bothersome...

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I started crocheting some baby stuff. I made a little cap, a bib, a bottle bag and a swaddling blanket. The blanket is only half-done because I ran out of the tricolored yarn. Too bad. I was on a roll and I suddenly had to stop because the store where I bought the yarn in the first place did not have the yarn I needed in stock. That was just too bad. Anyway, I'm planning to make a little onesie as well. Don't know how that's going to turn out since it'll be my first time to do that. I just hope I don't waste any yarn in the process. I'll post some photos tomorrow...

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My tummy is definitely bulging out more now. Which I think is weird because I'm (guessing I'm) only in my 11th week. So it's either I'm eating too much (which I hope isn't happening) or my tummy is just big to begin with (and I don't know what to feel about that!). Anyway, I suppose as long as the baby is normal and healthy, I shouldn't be too worried, right?

My relatives in Canada found out from my sister that I'm with child. Told her to email them for me and my aunt was very pleased with the news. Since a cousin of mine there recently had a baby, I asked my aunt if I could have the baby clothes and stuff they no longer needed and maybe some of the maternity stuff as well. They were planning on sending a box home anyway (in 2 months' time) so I figured I could make use of those stuff instead of having to spend for those things here. It would be a big help, really. Besides, with this being my last pregnancy I have no desire to buy maternity clothes any more! I still have some of my maternity clothes from before so I suppose they would do. As for the baby stuff, we'd buy some essential things but whatever friends and family could give us would always be welcome. I'm not a picky sort of person.

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I'll be going to the OB-GYN tomorrow for my second check-up. I hope everything goes well. My doctor is Ruther's aunt so I'm quite comfy with her. She was my doctor when I gave birth to Nikki and Ethan so why not this time, right? She's very matter-of-fact and very straightforward and I like her like that. Anyway, since we'll be at the mall tomorrow, we might as well make it a bonding time for me and the boys. Maybe have pizza or something. :D

MY JAPAN: PEPPER LUNCH

I love eating here. It's a good thing we have a Pepper Lunch resto here in Manila. When Ruther came home last December, I asked him to take me there. Really miss this...

STILL MISSING...

I miss Japan a lot. I've been thinking about it these past few days and I realize that it's never been out of my system since the very first time I went to that country. Every little thing that reminds me of that place just make me want to leap on a plane and go there. I just miss it so much.

After living there for more than a year (collectively), I just know that my family could be happy there. I just know that it would be wonderful to live in a great country together. I know of course, that there will some inconveniences from time to time (like how to go to a movie without the kids) but I'm sure, as always, we'd be able to manage. To be honest, when we were in Japan, I didn't feel homesick at all. I got to talk to my family through Skype, we'd email each other regularly, when we want Filipino dishes we'd go to a Filipino store for supplies/food, and most importantly, we had our family intact so I never felt like I needed anything else. Plus, the people in Japan were so kind and friendly that I never felt like the language was much of a problem.

I miss Japan so much, even if i couldn't take the winter cold sometimes, or if I didn't know what to cook for the family anymore, or if I always worried about our homeschooling. It was difficult but I was so happy. And I just know in my heart that that's the place where I would want to live with my family eventually.

EVERYTHING BABY

Now that I've seen the baby through ultrasound I can't deny it any more. I can't say "It was probably a false positive" or like in Glee, "it might be a hysterical pregnancy". Nope. Can't deny it any longer. A baby is growing inside me and in a few months, we'll have another addition to the family.

Of course I'm still hoping it's going to be a girl. If I can't admit that to myself then I suppose I'm simply deluded. I just think it would be wonderful to have a baby girl in the family, you know. And it would great to finally be pretty during a pregnancy. Having two boys did weird things to my face while I was pregnant. Really weird.

Anyway, I've started buying some onesies (and mittens) for the baby. Just 4 pieces though coz I still have some of Nikki and Ethan's baby clothes. I've yet to see how many we have at the moment and I'm sure we'll still be getting more later on (in the form of presents). It would be great to dress the baby with cute clothes if it turns out to be a girl. Just imagine the possibilities. :D

I have to plan ahead and check what other baby things we have in the house. We still have a couple of strollers, baby blankets, cloth diapers, but we gave away the crib years before. No matter. I'm sure the baby will be sleeping with us on the bed. I know that in some places this is a no-no but believe me, in the Philippines, it's a natural thing to do. I've had Nikki and Ethan sleep with Ruther and me on the bed and no harm has come to them. I just hope the baby won't be fussy...

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I've started crocheting again. I've already made a baby beret and I hope it'll fit the baby's head. I started making a swaddling blanket but ran out of crochet yarn (I need 4 more) so that's on hold for now. I'm now making a onesie and so far it's progressing nicely. Will post photos when I'm done with some of my crochet projects.

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Ruther tells me that he'll be home May 29. It seems not too far along but it feels like such a long time. Sigh.

FIRST GLIMPSE

Today I went to a nearby diagnostics clinic to have my tests done. I called beforehand to find out the schedule so I was at the clinic a little past 4pm.

I had to wait for a few minutes before I was called into the doctor's office. The radiologist asked me the usual questions: age, last menstrual period, etc. then we proceeded to the ultrasound room. Instead of getting a transvaginal ultrasound, he told me that a pelvic one would suffice since I seem to be more than 10 weeks along (rough estimate). So, I lay on the bed and got ready. After a few minutes of checking out the important things: placenta, fluid, etc, he showed me the baby. It was really cool. The baby was sitting upright (breech position) but the doctor told me that could change later on as it grows. I saw its head, its arms, its body, its tiny heart beating away, its legs and I got so overwhelmed. It was like the first pregnancy all over again. I wanted to cry but of course, not wanting to look like a fool and alarming the radiologist, I just concentrated on the monitor. I asked the doctor if it was moving and he said yeah. He then showed me. And did it move! I was relieved of course. After informing me that everything seemed normal and okay, I thanked the doctor and left the room. Back at the waiting area, I messaged Ruther and told him about the experience. Of course, I was sad that once again, he wasn't here to share the experience with me. It would have been so great for us to have seen the baby together for the first time. But he did promise that when he comes home in May, I'll have another ultrasound and we'll see the baby together then.

Anyway, after that, I had to wait for a few more minutes before having my blood extracted for testing. I needed tests for CBC and HBs-Ag. The extraction didn't hurt at all. I guess it's good I have a high pain threshold. I needed a urinalysis too and that wasn't too hard because I now have the constant urge to pee. Anyway, I was out of the clinic at around 545pm. Since I didn't get a transvaginal ultrasound (which costs P850), I only paid P945 for everything, which is pretty reasonable. The pelvic ultrasound cost P450, CBC was P175, urinalysis P100, and HBsAg screening P270.

And here are the ultrasound photos:

KITE-FLYING

March in the Philippines is usually the time to go kite-flying. So one afternoon, my brothers-in-law brought the boys to a nearby empty field and taught them the basics of kite-flying. It was fun! :)

SUMMER, SCRAPBOOK, SO MUCH MORE...

It's been really warm these past weeks. We've been making shakes and smoothies like crazy, been taking frequent showers and having brownouts because of the heat. We're surviving though. We turn on the AC when it gets really unbearable, which usually happens when there's no breeze at all. And it's not even the summer months yet! Sigh. Been getting some headaches from the heat but not too frequently. I just hope this El Nino goes away soon!

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Today is the Pacquiao-Clottey fight for all you boxing fans. I'm quite sure everyone in the Philippines are glued to their tv sets waiting for the bout to begin. And I'm sure the streets and highways will be empty once more because people will all be tuned in to the fight. Well, Good Luck Manny! I know you'll make us proud!

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My tummy is getting bigger. A bulge is forming and I don't know how to feel about that. Some people might think I look somewhat pregnant but others might suspect that I just came from an all-you-can-eat buffet. Not pretty. Sigh. And I think I'm starting to get fat! Sigh. I hate it. I've had issues with my body since I was little. With a petite sister AND mother, I've always been reminded to "lose weight" or "don't get too fat" or "remember our family's medical history" or "you gained weight again" or "don't eat too much". And now I'm pregnant again and sure to gain even more weight!! I've been doing light exercises and I stare at the mirror sometimes and look at myself critically for flab and fat and all those. It's really depressing, I know. But I can't help it! I have a difficult time losing weight! I guess I'll have to watch my diet more closely now.

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I've started a pregnancy scrapbook. I figured, if this is going to be our last baby I might as well document everything. So it's going to be like a pregnancy diary. I'm done with the first 2 months but have yet to add the ultrasound and lab results which I'm going to have next week. Then in a couple of weeks I'm going to start on the third month. At least this keeps me busy.

I also started crocheting again. I'm making this blanket from granny squares. I hope it'll turn out nice. I have some difficulty joining the squares together. I guess I need more practice. I also made a little hat but it looked too small so I think I'll need to make a bigger one. Anyway, more crochet projects coming up...

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I've been craving for durian lately. In case you didn't know what it is, it's a fruit that looks like this:

It's somewhat hard to find this time of the year but a nearby supermarket sells them fortunately so I buy some there. It's really yummy (in my opinion) and everyone in my family love to eat this (when I say my family, I mean MY family. Ruther's family are not so fond of this fruit since it's predominantly found in the Mindanao are of the Philippines where I grew up.) Anyway, this is the first time I've had food cravings. When I had Nikki and Ethan I didn't have any particular craving. So I find this weird coz when I crave for something I usually want to eat it right away. And if I can't get it, I have difficulty sleeping. Am I weird or what?

MOVING ON

I'm probably on week 6 in my pregnancy. But I've yet to get an ultrasound to confirm that. I'm making a guess. Work has made me so busy I hardly have time to homeschool the boys. But of course, we still manage. Other than that, I've stopped crocheting, watching my shows because after I get home from work, I'd be sleepy and then it would the boys' naptime at 3pm. I feel so unorganized.

Anyway, I'd be done with work on Friday. Many of the students are flying back to Korea this month. One of my students already went home last Sunday, 2 will leave tomorrow and my last student will fly home on Saturday. I don't mind ending my stint with the school. I had fun and I learned a lot. But only those were the positive perks. My pay was measly. I earned only P280 (approx. US$6.11) a day because they only paid me P70 (approx. US$1.53) per student. Early January, I asked the head teacher if the P70 pay was fixed and she said it wasn't and depending on performance, I could get an increase. But I don't see that happening now with most of the students leaving. So I'll end my work on Friday and just think of a way to earn while at home. It'd be so much better and we'd get our homeschooling back in order.

There. I feel so much better already.

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I feel so awfully fat. But so far no one has guessed that I'm with child yet so I think I should be thankful for that. But this time, I want to make sure that I don't get too big. I hope (I said "hope" instead of "want") to exercise in the mornings by walking around the subdivision. I would love to do that anytime everyday if it wasn't for the fumes from tricycles and vehicles around the neighborhood. Carbon monoxide really irritates me. Anyway, I hope to be able to do that regularly every week...

And I'm still wishing for a girl...

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I miss Japan a whole lot. Ever since I went to that country, I just wish my family could live there already. I just love Japan and its people. It's such a wonderful place and I miss it like crazy. I wish I could see Japan again soon...

JEEPNEY DRIVERS

I commute to work everyday now and I can't help but observe the many jeepney drivers that ply Dr. A. Santos Avenue daily. I am simply amazed at how they multitask. Unlike bus drivers who only have to pay attention to the road and drive, jeepney drivers have to do a whole lot of things. They have to:

1. drive
2. collect the fares (which are passed to him by passengers)
3. compute payment/fares from one point to another and then return the change to the passenger/s (which is passed from the driver to the said commuter)
4. keep watch for commuters eager to ride (unlike buses, jeepneys have no designated stops)
5. take note of passengers who don't pay

If I were a jeepney driver I would probably go crazy in a week or get into an accident. I mean, who could do all these things and still manage to drive straight for goodness' sake? Some drivers however have a companion who collects the money and computes the fares. Then all the driver'd have to do is keep his eyes on the road. This is probably safer for jeepney commuters.

Anyway, despite my misgivings, I have no choice but to ride jeepneys to work still. It's convenient because jeepneys abound the avenue, it's cheap (I only pay P8 or approx. US$.17 and taxis would cost sooo much) and it's fast. But maybe I'd have to hold on to my seat (and say a litany of prayers) while drivers do what they do best.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RUTHER!

The birthday muffin :)
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Ethan sings "Happy Birthday" to Daddy...
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Nikki's birthday card.
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Ethan's card for Daddy.

BIRTHDAY

It's Ruther's birthday today! He's now 35. Wow. How time flies.

It's a good thing our birthday cards arrived today and on time. When Ruther was home from work, he messaged me that he got the cards. Whew! Nikki and I made a cute card that looked like a DSLite. Ethan's was like a shirt and tie. Ruther liked them and I was glad.

We got him a birthday muffin and blew a candle for him. The boys enjoyed that. Hopefully, future birthdays will be spent together.

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Well, in my case, still the same. Still pregnant. I could feel my waist thickening a bit but I'm hoping it isn't so. I mean I'm just on my second month for goodness' sake. Other symptoms are breast tenderness (and I mean ouch!), sleepiness and allergies. My skin has this tiny bumps that are just so darn itchy! So far, my allergy has been the most uncomfortable experience yet. Sigh.

And yes. I still wish we're having a girl...

I AM

Is it gross that I put this here? It's just that Jan 21 was the time I knew for sure I was pregnant and this proved it!

I WANT A GIRL

I know that sounds selfish. And so un-Catholic. I'm half expecting lightning to hit me anytime soon.

But I do want a girl. I would love to have a girl in the family. Especially for Ruther. I'm sure he would love to watch her grow and see all the differences raising a girl is from raising boys. Besides, I'm sure I could balance being a mom to both genders, you know? And also, I never had that pregnancy glow that everyone talks about. When I had Nikki and Ethan I looked like I had a terrible allergy attack. My face was all swollen, my neck turned black and I looked like a monster. I'm not kidding. I still can't look at my photos then! I was really hideous! I hope that this time, I could be glowing and pretty and not (too) fat. Sigh. Is that so selfish of me?

It would be great to have a girl. Aside from Nikki's wish would be granted ("I want a sister because I already have a brother"), it would be nice to see him and Ethan interact with a female sibling. I'm also thinking this would be the last time I'm getting pregnant because it would just be too difficult for me to have another later on in life. So I'm really really really hoping that we're going to have a girl this time around.

If the Lord would be so kind, of course.

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Now that I'm pregnant I feel that everytime I'm out of the house I'm on Mom alert. I always cover my nose so I won't inhale fumes from vehicles and smoke from cigarettes. I used to be careful not to show my displeasure at fumes and smoke but now that I know a baby is growing inside me, I don't even have to think twice. It's so weird. Well, maybe not so weird.

I also noticed that I'm always hungry these days. And it's bothering me a lot because I don't want to get too fat (it happened when I was pregnant with Ethan). I try to moderate my eating but after a couple of hours or so, I get hungry again. Ruther teased me that maybe I'm carrying twins. Well, I hope NOT! I'm currently 150 pounds heavy and based on my reading, I want my weight to increase g r a d u a l l y. Hopefully, watching what I eat will do the trick.

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I started reading What to Expect When You Are Expecting again. I read the book once before when I was pregnant with Nikki and when I had Ethan I thought, "I still remember pretty much a lot of it" so I shelved the book. This time, after 6 years, I have to read it again just to remind myself of some of the important prenatal details. It's amazing reading all the text I highlighted then. (I know, I'm weird like that.) It was like looking at myself through a time portal.

Anyway, still got to read a lot but I've got 8 months so I guess that's not going to be a problem.

TRYING TO BE

As I thought, Ruther was excited about the baby when I told him I was pregnant. He reassured me that having a baby now, while I'm in my early 30s, would be better (and safer) than having one later on in life. I suppose he has a point there. But I still can't figure out how I feel about the whole thing. I guess I'm a lot like Keri Russell in the movie The Waitress. She wasn't ready to have a baby too. But that doesn't mean I'm not doing what I can to keep the baby safe and healthy. I take my folic acid, I drink milk, I make sure I stay away from people who are smoking and for the first time in 6 years, I am going to start reading What To Expect When You're Expecting again. I just wish the future was not so uncertain, you know.

I'm scared that I'm going to get real fat again. It's been hard losing weight after I had Nikki and Ethan. And I'm sure it'll be even harder this time around with my even slower metabolism. Sigh.

I'm scared that we won't be financially stable or prepared for the expenses that another baby will bring. I suppose this is typical for every family with another baby arriving but I can't help worrying about vaccinations, hospital bills, the birthing, the layette, etc. I KNOW I'm getting ahead of myself but it's a really daunting thought.

I asked Ruther that we talk seriously about making plans for the future. I told him that I will simply NOT allow him to leave me after the baby is born. No more separations and leaving me to take care of the kids alone. I suppose he realized that I've had enough and he agreed to make plans with me.

Sigh. I wasn't this paranoid when I had Ethan. I mean, sure, I worried, but I wasn't this worried. I suppose I should stop doing this to myself until I make my appointment with my Ob/Gyn. A fetal heartbeat might just be the thing I need to snap me out of this weird thinking.

BREAKING NEWS

I might be pregnant.

Well, after 2 pregnancy test kits screaming "positive" at me, I guess I can't deny it any longer. I just have to say it matter-of-factly. But I'm not sure I have the strength to do so.

2009 was a difficult year for me. I just don't want to be emotionally stressed and overwhelmed this 2010. I just feel so unprepared. It's not that I don't want to be pregnant. I was just taken by surprise. Ethan was a surprise as well when I was pregnant with him but he's such a joy, I can't imagine life without him. I suppose I want our next baby to be a girl because I think this will probably be the last time I'd want to get pregnant again and I SO want to give Ruther a baby girl. I've been asking myself, if it's another boy, will I still want to get pregnant a few years later? Probably not. I mean, we have to be practical. It's not cheap raising a family. Not unless Ruther finds a really great job or we migrate to another country where we could live and grow together as a family with both of us earning, having a fourth baby will just be so difficult.

I have yet to tell someone. I'm telling Ruther tonight. I'm sure he's thinking already that I'm pregnant because I've been lamenting these past few days that I haven't had my period yet. I wonder how he'll react.

I don't know what my mom will say. A couple of years ago she was sort-of saying that having the boys is enough because it would be hard to have another child. Well, I'd have to tell her sooner or later. Maybe later.

I have to tell my in-laws too I guess. But I'm just not up to it right now because I'm sore about something that transpired a few weeks ago. I'll let them know when my tummy is showing.

I suppose Nikki is the most excited about having a new baby sister or brother. But he'd rather have a baby sister, he said, because he already has a brother. Sigh.

I guess this means I have to start crocheting baby stuff now...

CORON DAY 2 CONT...

Okay, let's continue... :D

After Banol Beach (and eating a hearty lunch) we then proceeded to our next stop: Skeleton Wreck. Here's a description of it from pacificwrecks.com:

12-16m deck, 25m bottom, Freighter, Length 137m. Possibly the Taiei Maru, lying on its starboard side in Coron Bay. This is a beautiful wreck dive site where you can observe groupers, sweetlips, occasionally turtles and sea snakes. Hard corals cover the port side, which is only 12 to 16 meters below the surface. Many scorpion fish hang out around the wreck area. The big cargo rooms and the engine room allow easy penetration of this wreck for Wreck Diver Certified divers. If you dive from 10 AM to 2 PM on a sunny day you get a cathederal like effect from the beams of sunlight entering the cargo holds through the holes in the port side. The two massive boilers in the center of the ship are a big attraction on this dive. You can pass behind the boilers and see the damage resulting from one of the bomb strikes that disabled the ship. It is possible to do a swim-through and pass from bow to stern without exiting the ship.

Makes me wish I knew how to dive. It must be really exciting to see the ship up close - as long as there aren't any sharks of course. Anyway, at the site, I couldn't dive down because of my life jacket but I was able to take photos of some parts of the boat/ship. The way the ship looked creeped Ruther out a bit. Well, it did look creepy so we focused on feeding the fish (again!). The boys meanwhile just swam away in their floaties.

After Skeleton Wreck, we then headed to CYC Beach. CYC stands for Coron Youth Club. It had white sand on the shore and looked nice as we approached. But I was so disappointed when we neared the beach because there was a lot of trash lying about. I hated that. I found out that CYC Beach was open to the public and I just wish some people would be more consciencious about where they throw their trash. For goodness sake it doesn't take a lot of effort to bring your trash home! Argh! It just makes me so mad! Anyway, we were still able to take good photos of the area (minus the trash) with some mangrove trees. Suffice to say we didn't stay very long at that beach.

Our last stop was at Twin Lagoon. From travelandleisures.blogspot.com:

The Twin Lagoon nestled in the largest limestone formation which is called the Calis Mountain, which is actually the Coron Island. The Twin Lagoon is divided by limestone wall and is connected by a small and narrow opening. The inner lagoon is only visible and can only be access during low tide. One must have a diving skill to get to the inner lagoon during high tide.
The outer lagoon has a number of sea urchins and the temperature of the water is a little warmer compare with the inner lagoon which is cooler and deeper and more serene.

The water in this area is brackish, our tour guide said. He told us that fresh water usually floats on top while the salt water stays below. When I looked through the camera lens, the water appreared blurry. The guide said that's how it would look when the fresh and salt water mixes. But he added that about a meter below the surface, the water would be clear again. The temperature of the water was also weird. There were areas where it was cool but other areas were cold! Again, the mixing of the waters. Anyway, when we got to Twin Lagoon we were pleased to find out that we could swim below the wall to get to the inner lagoon because it was low tide. If it was high tide then we would have had to climb this ladder to get to the inner lagoon which would have been not as fun as swimming underneath the wall. It was so cool swimming through the gap. It was like going through a small limestone tunnel. We had to be careful though because the rocks were sharp! Only Jojo, Ruther, I went into the inner lagoon. It was majestic. It was like a secret place for mermaids. Really wonderful. The boys stayed in the outer lagoon with the boatmen who kept them company. Ethan did yell for us to come out NOW! Sigh...

Anyway, Twin Lagoon was our final stop so we then headed back to Coron tired but happy. Even the boys found the experience fun which is always a good thing. :D

Day 3 tomorrow!

CORON DAY 2

Day 2 started at 7am with breakfast. It was covered in the package and we had a choice of a Filipino set breakfast or an American one. We got 2 Filipino and 2 American set meals. Yummy and filling.

We left the hotel at 8am in a tricycle and headed to Lambingan dock where our banca was waiting for us. Our tour guide was with us all the way. While at the dock, Ruther and I took photos while our guide readied everything for the trip to the islands. We finally left after a few minutes and headed to our first stop: Siete Pecados. Siete Pecados (or 7 sins) represent the 7 small islets surrounding the area. It's actually a marine sanctuary, I found out later. I was the first in the water (after asking my guide about sharks which he said there weren't) and once I put my head underwater there were so many fish!! They were just swimming all over me. It was amazing. I love to snorkel so I just snorkeled away and took photos. Once, our tour guide (named Jojo) dived a few meters below me and brought up these big triangle-shaped fish! It was amazing I just had to try it. Since I had my life vest on (and I can't swim well), I couldn't dive down to the area where the fish were. Finally after much coaxing, I managed to feed a few!! I was scared it was going to bite my finger off I quickly let go of the bread before it snatched it away. But it was so cool. Good thing Ruther took a photo of me feeding the fish. Anyway, after an hour or so (couldn't really remember), we went back to the banca and headed for our next stop.

Kayangan Lake is "a fresh water lake hidden behind limestone rocks amidst small mountains". We actually had to climb these steps up and down a small hill before getting into the lake itself. In other words we did a mini-hike to reach it. I was panting a bit when we reached the beautiful lake. I thought at first "this looks pretty plain". But was I wrong. Underwater, I found the most amazing rock formations. Since the water was fresh, it was so clear. I took Ruther's photo and it looked like he was flying over mountains of rocks. It was so cool. Then Jojo told me that there was a small cave on the eastern wall of the lake. Of course I had to check that out. It was cool. The cave entrance was small (one person could go in and out while avoiding the rough walls) but it was cool and wider inside. When you reached the inner part and looked up, you'd see a hole above where some light could pass through. I felt like a mermaid. :P Anyway, we didn't stay too long at Kayangan lake and headed to our next stop: Banol Beach.

Banol Beach is "just one of the many white sand beaches you can find on the island of Coron, Palawan. It is a small, cozy beach" and there were less than a dozen small huts along the shore which you can rent (but that's covered in our package). We also stopped here for lunch which is again, covered in our package. It was a buffet lunch with rice, barbequed chicken, roasted squid, ensaladang talong (eggplant salad) , crab, bananas, sodas and bottled water. It was a yummy lunch and I don't usually eat eggplant like that but I didn't want to offend our tour guide so I tried some and it was surprisingly delicious! I had a few more spoonfuls after that. :D Anyway, the boys didn't feel like eating but after a while, Nikki came out of the water and ate lunch. Ethan, as usual, didn't want to eat rice. Sigh. After resting a bit, we headed back to the water while tourists (mostly Caucasians) sun bathed. We then took more photos and then headed back out once more onto our banca.

more stories tomorrow... :D