Our holliday to the Philippines

 

Herman and I travelled on june the first 2005 to the Philipines. It was a very long journey. Firstly we flew to Singapore. Coming out of the plane the warmth fell upon us. We had to wait there for 3 hours.Then we flew to Cebu City in 3½ hours. At noon we arrived. We were welcomed warmly by Joy, a sister of Gemma, a friend of Gemma’s family Rodrigues (Rod) and Gemma and Mark. In a luxurious car we drove to our hotel “Marriott”, where we stayed fot two nights. We were entertained enormously. We had dinner in Rod’s sport club. In the evening we drove to “the Tops” and had a fairy-like view on Cebu City.The next day at noon  june 3 we travelled by boat to Bohol: almost 2 hours on turbulent water. In the port we were welcomed by the staff of the “Bohol Tropies Hotel”, that held a billboard  saying “Welcome Mrs. and Mr. Herman van Niftrik”. When we were unpacking our trunks in our hotelroom, Gemma’s mother, her son Kim and a couple of Gemma’s sisters and brothers came in to meet us. That was a moving event! Gemma has a large family: mother “Madel”, 3 sisters, 3 brothers, Gemma’s son Kim and the nine grandchildren of Madel.

We slept well, fortunately with airconditioning. By car we drove through the city Tagbilaran. At first sight the traffic seems to be chaotic with cars, tricycles, little busses passing each other at the left or right side. Traffic-lights are an exception. Headly a policeman is to be seen. Respect for each other and blowing the carhorn rule the trafficwaves.

Monday Gemma’s sister Malou and her husband Ervin arrived from the U.S.A. The last time she was in Bohol was 4 years ago. In the evening we were invited in the parental house of Gemma, where a delicious meal was prepared by the family. We all dined under the cocostrees and after that Gemma, her sisters and mother sang karaoke inside the house.

Tuesdaymorning we had a weddingrehearsel in the church. Michael, Gemma’s youngest brother, was the professional, patient and charming organiser. After the rehearsel we got a lunch in a chickenrestaurant. Joy had taken care of it. It was delicious.

Meanwhile Gemma and Mark went to a hotel for a extensive lunch at the beach, a wedding present offered by Astrid and teun. During that lunch they received a present of the hotelwaitress: 2 T-shirts with a photograph of Astrid and Teun and the text “from Russia with love”. There was also a postcard from Astrid, supposed to be with Teun on vacation in St.Petersburg with the text “Have we boarded the wrong plane?” Mark and Gemma studied the shirtpictures and the postcard, were confused and emotional almost or totally in tears and were unknowingly filmed from a hotelwindow by Teun. Later on two sisters and brothers hugged each other on the beach. Incredible, if you think they are in Russia and then suddenly you see the beloved ones on Boholbeach. Gemma,Mark,Astrid and Teun played a similar game of lovely deceit on their parents. Fortunately they had considered their parents age and so prevented a possible heart-attack on Bohol.

The surprise was complete. The whole Boholfamily was drummed together by mobile to meet Astrid and Teun and in the evening we were all together on the large tropic-terrace chatting, eating, drinking and listening to the music of the band playing from 8 till 11 o’clock. Then the day of the marriage came: Wednesday june 8 2005. Look at the photographs; they speak their own clear language.

The day afterwards we visited all kinds of interesting places on Bohol: the butterfly-garden, chocolate-hills, tarsier-monkeys and we made a splendid boat-excursion meanwhile consuming an extensive meal.

Friday we went to Dimiao, birthplace of Gemma’s mother, for there too the wedding had to be celebrated. Gemma’s family had prepared food and brought drinks on ice to the beach. It was paradise! Swimming, listening to gitarmusic and singing lovely.

Two evenings we have played tennis on a court next to Kim’s school: Herman, Mark, Nick, Rizel and Pompi played tennis and consumed much fruits and cooled drinks.

We have been several times to the mols, to buy all kinds of things.

Wednesday june 15 we went by boat to Cebu, where we were received by Joy and Rod and had with the six of us dinner and a very lovely karaoke-evening in Rod’s sportclub. Loaded with fine white wine and stronger spirituals we slept healthy and long in the Marriott-hotel.

The next day we flew from Cebu to Singapore and with a delay of 4 hours from Singapore to Amsterdam.

                                       

                                                                                           From the Netherlands with love!

                                                                                                              Paula