Eli and Elsie at the Jose Rizal Execution Site

My Dear Excellent Ones,

Happy New Year!  2012 was an incredible year for me.  Thank you for your prayers and concen.  I really appreciate it and your encouragement helped me a lot.  

On the 29th of December me and the kids had a seven hour lay over in Manila.  We spent a big part of the time at Rizal Park and saw the following.

God bless you.

Love adios and peng on!

Dirk

There were statues of his execution plus statues of people in his life.

Elsie meeting Jose.

Family hearing the news that Jose is to be executed.

Elsie with the wife of Jose.

Elsie consoling the family.

Eli and Elsie getting to know some people.

Bullet holes.

Very sobering.  

Very powerful display.

Amongst the riflemen.

One of the priests.  Why was there a dog?  Not sure why.

The riflemen.

Jose Rizal.  Great hero of the Philippines.

Puka Beach

My Dear Great Ones,

Our last day at Boracay was fantastic.  Great weather, great times.  We sailed around the island on a catamoran (spelling) which was great fun and landed on a beach called Puka.  Beautiful, fantastic.  Best beach I have ever been on.  Later we headed back on a motorized tricycle and ate buffet on the beach.

A very sweet time and we are all grateful for it.

Love adios and peng on!

Dirk

Ready to board the Marion Jane.

Eli and Elsie getting comfortable.

A happy landing on Puka beach.

Sweet.

Taking a stroll.

 Building a turtle.  Cute.

A vast assortment of shells were for sale.

Riding a tricycle.

Eli squished in the back.

Another sweet sunset.

Snorkeling in Boracay

Hey Great Ones,

After a tropical storm washed Wednesday away we scored a beauty on Thursday.  So Eli, Elsie, and I rented a boat and captain who took us to three very good diving sites today.  Too bad I did not have an underwater camera, but the coral and sea life was amazing.  Lots of angel fish, big fish, little fish, crazy colored fish, and squid.  It was truly amazing.  After three hours of snorkeling we were pretty tired and crashed on the beach for the rest of the day.  Pretty tough life.

Love adios and peng on!

Dirk  

A Christmas decoration made of beer cans and slippers.  A Filipino Christmas tradition to make ornaments like this.

Eli, Dirk, Elsie ready to embark on our grand adventure.

The captain was probably 18, his first mate 12.  Our crew and boat did well.  We had to wear life jackets that did not fit.  After a while we said forget it.  No problem.

A swanky resort owned by the famous Filipino boxer Paciqi…. something.  Not too famous with me.

Eli and Elsie gearing up.

The old man entering the sea.  Forgetting to shave has been nice.

Eli ready to go.

We found Nemo.  We found Nemo!  We are following Nemo.

Eli with his temporary snorkle mask tatoo.

A former New Yorker hanging by the yellow taxi sign.

Good night Boracay.

Christmas Day 2012

Hello Super People,

Merry Christmas!  

Here are some pictures of what we did on Christmas Day 2012.

Love adios and peng on!

Dirk

Eli eating and drinking real coconut.

Sweet Boracay beach.

Merry Christmas!

Elsie!

Eli!

Beach volleyball!

Sweet Boracay.

Boracay

Hello My Excellent Ones,

Here are a few more pictures of our time in Boracay, Philippines.

Merry Christmas!

Love adios and peng on!

Dirk

Sweet.

Relax with a great book.

Happy dad.

 Joseph sold us a few mangos.

Eli in front of our room at Tonglen resort.

A street scene near our resort.

Buying our dinner fresh.

Tuna.

Fresh veggies.

We took the food to a restaurant where they cooked it up.  Was very good.

Pig on a stick.  Hmmm.