I got that feeling for chili with these cooler
temperatures we have been experiencing. I had to make my own to satisfy my
cravings. What a great meal for a cool day when you can have mashed potatoes
and chili mixed in a bowl! Come check out how we did it!
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We went out to the Harrisburg Capital Area
Greenbelt Trail for a little biking today. This is a well-maintained trail that
made it easy for biking on. We started out from Derry street and followed the
Paxtang Parkway part of the trail. We only went a short distance, but had a good
time out while enjoying the nice weather we had today. No mask and beautiful
fresh air!
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Becky, George and I enjoy a great Memorial Day
out on Blue Lake Marsh. Grilled hamburgers were the meal for the day! We
enjoyed eating and boating and watching all the other folks out enjoying the
lake this wonderful day! No mask and beautiful fresh air!
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Becky had gotten some new little chicks. They
have been cooped up during this quarantine without a proper pen. We needed to
get them outside. We had been calling around to try and locate a chicken house,
but to no avail. Just wait until you see what we finally used for a chicken pen!
Clever thinking if you ask me!
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How long has it been since you had a haircut? George
could not wait any longer. No matter the outcome, he had to get his ears
lowered! Did Becky do a good job?
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It has been a long while since I have had a great tasting steak and cheese sub! Although I had to wait until we drove back from Harrisburg to eat it, it was well worth it! You hardly remember how good things are until you have been without them for awhile.
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We took a trip out to Blue Marsh National
Recreation Area which is an artificial lake located northwest of the city of
Reading, Pennsylvania. It is managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
This is where George will be staging the boat for now. We hope to get back
there a few times this year to check out the fishing and water sports there on
the lake.
It was another cool and windy morning for this
time of year. We did catch a glimpse of something unusual as we boated around
part of the lake this morning though.
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A trip down the Susquehanna River passing by
the famous 3 Mile Island power plant. We were just out testing the pontoon boat
that George had bought. Not much, but a wonderful day for a boat ride.
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Grandma enjoys cooking and staying busy. She is
also under lockdown, but that does not stop her from plying her trade. She is
busy everyday out cooking and delivering (well her sales lady does the
delivering) to the customers she has. She wanted to share this video to let
everyone know she is doing fine while stuck at home!
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Matthew gives a track and field class. If you
listen carefully, you can tell this really tires him out!
Then it is on to swimming class at Mama’s Water
Park! They are trying to make the best of this lockdown any way they can!
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Maly goes back to basics with her home-schooled
economics class. I am sure the kids will enjoy when they get to go back to
school again. I have not seen their grades for this semester yet! Hope they maintain their honor status!
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Maly sent me this short video the other day.
She told me there was a monkey up in our mango tree! The kids love eating
mangos, so I was hoping she could chase it off before it got all the mangos and
ate them.
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After stopping for fuel in San Jose City, we
started out again. We only drove a little way before we came to a place along
the road, they sell onions and garlic. Usually the places here sell it a lot
cheaper than we can get it in Cauayan.
This will be our final stop before getting up
and into the mountains of the Philippines. It was a nice little break and got a
good deal before hitting the road again.
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Let’s hit the road Jack! Another section of our
trip going up the Pan Philippine Highway from the TPLEX to Cauayan. This was
about 45 minutes in actual travel time.
While headed up this way, there was a little
sign directing us on a by pass of San Jose. I am not sure if it cut out much
time, but we tried it. The bus would not take this route and drive straight
through.
We stopped for fuel in San Jose. It was our
only fuel stop along the way. It cost us 2300PHP (45USD) to put a full tank in
the van here. That covered the whole trip the rest of the way home.
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A short update from here in Afghanistan and how
I am dealing with the Enhanced Community Quarantine in a long-distance
relationship. The hardest part sometimes is just the unknown. When will I be
home? When can I see my family again? Will air travel be reinstated and visas
issued again?
We hope you will enjoy this video and also
seeing the slides at the end of some of the adventures Maly and the kids are
going through while quarantined in the Philippines.
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We have been in La Union now for a few days and
hardly saw the beach! Today, after the meal at the dampa, we went in search of
the beach. We had to travel back through San Fernando in our quest to find the
beach.
On the way, we solved the mystery of why Daddy
did not get a single donut in the morning. I don’t rank high enough to get one,
I guess.
Did you catch the short Bud Brown sound effects
in there? Sam did his best imitation!
If you noticed in the last video, Sammy is not
a fan of seafood. This put a little pit stop in our trip to get him a pizza at
Shakey’s. There is more to this story to come!
Finally, we were back on the road and headed
towards the beach. The big question, where was the beach? How do you get to it?
Where was there a public access to it? We did find a spot eventually.
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We stopped by the Dampa in San Juan to get a
meal. The ladies were craving seafood and this looked like the perfect place to
satisfy their desires. They had a lot of options to choose from.
We got a seafood platter that came with crabs,
shrimp, seashells and rice. We could have added other options, but this came as
a set meal. Both Grandma and Maly enjoyed their meal.
The kids may not have enjoyed the seafood so
much, but they did enjoy the ice cream treat at the end.
The music inside the dampa was blaring, so
videoing the experience was not possible without a copyright hit. We still hope
you can enjoy the video with the background music to keep you entertained.
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Walang hotdog! Oh no! Frank’s Franks did not have the foot-long hot dogs the kids really like. What else could they possibly want for supper? Although knowing we would have to fight through traffic, Jollibee was calling their names. They are not really hard to please when it comes to food as long as a Jollibee is within their reach. They could eat Jollibee 3 times a day if we would let them.
We drive back down to Bauang to get them their Jollibee fix for the day. Although I thought they would change their mind for a minute and order spaghetti, it was back to the normal box of chicken. Luckily enough, the Jollibee in Bauang has a drive through that fit our needs just perfectly!
Enjoy the ride and hopefully we will not make you too hungry along the way!
Poro Point, also known historically as San
Fernando Point, is a headland and peninsula located in the city
of San Fernando, La Union in the Philippines. It projects out
northwesterly about 3.2 kilometers into the South China Sea. It is
said to be named after its location within barangay Poro and is now
the site of Poro Point Freeport Zone.
There is not much to this area unless there
would have been a festival on going. The grounds are quite large at Poro Point
with a nice walking or bike trails. The place is another in the Philippines we
have visited that is in need of major upkeep. The area could be quite nice if
there was a little bit of maintenance done to it. Even the playground there for
the kids had broken equipment that made most if it unusable.
The Poro Point Lighthouse nearby is another
opportunity for picture taking only. There are guards outside and you are not
allowed to go into the lighthouse itself. I did not see any sign of the actual
history of this area. It would have been nice to know the origin of the
lighthouse and maybe see when it was actually constructed.
Driving through San Fernando, La Union. We
headed out from the Ma-cho temple in search of Poro Point. As always with my
travel partners, we have to stop here and there for everything. Not only do I
have to worry about driving, but also finding safe places to park the van while
Mama and Grandma go take care of their needs. Lotto, donuts, phone cards,
drinks…. You name it and we probably stopped along the way for it.
This is a real time video from when we left the
Ma-cho Temple until we arrived Poro Point. As you can see, this mini vacation
we spent a lot of time on the road.
Chinese Temples have always seemed to be a
place where one can relax and have some quiet time no matter what your
religion. Hiding in the busy city of San Fernando, La Union is an old
Chinese temple built atop of the hill overlooking the vast South China Sea. The
Macho Temple is a Taoist Temple that was built in the 1970s and dedicated to
the Chinese deity Matzu, a powerful protector of the sea and a patron of the fishermen.
With that being the case, the temple was built high up on the hill and facing out
toward the sea.
The temple caregivers allow guest to walk
around and marvel in the beautiful structures. The place is very quiet and
every inch of the furnishings, statues and arks are wonderfully made. There are
many signs around the grounds that this is not a “dating” sight. They also have
a strict dress code if wanting to enter into the temple.
There are plenty of opportunities for selfies
and picture taking. You will not be alone in this adventure. There is always
plenty of people taking pictures throughout the grounds.
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a thumbs up and leave us a comment. We would love to have you share the video
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videos!
The majority of our time spent in La Union was
on the road or so it seemed. We did not find the best of places to stay at when
it came to being close to places to eat and sightsee.
As we left the Flotsam Restro Bar in the
northern part of San Juan, we had to head right back into town to get to our
next destination. This video is a moto vlog of our trip from San Juan back to
San Fernando along the MacArthur Highway. This is the main road and it stayed
packed with traffic it seemed. Since the hotel was also on this road, we had no
way to really avoid getting out and on it. The good thing was that most of the
places to go to were right along this highway as well. As far as finding
anything, that was rather simple.
Flotsam was a very cool place to hang out, enjoy the beach and have a good meal! It had an interesting concept of a surfer’s camp. There was a wooden deck with huge pillows and cushions or the small tables out in the yard where you could sit around them on pillows as well. It looked like a very relaxing place just to chill and hang out.
The service was rather quick and the food was really good! We had curry chicken, chicken tinola and a crab dish. Everything was really good and the food was served hot! Although they seemed a little crowded at times, they did a very good job of getting the food out to you. We did not have to wait too long.
If you like a relaxing place by the beach, this is the place for you to come. After your lunch, if the waves are not to bad, you can enjoy a swim or a surf! Be sure to pack your swim suits and surf board!
After a hard travel day, the day prior, the kids enjoyed the pool at Marand Resort and Spa. They had several pools for them to choose from. They could swim and play while Grandma, Mom and I enjoyed relaxing by the pool in the shade. They made the most of it as they usually do when we go to a place with a pool. They usually are the first ones in and the last ones to get out at night.
It took us several minutes before finally deciding on a place to eat. Maly and Anabel wanted seafoods since we were in La Union and close to the sea. We were having trouble in choosing where they wanted to go, so we let google maps help us to decide. We were immediately drawn to the good reviews of Patio Del Sol Seafood Restaurant. It was really easy to locate as it was not far off the main highway.
Once you enter Patio Del Sol you will notice the rustic ambiance of the place. There are no fancy tables, chairs or menus. You are seated at just a regular wooden table covered with a table cloth. All the tables are situated by large open-air windows where you get a great view of the beach.
If you happen to be in San Fernando La Union, you might want to try the food at Patio Del Sol. I would highly recommend trying out their food. If you are traveling as a group you might want to try their group meals. They had several to choose from on their menu.
We left the house in Cauayan, Isabela around 10 in the morning on a trip south this time. We wanted to go check out La Union and see what there was down that way. As per Google, it is about a 7 to 8-hour trip for us. In the States I like to test Google and see if I can beat their times. You are not going to that in the Philippines. It will take you much longer to travel than what it says. I lost all the video from earlier in the day, but I hope you enjoy the night ride up through La Union along the TPLEX and MacArthur Highway.
The TPLEX had opened a new section of road and we got to try that out. The Rosario - Sison section is 5.93 km long. Does not seem like much, but it cuts out a lot of traffic issues. The Junction of Pugo Rosario Rd and MacArthur Highway was transformed into a round-a-bout once we came off the TPLEX. It seemed that area was still under construction as well.
Once we were back on the MacArthur Highway is was single lane traffic for much of the way. We moved along pretty good as we came through Rosario, but as we got further north the traffic picked up. As we were entering Bauang, we came to a standstill almost. There was construction, but that really was not the issue. There was a major intersection in Bauang that turned off towards Baguio. I think with the amount of traffic going to and coming from Baguio, it clogged up this part of the road. We had less than 8KM to go and it took us over one and a half hours to complete that.
Finally, 11 hours after departing the house, we made it to our destination. We stayed right along the highway at a little resort called the Marmand Resort and Spa.
Pick a money blindfold challenge! We
had noticed a video on FB of this game where they blindfold someone and then
they have to pick through bills in a bowl to see what they get. It looked
really fun and interesting to play, so we just had to try it.
We added several 20, 50, 100, 500
and a 1,000-peso bill to the pot. To make it a little more interesting, we also
added some fake 1,000-peso bills. We also had a few sheets of paper added with
things like 1 shot of vinegar, 1 packet of pepper and other little notes
written on it.
There were some funny moments to say
the least. It was a very fun and interesting way to spend some of our day. I
don’t think anyone walked away poorer than they started, but some walked away
with a little more than they thought they would have today!
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Filipino lifestyle, please like and share our videos. We would love to see more
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'Twas the Night before Christmas, and all
through the house, not a creature was sleepin’, not even the mouse. Their
stockings were hangin’ from here and from there, with hope that their karaoke singin’
Saint Nick could bear!
The children were all runnin’, not one in their bed, while visions of X-Box and
Pikachu danced in their heads. And then there was Ma with friends and family, they
just settled down to eat pork belly! I rushed for my camera as I recall, maybe
a video could explain it all!
Christmas in the Philippines! It is
an experience you are not likely soon to forget! Carolers singing at your gate,
family gathering from miles around, meals at midnight, friends and neighbors
showing up early in the morning, gifts to be handed out and more food than anyone
really needs!
If you were up tracking Santa on the
NORAD site Christmas eve, you might have noticed a little delay when he reached
the Philippines! Upon approach, I am sure he was caught off guard by the
karaoke and other noises coming from our house. He had very little time to get
his sleigh unloaded at the house, but he did manage somehow! Mrs Claus was very
busy helping make sure everything was ready to go the next morning! Since the
party did not start until midnight, this lasted way into the wee hours of the
morning.
It seemed I had just laid down when
I heard such a clatter! Was that Saint Nick back on our tin roof? No, it was
neighbors and friends waiting at our back gate. You see as a Nino or Ninong, a
Tito or Tita or a Lolo and Lola, we have a tradition at the house that the kids
come from the neighborhood to receive their “treats” from us! It is really a
blessing for us to see all the smiles, hear the joyful voices and see the
excitement on all the faces.
Even the adults get a special treat
when they come by. Usually a store or an establishment will give out calendars
to their customers. This year Maly had t-shirts made and some coffee mugs to
hand out to those special customers that make Maly’s Store and Eatery what it
is!
We eventually went back inside to
have our own little bit of Christmas. Everyone had gifts to open! All the kids
enjoyed being able to get their gifts and play with them! We even had a special
package that arrived from a very special Aunt in the States. Aunt Carolyn’s
gifts were really appreciated from this crowd! It gave the cousins some board
games to enjoy on a wet afternoon!
We hope you enjoyed spending
Christmas with This Is Our Philippines. Sorry to have extended it out another
month! Just think only 7 more to go until it is Christmas time in the
Philippines again!
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Filipino lifestyle, please like and share our videos. We would love to see more
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Guess what! It is still Christmas
time on our channel! Not only does it last 4 months in the Philippines, but we
have extended it out even a little further here! Just think, only 7 more months
and we can start it all over again in the Philippines!
If you never experienced a Christmas
in the Philippines, you are in for a different experience. For one thing there
is food! Lots of food! We had BBQ pork sticks, pancit, lechon belly, lumpia and
other things we had to prepare. The Christmas Eve tradition in the Philippines
is to eat at midnight. By that time I am usually beat down and tired and ready
for bed! But, for the Filipinos, no matter what, they are going to eat and
start their parties then! People stop by to see what food you have and sit and
enjoy it while other sing karaoke and enjoy the night.
Prior to this, we also were visited
by people caroling. Some come up with some interesting ways to make their
music. We hope you enjoy this little part of the video.
This was another successful night
and we hope everyone that stopped by enjoyed their time. We hope you will enjoy
this video as it gives a little glimpse into the Filipino Christmas traditions
and the fun time had by all.
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Filipino lifestyle, please like and share our videos. We would love to see more
viewers enjoying our channel. Also leave us a comment.
Van loads and tricycle loads of visitors began
to arrive. Kids from all ages began to show up! Some from the country, some
from the city. Visitors and well-wishers arrived in bunches. Why was everyone
coming to our house today? Today was Matthew’s birthday and everyone came to
help him celebrate.
There were plenty of music, food, games, and
most important of all... quality time. If you have ever been to a Filipino birthday
party, you must already know that our parties rock like no other. Yes, even the
Karaoke machine was keeping the party live.
The food was prepped and placed on the tables.
There was fried chicken, grilled tilapia, rice, grilled hito (catfish), dinakdakan,
puto flan, hot dogs, rice, spaghetti, pizza, pancit, rice and of course Maly
had her special…. papaitan! Food for all to enjoy! After a short devotion and
prayer from our local preacher, everyone began to enjoy the feast!
Kids love playing games at these parties for
prizes. We hope you will enjoy some of the games the kids played. Just some of
the games were putting spoons in bottles and removing them again. A little game
called Hip Hip Hooray was added for fun. It's from the none-other Filipino game
show called WoWoWee! Then, what other way to end a party than have a “find the
most trash” collection! Everyone enjoyed the games and had fun getting their
prizes.
We just want to thank everyone that came and
enjoyed Matthew’s birthday along with us! We really appreciate everyone taking
time out of their busy schedule to come help us celebrate!
Prepping for a party is
never easy. There are fires to build, meat to grill, dishes to cook, rice (yes,
plenty of rice) to cook and then keeping it all cleaned up around the area.
This cannot be done by just one person. It takes an army to help make this process
run smooth.
We were privileged to
have Maly’s brother Chris and family down for a visit, so they do what normal
Filipinos do and just chipped in to help! We had cooks, choppers, plate
stuffers and plate washers! Everyone pitched in to make sure we got this party
off on time.
Where was Steve? Oh, he
was back driving through Cauayan to pick up all the orders from the day before.
It is hard being the host, driver and videographer all in one!
We were getting ready
for a party so into town we went. Maly needed plenty of fish to serve everyone.
We went to the local market (palengke) in Cauayan to get what we needed. We
stopped at 2 very happy vendors by the time we left. Both places were able to fill
some pretty big orders.
This is just a sample
of what we do on a daily basis near about. It seems everyday we need to go to
the market for some reason or other. This is the best and cheapest place to by
your goods. It is cheaper here than it would be going to SM or some other
supermarket to get things. Also, Maly has built a reputation with the vendors
and they sometimes will give her a good deal on the items she is buying. I
think she really likes going to the market every day, no matter what she will
tell you.
When we built the shed
(garage) for the van, we did not know exactly what doors to put on it. Since we
were not decided, it was about time to make that decision and get the doors put
in. For one, with the typhoons it is good to have your vehicle parked in a
secure location out of the wind. Secondly, we had been storing some items in
there that could easily walk off if not secured. Although we had never had this
issue, it is beater to be safe than sorry later on.
We got a quote from
Jerry and it was only a few days before he showed up in the driveway with the
doors already assembled. He did all that work at his place and brought the
doors ready to be installed when he arrived. There was the usual balancing and
getting them in place, but all that went fairly smooth. He also placed a handle
and locking device on the doors for us.
I think it all turned
out very good. The doors, even with the not fully painted looked great. And
they have done their job over the last typhoon season in protecting the van.
We really hope you have
enjoyed our videos. If so, kindly hit that like button and share our videos
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From Northern Luzon,
tupig or tinupig, is a Filipino delicacy that contains glutinous rice
flour, grated coconut, brown sugar, and sesame seeds. This mixture is spread onto a banana leaf,
rolled and grilled over hot rocks or charcoal embers. This is served at
roadside stands as pasalubong. The Filipino term “Pasalubong” refers to the
gifts and souvenirs that people receive from
a traveler arriving from another destination. Maly had to bring home some
of this delightful treat as pasalubong from her visit to the north!
We really hope you have
enjoyed our videos. If so, kindly hit that like button and share our videos
with a friend. We would appreciate seeing a comment from you as well! Let us
know how we can better share our experiences with you.
Our time in Santa Ana
finally came to an end. We had a great weekend, but now it was time to travel
back for both work and school!
Everyone had a great
time and as usual were knocked out before getting on the road very far! On our
way home, we passed by where the new Northern Airport will be located. There
are already structures in place and it looked as if planes are landing there. I
am not sure when this would be opened to passenger travel from here.
We also found a Castle on
the way home. This Castle in the Sky is located in Magapit, Lal-Lo, Cagayan. According
to a sign on the building, it is owned by Joaquin Agatep (a retired US Customs
director). As per a little research, it became a tourist spot few years ago but
based on what we saw this trip, the place was under construction as they
attempt to bring back in the tourists. Their plan was to make this into a
“horror” house. It sure has that creepy feel to it already.
Still we climbed up the
stairs to the rooftop. A beautiful panoramic view of the majestic Cagayan River
and Suspension bridge which is known as the “Golden Gate of Cagayan” await
you once you reach the top!Maly
and Hazel took in this opportune backdrop to get in a few good selfies! They
also tried to perfect their jump photos!
Just outside they have
a shake and halo-halo stand! This is also a work in progress from what we were
told and they want to have a full size “kitchen” soon. The shakes were well
welcomed as it was an extremely hot day!
We really hope you have
enjoyed our videos. If so, kindly hit that like button and share our videos
with a friend. We would appreciate seeing a comment from you as well! Let us
know how we can better share our experiences with you.
