I am back in Abu Dhabi from another whirlwind trip in the Philippines. All in all it has been a productive trip since I was able to accomplish the major to dos. Without mention of the serious stuff, we bagged in a handful of experiences:
*Tried the three ziplines in Dahilayan Park in Bukidnon, including the 840 meters ‘superman’ style ziplining. I almost chickened out but I am glad I did it. Even the youngest (little J) and oldest (my parents) tried it with smiles.
*The sweet 16 (a pineapple breed) satisfaction from a harvest in Del Monte’s plantation.
*The serenity, sunrise, sands and volcanoes of Camiguin.
*White water rafting in Cagayan de Oro.
*Back to the rained Southern Luzon from the sunny South of the Philippines, we had to ride a banca to get to a particular bank’s branch for a certain transaction. It was a joyful experience especially to a rain and flood-deprived person like me since I am based in the UAE.
*Days of laughter and tears of joy rolled into one whether it was during the clan’s outing or random chit chat at home.
*Quick meet ups with friends, as well as my inaanaks (godchildren) whom I owe a lot.
*A random beso-beso (cheek to cheek greeting) with my gradeschool teacher who did not fail to recognize me from the crowd, of unexpected time and place, after decades of not seeing each other. Our dear teachers have impressive memories and instincts!
*Of course, the Pinoy food. There is no better place to eat Filipino food but in the Philippines! Did you know that I even tabulated my meals and random eats through my mobile? But my food diary did not sustain it for so long because my chronicling cannot keep up with my eating. Hahaha.
*And more. 
I hope that all of you are also happy and in great shape wherever you are. To my Muslim readers, belated Eid Mubarak. I hope you enjoyed the Eid celebrations.
PS. I apologize to those whom I failed to meet up. I am slowly catching up in this category but we are getting there. 
Wow you were able to squeeze in a lot of activities that most of us won’t be able to experience in our lifetime! Bravo
I’m still amazed with the rafting and ziplining experience.
looks like a fun trip to the Philippines! I have yet to try ziplining and white water rafting
Try it next time!
wow jo! dami mo nagawa! good for you!
alam mo ba i thought of working for del monte because i fell in love with bukidnon? ha ha! i miss cdo white water rafting. that was one exhilarating experience!
looks like nag enjoy ka ng husto. good for you!
Bukidnon deserves to be re-visited. Have you visited the Dole plantation in Polomolok, South Cotabato? Maganda rin.
I saw some of your pics of ongoing trip in Europe. Enjoy!
sarap talaga magbakasyon sa Pinas! we must head south next time! I want to try subochon ba un sa Cebu?
I long dream to have a bite of Zubuchon.
Looked like you had fun! I haven’t been to Dahilayan yet. Maybe in the near future. Try ko muna ang nasa Butuan. May 1km zipline na I think hehe
I want to go back to Dahilayan park, so many activities to try. Have fun with the zipline. There’s another long and high zipline in Ozamis also.
Ang sarap ng buhay sa Pilipinas noh?..well my brother will always respond for as long as you have money haha!
Great to hear from you again, Jo. We were home too last month and it was a joyous, tearful reunion. Sometimes we all talk at the same time because there’s just too much to share. I got to ate everything including the first harvest of lanzones – but not a single sip of the mighty Red Horse because they ran out of it in Kiangan. Unbelievable. hahaha
I was laughing at your Red Horse comment.
It seem you got one hell of a vacation despite the inconvenience of flood and rain. Great to hear again from you, Ms. Jo. : )
I hope we can time our vacation out of the monsoon season next time.
nakakainggit ka naman, jo, nakauwi ka sa pinas and more than that, ang dami mong napuntahan at nagawa! amazing! it warms the heart to reconnect with our love ones, more so it feels great to be loved by our friends and teachers! saya naman ng post na ito!
I liked how this teaser post can convey the joy of the whirlwind trip.
Nice. I would have imagined it is such a very hectic schedule
It was really hectic and gladly a very productive trip.
Looked like a a fun vacay! I can relate about the eating part. Sometimes, it’s the only reason why I wanna go home. LOL!
Same here. Naalala ko nung 2009 vacation, mainly to satisfy the food cravings yung naging agenda ko hahaha.
wow, dami mo namang nagawa. ang saya-saya naman.
Hi Eds, kumusta na?
I hope I can add this comment now, I have been trying to add comments here before but did not push through due to some technical errors. I am glad you enjoyed your whirlwind trip to Pilipinas nating mahal!
Hi Sheng, sana next time makabalik uli ako ng GenSan.
your post makes me want to go home NOW, but not just yet…not until my health is stable.
Sending you prayers and hugs across the miles.
i missed you, jo…
Uy! May atraso ako sayo, hindi ko kayo nameet. Dami ko na utang na meet-up. Btw, I’m very happy for you. Saw the photos via FB. I can’t wait to hear the details.
hahaha ayun o another whirlwind vacation ulit sa Pinas. Sana sa susunod kita kits na hehehe.
Oo nga sana sa susunod mas maraming oras.
Wow, those are fun and exciting activities. Glad you enjoyed your vacation. I’m scared of heights but I love the idea of going on a zipline. I just don’t know if I have the guts to try it. The water rafting must have been a thrill.
I have big fear of heights. But I’m glad I tried the zipline. It gave me that unforgettable high. When I reached the end, I even wanted to repeat it. Personally I enjoyed more the water rafting.
You had quite an action-packed itinerary! Bukidnon is now one of Mindanao’s prime spots for adventure while I like Camiguin for chilling out.