OT - Philippines 2010

[6pt-sika]

After a scare on the 8th of February as to whether the plane was gonna take off or not due to the snowstorms around DC I was underway at 12:30PM only 40 minutes late !

Flight to Seoul was uneventfull and the change to the plane bound for Manila went well also !

Once in Manila I was met by my GF/fiancee/wife whichever you care to call her Lea at the Manila terminal and we would await the last leg of the trip to Cagayan de Oro City together !

Finally we left Manila around 5AM and arrived at the CDO airport to be greeted by Mama and our daughter Alea !

We dropped Alea off at her work and took Mama home before we headed to the hotel !

Once at the hotel we both showered and took a nap !



My Lea after a shower and nap well refreshed !

Saturday we decided to have a lechon for both Lea's fathers Bday and Valentines Day on the following sunday !



The GUEST OF HONOR !



My brother Ricardo wearing a bear claw I brought him from a bear we killed this past season in virginia and me !





Mama and I before the eating began !



My babygirl Alea and I before we started eating !



Me again but this time with my babygirl Alea and my niece Marie Ann ! They look so young but babygirl is 25 and Marie Ann is 27 !



This is my babygirl Alea again with her BF Ronald and myself ! This is the first guy from PI I ever met that was taller then I am !!



My nephew Ron and his GF Fritzie !



My nephew Danielle enjoying the lechon and "maybe" a little San Miguel Lite !!!

[6pt-sika]

A few of us decided to go to the mall on sunday Valentines Day and have pizza at "BFB" (Big Flat Bread) !



My Lea and me !



Lea and our sis in law Marivic !



My nieces Casey and Cecil !



And the pizza ! This thing was 30" across ! There was enough for the 6 of us at the resteraunt and enough left over to take home to the others !

[6pt-sika]

On a side note !

We went in a resteraunt here one night that has a kinda Mexican style fare .

Anyway they had "Negro Cerveza" on the menu . This is a rather dark beer also (of course) made by SanMiguel and that stuff was the bomb so to speak !

Also there's a chain of resteraunts here called "Max's" and there big thing is what we would call fried chicken . Let me tell you I've eaten a pile of fried chicken in my lifetime and this chicken they make is just like grandma fixed it 30 years ago !

KFC can kiss my butt , I'm going to Max's whenever I want fried chicken in PI !

[Big Sarge]

Great photos. I can't get over the size of that pizza!

[gamekeeper]

Looks like you're having a really great time over there again.

[Blaine]

Wow....pizza heaven!!

You have a good looking family, Sir

[Hobie]

Craig,

One thing I noticed is that it is a mite warmer there than here! At the very least you timed your trip to perfection!!!!

[3leggedturtle]

That pizza looks great , the dark beer sounds good too, keep the pics coming, Do you plan to any beach shots, specially during sunrise and sundown? Todd

[Wes]

Nice pictures. The San Miguel brings back memories. Drank it by the gallons when we were in the P.I. It seemed like good beer, but right about then any beer was good beer!
I remember eating some kind of meat on a stick over there. It was deep fried and we always joked that it was monkey on a stick. Went down well with the aforementioned San Miguel.
Have a good trip.

[6pt-sika]

That pizza looks great , the dark beer sounds good too, keep the pics coming, Do you plan to any beach shots, specially during sunrise and sundown? Todd

I'm not sure if we'll be going to the beach resort we usually go to this trip !

But if we do of course I'll post some pics !

[Bogie35]

Man, that looks like fun!

bogie

[Lawyer Daggit]

Great photos. My son is adopted, we picked him up on Valentine's day five years ago in the Philippines. We plan to go back for holidays when Jesse gets older.

Philippino's are great family people and this certainly comes across in your photos.

Which Island were you on?

[6pt-sika]

Which Island were you on?

We are on Mindanao !

In the city of Cagayan de Oro .

[6pt-sika]

Sorry but internet service at the hotel has sucked for the last week to 10 days !

But today we have service again !

Haven't been traveling much this trip , mostly staying in the city and at parents home .

Here is a picture of my "sister" who was mad because I not post her picture before !

[6pt-sika]

We had dinner at home a couple days later and Lea made Shanghai Lumpia and Filipino Fried Shrimp (with some Old Bay I brought from VIRGINIA )!



My Lea slaving in the hot kitchen making Lumpia and fried shrimp !



The table right before we sat down !
Also chinese noodles , fresh rice and fresh mango !

[6pt-sika]

Mother and father at the table ready to sat grace and dig in !

[6pt-sika]

The ladies at the front desk in the hotel we use !

All very pretty and pleasent !

[6pt-sika]

We took out babygirl Alea and her BF Ronald out to Bigby's Resteraunt one night !

Had very nice fried squid , noodles , chicken and all the fixings !



Babygirl Alea and her BF Ronald !



Lea and the extra large guy from Virginia

[6pt-sika]

Man, that looks like fun!

bogie

You have no idea !

This is my third trip in about 18 months and I'm already planning in my head hopefully another trip before the end of 2010 !

In the past the only thing I took vacation for was a skeet shot or a hunting trip .
This wonderfull lady , her daughter and their family have opened a whole new world to me . And I don't plan on letting them get away from me either

[C. Cash]

Looks like an awesome family there! Congrats 6pt and thanks for sharing your family with us.

[rjohns94]

looks like a great time. blessings.

[6pt-sika]

Looks like an awesome family there! Congrats 6pt and thanks for sharing your family with us.

You are quite welcome !

Once I get Lea here to the USA and I get our daughter Alea here I need to figure out a way to get Ricardo here for a visit during hunting season !

He is quite the pigeon hunter here in PI . As he and his hunting partner took me last june while I was here !

I'd like to let him take a whitetail doe and or buck as he has never killed anything like that before or fired a high powered rifle either I think !

[Grizz]

Yup great to see family pictures.

Hey, just thought I'd ask on a whim.........

any chance you could bring a palette of RIA 1911s back with you? we could divide 'em up and probably cover your travel costs for you....

just kidding of course. sorta.

what are the carry laws there?

Grizz

[6pt-sika]

Yup great to see family pictures.

Hey, just thought I'd ask on a whim.........

any chance you could bring a palette of RIA 1911s back with you? we could divide 'em up and probably cover your travel costs for you....

just kidding of course. sorta.

what are the carry laws there?

Grizz

You know the first time I came here in july of 2008 Ricardo asked me to bring him a Simmons Pro Hunter 3-9 scope . I ended up getting him a Simmons Pro Hunter 4-12AO . And I also brought a set of used 1" 22 rings . Anyway when I got ready to leave the plane in Manila I had to fill out a paper saying what I was bringing in country . And you were NOT supposed to bring guns , ammo or gun parts . Now while you and I know the scope and rings aren't gun parts technically some guy wanting to be an *** could say the rings and scope were parts to be fitted to a gun or some such rubbish . Anyway I sweated those thur customs .

I ain't trying ANYTHING like that again !
Lea about had a heart attack when i told her what they asked me in the airport that trip !
So for her well being I refrain from anything remotely close to breaking the rules

[6pt-sika]

Back to the PI manufactured 1911's we have sold 4 or 5 of those at the gunsmith shop I kinda work out of now !

They are very nice pistols !

If I didn't already have a Para 1911 I woulda bought one already

When they arrive to us the grips look orange , I'm not sure what they do to the wood . But it's wood that has been recycled . Anyway when we get them my gunsmith buddy gets his younger brother to refinish the grips to a more "natural" finish and they look pretty darned good . The ones we've had actually had pretty darned good triggers for a modestly priced factory gun .

[Grizz]

well the 1911 history goes way back in those parts. must be a lot of them around somewhere.

I wasn't suggesting anything under the table. I figured you'd be a whiz at getting all the forms and paperwork squared away

someone is getting those guns over here, there must be some way to do it. I wonder how many of them are on a shipping pallet anyway.....

Oh well, safe travel on the return leg and health to all your family...

Grizz

[6pt-sika]

Well it's 3:45 AM on the east coast of the USA !

I left CDO about 5 hours ago and am sitting in a net cafe in Manila in the Super Asian Mall of Manila !

Have a flight outta here at midnight to Seoul or about 11AM saturday eastern time our time . 5 hours to Seoul wait about 4 hours and then the MOTHER 15 hour flight back to Dullus !

[new pig hunter]

SWEET !!! 15 hours in Seat 1A .... enjoy !!!

Cheers,

Carl

[6pt-sika]

Just got into Seoul from Manila and it's 05:45 sunday here and 15:45 saurday at home !

Supposed to be heading outta here at 10:00 sunday and arrive in Dullus at 10:00 sunday ! Thers alot to be said for the time difference sometimes

Need to get into the shop monday and cast some 433-375GC and 433-400GC for a friend in Sweden . Gonna send them along to him with a new part for his old 444 Marlin .

I also need to get a bank check and a FFL in the mail to a fellow in Maine ! Seems I bought another 444 myself while I was in the Philippines !

[6pt-sika]

Well it's about 14:00 on sunday and I'm done traveling !

Even going thru customs in Dullus was a breeze !

[Grizz]

welcome back to the continent, thanks for sharing your family fotos, that's fun to see...

Grizz