Philippines Day 5 - Moal Boal & Bais

We got up really early to head out to Santander, which is where we could catch a boat to Negros Island. Our trike driver didn't show up to our hotel, like we had lined up, so we had to lug our bags over to the other side of the resorts. There we no trikes so we just piled us and all of our luggage onto the back of two motorcycles. I was proud of myself for starting to get some balance without hanging on tight to the guy in front since I had 3 bags I had to hang onto this time too.

We once again we rented a V-hire and enjoyed the view of the coast the whole way down.

This is the boat we took over.

Negros is know for being nice and clean and it was. We landed in Sibulan and then had to take another V-hire up to Bais.

I will never be able to adequately describe what it is like to be on the roads there but this is the best video I got of it, although we weren't passing like crazy in the wrong lane - which was pretty normal!


We checked into the La Planta hotel which was beautiful! Because we left so early that morning we got there by 10:00 in the morning. We spent a little time at the market and this was the first day we really felt the heat. It had been overcast and we had been right on the beach the other days so it hadn't felt as hot.

John was actually in Bais when the old Mercado burnt down and I loved the new one. It was huge and clean. I cant believe I didn't take any pictures of it. I bought myself a fan and it saved the day. We also bought a pineapple and lumpia that was amazing! We took our laundry to find Johns friend Alma. She use to wash the missionary's clothes and we were going to pay her to wash our clothes since we were all out of clean clothes by this time. Unfortunately she wasn't there but her neighbor was great and she took our laundry job. Danny (Alma's husband) also came home. He was the best! He is just someone you meet and immediately like! We arranged to go dolphin watching with both of those families the next day and then we headed up into the mountains to find some of Johns friends.

It was amazing and so pretty up there! That is until the bus dropped us off at the bottom of a really steep hill that we had to climb in the hottest weather I have ever felt. No joke I felt like my skin was melting off!

It was so worth it though to find this family! Its so fun to show up and surprise them since they don't expect to see us. Her response was one of my favorites! John baptized their family and they are still so strong and her son Elmer just returned from his mission. Unfortunately he wasn't there so we arranged to come back up the next afternoon.

We got back down to the road and then waited for a truck to come by that we could hitchhike on. A huge truck with a ton of logs stopped and we were going to have to climb on top of everything until a nice little pick up pulled in behind him with an empty back! Phew!

John was standing in the front to cool off while I sat in the back.

My poor feet were so dirty as well as my leggings!

If you ever want to feel good about yourself this is the perfect way. Since they don't see many white people, I caused quite a stir. Men would run out in the street and blow me kisses. I had my Miss America wave down perfectly! It was actually a lot of fun because the kids and women would light up too when I would wave.

On the road down the mountain.