Other things from Katherine's visit

 Katherine helped us make chocolate chip banana bread and I actually made it into a baking picture with Ashley.


Thank you again-cousin Ian-for teaching Ashley to make such great funny faces!  She demonstrates them a lot for us!

 We visited the Coconut Palace-official residence of the Vice-President of the Philippines.  We think he may have even been there the day that we visited-security was very tight-our driver had to argue and explain repeatedly that we had an appt. for a tour before they would allow us to go through the gates.  We also weren't allowed to see the fancy dining room with an enormous coconut inlaid table because the room was in use!

 The view of Manila Bay from behind the palace-before renovations were begun, you could rent this patio for wedding receptions.

 Doesn't every house need a coconut lamp?

 Pretty floor and table designs-we were even told how many pieces were inlaid in the tables and how much of the work was done by children-I don't think mine would have the patience!

 The Master bedroom suite-a beautiful ornately carved bed.

 Out of the porch-overlooking the bay

 in front of this Vice Presidential seal in the front lobby

 The boys with a statue outside the front door

 A native Philippine deer that was tied to a tree out front-I believe Katherine was the one or maybe Greg (that night when he heard about it) suggested that maybe it was the Vice President's pet deer?????

 The outside of the palace


Other funny things Katherine saw while she was here-

 People selling all kinds of things (in this case wash cloths, often snacks, drinks, brooms, toys, anything really) in the middle of the road when traffic is stopped

 Katherine snuck up the exit for the roller coaster and took this picture before they left for the ride-this roller coaster was one of the first things Greg took us to do our first day in Manila-I was so tired and out of it that I didn't take my camera that time!

 Katherine saw these at the mall and the kids were happy to pose behind them for her!

 Katherine took these pictures at the grocery store and had plans to take more until one of the security guards came over and told her that she wasn't allowed to take pictures of the food.

She had tasted durian fruit in Singapore on a mission trip in college and told me how gross it was-she was very amused to find it in ice cream here!

 Here is the actual fruit-looks like you would need an ax to open it!

 This is about half an aisle full of scented baby oil and baby cologne-not something we had in SC grocery stores.

 This was the sign that we laughed at the most and were the most grossed out by on my first trip through this grocery store-I have not ever bought any bottled fish!

 Cheese is pricey here (as are all dairy products) because it usually has to be shipped in from somewhere.  It's an island and cows grazing take up fields where rice could be grown instead.  However I find it funny some of the things that are cheese flavored-there is ice cream that is cheese flavored too.

 A couple of restaurants she saw-Chow King is a Chinese fast food place that is in most malls and Jollibee is a Philippine version of McDonalds.

Katherine thought she had come up with a brilliant business idea since nowhere in while we were there could you buy actual chocolate hills to eat-until we saw these at the airport while we were waiting a VERY long time to fly back-sorry your business idea had already been done.