Return to Manila

It’s very nice to be back in our own place, with our own routines, etc, but I have to say, our 3 weeks in New Zealand definitely make it on our ‘faviourite holidays’ list!

Phase one was “hanging out at Grandma & Pop’s house”. That first week, while we were getting over our jetlag, we attended a wedding, had lots of get-togethers with people (including meeting our new nephew/cousin!), meetings with tentants (old and new), and getting our mail sorted. We were surprised with how cold the weather was, with temperatures sometimes in the low ‘teens. We were grateful for our winter clothes which we had stored there!

Phase two involved hanging out in the classic Kiwi ‘bach’ with Nan and Grandad and great-grandad Jack. This was a lovely, relaxing time, with lots of reading, and a few leisurely bike-rides, not to mention the late-night card games. The weather in the Coromandel was jus a bit warmer and drier- we enjoyed several outings to the sandy beach, and even enjoyed a swim in lagoon!

Phase three was a family camping trip. Our family tent (new last season) got good use, as we not only made it our own home, but had several lots of visitors throughout the week. One day had three different families at once! This week, the weather finally did its thing, and we all got a bit of a tan!

Our trip back went very well, with the girls showcasing their much-appreciated talent for sleeping on planes after meals.

Coming back to Manila was fantastic – it was so much easier than arriving here ‘new’ like last time. Now, we have our own place all set up, we know the traffic, the streets, we know where to go for shopping etc, and we’re not totally knackered. In fact, we’re all quite refreshed, and keen to get back into the swing of things. We are even loving the warm weather!.