Welcome From The Philippines

Mabuhay! This is the statement used in the Philippines in the same way us in the United States would use Cheers!, or Long Live [Insert Something Here]!, or as a welcome in the local Filipino hospitality industry.

Long story short of it, I've been in the Philippines since 22:00 Central Time, February 4, 2014, taking care of a long list of business and a few pleasurable bucket list items. The catch is the Sherpa's traveling alone! It's only been a week since I've been gone, and though I've marked out a lot of the things that I've wanted to do in the Metro Manila area, there's still a lot more to see, a lot more to do, and a lot more pet pigs to hold.

I've truly enjoyed my visit so far, especially reconnecting with a lot of family and old friends, and there's so much to see and do--if you're not afraid to look around and ask the locals (it tends to be that the locals know a lot more about what's fun to see than you can find in any book). I'm very sure, after my visit, that I'd be able to help find accommodations and lists of things to do, or people to ask, for anyone who wants to visit this country, especially the Pearl of the Orient, Metro Manila.