In Country, First Stop

Photos from the first couple of days in the destination country, before heading onward to the town we will start hiking from.

Our 19 pieces of check-in luggage. We were helping take Mom & Dad's stuff, since they're moving.
Joel Garrison sees us off at the airport.
The very busy Davao International Airport
Andy, Dad, and Katie try to get some exercise while waiting for the (late) plane.
Mom & Katie enjoying the air pocket we flew through, which caused a drop of several seconds.
Mom & Katie
We got a rare, good view of Mt. Apo as we left Davao.
We few over Mt. Siau, a volcano between Davao and the next stop which has been active recently. A bit of steam is coming out in this photo.
Landing in M
Katie admires the difference in size between our 2 hands of bananas (the small one is fully mature, it's just a different kind).
Mom changes out the SIM card for her cell (HP - handphone) phone.
A street vendor selling pisang goreng (fried bananas). Yummy!
One of the many horse carts in T. (They're called bendi's)
We got to ride one, too.
Riding the bendi
This is the local REI. Their stuff is really authentic, as you'll see in the next couple photos.
Joe sports his new REI hat.
The official price tag. 33,400 is about $4
Daniel and one of the local computer geeks.
Soto ayam for dinner!!!!! yummy.
Soto ayam is a soup, of sorts. There's a better way to describe it, but I don't have time....
The view from my parent's new house. This is one of the nearby volcanos.
Local university
Getting ready to hike a different volcano.
Overlooking the crater of the volcano.
Pitcher plant
Andy looking out over the crater
Katie
Mom & Katie
Look closely and see the stars, including the southern cross
Daniel the photographer

Recent photo comments

Look closely and see the stars, including the southern cross

(anonymous): Nice photo, Daniel! You're a photo genius!

Joe: This is in Mom and Dad's front yard!

Katie admires the difference in size between our 2 hands of bananas (the small one is fully mature, it's just a different kind).

Sharon: And has about twice the banana flavour of the larger ones!! (At least if they are the same kind I met in Africa...)

Daniel: You can't see it, but he's posing with a Lagi bar, the famous dark chocolate from that country.

Our 19 pieces of check-in luggage. We were helping take Mom & Dad's stuff, since they're moving.

Tim: Too many pieces of luggage. Needs more big boxes, Filipino style.

Daniel: Right. Then you end up with these insanely heavy pieces of luggage that are really hard to carry. I'd rather have smaller, easier to carry luggage.

Soto ayam for dinner!!!!! yummy.

Katie: you can tell who the photographer's wife is in this picture, because she's the only one who knows never to expect less than 2 shots of any given scenario. (thus, after "the shot" has been taken, everyone else goes back to what they were doing except ... me :) )

Tim: Chesney doesn't even look when I take the first shot.

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