With great luck the weather held that day and we took opportunity of the moment and took a private boat across to another island for snorkeling and kayaking in two very beautiful lagoons where I thought I was going to see either Brooke Shields or Leonardo Di Caprio as it looked as if both of those movies could have been filmed there
We continued to have great weather through the rest of the day and were treated to a fabulous sunset. Jack and I looked for the "green flash" as the sun set but either missed it or just didn't care as we were having such a great time
During our stay that weekend Jack and I revealed some of our hidden phobias......mine being snakes and Jack's being monkeys.
I was promised no snakes on the island. I won't post the picture of the one seen by Jack but I can say that there are monkeys on the island and the following were taken for Jack
Sunday came all too quickly and as it was time to leave the weather changed very quickly. Once again we were taken from Lagen Island back to El Nido air strip to await our 4:00 departure
Again life jackets, rain coats and towels were given to us as we took a power boat across hoping to beat the storm. No such luck. It rained as hard as it did in Manila and Hong Hong. I felt we were on Noah's Ark. We got drenched in spite of everything.
The water buffalo was there to greet us before our flight departed
We arrived back at Jack's in early evening and the grand finale was an Asian Dinner close to Jack's house called the Banana Leaf (IIRC). Food was served on a banana leaf rather than plates. It was a fusion of all South East Asian countries. Margie ordered for everyone and wow did she hit a home run. A quick meal but the food was fabulous
As the sun set on Manila we anticipated more rain but the flight was shown to be on time
How quickly 2 weeks can pass but as the sun set and reflecting on the time we spent I can say that it was one of the best vacations we have ever taken
But for the love of audio and for WBF where a strong and thriving audio community has gathered I found myself lucky to have made so many great friends, all coming as a result of our love for audio. This trip showed me that great audio is available everywhere regardless of the power grid or the country. Visiting the Hong Kong Audio Show proved to me that not only is audio alive and well there but the high end is on a level beyond where most of us in the USA are.
Without the friendship of our Philippine community at WBF I would never have been able to have had such a rewarding time
Once again I tip my hat to
Philip (jadis)
Mullard88 (Sam)
Dafos (jerry)
Nephilim (Keith)
and so many other of Jack's friends who welcomed Cathy and I with open arms
A very special thank you to Jim Duavit who proved to me what dreams can be made of in the uber high end of this hobby. I feel that after all my years in this hobby I heard a system that for the rest of my life will always be my Reference against which anything else in this hobby will be judged. Jim proved to me that the room is paramount in the overall quest for reality. I have never had a 9 hour listening session anywhere including my own system and still feel that I could listen all day. Thank you Jim and Rosanna for all of your kindness and hospitality
And finally, a little drum roll please............
To Jack and Margie Duavit to whom this trip was so great, we love you guys for everything that you did for us. You are two wonderful people. Oh BTW, I forgot to mention that Jack was elected once again to the Philippine Congress in the district where he served (and termed out) before. Your plates are full with 3 young and beautiful children along with all of the duties that this requires. You prove to be excellent role models for your children and yet all of you have such a strong sense of family, friends and church that others around you can only stand and take notice of all of the wonderful things that you do to enrich people's lives.
What a fantastic pictography of the trip! Almost like being there...certainly great to see photos of all the friends and family, spectacular backdrops and vibrant cityscapes. Now on a super minor point...YES! That is exactly what i asked if you'd had when you arrived and were already regaling us with your adventures in real-time...Bak Kwa...great stuff. My aunt makes this stuff, and my wife enjoyed getting some in Singapore recently when we were there.