2014 Travels... and thoughts

April 16, 2014 - Wednesday

After making all the preparations for our summer trip to Manila, Canada and USA, this was the day we flew to Manila.  We actually timed it right after Matt and Kyle's final exams so they didn't have to fly home to Cebu and thus, save on travel cost in the process.  Instead, they would just wait for Jerry, Jake and I to get to Manila where our flight for Toronto would originate.

It was Holy Wednesday.  We were met by Pa and Ma in their red new Innova as soon as our 730am flight (we took an earlier flight after our original 8am flight was delayed for an hour) arrived in Manila.  We dropped our luggages at the nearby Remington Hotel where we booked 2 rooms for 2 nights.  Then, with Jerry on the wheel, we went to get Matt and Kyle from DLSU.

Because we needed to buy some items on Junnie's wishlist for Toronto, we decided to go to Greenhills.  And for some reason, we chose to eat at Luk Yuen.  Chinese food is always a favorite anyway...

At Greenhills, we were unable to find the Raptors jersey that Junnie wanted, but Ma and Pa ended up buying a few shirts.  We tried looking around the stalls and I realized the replica bags looked better and very much like their real counterparts now.  If only I were on a hunt for nice and reasonably-priced purses, these were really tempting.  Besides, who would know if it were real or not?  Anyway... 

By 230pm, we went to the church at Newport where the boys and I had our confession while Pa and Ma did heir Stations of the Cross.  I thought this was the highlight of our day... doing the Catholic church Holy Week rites together with the extended family, just as I wanted.

The church was pretty inside.  There were not too many people, and with 2 priests hearing confessions, we were done after an hour.  It was now time to check-in at Remington Hotel.  

The rooms were adjacent and were very spacious. I stayed with Pa and Ma while the boys stayed together.  The room had 2 queen beds  each so there was plenty of space for everyone.  Breakfast for two came with each room too.  The P3700/night was a good deal in my book and the total P15k+ we paid was money well-spent for this 2-days/2-nights staycation with Pa and Ma.  I should give this hotel a positive review at Tripadvisor soon.

With plenty of time before I was to join my high school friends for after-dinner "date", the extended family stopped by SM Aura first to show Ma and Pa around and to eventually have an early dinner of Pepper Lunch Express at their foodcourt.

It was my second time to be at the Aura and like the first, I was still imlpressed by the un-SM look. Hehe.  It actually looked more like a posh version of Ayala mall.  I normally wouldn't eat at foodcourts but theirs was clean, pretty and not crowded at all... My kind of mall is the one with very little shoppers.  LOL

Dinner time with the extended family was very pleasant.  I loved that Pa and Ma enjoyed the whole day's itinerary even if it was not planned at all.  This is how days spent with them should be... stress-free. :)

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