We have heard so much about Dumaguete. Because of less traffic, the air is cleaner, and the city itself seems a little more prosperous.
This walkway along the ocean is called the Boulevard.
The Boulevard is a slow-moving park-type area.
The Anderson's took us to a home industry for Sister Sommerfeldt to order a scripture cover of woven material that is unique to the islands.
Then they dropped us off at the Essencia, our accommodations for the evening. We were needing to be at the Dumaguete Airport very early in the morning to catch our flight back to Cebu.
After hailing a cab, we drove a few short blocks to a McD. As we got orientated to the city, we wandered around for awhile, and then walked back to the hotel.
By 6:00 a.m. Wednesday morning, we had checked out of our hotel and was on the way to the airport. When the plane arrived, we expected to see President and Sister Schmutz get off the plane as we got on. However, change of plans. It was raining outside, and we discovered that the plane was VFR - visible flight rating. Each day there is only one flight from Cebu to Dumaguete, and one flight back to Cebu. That flight had been cancelled!
Elder Sommerfeldt tried to find out our options. There were two: wait until the following day to fly to Cebu, or fly to Manila and then to Cebu. He reserved a seat on that flight to Manila. Since it didn't leave until 2:55, we returned to the Essencia, hoping they had not made up our room yet.
They had! However, they offered to give us another room - free - to stay in until noon. That gracious option was much appreciated. By checkout time, we were back in the lobby to check out once again. We enjoyed a Chinese food lunch at the hotel before returning to the airport for our flight.
Problem was: it was still raining. The flight had been cancelled. By this time, the airport was stacking up with people needing to get to their destinations. Elder Sommerfeldt stood in line from 1:00 p.m. until 4:30 p.m. only to find out that we had two options: Travel to Manila on Saturday - if the planes were traveling at that time, or take an all-night ferry back to Cebu.
This time, we took our first Trike ride (boy are they tiny) - with our luggage - from the airport, down to the Boulevard, with the prospect of waiting there for six hours before going to the port area to board the ferry to Cebu. Side note: it was all the Trike could do to take off without tipping over backwards, between luggage and Will's weight. It didn't help that the cycle providing the motor was old, with not much energy.
Here are some sights from the Boulevard:
A truck carrying sugar cane. We saw at least four of them go by.
A bit of history - I'm sure!
The beach area.
A boys' band in the back of a truck.
About the time we thought we would go stir-crazy, Anderson's contacted us and said they were on their way into Dumaguete to go to dinner with us. Hurray!
Actually, we went to the church first, found an empty classroom, and played a game together for a time. The kids love Sister Anderson - they know she has a piece of candy for them. Afterwards, we enjoyed a leisurely dinner together.
Finally we boarded the ferry at 10:30 p.m. Nice - Anderson's had booked us a business class ticket. A couch, and easy chairs - and we were the only ones in the room. Everywhere else were many bunk beds all in a common room. Our private room was especially appreciated because Elder Sommerfeldt did not fit in the bunks inside our room, and he slept on the couch.
Sister Sommerfeldt moved a second mattress onto her bunk, wrapped up in the blanket provided and slept.
I will end this with a laugh. A sign we saw in Dumaguete:
Seeing men relieve themselves against fences are a daily occurrence in the Philippines.
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