Back in our Denver apartment, we had at least four clocks hanging on our walls. We had two alarm clocks and two smart phones to wake us up, time displayed on the dashboards of our cars, phones in our pockets, and roadside clocks on signs nearly everywhere we went.
Kiltepan “sea of clouds” sunrise viewpoint
Tour guides in Sagada, Philippines are very available and heavily suggested for all activities. We may be gluttons for punishment, overly independent, or just plain cheap by not using them. Regardless, we opted to hike to the Kiltepan “sea of clouds” sunrise viewpoint on our own.
![[VIDEO] Cave Connection Sagada](http://thadandlaura.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/cave-connection-entrance-sumaguing.jpg)
[VIDEO] Cave Connection Sagada
Cave Connection is the name of one of the many networks of caves in Sagada, Philippines. The goal is to start at the beginning of one cave and come out the end of a different cave. We were warned that it could take over three hours to complete the maze with a guide, depending upon our abilities.
Using only one small lantern for light, we climbed through the cave using ropes to help maneuver over large boulders as well as our hands and knees to crawl between tight rocks. We also walked through pools of water, squeezed our bodies through tiny crevices, got dirty, and loved it.
Some of the openings in the cave were smaller than I thought we could possibly fit through. But amazingly, we did. The pungent odor of guano left by the thousands of bats provided some extra motivation. Needless to say, the whole cave experience was awesome.
See below for a short video clip of our caving adventure.
a new type of adventure
Tomorrow brings a whole new adventure, very different from the ones we’ve already experienced in the last couple weeks.
We’re taking off on a 7-day boat trip through the islands of North Palawan, Philippines. Continue reading a new type of adventure
Bagio City Market in 40 sec
The Baguio city market is something to experience. It is a huge, open market in the middle of the city. They sell everything from edible goodies like fruit, vegetables, canned items, rice/grain, and all types of meats to hand made trinkets and other woven products like clothing, baskets, brooms, bags, and blankets. It is a bit overwhelming and easy to get lost in all the aisles and seemingly endless rows. The smells are quite crazy as well, as with any given pass, one can pick up scents of roasted coffee beans, ripe fruits, fresh cut flowers, plastics, smoked meats, and raw fish.
family time in hawaii
Family time is always an interesting time. The bigger the group, the more interesting. Little ones certainly add a level of craziness as well. With 15 in all, we definitely experienced our share of craziness on this trip, but at the end of the day, I wouldn’t change a thing. Continue reading family time in hawaii
kona coffee plantation
During our week with family in Kona, we toured the Hula Daddy Kona Coffee plantation. The whole crew came along, and even the little ones enjoyed it (I think).
Despite having been a coffee lover for years, I was surprised at how much I didn’t know about coffee and its origin. Also, the tour and coffee samples were free! Continue reading kona coffee plantation
kona scuba diving
During our stay in Kona, I went scuba diving with my brother-in-law, Micah. The list of wildlife we encountered in one form or another in a matter of a few hours was ridiculous. I think we both left the pier on cloud 9. Continue reading kona scuba diving