I have yet to complete writing about my Hawaii vacation, but I wanted to take a break from that -- not that I didn't have enough hiatus in blogging already -- and take this chance to share my mother and cousin's first out of the country trip.
Traveling was not something I or my family grew up doing. Every year, my family would go on outings but nothing big of a trip, mostly just going to resorts in Laguna or visiting relatives in Pampanga and Ilocos. One time, in the summer (my birthday) of 1993, we went to Leyte -- I really enjoyed that because of the ocean -- but that was the first and last time we traveled that far within the Philippines. Having said that, my first out of the country travel was obviously when I left in 2005 for good, and it wasn't until I met my then-boyfriend-now-husband, Vince, that I started exploring the world ♥
Recently, Vince and I had to send my mother on a trip to Hong Kong. Sending our parents to trips have always been part of our plan since we got married, but my mother's trip was rather unexpected. For valid reasons I will not divulge at the moment -- don't worry nothing fishy or suspicious here -- it was just imperative that my mother travel outside the Philippines PRONTO!
And how did my pretty little cousin, Kate, get involved here you may ask? Well, the travel agent advised us that it's better for my mother to have a travel companion rather than going solo. Apparently, solo travelers raise a red flag in the Philippines border. I was told that it had happened at times that a solo traveler would be "off loaded" from the flight - meaning not even allowed to board on the plane simply because of the tendency that one might not return to the country (mag TNT *tago ng tago*). It's unfortunate that no one in my immediate family could travel ASAP with my mother because none of them has a passport -- I told you we didn't grow up traveling -- and fortunate for my dear cousin, Kate, that she has a passport. So, I guess you can all conclude what happened and how she ended up traveling to Hong Kong with my mother. Lucky girl! Anyway, Kate always has been like our little sister, and me, my sibs and her are really close, and since she also recently passed her nursing board exam and graduated cum laude, Vince and I thought that she well deserved a"gift" from us ☻
So, originally it was a Hong Kong/Shenzhen trip, but what do you know, true enough, 5 of the 12 travelers in my mother and Kate's group went TNT. One was off-loaded and four went missing in action when they arrived in Hong Kong. Tsk tsk. The travel guide did not allow my mother and Kate to go to Shenzhen anymore -- I'm assuming because of the bad impression of the TNT-ers in their group -- so the twosome stayed in Hong Kong. My mother got a little rattled with her first-time experience with the border officers on top of the fact that her supposedly travel mates went MIA, and then she told me she also was "babysitting" Kate throughout the trip, but it sounded like she enjoyed it albeit. After we heard her whole story and how she was "traumatized" from her border experience, I teased her that I'm willing to send her to another trip if she likes... uhmmm, Singapore maybe, to which she replied with a laugh. Hehe!
Anyweiz, what's a trip without pictures? Is there such? So, without further ado, allow me to share some pictures from my mother and cousin Kate's Hong Kong trip.
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| The face that launched Papaleng's ship! |
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| This pic made me smile because MamaRose is a big fan of Jet Li :) |
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| ...and of course, Bruce Lee! |
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| MamaRose seemed to have enjoyed this "happy" place a lot ;) |
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| MamaRose was quite disappointed because she said they only had few Disney character photo opps. |
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| Well, MamaRose, hopefully, God willing, we can take you to Walt Disney World one day, and there you can take all the pics you wish with any Disney character you want ;) |
Okay, that's it for now. I'll be back to continue on day 3 of my Hawaii vacation ... and all my whatever ☻ Ciao!
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You can read my travel stories here:
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