Island hopping

For three days last week we were the IBVM beach babes.

After a 2.5 hour bus ride and a 1.5 hour ferry ride, we arrived at Talipanan beach on the island of Mindoro for our first (mini) vacation! We spent a glorious three days enjoying the sun and surf.

It was so good to get out of the city for awhile, to breathe fresh air and see the sparkling ocean. It was actually a startling reminder of how polluted Manila is when I saw how beautiful and clean the ocean is in other parts of the country. The water was turquoise and crystal clear. I felt a spiritual lift just seeing it.

We stayed in a little house owned by Amami Beach Resort. It wasn’t quite as cute as the cottages below but it had a lovely view of the sea.

We had the beach to ourselves!

When the rain came we sat on the front porch and watched nature at work. The force of the rain and wind was pretty spectacular.

The calm after the storm.

Lots of places to swim and relax. And then enjoy a cappuccino.

Talipanan was a gorgeous place to escape to and experience the beauty of the Philippines. We’re already planning a return trip!