Me at the Philippine Peace Memorial on Corregidor Island. Where thousands of American, Filipino and Japanese troops fought in some of the bloodiest battles of World War II's Pacific theatre.
After 36 hours of traveling: a 20-minute boat ride across a small stretch of the south Sulu sea, multiple van rides, a bone-jarring flight in a turbo-prop from Boracay to Manila, a traffic-congested 30-minute taxi trip (driver: "You pay me 20 more pesos than on the meter, okay?" Me: "What the hell?!") just to get from the domestic airport to the int'l airport (they're 4 kilometers from each other), a 4-hour wait in Manila's aging Int'l Airport, a 22-hour ride in a big tin can in the sky, a 7-hour layover in South Korea, and a 45-minute cab ride from Washington Dulles Int'l Airport, we finally arrived home Saturday, smelly, exhausted, and thoroughly sick of moving.
Yesterday was my first day back at work, and I got hit with two stories that I have to file by Thursday. Welcome baaack!
I hardly ever get jet-lagged, but for some reason, I still feel out of sorts. I tried to go to bed at a decent hour tonight - 10 pm - and I woke up at 11:15 drenched in sweat and with an aching head and stomach. Can't take a sick day, though. Too much to do.
Running: Not yet. Not until I stop feeling feverish. Will try tomorrow. Hope I don't puke.
Best part of the trip: Lying on a chaise lounge a few feet away from the ocean on a private beach on Boracay, sipping a fresh Mango daquiri and watching the waves with a desultory eye.
Worst part of the trip: Wading through ankle-high water that was a mixture of rain and SEWAGE to get to the van that was spiriting us from a sub-par hotel to a higher-end resort. It's the rainy season, and often the dirt paths get flooded. Thank God I'm current on my vaccinations.
One heckuva vacation, Bex. Glad you could get some sun and sand away from the western world, but those sure are long flights!
ReplyDeleteHope you're feeling better tomorrow.
Well glad you are back, Bex. I hope you didn't pic up something fatal over there. The sewage and now being feverish is not a good combination.
ReplyDeleteOn a lighter note, I love the pics. You need to fish out that one of you in the magazine again.
I especially love the shot where you are looking out over your feet at the blue-in-blue water with the white sand on the beach. Wish I could put in a bottle and import some of that here.
Welcome back. Sorry you're here. I'm hoping your vacation was 97% good times colored by some unsavory away-from-home distractions that, by contrast, made it all unforgettable.
ReplyDeleteDamn the deadlines. I hope you're feeling better.