In the boat yard

We haven't really been up to much lately...we pulled into the boat yard to get work done about a week and half maybe 2 weeks ago and the labor and everything is so cheap we are just paying everyone to do the work for us. We have had the bottom scrubbed since we picked up a lot of growth in Cebu anchorage....we had to top deck scrubbed really well....we are having someone polish all the stainless in the next couple of days....they are building a new bimini for us at the moment and it's coming along nicely.....I am about to find someone to do our laundry because it is just too dang hot here! We try to do a little bit on the boat every day and try not to die of heat stroke in the process lol...we did take our boom off a couple days ago to have a piece re-welded and to be painted...and we had the grate on our bbq pit replaced and this one is NICE...they do such good work here!!....being on the boat from 12-5 is just unbearable...but we are drinking a lot more water than usual so that's almost healthier right? This is by far the hottest place yet...cooking is a nightmare and it is impossible not to sweat but we are still cooking breakfast and dinners on the boat.....the food here is...different...it all kind of has a sweetness to it like we went out to dinner with some friends and I ordered the steak and mash potatoes...the steak was so thin and cooked well done and smothered in gravy...not terrible but the mash was sweet...not sweet potatoes they were just regular potatoes but they added something to make them sweet....not my kinda taste but ok. I hear the chicken is really good tho :) They eat a lot of rice too...every meal even breakfast is eggs with rice...or chicken with rice steak with rice sausage with rice rice rice!!! It is such a poor country and that is the least expensive and most filling thing they can eat so that is what they have stuck with from what I hear. I have also been told that there is no health care and if you live here and get sick you basically die because you cannot afford the care.....sad that there isn't a way around that yet. We use tricycles for transportation around here which is basically a motor bike with a little housing on wheels attached to it. So far the most I have seen on one trike is 9 people!!! haha 9!!!! I've also seen a family of 5 on one single seated motor bike...these people are so tiny lol.....I must say the Filipinos are very good singers...we have seen several bands play and they either sit up on stage with a few guitars and one little drum with a little symbol and they take turns singing....or there is just one guy with a guitar...and they all like to sing love songs...they almost never sing anything else and it can be a little dull at times unless you request something more upbeat which we normally do lol...but it's amazing how good most of them sound! :)

The before pics of the old bimini 

This guy...

Sunset over Port Carmen

Boatyard mascot has such pretty eyes

Fillin her up!

The fuel station fro the trike...that's fuel in the coke bottle:)

Another use for coconuts!

In the trike

Zeiks boatyard in Port Carmen

Sunset over Cebu

The boys working on our new bimini top...this will go on top of our frame and another piece will go below the frame so you can't see any wiring or stainless plus it will have lights installed that shine down on the cockpit

First week in the Philippines

It's been quite a culture shock after being in the smaller islands of the South Pacific. This city...Cebu City has close to 3 million people living here. The driving is terrifying but I haven't seen any accidents yet. There are a million scooters and nobody stays in their lane. They just roam around until someone honks to let them know they're behind them. They have to be reminded they aren't the only ones on the road I guess. We went shopping the other day at the biggest mall I've ever seen...next to the galleria. The water is so dirty I don't even want our boat in it. The anchorage for the yacht club is in the shipping channel so it's not very pretty. On a brighter note everything is super cheap here! Beer is about $1. A meal is about $4-$7 depending on how fancy you want to get. It's cheaper to eat out than to buy food and cook on the boat. Not to mention the heat when we cook geez it's soooo hot. The yacht club restaurant is nice but there isn't a nice bathroom to shower in or laundry service.  Never take advantage of a clean shower and unlimited running water!! We checked into the country on Wednesday and then everything shut down Thursday thru Sunday for the long holiday weekend so today is the first real day we have been able to get answers on the boat work that we need done. The marine store doesn't keep any parts in stock so it would take about a month for us to get a new alternator from Australia. We could just have the boss bring it with him in that case. We have to speak to the sail maker to have some extra chafe guard on the Genoa. The boatyard that we were planning on going to for the carpentry isn't really taking new boats at the moment because the owner is in the states until the 22nd and he is the only one who can arrange the parts and labor...we just discovered there is another marina across the channel that might be able to help us out so we are going to make our way over there to see what they can offer. 

Coffee comes w every plate automatically!!

Full moon over the anchorage

Lots of Texas stuff going on here

My backyard view of the bridge that leads to the city. 

Aaaaaand we have Starbucks again!!

Graffiti 

Texas!!

Cebu yacht club

Ciao Palau

We left Palau yesterday....sadly and with heavy hearts...Palau is one of those awesome places that will never be forgotten. We made so many wonderful friends there and every person we met seemed so genuinely happy. And the happiness is contagious! Until you have to leave....:( The island is beautiful and all the rock islands surrounding are gorgeous. We had diving experiences that we've never had before and I'm not sure we will have again. Driving around the island and visiting the waterfall... It was truly an amazing place with the most amazing people. So it breaks my heart to say goodbye but we must be on our way to the next chapter in our journey. 

The wind has been favorable but the swell is a bit confused and actually really annoying at the moment. We are heading north of our entry waypoint at the Philippines border because the current will be pushing us south when we get there. We have to time it just right in order to enter the islands on an incoming tide. 

We watched The Squids 2-3 times a week they are awesome!

Perfect day sailing and anchored around the corner from the yacht club. Love this water!

Hike to the waterfall

This bird made me laugh. Poor guy was having a bad day lol

Our new friends from Texas!!

Picnic on the beach between dives

We made it!!! Took 4 days and we have just the right timing! We came in just as daylight was breaking and the tide was turning to carry us in. It's a well known passage and the timing must be prefect or you will have to anchor somewhere and wait for the tide to change in your favor so it's no joke. We had perfect timing!! 

It really sucked to leave Palau but there's a real sense of freedom and anticipation that comes with entering a new countries waters. Fear. Excitement. Wonder. Oh yeah and all the work we have to do here haha. Bossman wants to get all the wood inside the boat replaced and the interior repainted. He also wants to build a new roof for the cockpit complete with outdoor lights and with dimmers :) we also need the starboard engine fixed. It's leaking fuel into the oil...bummer. Lots of big jobs to do starting this week and we have about a month to get them all done.