Day 346 - Another Day at the Ponce de Leon Resort - Canceled Rotary Meeting
Tuesday, June 18th, 2019.
Today we spent all day at the hotel. It was supposed to be a relaxed day but I can not relax when I know that we have to plan a trip. The only thing we knew was that we were leaving tomorrow and when I was ready to ask to get a van to El Nido, I asked Gregory if he was sure and he said no. We started the conversation about where to go all over again. Sunshine had researched El Nido and it is very well known for its lagoons but it is also very touristy. Gregory wants to avoid touristy places. I told them to talk to each other and come to an agreement. I left and went to the dining room area to catch up on my blog. To my surprise, the internet was good and I was able to post on the blog, not to publish yet because it needs to be proofread by Gregory or the kids!
Around 1:00 Sunshine and I went for a swim. It helped me a lot to relax and not to think about the plans. I don’t like to leave things undecided, I like to sit down, make a plan, make a decision and stick with it. Well, on this trip, I have learned that I have to let go of that because Gregory has a very different way of planning and many times it works even better. It rained really hard while we were swimming. We were OK because we were already wet, but the poor staff was running back and forth to put away chairs and tablecloths and everything they had spent all morning setting up for a wedding. This is something I’m not thrilled about: this hotel is very popular for weddings and events, so it is often busy but they don’t make much noise and parties seemed to finish early.
After swimming, we took a shower and Sunshine put on her pajamas. I told her that we were going out for dinner while Gregory attended his Rotary meeting, which was the reason we stayed an extra day here. Later I got all lazy and didn’t want to go out for dinner. I told the kids we could order a pizza and they were thrilled. Especially Daniel, who just doesn’t want to do anything anymore. Well, let me tell you how hard was to order a pizza here. Shakey's had a promotion but when I checked online, it didn’t show and they were too expensive otherwise. I tried Pizza Hut but they only exist in Manila. Greenwich was a nearby pizzeria but they didn't deliver to our area (2km away) so finally I ended up asking the lady at the front desk for help. She called McCoy's and we ordered a Hawaiian and of course, it had to be over 500 pesos (about $10) for the delivery to be free so I had to order a drink.
I was starving and the pizza arrived almost an hour later but at least it was good. We ate in the dining room even after Sunshine had read a sign saying outside food was not allowed. In any case, no one seems to follow rules here. Gregory arrived around 9:00pm with a disappointed face. The Rotary meeting had been canceled so he ate dinner alone and went to the grocery store to get snacks for the following day. [Gregory's note: I just want to point out that I bought the snacks on my own initiative -- planning ahead and all that.]
Today we spent all day at the hotel. It was supposed to be a relaxed day but I can not relax when I know that we have to plan a trip. The only thing we knew was that we were leaving tomorrow and when I was ready to ask to get a van to El Nido, I asked Gregory if he was sure and he said no. We started the conversation about where to go all over again. Sunshine had researched El Nido and it is very well known for its lagoons but it is also very touristy. Gregory wants to avoid touristy places. I told them to talk to each other and come to an agreement. I left and went to the dining room area to catch up on my blog. To my surprise, the internet was good and I was able to post on the blog, not to publish yet because it needs to be proofread by Gregory or the kids!
Around 1:00 Sunshine and I went for a swim. It helped me a lot to relax and not to think about the plans. I don’t like to leave things undecided, I like to sit down, make a plan, make a decision and stick with it. Well, on this trip, I have learned that I have to let go of that because Gregory has a very different way of planning and many times it works even better. It rained really hard while we were swimming. We were OK because we were already wet, but the poor staff was running back and forth to put away chairs and tablecloths and everything they had spent all morning setting up for a wedding. This is something I’m not thrilled about: this hotel is very popular for weddings and events, so it is often busy but they don’t make much noise and parties seemed to finish early.
After swimming, we took a shower and Sunshine put on her pajamas. I told her that we were going out for dinner while Gregory attended his Rotary meeting, which was the reason we stayed an extra day here. Later I got all lazy and didn’t want to go out for dinner. I told the kids we could order a pizza and they were thrilled. Especially Daniel, who just doesn’t want to do anything anymore. Well, let me tell you how hard was to order a pizza here. Shakey's had a promotion but when I checked online, it didn’t show and they were too expensive otherwise. I tried Pizza Hut but they only exist in Manila. Greenwich was a nearby pizzeria but they didn't deliver to our area (2km away) so finally I ended up asking the lady at the front desk for help. She called McCoy's and we ordered a Hawaiian and of course, it had to be over 500 pesos (about $10) for the delivery to be free so I had to order a drink.
I was starving and the pizza arrived almost an hour later but at least it was good. We ate in the dining room even after Sunshine had read a sign saying outside food was not allowed. In any case, no one seems to follow rules here. Gregory arrived around 9:00pm with a disappointed face. The Rotary meeting had been canceled so he ate dinner alone and went to the grocery store to get snacks for the following day. [Gregory's note: I just want to point out that I bought the snacks on my own initiative -- planning ahead and all that.]
One of the yogurt packages we bought was open! Someone cut a hole in the side, not touching the top, ate the yogurt, and put the empty cup back in the 4-pack. I thought about going back to the store and tell them but this is the Philippines and nothing will get done.
For pictures to see the yogurt, please click here
https://photos.app.goo.gl/nEKriUZLNunjExsU9
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