MY TRAVEL BUCKETLIST

I guess I have grown tired of making yearly resolutions already…since I never get to accomplish most of them anyway. So this year, I decided to just make my very own TRAVEL WISH LIST OR A BUCKET LIST, so to speak. But this does not mean that I intend to accomplish all the travelling I want for 2014, oh no, I don’t think I have the budget for that. It would, in fact, go beyond 2014 since we all know how expensive it is to travel and it would be lucky for me if I get to strike off two places in my list every year. But then again I also realize that I am not getting any younger and so I have listed down the places I want to visit before I am too old and gray to enjoy anymore travelling. Next time maybe I will come up with another list of the ‘daredevil’ things I want to do before I am fifty…hehehe but for the meantime here’s the list:


1. I consider myself a beach/water person but surprisingly the first place on my list is a mountain – the Banaue Rice Terraces. It is already considered a World Heritage Site so all the more reason why we must go and visit and gaze in wonder at the magnificence that the early Igorots have made in the countryside of Banaue and Ifugao. I had hoped to do this maybe next year, when the weather is cool and hopefully take along the older ones with us even if the trip requires a bit of trekking. Anyway, they can always stay at the hotel because even there they can gaze at the magnificence of the terraces in the comfort of their own rooms. Relatedly, I also want to include in this item the town of Sagada in Mt. Province. Though I know visiting both places in one swoop would be far-fetched, I still want to take a peek at the famous Sagada hanging coffins someday, even if it will be a different trip altogether.


2. Next place I want to visit, or maybe rather re-visit is Coron, Palawan. I had been there before way back in 200? But only with the hubby with the FAS for their teambuilding and the utter serenity and beauty of the lakes just made me want to go back again and again and take my kids with me, of course. But this would entail a lot of money as the island hopping tours are even higher than that of Puerto Princesa so I guess we all need to pool resources on this in order to make this dream happen.


3. The third place is one I consider close to my heart – the place of my dad’s birthplace and one place (aside from Baguio) that I frequented as a teenager – Cebu. There is another reason why I want to take my family there, so that they would be able to immerse themselves in the Visayan culture and way of life and get to know the people I have found dear and whom I consider my second family there. Besides, the beaches there are just divine and the food too! I just wish that when the time comes, I can have Mike there with us, as our tour guide to show us around.


4. The fourth place I want to go to (again!) is Davao. I have been there (I think) in 2008 but that was a working visit so I never really got to savor everything that Davao had to offer and so if there was one province that I want to take my kids in Mindanao region – Davao is it! I intend to take them to see the Philippine Eagle and maybe, if possible, have a peek at the majestic Mount Apo, our country’s highest mountain.


5. The fifth place on my list is one I have not yet been to but the place just beckons to me with its clear blue-green waters and like the fish that I am…I just seem to have no choice but be hypnotized by its awesome beauty – the Caramoan Islands of Bicol. I know the place had already achieved international recognition after being featured (not just once) in the Survivor series but I still hope it remains pristine as it is and not as commercialized and crowded (like Boracay)


6. The next is a place the family and I have actually been to when the kids were still young, way back in 2005 (I think) but at the time the kids were still small (Keith was 10 and Kaye was just three years old)…so I think they do not truly appreciate then the rich heritage that Ilocos had to offer. On that future trip, I intend to take them to as far up as Pagudpud (like we also did the last time) and take in as many local sites as possible including another World Heritage site Vigan, the historical city known for its Calle Crisologo, Paoay church, the Malacanang of the North, Batac, former Pres. Marcos burial/tomb, and new ones we weren’t able to visit like Chavit’s Baluarte, among others.


7. Another place that I want to visit is Batanes…although I know this would cause quite a considerable dent in the pocket since the airfares alone is not something to scoff at (10K each person, last I heard). But still, the place is breathtaking (in photos at least) and one that I also wish to bring my family to if not just to savor the sights but also the taste of its rich cuisine.


8. Another place on my bucket list is Romblon, yup that place of marble fame although that is not exactly all they are famous for – they have marvelous beaches and amazing caves…definitely a place I would want to visit. I just wish they would address the security concerns of the place because I heard that tourists who go there are not exactly satisfied with the brand of hospitality that they receive.


9. Up next on my list is the mystical island of Siquijor, nope it is not because of the proliferation of ‘ghostly spirits’ that I want to go there…partly lang siguro but the main reason is that Ateng (my father’s kasambahay) hails from that place and she had long been inviting us to visit her house which is just a stone’s throw away from the beach…how is that for being cool! Huh! Maybe we just might take her up on that invitation someday!


10. Lastly, of course, I also want to visit someday the overhyped beaches of Boracay. But not during summer…maybe when the place is not teeming with crowded tourists. I hate it already when a place becomes so commercialized that going there becomes a nightmare and totally un-enjoyable…so yes I still will go to Boracay but not to party like most tourists do…but to enjoy the fine white sands and explore the pristine beaches and fun activities that the place had to offer.

Ok so that’s it for now… I guess I’ll just add/update the list as more places crop up. After all, our country is made up of 7,100+ beautiful islands to explore. Next time, I’ll probably make another list of foreign destinations naman…

FAS OUTING @ CALATAGAN AND TAGAYTAY

The FAS outing this year was actually just someplace near (unlike last year’s at Anawangin in Zambales and 2009 in Coron, Palawan). This time, they opted to have it at Calatagan, Batangas and with sleepover/daytour at Tagaytay City the next day but it was still something that everyone looked forward to (even my kids though we’ve been here in countless family get-togethers already!) Well, after all what kid would hesitate to go on a trip that includes a beach and a zipline adventure?!?!

So on D Day, they readily awakened even if it was still 3AM, we had to be early since Ging shall be arriving at 3:30 and we need to be at Ate Ne’s by 4AM. Good thing we were able to stick to our schedule and we arrived at the office at 4:45 am and were ready for take-off at 5AM. We will be leaving early than the rest of them because we have to look for the house we would be sleeping in at Tagaytay and do some marketing before proceeding to Calatagan. They had a problem with the original house they booked (@ Rodeo Hills) as the caretakers backed out at the last minute. Well they found a replacement thru the internet but we need to check it out first before proceeding to Calatagan.

I slept throughout the trip and was surprised when I awakened at 6:30 that we were already in Tagaytay. Quite surprised, too, to see that the house they rented was so pretty – a seven-room affair that looked like it came straight out of a European countryside – complete with flowers in a pocket garden out front and a Siberian husky which the kids absolutely adored!!!







After seeing the house, we then went to Calatagan although our travel time was lengthened a bit with some necessary stops (for fruits, some fish, buko, water and ice) until we finally reached the Caisip Resort at a little before 9AM – and truly it was a sight to behold! The water was very calm with the waves breaking at a very far distance from the shore (like in Bolinao) but the difference was that Bolinao’s beach was filled with corals and some sea plants while Calatagan’s had no corals but just something like sea grass – there is only a small patch of sand in front (like two meters maybe) where the kids waded and there’s another strip of sand, stretching out like a highway that reaches (I think) up to the breakwater but no matter how far you go, the water still reaches up to the waist. I guess Calatagan’s beach is not really one for swimmers but more for waders like the kids. What’s good is that the tables (which were placed underneath an umbrella of old hanging trees) is just near the shore so we can easily see the kids swimming from our place at the tables.












At first, I was unable to help out in unloading the things from the vehicles since I still felt queasy from the ride and due to the fever I had since last night. But after I vomited and took some meds, I felt OK enough to help out in preparing the food for our lunch although it was Ging and Ate Ne who cleaned the fish and took the lead in cooking. I just helped in cutting up the ginger, onions and tomatoes for the sinigang fish for our lunch later. I also helped fix up the table so it would be presentable when the others arrived. The others started trickling in at around 10 AM and expectedly Lony got lost because he went ahead of the convoy even if he didn’t know the way! He was bringing the ulam pa naman (adobo chicken and pork) so by the time they arrived at almost 11AM, everyone was quite raring to eat an early lunch since most were not satiated with the breakfast they gave out in the vehicles (consisting of sandwiches, boiled eggs, bananas and chocolate drink)In fact, some were not even able to eat because it was quite difficult to do so while in a moving vehicle and just opted to sleep.











We had a hearty lunch of grilled bangus/tilapia, green mango/ sibuyas/ kamatis/ bagoong ensalada, boiled talong/okra/beans and the adobo chicken/pork that Leonor cooked and of course, there were lotsa fruits – bananas, pineapples, mangoes (both Indian and ripe) and after eating, we had fresh buko juice. After the sumptuous spread, the kids went back to swimming and I drank my meds again and fell asleep on the sand under a tree with just my malong as blanket and shades. After about an hour, I awoke and saw the kids still swimming nearby, the oldies in a kubo they rented for them to sleep and sit about, the girls and the other wives were chatting under a tree watching over the kids, the boys were drinking San Mig lite under another tree while some others were inside a tent playing cards because it was windy. The others chose to do as I did and sleep under the trees but using hammocks. After some chit-chat with the ladies, I decided to return to my resting place and sleep once again coz there was nothing much to do anyway.





















When I awoke, it was already 3PM and the kids have decided to venture someplace far where the water was much higher and the waves much stronger. I went there to take some pictures and call them in for some snacks of mangoes and bagoong well, my son ate rice (I should have known!) After that both adults and kids took part in some games that Yeng and Helen prepared. I just took pictures since I was afraid to suffer a relapse of my fever once again if I get too tired. It was fun though watching the oldies do the hoops, drink water thru straws that had holes and the kids pop balloons and search for eggs (like an Easter egg hunt!)













After all the festivities, we all had early dinner at 6PM and after that we packed our things back to the vehicles so that we were ready to leave by 7PM. We reached Tagaytay at past 8PM because Ging seemed to have forgotten the way to their resort! And since it was quite cold already by that time, we decided not to let the kids swim anymore. The FAS people were then given their room assignments – Helen and Ed’s family in one big room, Willy’s brood of six in a small room, Jojo and family in a big room, Zand and Cris in another room, while Ymas and his boys, Rodel, Sam and Lem slept in the open air mezzanine above the billiards table.

Meanwhile, we returned to the vehicles to proceed to the other house and got our room assignments – Ms A and her friend and apo in Room 1 at the ground floor, Ate Wendy and her sis-in-law at one small 2nd floor room, Raymund and family in Room 3 also at the second floor, Jess and his brood of five in Room 4, Yeng and Mom with Nora and her kid in Room 5 still at the second floor while Yeng’s brother slept in the sala outside their bedroom, at the attic Ms. Purie and her pamangkin stayed in a small bedroom, while Ate Ne and her kids and my family stayed in the bigger open room, Lony and Ante slept in the sala between the two rooms of the attic. After a bit of washing up and watching some TV, the hubby and I slept in the airbed with my daughter.






















The next day I awoke early at 5:30 but not yet to get up coz I felt that my back was aching from being in the same position for too long and so I transferred to Ate Ne’s bed and only became fully awake at around 7AM. When I went down to have some coffee, I saw Jess cooking the hotdogs then he also reheated the leftover inihaw from yesterday; Ate Ne meanwhile was cooking the beef tapa while Ms. A was cutting up kamatis and onions for the red eggs salad. We let the others eat ahead of us anyway the hubby and the kids were still asleep . I decided to take a bath first but by the time the kids awoke and we were ready to eat, there was no more rice! The others from the resort were taking so long to arrive and they had some rice leftover! So Lony had to go out to buy some rice for us and more water to drink and Joy for washing up later.














We ate just in time before the others arrived since masyado magulo pag madami e! So when they came, I went up to start packing our things to leave and ensure that my kids took their baths too. After a while, I brought our things to the van and by this time I heard them making a ruckus in the kitchen coz it seems Ate Ne gave the go-signal for everyone to bring their own ‘bit-bit’ and so by the time I went inside the house, I wasn’t able to get any inihaw anymore,just some hipon and hotdogs (which I packed earlier for the kids to eat)





It was almost 9AM when we finally left for Tagaytay Picnic Grove where some of the kids went horseback riding, some rode the zipline, the ones ‘not-so-brave’ rode the cable car (including myself), while the others just walked the eco-trail around the picnic grove. My kids went horseback riding and rode the zipline, they also bought some souvenirs (like bonnets, cloth purses, and monogrammed bracelets that my daughter had initialed with her name plus her two cousins) When everyone finished doing their thing and we were able to gather (well, almost) everyone, it was time to leave for Mang Inasal. Too bad that we didn’t have a group picture overlooking Taal. We had a short detour to buy ube, lengua, pastilles, buko pie and other stuff at the Maryridge convent. I would have wanted to still see the church at Calaruega but maybe next time!























We arrived at Mang Inasal around 12 pm – and as expected it was fully packed for lunch. We had to wait a bit before they could serve the 59 orders of PM2 that we made. We looked like hungry refugees while waiting, but there were no flared tempers, everyone gamely waited for the food to arrive. Finally, after 2 hours of waiting and eating, we left Mang Inasal. I would surely bet our group gave their promo of ‘unlimited rice’ a serious run for their money – they wouldn’t have imagined how much rice we all could take in when they thought up that gimmick. But at least all of us were satiated enough to want to go home and rest. We got back home by 4 pm – all safe and with a huge smile in our faces.

First summer salvo @ Bolinao, Pangasinan

Today, we embarked on our first summer outing of the year – courtesy of Ate Ne and her sisters who wanted to take their Inang for a birthday treat to the beach. Finally, after so many tries, we would finally be able to go to Bolinao – what some consider also a good beach in Pangasinan…well, the beach was good but totally over-rated like Pagudpud and not at all what I expected it to be!

We started the day early at 2:30 a.m. because I had to heat water for Kaye’s bath and cook breakfast of hotdogs and sinangag for them. But Kaye and I didn’t have time to eat na, only Jun and Kit ate while we took our bath. They took their bath na kasi already last night so they just washed up a bit this morning before dressing up to leave. Before 4 am we were at Inang’s house to wait for Ate Ne before we could proceed to Tigbe for her Ate’s house. After that, off we went na to NLEX though we made a short side trip muna to Baliuag to drop off Inang’s lona via a meet-up at the Shell Station along the highway.

We traveled six hours non-stop with only a toilet break at Camiling, Tarlac and then got waylaid by traffic at Alaminos, Pangasinan due to their fiesta. Then we got lost a bit pa because Jun made the wrong turn and ended up at Hundred Islands. After a bit more of searching, we finally reached the rest house that April found online (via Sulit) and had our first glimpse of the beaches of Bolinao.





It was already 11 am by then, and so we first had lunch / breakfast then rested a bit before setting off to explore the rest of Bolinao first because it was still too hot to hit the beach. We first visited the Bolinao lighthouse to have some picture-taking and enjoy the view / panorama of Bolinao. Afterwards, we visited ‘Enchanted’, an underground cave where they say some scenes of Marian Rivera’s fantaserye ‘Dyesebel’ were shot. Just too bad that we weren’t able to bring any swim wear because the cave we descended into was quite cool and after the hot weather upstairs, it was very enticing indeed to take a dip in its natural pools. So that was why the lady/caretaker upstairs doubted our statements that we would just look at the caves and not swim…for true enough the kids couldn’t help themselves and even sans swimwear went ahead took a dip. So we had to pay an additional PhP 20 per person who emerged wet from the cave since the day entrance was only Php 30 while swimming entailed a fee of PhP 50. Nice gimmick huh!




After the kids had their fill of swimming ala Dyesebel, we all returned to the resort. Expectedly, the kids headed straight to the beach and so despite the heat (it was still around 3pm by then) I just let them be. Meanwhile, Jun and I took a nap for a while after I saw that even Ate Ne and April were sleeping. An hour later, we were on our way to Bolinao market to buy some fish to cook for our dinner. After buying both fresh and dried fish and some fresh fruits for our dessert, we returned to the resort and were just in time to catch the sunset.








We took a short dip in the sea (because it was already quite cold after the sun has set) then took our baths while Jun, April and Arnold grilled the fish, pork and hotdogs…only problem was the hotdogs seemed to be flying and disappearing all at once so they were unable to even fill a plate! (hehehe) After our hearty dinner, we retired to our room and I was planning to just close my eyes a bit and then go out to join them in the bonfire but I ended up sleeping through the night already…



The next morning we awoke bright and early and found that the oldies already went off to church and to market to buy again some fish and shrimps to take home. So after eating breakfast, we once again swam in the cool waters of Bolinao. The water was very calm and inviting just like a large wading pool that’s perfect for kids but not so much for big kids and real swimmers like Keith and Jun. What’s more, the first few yards were filled with so much corals so you have to go a bit further to catch some wave near the breakwater. The kids though had their fun even swimming near the shore and they also spent some time catching hermit crabs both big and small which they intend to take home as pets.



By 11, we all took our baths and got ready to leave. We ate our lunch at Mang Inasal at Hacienda Luisita, passing by Tigbe to drop off Ate Ne’s sister with their families before going home to San Jose…in all truly a great way to start off our summer vacation!

FAILED TRIP TO MALAYSIA

Last year, at the height of the airline booking bagsak presyo frenzy that was started by Cebu pacific (with its PISO fares)…other airlines followed suit and among them Air Asia. At that time, my sister was still staying with her BF in Malaysia/Singapore and so my mother and sister decided to take a trip to visit her. It also happened that at the time Air Asia was giving its own gimmick with ‘zero fares’ which is why we were able to book tickets to Malaysia at only PhP500 per person …two-way trip huh! Imagine that! It’s even cheaper than our own Palawan trip at PhP1200 per person and our recent Bohol trip at PhP1500 per person!!! WTF?!?? Good thing too I had a recently acquired passport at that time and so I consented to go on the trip with all four of us girls…that would be exciting! That was last year…this time though it’s quite a different story! As the date of our flight nears I began to get apprehensive that I may not be able to join them after all…For starters, there is the matter of the budget. It had been barely a month when my resources had been severely depleted by the kids’ enrollment and the buying of school uniforms, books and other necessary school stuff and after a month, I have not been able to get back on track with my finances just yet…Then, there is the other matter of the current changes happening in the office…we have a new boss, I have just been recently transferred to a new unit and now have new jobs/tasks that I am still learning to do, new people/officemates to adjust to…so I couldn’t very well just get up and leave them after only a month!?!? So what am I to do???? I guess the fact that this trip was partly unplanned had something to do with it… Maybe it would have been better if we had all sat down and planned this trip together, arranged an itinerary, and maybe even set up a ‘common fund’ to ensure that we’d have money/savings for the event…oh well, as it turned out even Mama was hesitant to leave her teaching job (because classes had already started, in fact last month pa). And what’s more, Marn is back home here in Pinas so I guess the real essence of the trip isn’t there anymore …so I guess we also need to work out the proper schedule din next time… make the trip during vacation time so the Mama will be able to join us…oh well, I sure hope there’s gonna be another time! As it is, only Anna will be able to make good on the trip…alone! Good luck to her! After all, she doesn’t have any family or kids or bf to worry about…go girl and have some fun in Malaysia and Singapore!!!

TAKE 2 AT KWEBANG LAMPAS

It’s our second time to visit ‘Kwebang Lampas’ at Pagbilao, Quezon but this time we’ll be joining Ate Ne’s family (her sisters and their families plus Inang) …my only regret is that Kit would not be able to come with us because they have quite a big brood and so it was quite difficult to fit him in anymore …anyway, he says it was OK naman daw for him since he had already been to that place before…but still I could not help but worry…

With a heavy heart, we left him alone at home last Saturday morning at around 3 am to pick up Ate Ne’s sister and mother at Sapang Palay and Garay, respectively. Then, we proceeded to Lagro to unload some of the passengers to Ate Ne’s Revo and April’s car. We finally left at around 4:30 and after 3 ½ hours of traveling reached Ate Ne’s house in Pagbilao. Her new house there was huge and very airy…with very large windows that lets in so much air…it was already quite finished except for the paint and we ate breakfast there first upon arrival before leaving for Kwebang Lampas at around 10 am. Kwebang Lampas was still as beautiful as I remembered it – its water still pristine, its pure white sand beaches still untouched by commercialism. The wooden huts still remained the same, just blending in the background, never sticking out like a concrete sore thumb like in most popular resorts like Puerto Galera or Boracay…and I hope it stays that way…







The only thing was that there were more people now, so I guess the place is not our secret anymore…it’s become popular not just among the locals here but even to some outsiders since it truly is like Boracay but without the crowds and noise. I guess it would be quite difficult to keep a secret like this for very long huh?











We returned to Ate Ne’s house for dinner and to retire for the night…the main house had (I think) four bedrooms and a huge sala upstairs which can be slept in too… but we slept in our own room in the next house (where Analyn stays in) which had three more rooms – so I guess her place is truly fit for an office outing eh? Maybe next year? (saying, I forgot to take pics of her house)

We had a good night’s sleep and were, in fact, the last ones to awaken. We then had our breakfast, took our baths, packed our things to leave and waited for the others to get ready. It turns out we’d still have our lunch here pa pala and so we ate first before leaving for Tayabas, Quezon or maybe it was already Lucena …to visit the Kamay ni Hesus shrine. We went up some 300 or so steps to reach the statue of Christ with arms upward to the sky while the old ones stayed down and heard mass lang. We said a prayer and lit candles lang for our own personal intentions. After that, its time for more picture-taking, souvenir shopping before finally leaving for home at around 6 pm…just stopped over at McDonald’s at Tiaong, Quezon for a bit of dinner and finally got home at 12…

FAS OUTING AT ANAWANGIN

…this is our first outing without Ate Ne …well, because her hubby is home and I guess he wasn’t really in the mood to join the entire office in some jolly-making just yet... which was just too bad for us – because the outing just wasn’t the same without her!







…We had an early start because we would be going back home in the afternoon, so we left the house at around 3 am to pick up Ging then Jojo and we reached the office at 4 am…however, we waited for the others to arrive so it was thirty minutes later when we started traveling to Zambales. We reached Pundaquit in 3 ½ hours and after a bit more of waiting we were on the boat to Anawangin …by 9 am we had our first glimpse of the beautiful cove.






…upon arrival they prepared lunch while I headed out to the beach to take some pictures and watch over the kids already swimming… the water was great – it was calm but not too shallow that it would impede the swimmers from swimming freely, but the waves weren’t crashing either which makes it ideal even for the little ones just as long as they stay within their depth…By 12, we had a fun and raucous lunch, there was so much food with one table laden with pork bbq, grilled fish, the usual adobo, and so much more while the other table was filled with fruits…just too bad that I wasn’t able to take any pictures – everyone was just too hungry to bother with the camera na e!
















…after eating and while the others were playing games, we went back to enjoy the water some more since they said we need to be ready to leave at 2 pm… too bad huh because we truly enjoyed swimming in the cool clear waters of Anawangin even if the sand wasn’t pristine white, it was soft on our feet…I guess the only complaint was that the tables were quite far from the water so when resting, you couldn’t see the people swimming in the water. Also, the distance was difficult to traverse especially if walking on the very hot sand… and the flies…though the place seemed clean enough there were just too many flies!








…we left the island of Anawangin after we all had our baths and got dressed using the poso and some makeshift bathrooms in the island. The place had no true facilities - no water, no electricity, no hotels, no restaurant… but I guess it’s better that way otherwise, all its purity and simplicity would be spoiled… as it is we said goodbye to the beautiful island with a promise to return and savor its raw beauty once more.

KIDS’ FIELDTRIPS

For this year, the kids went to Mt. Samat in Bataan for their fieldtrip. Kit’s class went ahead this time on November 23 while Kaye’s class had theirs on December 14. I decided to go with Kaye though there wasn’t much pretty places to visit this was because I haven’t been to Mt. Samat’s cross in Bataan… I know, I know it’s a common site for field trips since time immemorial but I guess I was absent that year. So I decided to join her ... besides there was an added ‘shopping spree’ at Clark after the kids had visited a museum so that’s another incentive for me to go huh! I let Keith borrow the old camera for him to use but it seems he is not really into taking pics, he would just rather have his pics taken with his friends using their cameras…so he just had a few pics when he came back. In fact, most of his pics were landscapes or trees or taken inside the bus… expectedly, he wasn’t in any of them so that is why he opted to just join in other people’s kodakan!

Kaye, on the other hand, had lots and lots of pics because I was with her and so she had an official photographer. Her fieldtrip started with the visit to Mt. Samat…we spent lots of time there because only a few at a time are allowed to go up all the way to the cross so the students with their parents/teachers/guardians had to go up by batches. After we had our fill of the view, the strong wind up on the cross and of picture-taking, we wandered around the grounds of Mt. Samat and also visited their museum.

After Mt. Samat, the kids had fun in the Clark Airfield playground (the one we went to with Adrian and Budong) and this is where we had our lunch seated on the grass like a picnic. But I guess the highlight of the trip for Kaye is the visit to Feliz Cidade, a mini carnival / theme park with lots of kiddie rides like Star City. It was located in Mabalacat, Pampanga. We spent the rest of the afternoon there and left only when it was a bit dark already outside. We bought some dinner to eat during the bus ride because it would be quite late when we got home to San Jose…Kaye slept most of the ride home and I guess I am just happy that she is happy and that we were able to spend some time together because soon enough when she is a bit older, she will have her friends to go with …so I have to treasure moments like this that we still spend together.