Baler meets an American taller and paler than me.

Okay, back to square one: The first day Hannah arrived in the Philippines. I went all the way to Manila to get my sister, a long bumpy bus ride so I could pick her up at the airport. This turned out to be the biggest struggle of our whole entire trip because I was at the wrong terminal and I felt, and still feel, so stupid. I apologized like 500 times. And enough of that story.

After a couple of confusing phone calls of "Wait, where are you?" we were gloriously reunited and immediately hopped in a taxi to catch the night bus to Baler, and thankfully we got there in time. We  arrived in the wee hours of the morning. Hannah had her first tricycle ride and before we knew it we were at Castillo House. I only let Hannah sleep for a couple hours because I had a full day planned for her– mainly a food tour. But I also wanted to bring her to the beach. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't very good while we were in Baler so surfing wasn't as fun as I hoped it would be. Hannah was able to stand up on her second try! But, then she didn't get up again. But that is okay. All the surf instructors understood it was because she was jet lagged– luckily that is a cognate :) Besides the beach, we explored the public market, walked around town, and just hung out. I also took Hannah to the salon where she got a mani, pedi, and a haircut for a whopping $4.50.

Hannah is up... and down.

We also went to two of my schools, Maria Aurora and Baler Central. The kids were so shy around Hannah, it was very cute.

Hannah makes friends.

Hannah was so shocked by the number of stares, double takes, and whats-your-name she got while in Baler. It was so funny to see everyone's reaction to her. Most of the citizens are accustomed to seeing me after two months, but when they saw another foreigner with me they were so shocked! The looks on peoples faces was priceless. It was also nice to have Hannah around because I was no longer the tall, pale girl. More than once my friends and acquaintances told me that I no longer looked pale when standing next to Hannah. hehehe. I take that as a compliment, but they mean it as a bad thing. Being pale is a sign of wealth and beauty, because it means one doesn't work out in the sun. Pale skin is desired by not only women, but men. Many people always have umbrellas with them so rain or shine they can be protected from the weather, regardless if it is water or UV rays.

We only spent one night in Baler, I really wish we had more time so Hannah could see more of my daily life but we had to get back to Manila to catch our flight to Bohol (chocolate hills, tarsiers, and crazy Cris). I loved having Hannah in Baler, it was so much fun to share, explain, and show someone from back home my life here in the Philippines.

Hannah also fell in love with Trixie.

And ironically, now that I have completed the first days of Hannah's trip I have completed the entirety of Hannah's trip. There is obviously a lot more that I want to say and share, but I don't have the time, effort, or to be honest the patience to explain each story. Plus, I'll be home soon (brt) so you all can just ask me face to face for some funny stories. I will say that it was honestly two of the best weeks of my life. Hannah and I had never traveled together before. When we were younger we always said we would live in Paris together and walk through the streets, arms linked, swinging bags of baguettes. Well, that hasn't and probably won't happen. But the Philippines did and to be honest: Balut for baguettes? Sounds like a fair trade to me.