We Are home...

We finally made it home.

10pm Manila Time Update

Japan Airlines just called and plan to have us flying out at 7am to Narita. As of now there is no update on flights out of Narita. We are being put up in the Manila hotel for the time being.

Update 3:00pm Monday

The flight has been canceled, we are being put up in the Manila Hotel for the night.

Delay on the Return

Sadly, earlier today a FedEx Cargo plane crashed at Narita, our connecting Airport to the US. All flights to there are suspended and we have been told we will not be making our connecting flight today. The only update is that Continental is working hard to reroute us, and there are possibilities that we may be rerouted through Guam.

The team is holding strong, a little frustrated, but after our long trip we are good at going with an ever changing schedule.

UPDATE: Our current plan is to continue on to Japan. JAL expects to have us Taking off at 2:30pm (our time) for Japan, and from there we will discuss our choices with Continental. Doesn't look like we'll make it back toady, and will be forced to spend the night in Japan. I'll Update this blog as I get more info and am able to access the internet.

We visited a male medium security prison today. The prison houses inmates serving between 3 and 20 years. All of the inmates were out, they have free time until 4:30 p.m. We toured the facility and were treated to our own personal umbrella holders, at least Delrish and I were. For some reason the two inmates with umbrellas gravitated to me and Delrish to cover us from the sun. It was verrrry hot! I have never dripped so much with sweat. 

Inmates have to sleep on the floor becuase the prison has exceeded its capacity. Grade schoool and college courses are provided, as well as vocational training. They are very talented and had there art work out for us to see - paintings, carvings and tiki candles. 

The inmates are allowed visits from their signifigant others during the middle of the week until Sunday and the visitors can stay at the prison. The men are very open with their relationships and walk around the grounds freely holding hands and with their arms around each other. 

We handed soap to the inmates then headed to lunch in the superintendants office which included rice, fried chicken, pork knuckles, noodles with vegetables and a bean soup.The tour ended with us receiving a certificate for visiting the prison as well as some of the work created by the inmates. 

How everything I have received so far is going to make it back to the states I don't know, I really need to get another suitcase.

I finally got over jet lag on Tuesday. I woke up that morning and just felt revived and since then I have actually been hungry. Last week was just a little hectic trying to adjust. This week our schedules were not as hectic. We contined to visit the projects of the host clubs which include going to elementary schools that they are implementing the feeding program, areas where new villages are being made for those living in Shantys are on the dump and health clinics. Some Filipinos are living on top of the dump as scavengers. They look through the trash and take out everything that can be recycled to sell it, making just enough to survive for the week. p48 ($1) gors a long way here. The children are adorable and the people seem to always smile even when they are living in the worst conditions. I mean consitions that I never even imagined! 

My host family this week has been great, they took me in at the last minute because there was a change in schedule. I haven't gotten bitten by anything that made me blister all week and I slept great becuse no dogs were barking and cocks weren't calling. This weekend is our mid tour break and we are going to Subic Bay (about an hour away), a resort with lots of water sports and activities, can't wait. Hopefully the ride won't be like a few days ago when we went on a day trip. Our driver use to drive for the fire brigade, I was definetely allert in the car, Until on the way back when I dozed off.  A stop sign here in most spots is  a horn, the lanes in the road seem invisible and the traffic is bad! But we are almost down to week three and the schedule is going to pick up again. I'll see what's in store and on the menu. I have stuck to my motto of trying things once - sting ray, sharks fin, chicken feet, caribou, dorian fruit (it has been known to smell (really bad) and lots of other dishes that I don't remenber the name. Well I'm off!

an Amazing Week 1

We have made a lot of friends here and seen a lot of amazing things. The people are wonderful and the food is great. We've been to two public schools, both that use private funding to feed the children. We visited a landfill where people live and survive by collecting metals and plastics for recycling and then the village the Rotary clubs are helping build to move these people to.