The Service

We woke up at 5 to the sound of music. There were a lot of people already moving about. I can now understand why Lyn is so good at camping. It felt a lot like we were on a big group outing. Some people were making coffee and others were cooking breakfast on gas burners in the kitchen. We all got ready to start the service. We would be going to the church and then on to the cemetery. There was a small marching band outside playing music until the Hearst came. They would actually lead us to the church for the service and then on to the cemetery. We would all walk behind the Hearst the entire way as a sign of struggle and respect. This was no small feat as the cemetery was about an hours walk away. After about 20 minutes we made it to the church and after the casket was taken in we all went in and had a seat. It was a small beautiful one-room church. Most of its beauty came from its simplicity. Sometimes we all get caught up in the mentality that bigger is better but this church was a shining example of why that is not true. After several songs and speakers several family members were asked t speak. Even though I could not understand the language I could of course see the love and sorrow on their faces. I was even asked to speak, I am not sure if anyone but Lyn really understood what I said but at the end of the day that was all that really mattered to me. At the end of the service all of the family members where asked to put flowers on the coffin and then stand at the front of the church then all of the people got in line and offered their condolences one more time. It was really moving to say the least. After that we prepared for the long walk to the cemetery. The walk was filled with conversations and it was great to see the views of this beautiful area at a speed that only walking can provide. Along the way some cars would toss out coins and the kids would run around and pick them up. As we walked things really started to heat up as the sun came up. At times it was a struggle but like with most struggles came appreciation. The appreciation of walking in the shade when trees were present, a cool breeze or maybe water that was handed to you by someone you did not know. About half way there the Hearst stopped and they could not get it started. I never heard one person complain. We all just found a place in the shade and talked while several of the men opened the hood and tried to figure out the problem. After about 10 minutes they got it started and we were on our way. We finally made it all the way to the cemetery. The coffin was brought out and everyone was given one final chance to say goodbye. Then it was carried to its final resting place and placed in the vault. After that it was boarded up and the younger men formed a line and handed buckets of concrete to each other that were used to seal it up. While this was being done we went back to Lyn’s Mom’s house for a big lunch for all involved. We bought a few bottles of soda at the Sari Sari store across the street and everyone continued to enjoy the fellowship. Later that afternoon we went back to Dominga’s house had dinner and called it a night. It had been along day and we were all ready for a good nights sleep. What a great send off to such a great person. May you rest in peace Mamang.

Getting ready for the walk to the church.

Same Same but Different!

“Same Same but Different” is a saying that I first heard on a visit to Thailand. I think it really applies to my experience here. While things are really different here the emotions and feelings shared are the same. We woke up in the morning around 6 fully rested for the first time in several days. We could hear the sounds of roosters and dogs barking right outside the front door. We had breakfast with Lyn’s sister Dominga’s family and decided to take a shower and then walk into town. The shower consisted of a plentiful supply of cold water only. To get the job done I also used a bucket to pour more water over myself. After getting over the shock of it I realized two things. I was very much awake and I was cool for the first time since I arrived. What a great way to start the day! Who needs air-conditioning when you start the day like this?!?!?! After Lyn showered we went into town. It is only a few blocks away and I really like it. It is small but busy and it is fun just to walk around. Lots of trikes, lots of scooters and lots of people staring at me. Along the way we ran into several of Lyn’s classmates from high school and college. After getting back home we started getting ready to go back to Lyn’s Mom’s house. We would be hosting many family and friends today as they came by the house to pay their last respects. Before we left it started to rain. It was about twenty minute ride to her house and we would be taking trikes! As you probably know by now I love these vehicles. They are the workhorses of the Philippines. They are run by underpowered motorcycles that are slow but strong. You can see them carrying around everything from entire families to sofas and just about anything in-between. Somehow they always are able to add one more person if needed no matter how many you started with. Safety would probably not be their virtue but I love them all the same. Before we left we decided to go to the cemetery and see where her Mom would be buried and also see her where Lyn’s Dad was buried. The way it works in the Philippines is you are buried above ground and cement vaults. They are very close together and to get to the one you want to see you have to walk on top of the vaults. While doing this you say excuse me to each one out of respect.  Once she paid her respects to her Dad we went back home and left for her Mom’s house in a driving rain. We all rode in the trike and despite many ways for the water to get in we arrived surprisingly dry. Once we arrived we were greeted by many relatives that were already there preparing for the next few days. The plan was to spend the entire afternoon and night at her Mom’s house and then leave for the funeral service the next morning. Lyn’s main job was to sit next to the coffin and greet friends and family as they came in. It was amazing to see how Lyn’s family consoled so many people and also how much Lyn’s Mom was loved as a Mom, Grandmother, Sister, Aunt and most importantly as a Friend to so many. This turned out to be hundreds of people much to my surprise. There were basically three areas of activity. The living room where Lyn’s Mom was laid to rest, An outside area were people were playing card games and of course an area for Karaoke. I stayed with Lyn in the living room for most of the time with occasional nap breaks in one of the bedrooms. We were still fighting jet lag and sitting quietly does not help. The event would go on all night and then at 5:00 am the services would start for the funeral. Lyn and I lay down for the night around 2:00 am. There were actually five of us stretched across the bed sideways and you would be surprised how well you can sleep in those conditions when you are fully worn out from your day. Activities went on all night and but did quiet down as the early morning hours set in. At 5AM the music started playing and we all started getting ready for the day. Too be continued after I get some much needed sleep………

Lyn's Dad's headstone.

Preparing food for all the guests.

A few guest.

More guest.

Eating!

View from the front porch!

Finally Solano!

What can I say it takes awhile to get to Lyn’s hometown no doubt about it. We left our house in Greensboro Saturday morning at 7 am and drove to my daughter Chelsea’s house in Raleigh. We got there about 8:30 and went to breakfast with all the kids. What a treat after the last few days. After having breakfast we were taken to the airport by Chelsea, Justin and Rheagan. We usually to try to travel light but this would not be one of those times. We had our carry on bags as well as three 50lbs bags that we were taking to the Philippines. Lyn has six siblings with families of there own and it is always nice to get things from the states that they could not usually get there so we were loaded to the gills with stuff. Our plane boarded on time but we got stuck at the gate as the plane next to us was having a problem. They moved some of the passengers over to our plane and by the time they moved the luggage and added more food we were leaving about two and half hours late. Our flight once airborne would be an additional 12 hours to get to Tokyo. Yikes!!!! We were in for a long ride. When we finally arrived in Tokyo 5 movies and three meals later we found out that they had actually held our next flight and we would make it to Manila but about 2.5 hours later than planned. We were going to be picked up by the relatives of Eric and Russelle friends of ours that live in Greensboro but are from the Manila area. They were going to pick us up and let us stay with them and then take us to the bus station the next morning for the final leg of our Journey. We needed to tell them that we were going to be late but the wifi was not working in the Tokyo airport. Finally we boarded the plane for our trip to Manila. This flight would only be 4 hours, very short by our current standard. As luck would have it the plane had wifi and I was able to send a message to Eric who relayed it to his Mom. We finally arrived in Manila to long immigration lines. By the time we made it through and found Eric’s Mom and brother-in-law it was almost 1 AM. They grabbed our bags and took us in their car to a condo that we could use for the night. I cannot tell you what a big deal this was and how thankful we are to have such good friends to set this all up. It is so hard to travel that far and be thrown into the craziness of a big city and try to figure everything out. By the time we went to sleep it was 3 AM. We got up at 6 and took much-needed showers. Then we caught a cab and went to the bus station. Eric’s Mom insisted that she go with us and she stayed until we were safe and on the bus headed for Solano. While waiting for the bus it was obvious that I was the only non-Filipino in the area. You know when sometimes you get that feeling that you are being watched well it was happening every minute. Every time I looked around the room it was like the entire room was staring at me and then they would all look away. This happened over and over as we had to wait until 11 to catch the next available bus. After saying goodbye to Eric’s Mom we were off to Solano! Well after we fought our way out of Manila. If you have to fight traffic, a bus is the way to go. They just go where they want to go and everyone else gets out of the way. Once we got on the road I just sat back and enjoyed the trip as the scenery went by. I also enjoyed the very cold air conditioning. We made several stops along the way and I was quit a spectacle every time I got off the bus. We finally arrived in Solano and were whisked away to Lyn’s sister’s house. After unpacking and lying down for a moment we headed out to Lyn’s Mom’s House. Her body was there and most of her relatives were there as well. They are currently going through 9 days of prayer.  Her Mom’s funeral will actually be this coming Thursday. When we arrived Lyn was able to finally say good by to her Mom. It was an emotional outburst that had been building in her since she found out the news several days ago. I am so glad she could be here and surrounded by all of her family members during such a difficult time. There were lots of people inside the house and several outside as well. As with most funerals there is great sadness and great joy as family members reminisce about great times in the past. Lyn knew that there would be lots of kids there so we took a box of 100 blow pops. As they got handed out we noticed that adults and kids alike all enjoyed them. The room turned to one of laughter and the fun stories continued into the night. We went home about 11 and went to bed for the night. We both slept soundly and were thankful to be here with our family.

Hotel in downtown Solano.

Bus in Manila.

Vendor on a trike.

The market.

Downtown Solano!

On to the Philippines

Lyn has decided for us to keep the blog going throughout our trip to the Philippines. She would like a record of our travel there and to be able to share our trip with friends and family around the world who cannot make it back to the Philippines to her Mom’s funeral. Hopefully I can write it in a way that will capture the moments and give her a way to remember our time there. Lyn’s Mom was a strong woman who raised seven of her own children and was a mother figure to countless others. Lyn always said that she was strict but fair and really cared about everyone that was there. I can attest to this. On my last trip to the Philippines Lyn’s Mom always made sure that someone was with me to make sure that I had no problems wherever I went. Even if I left the hotel just to get a coke I had an entourage with me at all times. I am so glad that we were able to renew our wedding vows there and that I was able to meet both Lyn’s Mom and Dad and really get to spend time with them.

Well it has been a couple of tough days. After learning about the death of Lyn’s Mom we drove for two days to get home. We finally arrived Wednesday night around 9. I think my Dad wonders sometimes if his age is slowing him down. Well yes in some ways it has. He walks with an unusual gate and probably cannot win a foot race but put him behind the wheel of a car and he is “The Man” We drove over 11 hours each day through some crazy traffic and a few wrong turns near Chicago. No matter what the situation, he always managed to pop up in my rear view mirror. On the way home Lyn and I made lists of things that needed to get done over the next two days. We leave for the Philippines on Saturday and will be there until the 30^th of July. I am sure our trip will be filled with great sorrow and great joy as we celebrate the life of Lyn’s Mom.

Lyn wrote this about her Mom. I think it sums up the kind of woman that she was and the legacy that she leaves behind.

“I just want to thank all of our family, friends and relatives in behalf of Lamorena family! You're thoughts, prayers, messages, calls & texts really help us go through this grieving time! It really meant a lot to me & my family. I feel that my mom is fortunate enough to be surrounded with loving people. During her lifetime, most of my relatives (cousins) love her as a mother figure for out of all of her 11 siblings, there are only 3 of them left. She helps them in their formative years, some of them stayed with us & she selflessly dedicate herself as a mother to them despite being a little strict, they loved her! They know they can count on her advices whenever they have problems. She is helpful, kind hearted, sweet & friendly person. Always cheerful to her friends. All of my nieces & nephews love to sleep-over at night just to be with her! They call her "mamangkit"(grandma) which sounds so sweet to me & she loves it! Most of the time she thinks of them first rather than herself. Mamang, you are the best and you're always be missed! I love you so much! Thank you for bringing me into this world and tendering me into a person I am now! I will always treasure the love, advices, hugs, kisses and care you've given me! You're forever be in my heart! Now, you finally reunited with Papang ! We love you both & thank you for looking after us!”

Tomorrow we leave for the Philippines out of Raleigh around noon. We will fly to New York and then Tokyo and then finally arrive in Manila Sunday night at 9:45. God Bless our trip.

The Last Post

We woke up in miles city about 6 AM. The temperature had cooled off to about 55 so it was a great night for sleeping. Today our plan was to leave by 10 AM and head to Bismarck North Dakota. It would be about a 6-hour drive and would put us right in the middle of the state. We would be going right by Theodore Roosevelt National Park so we decided to stop in a take a quick tour of the park and then head on our way. They do have campgrounds at the park but they do not take reservations so it is first come first serve. Most campers roll in at 10 to get a site before they fill up. Anyway we arrived about 1 PM and went into the visitor center to take a look and get information. We were told that we were in the south park and could do the loop in two to three hours depending on how much we stopped. We decide to check out the campsite for future visits. The campsites were huge and shady and much to our surprise they were open. We decided to have lunch and decide whether to stay or go. We decided to stay and found the perfect site near a bathroom and a water supply. This campground was basic. Pit toilets and water was about it. It made up for it in cool temperatures and over all beauty. We set up camp and then headed out to see the rest of the park. This was considered the Badlands as well but it had a different look and feel to it. Theodore Roosevelt came here after his Wife and Mother died the same day to grieve his loss and rebuild his spirit. He was one of the first people to talk about conserving the area so that many generations could be able to see and enjoy it in the future. As we drove through we saw that while it resembled the Badlands in South Dakota it had a lot of green grass and flowers added in. It was beautiful. This park is an under promise and an over deliver kind of place. It is relatively small but had great vistas and herds of bison. If you ever get a chance make sure you do the loop drive up to Buck’s Hill and check out the view. I will bet you the price of a campsite that you will not be disappointed! By the way the campsites here are only $10 a night however since we are traveling with senior citizens ours was only $5 for the night. This place is a deal by any standard. After our tour we came back to the campsite and had a spaghetti dinner made by Lyn with puto for dessert. Yum Yum!!! At 9 we went to the amphitheatre and were treated to a show abut the “bad “animals of the park and a little history about Theodore Roosevelt’s connection to the park. So after hearing an interesting talk about local residents, which included mountain lions and rattlesnakes. (Oh lord here we go again.) we carefully walked down the trail back to camp and we all went straight to bed. What a fun unexpected treat this park is. If you are ever in the area you should make the effort to come here and remember if you do not like it your first nights on me! Oh and by the way we found out late that they do have regular bathrooms here we just happened to be near the only pit toilet in the park. Here is a short video of our campsite. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10152582295258130&set=vb.752963129&type=2&theater

This was written yesterday and today we wake up in Minnesota to the sad news that Lyn's Mom died of a heart attack at 1AM this morning. (We do not have all the details yet.) We are headed home. It will take us two days to get home and then we are off to the Philippines. Lyn's Mom was a very strong woman who raised 7 children. She will be missed. God Bless our family during this difficult time.

Bison

Lyn in Roosevelt's cabin kitchen.

On our way to the nightly ranger program.

My Dad trying his hat on Sturgis style.

In the town of Medora ND.

Town of Medora.

Original store in Medora.

Fellow camper complete with dog and goggles!

Fantastic park!

Miles City Montana

Lyn and I both got up about 6:15 after another great night of sleep. Today we were headed to Miles City Montana. It was about 9 hours away so we would need to get an early start. After packing up we left about 8AM. We drove on desolate highways about 90% of the time. Most of the time we did not have cell service of any kind. I am not sure what you are supposed to do if you break down out here but luckily we did not have to find out. They call Montana “Big Sky Country”. After today I can see why. Your windshield is filled up with it and as you look around hat is about all you can see. We passed mostly hay fields that had just been cut. Sometimes all you could see for miles was the round bales of hay in every direction. Anyway I am glad to report that traffic was minimal and the roads were in good shape so all we had to do was get the driving time done. We arrived at Miles City around 6 PM. They did not give us a key to the city and there was no red carpet laid out however we were rewarded with two of the biggest and shadiest campsites that we have had so far. My Dad and I set up camp while Lyn and Joanne went to Wal-Mart and restocked supplies. We plan to spend one night here and then head to Bismarck ND tomorrow with a stop at Theodore Roosevelt National Park along the way. Lyn fixed another great dinner and we were off to bed around 10:30. Not much to report today so I will leave you with a few quotes heard around camp over the past few weeks.

"No talking to people with a full urinal in your hand." (This should not have to be stated.)

Dad: "Where's my car keys." Joanne "Have you checked your pockets?" Dad "Got em!" (This is an every day occurrence.)

"No urinals within 10 feet of the picnic table." (Again should not have to be stated.)

My Dad: If you were just guessing how far the drive is today how far would you say? Me: About 6 hours. My Dad: Are you sure?

I pooped today! (Apparently this is pretty common among campers. See the shirt below.)

Cows in the road.

Hay in Montana.

Jasper getting ready for a nap.

Jasper napping.

A city made just for us!

Saw this shirt on a camper in Yellowstone!

Glacier National Park

Lyn and I woke up in the car about 6:30 from a fitful night of sleep. We told Dad and Joanne the story about the bear and then had breakfast and packed up camp. Still a little shaken, but we got on the road at 8AM just as planned. Today was going to be a big driving day 8 hours plus. We were leaving the southern end of Yellowstone and headed north to Glacier National Park. The entrance to Glacier is only about 30 miles from the border of Canada so we needed to get going. It took us about 2 hours to reach the North entrance of Yellowstone. We saw a lot of beautiful country along the way. Once we reached the entrance we got to go under the Roosevelt tower. On the way to Glacier National Park we drove on about every road possible and drove through some of the most uninhabited countryside that I had ever seen. Some of it was being worked on and we often had to stop or drive at 35 mph. This caused an 8 hour trip to be about 10.5. I had already called ahead and found out that the campgrounds were full so we decided to stay at a KOA that is only a mile from the entrance. While our preference was to stay in the park this campground worked out great and was just what these weary travelers needed. We got two campsites near each other for two nights. It was getting late so we ordered a pizza and just ate at the campsite. Mmm mmm good! We were all tired and went to bed around 10. While the bear experience was still on our minds we were just too tired to care think about it and fell fast asleep. We woke up around 6AM and had breakfast with my Dad while Joanne slept in. Just for fun I put in Greensboro in the GPS and found out that we were 2395 miles from home. Wow! Today the plan was to do some laundry and head out to the park around 10 AM. Glacier Park is supposed to be one of the nicest parks around. Today we will tour about 5 hours worth and determine if it requires a future trip and a longer stay. Unlike Yellowstone the mountain and lake views start immediately upon entering the park. I went to the visitor center and told them how much time we had to spend and she mapped out a route that would make the most of our time there. I cannot really explain how beautiful this place is but both my Dad and Joanne said it reminded them of the Swiss Alps. The views were similar to the Grand Tetons except we were already at a much higher elevation. The temperatures were in the 60’s and dropping and it felt great. After several stops to look at the scenery we made it to our half way point Logan’s pass. (This was also the continental divide.) The guide told me to stop here for the views and the wild flowers that were just starting to bloom now that the snow was finally receding. The visitor center looked similar to an alpine ski lodge and had trails and vista’s to walk around in. It also had snow. I am not talking a little dab will do you snow I am talking full on fields and mountainous slopes. We were able to walk on the snow and see some great views as well. Some people carried skis up the slopes and skied down. Wait is this July?!?!?!? Why yes…… yes it is in Glacier National park! Next it was on to “The Loop” the turn around place that our guide outlined on our map. The road was cut out of the mountain so the entire drive from this point on was right on the edge of a cliff. It was beautiful! We had lunch at one of the pullouts and enjoyed the vista in front of us while hearing a waterfall behind us. Does not get much better than this. (See pictures below.) We continued the drive to the loop and decided that this park would be one that we would come back through maybe on a trip to Alaska in 2016 or some time in the near future! We shall see!!! We drove back to camp and did what we do best we took a nap! Not sure if I can give these up in the future or not. I do have a couch in my office at work so we shall see if I can work that into my schedule. J After our nap it was time for dinner. Lyn cooked quiche for dinner. (Or the closest that you can get to it on a camp stove.) After dinner we all sat around and talked something that is easier done at a campsite without all of the distractions of home. We all went to bed around 10PM hoping for a good nights sleep. Tomorrow we are headed to Miles Montana. That’s right finally a city named after all of us. Hopefully we will get the red carpet treatment or whatever Miles Montana feels is appropriate for us. We may not be a well-oiled machine yet but we are getting use to being on the road and it’s a lovely thing to see.

We made it!

Near the entrance.

Along the way.

The weeping walls.

Dad and Joanne and the retro bus.

Dad, Joanne and Noel.

Lunch time!

Snow in July!

Along the way!

Finally a mirror that is sized for Lyn!

Dinner time!