FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 7th

Tess' father arrived at 8am in Alona to pick up our luggage and Herman, Lumine, and baby. We then walked to the beach and again hired a boat to take Kim out snorkeling ($8 for one hour, including the gear). Again, it's only about 3 meters deep out 200 yards, then drops off a cliff. I was looking at the coral and small fish when i saw some huge black things emerging - two divers. I waved and they waved back.
After checking out from Flower Garden we stopped for gas in Alona. The attendant asked "You want one or two liters?" I said two and he returned with two 1-liter coke bottles full of gas and poured them in the tank.

We drove the north route to Tagbilaran, through the crazy traffic and checked into Bohol Tropics. We asked to see some rooms first and picked a nice one (Room 107), completely private, hardwood floors. Their exchange rate was bad so after eating we went back to Island City Mall to the currency exchange, then to Tess' parents house in Manga. Along the way someone called Tess' name. I turned around, it was her friend Judith, who she last saw in 1999, and recognized her during one second driving past.

When we arrived at the parents' house in Manga they were testing the karaoke machine. Then a motorcycle dropped a pig from a sidecar and left it squealing hog-tied in the front yard. In some process I don't want to think about, they will turn it into a lechon for the party tomorrow.

Around 7:30pm - well after dark - the power for the whole town went out for about an hour. Later Tess' father drove us back to Bohol Tropics. Saturday will start early.