3 days Cocobeach - Puerto Galera

With an image of a paradise island in our heads, we sailed towards Puerto Galera. Welcoming our arrival are the big letters of COCOBEACH! Wooohooo!

Finally! After a 4 hr drive, missing the harbor entrance, and that hot boat ride we arrived!

Coconut juice in its original pack (coconut of course!) and the shell necklace enlighted the heavy-sweaty-humid atmosphere. Everybody took their keys, finished the coconut juice and headed up to the hill..yes...to our cottages up the hill!

The cottages were cute and nicely decorated. Very FILIPINO! With gumamela on our pillows, we took a very short rest, unpacked and went back down to the see the beach.

Aaaah! The ever famous HAPPY HOUR! Buy 1 get a double of your drink for free between 2 to 4pm only...and of course where else can you fully enjoy such a delicious cocktail - get drunk - and share jokes??? Only up at the SILENT POOL! Those 3 days were probably the noisiest days up the silent pool.

Dinner time, at the restaurant by the pool. With a local group serenading us while eating, it helped us digest the delicious steak.

Frog Race...have you heard of it before? Well, everything is possible in this island. They organized a frog race and bet on the frog which will get out of the labyrinth of empty bottles the quickest.

For our wedding celebration party, we treated everyone for a dinner at the beach. And with the gift from Danny and Veerle, everybody tried to be a circus acrobat! Juggling the ball or playing with the magic stick!

On the second day, we did a hike up the mountain at the mainland. And once up there, we met up with the locals (original tribe). We visited their school and talked to the school principal. We had a buy on the souvenirs and gave the kids some candies.

The third day, I went dolphin-seeing at 6 in the morning...and it was successfull. Later on we went to another island to go snorkling...since our planned jet skiing didnt get any luck...we just enjoyed ourselves looking at the fishes and corals.

Time to go home...but the fun is not over yet! When had to get off the big boat, we have to transfer into this smaller slimmer boat that is on once side wood balance and on the other human! Hilarious!

We got safely home with smiles in our faces :-)

Tagaytay, the real high!

We will never leave tagaytay without climbing Taal Volcano of course! Everybody set themselves to a 40 min walk up the hot dusty volcano..but once up there, its worth it!

The Residence Inn zoo was part of the trip as well. And lucky enough, that during that day they have the baby tigers ready for a photo shoot and a drink of milk...for only 100 pesos! Unlimited picture!

Everybody tried to give the cub a drink and he just kept on drinking! Evenn with his big paws he was a darling!

Hacienda Villa Escudero...feel rich!

A tour in the museum of the Escuderos...and then our couch brought us to the pool for lunch! Our feet were in the water while we were eating. Although wet, it was very refreshing.

Swam afterwards to keep being refreshed :-)

Boat race and who won??? Of course us! Neri and Nico hahaha. It was also Geli's birthday!

October 2006 Philippine Wedding

Nico and Neri

At the Bellevue Hotel October 14, 2006

Our most awaited day has come. After a year and a half of preparation, excitement and stress, the fruits of our labor were sown...and they were sweet.

Together we have united the Janssens family and the Palacio family that special day. For the first time, Nico’s parents met my parents, brother and sister, and they them.

That morning, we had a relaxing breakfast and then off we went to The Bellevue hotel for a nice massage, warm bubbly jacuzzi/spa and a plunge into the pool. Afterwards, its time to start "the works". Make-up, hair-up, dress-up and looots of shoot-up!

The ceremony at St Jerome-Emiliani Church finally started at around 3pm and ended up almost 6pm (including pictorials of course).

St. Jerome Emiliani Parish Church

Officiated by Fr. Grato Germanetto, CRS

Ayala, Alabang

Around 6pm, guests stormed in to the Grand Ballroom of Bellevue Hotel in Alabang. Like any avant premier nights of any launching movie when the main actor and actress shows up walking on the red carpet, we were introduced as Mr and Mrs Nico Janssens. A big round of applause and hoots livened up the scene...it was a night to remember!

Food from the buffet was passing in every plate like crazy, bottles where emptied, cakes were cut, the boquet was passed on, the garter as well, music was playing the whole night and the dance floor was alive!

Blindfolded Neri trying to catch the the next bride!

And luckily, every moment of this day was captured...

PICTURE PERFECT!

Mabuhay Manila!

Arrival in NAIA

October 12, 2006 (From left to right: Veerle, Danny, Papa Vic, Nico, Neri and Mama Lisette) <br/>

During the few free days we had before the wedding, we made a tour around Manila and Makati, just to give them a glimpse of what Philippines is. Mama Lisette, Papa Vic, Nonkel Staf, Tante Mireille, Danny, Veerle and Lukasz were part of the group. Tatay, Nanay, Daniel, Geli, Joy and JM were our hosts. And not forgetting our ever entertaining Lola! The first itinerary was trip to Intramuros. We had such a funny guide explaining to us everything from the burning bamboo tree - the footsteps engraved on the walkway - why he doesnt understand the game golf - to the dungeon where Rizal was imprisoned. After Intramuros, we also had a small-heart attack-trip with a horse carriage by the Extramuros. From the stadion where Pope John Paul II celebrated World Youth day - Rizal Park - until the busy street of the university belt in Manila (crossing the red light with our fast- as-lightning horse!). The famous Chinese Cemetery was also on the list. We visited this cemetery (weird you think? hehe it was a little bit interesting) where the living offers and supplies the dead with their favorites here on earth. From food, to drinks to money! But the weather was not on our side, drizzle here, drizzle there and quite a lot of mosquitos cut our cemetery visit short...although I can say, "Rich is rich, dead or alive!" After that breath-holding trip with the caruaje (horse carriage), the mosquito battle at the Chinese cemetery, and the trip to the Lechunan, we went to Makati for dinner. We ate at "The Kitchen"...and this time Lukasz was able to join. Nico picked him up at the airport after the Intra-Extramuros trip. Tatay also joined us for dinner. We ate the night away! Fun talk and loooots of stories were shared that night. Its nice to see everyone come together, as a family.

Mama Lisette and Papa Vic

with the carabao in Makati