February 28 - Organ Traffic

By Rosebud -


February 28, 2019
Somewhat over our jetlag, we headed forth, slowly, back to Japan.



Our fabulous hosts, Ding and Dang. 
(And people say we have matchy names!) 


One last quick swim in the pool before breakfast. 



We got chocolate at a local iconic restaurant.  It’s bittersweet.  
Photos, as usual, on Grisha's camera.



We had to see what passed for nachos in the Philippines! 
(Actually slightly more authentic than what Ireland considered Texas Toast.) 

Along out drive back, we passed a sign that said Holy Spirit Poor Clare Monastery.  So we detoured.  

My husband's driving abilities are superhuman.  

What a joy to find a little connection to my sister, so far away.






 Reminiscent of the Santa Clara Carmelites.

We drove back to Manila in hopes of seeing the famous bamboo organ at St. Joseph church. It should have been a 3 hour drive. The first 2 1/2 hours were a 2 1/2 hour drive. The last 20 minutes was a 1 1/2 hour drive. The last 10 minutes was a 1 hour drive. Ah, Manila traffic. 

We were absolutely sure that it would be closed by the time we arrived. The sun was set, it was 6pm, of course the church and museum would be closed. 

Well, the museum was - but the church had just started Mass! 



 So we got our Mass in Tagalog after all. 





And, since we stick out like a sore thumb, the priest pointed us out as visitors… and then offered us a private tour to look at the organ. 


It’s pretty impressive.






The security guard tried to get a group photo with me in it.  
When he couldn't figure out how to work my camera, I took it back.  He then jumped in the picture.  

A cool thing about their parish - one of their pastors has been canonized.  


So they have a statue of St. Ezekiel Moreno and a series of devotions to him after every Mass.  

By this point, it was somewhat later than we’d like, but our hotel was only a few miles away.  

Sigh.  

How did we not see this coming?  

I have no pictures because this time we were convinced we were going to be mugged - or smooshed.  The things GPS considered a viable option…..  “Turn left on Road.  Go straight on Road.”  “You mean the crevice between those two houses?”   If a motorcycle can fit, it’s considered a road!  

The road the hotel was on honest to goodness had us drive between school buildings, through a basketball court, and serpentine around the local dumpsters.  

The only way to get food was delivery from JollieBee or the Chinese restaurant downstairs.  The kind where every seafood you get is killed to order.  I think they may even butcher cows in their parking lot. 

This was one of the beds in the hotel.



A 6:00am flight didn’t sound so bad after that.  



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