Tropical Storms & Vacation Update

Tropical Storms

Just wanted to pass along an update with regard to the tropical storms that we have been experiencing.

Tropical Storm Paeng (Nalgae), although not so kind to some Philippine Islands, was fairly moderate for Cebu area. This storm occurred shortly after we arrived. Originally classified as a Typhoon, but the downgraded to a Tropical Storm. We had some very heavy rain. It was more than a little shocking, and certainly the heaviest rain that I have ever experienced. (I now understand why our deck contains a drain that leads to the downspout.) We are now on day three of sunny blue skies, which is much appreciated, but not destined to last.

Yesterday we took advantage of the nice weather to stock up on groceries, catch up on laundry and clear out any garbage / excess recycle, in anticipation of the new Tropical Storm heading our way. We are expecting the onset of heavy rain to begin today and run through to Friday (although this assessment is based on the weather report from last night, and may no longer be accurate.).

Navigating the Philippines

So, I am officially going through flavoured sparkling water withdrawal. My attempts to find a replacement have been futile, as the options for no-sugar carbonated water are nonexistent. The best I can do is unflavoured sparkling water with fresh lemon juice, as anything flavoured is so sweet it makes me cringe. For all you sugar addicts out there – nearly everything sweet in the Philippines has taken sugar content to the extreme. I’ve started trying new sweet treats by simply taking a bite of whatever the kids are eating...

Transportation costs can add up quickly (ie. SM City Mall Cebu can cost around cost around $11 - $16 CAD each way. Mid sized grocery store $7 - $12 x2). We have forgone Taxis and started using Grab (similar to Uber) as it is a bit cheaper – prices noted above. The motorized tricycles are hit and miss, typically they see a foreign traveller and overcharge to the point of highway robbery. Lastly, a Jeepney would probably be a cheaper option, but with the children we tend a pay a bit more for peace of mind. So, needless to say, transportation costs can add up. We’ve started trying a few delivery options to avoid the unnecessary costs. We had groceries delivered yesterday – free delivery plus small tip. We also had takeout delivered – delivery fee built in at just over a dollar. I suspect that we will continue to use these services, unless we are already out exploring and can take the opportunity to buy groceries before returning home. We will be transferring to a new apartment in about three weeks time, so transportation & delivery costs will then be recalculated again at that time.

We are still getting the hang of grocery shopping, but have had more success recently in minimizing the cost. For approximately 4 or 5 days worth of food, we spend around $50 - $60. (Add lunch out and 2 bottles of wine – another $50. I did bring the wine home, by the way. I did not drink them with lunch!). The stock up delivery order we had the other day was perhaps a bit more more extreme (around $70), but that one included a weeks worth of dinner meat (beef, chicken breast 3.5 lbs for just under $10, etc) along with a few other items that will last us well into the weeks to follow. The big thing is trying to steer the kids away from the western products, which is easier said than done.

Many Philippine accommodations are without heat and hot water. It’s taken a bit of getting used to, but the shower temperature (not exactly cold, but miles away from hot) dictates that showers are to be taken when you feel the need to cool off a bit. (ie. When returning from a walk or following a grocery stock-up excursion.)

Cebu City area is going through extensive construction at the moment. It seems every time we turn around there is either housing or resort developments in various stages of construction. Our current AirBNB is no exception – an additional apartment building is in the early stages of construction.