It was another sunny day.
We are supposed to go to the beach with my wife's family before noon, but before that, we went to see the house under construction, which is one of the objectives of this trip.
I had seen the house from the sky on Google Earth, but this was the first time to see it in person.
The foundation and blocks for the first floor have been piled up, but they are quite different from the drawings my wife originally sent. The site shape is different, but even if we build a second floor, it will be a bit small, so we need to reexamine the plan.
After returning to Japan, I decided to re-draw the plans and send a three-dimensional drawing to make it easier to understand and visualize.
However, I am grateful that the slope has been cut down and a certain amount of shape has been created.
Return to the hotel and check out. Stop at the Gaisano Grand Mall in Toledo to stock up on paper cups, plates, and bottled juices before heading to the beach.。
My wife wanted to exchange money here, but the exchange rate was 0.34, so we decided to go to a money exchange in Cebu City, but since we had few pesos on hand, we decided to cash out just 10,000 pesos at a 7-Eleven ATM.
Shopping was quick, but the checkout line was crowded. It took more than 30 minutes to get my turn.
It is a common sight to see people buying small portions of items in large carts. This is not a purchase for home, but for the sari-sari store. It takes a long time to count each item at the cash register, and it takes even longer for the clerk to pack the bags and cardboard boxes. In addition, it takes even more time for the clerk to pack the items in bags and cardboard boxes.
This is the Philippines, so we have to sit tight and wait.
It is also said in the Philippines that you must have your receipt with you because when you take bagged or boxed and sealed items out of the store, you show the receipt to the guard.
In the parking lot of the mall, we pick up the lechon babuy and other food we will eat at sea this time, which was 5,200 pesos, but the person who delivered it did not have change (this seems to be a common thing in the Philippines), so we borrow 200 pesos from my wife's brother.
When we arrived at our destination, a local resort on the coast, the whole family was already there.
We had a quick lunch with the food we brought. Afterwards, the men relaxed with beer and the women chatted. The kids were playing in the ocean, not swimming.
There were about 25 adults alone, and I think 40-50 children combined.
I was the only foreigner among them.
After eating and relaxing, my family and I headed to our hotel in Cebu City.
The hotel was the Quest Hotel where we always stay. It is conveniently located just a few minutes walk to a large shopping mall called Ayala Center Cebu.
The kids are with us, so we have a junior suite room like last time. I couldn't figure out how to unfold the sofa bed. I was not sure how to unfold the sofa bed, but there was a clean staff member near the room, so I asked him to unfold the sofa bed for me. I asked them to make the bed for me. I was so impressed because I didn't think that hotel staffs in the Philippines were so attentive.
We went to the restaurant district in Ayala for dinner, but all the restaurants were packed. Once again, I felt like I was catching a glimpse of the vigorous consumption activities of Filipinos.
Come to think of it, there are a lot more motorcycles on the road this time than there used to be.
The Philippines' per capita GDP in 2022 is estimated at $3,597, and the consumer market is said to expand rapidly once it exceeds $3,000, so people who ride motorcycles now will probably replace them with cars in a few years.
Finally, I ate pizza at PIZZA REPUBLIC, a restaurant that can seat four people, bought bread and beer for the next morning at 7-Eleven, and returned to the hotel. I did not do anything tiring, but after a glass of beer, I fell asleep and had a blast.
