Visa in hand

To our amazement, obtaining a Chinese Visa in the Philippines(hard country to spell) was easier than outrunning an overweight person.(because a baby has reactions, so taking candy from one wouldn't be a justified comparison) It actually only took one working day, and the lady wasn't hesitant at all.

I already said we're going to Japan tomorrow, but I'll let you know a little bit about the Philippines. It's dirt, poor and corrupt. But everybody loves basketball, so I love it. I'm watching as many NBA playoff games as I can. They air a 9am here. I also have defied doctor's orders, and have played a couple of games again. The arm feels good, and I really think playing is good for it. I just have to avoid getting tangled up and getting too physical. The doc said I have some torn ligaments, and in the beginning of May, my motion was only 70%. It's way better now. Chris' scars have fully healed too. He's only a little bummed, because he doesn't think his scar is going to be permanent. You're not equal to the locals unless you have a big motorbike scar over here....

We had to stay put in Manila, to sort out the passport. After crashing and burning earlier, we didn't leave any room for error. Sitting on the same plane as the Harlem Globetrotters was pretty cool, watching their game howewer, was not... But we've both agreed that we want to come back to this country, and spend more time exploring it. It is by far the cheapest country we've been in, which is always positive. But it's damn HOT!!!

Remi Elias