Our Vacation to the Beach!

We really enjoyed a relaxing weekend at The Camayan Beach Resort in Subic, which is about two hours from our home. It was our first time to visit a beach here in the Philippines! We brought back special memories as well as pictures, seashells, and (of course) painful sunburns!

We biked through the trees, snorkeled in the saltwater, visited a Safari, saw a whale and dolphin as well as a sea lion show at the Ocean Adventure (a water marine park), and spent other fun memories along the beach together.

Our family thoroughly enjoyed snorkeling. We had so much fun laughing at each other wearing our hilarious snorkeling gear. Also, trying to communicate with one another underwater was quite humorous, because whenever we would see a colorful fish swim nearby we would try to talk through our snorkeling gear (which only came out as a muffled sentence) and excitedly point to the fish so everyone else could see. :-)

We were surprised to see so many different varieties and colorful fish so close to a frequently used beach! We saw several starfish, a clown fish in its anemone (just like Nemo!), and also various striped and brightly colored creatures of the sea.:-) (This picture was actually from the aquarium, but we did see some fish like these while we were snorkeling too!)

After our snorkeling experience, we were just about as colorful as the fish with our vivid red sunburns! Apparently, we had to learn the hard way about being more thorough in covering ourselves with sun block.

Since the time we arrived at the resort, Sarah insisted that we bury her in the sand.:-) So after our snorkeling experience, her wish was fulfilled. It took a while for us to dig a hole long enough for her, since she is so tall!:-) As we scooped the sand on top of her, she frequently giggled whenever the sand tickled her as it rolled down her neck, arms, and legs. Since she was buried from her toes to her shoulders, she later had to rinse off her sand “outfit” by taking another dip in the ocean.:-)

We really enjoyed our time visiting our first beach.:-) It was very relaxing to sit and listen to the steady sound of the waves, kids laughing and playing in the sand, and the wind rushing through the many palm trees. Additionally, we enjoyed gathering small seashells on the sandy beach, snapping pictures of little monkeys quietly climbing in nearby trees, and even catching a glimpse of a school of fish occasionally jumping out of the water!

In the evening, we listened to the waves as they rolled and splashed up on the beach and nearby rocks. Although they were fairly gentle waves, the sound brought to mind the verse in Psalms 93:4, “The LORD on high is mightier that the noise of many waters, than the mighty waves of the sea.”

It was enjoyable to see the playful monkeys, touch delicate seashells, hear the rushing waves, and observe other exotic creatures of the sea knowing that all of the Lord’s creation (whether in the Philippines or any other part of the world) displays His creativity, power, and might in their own unique way.

"O LORD, our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth, Who have set Your glory above the heavens!" Psalms 8:1