Splish, Splash, Sizzle

After our hikes through Maligcong several days earlier and to Anabel the day before, we were blessed when the YWAM Baguio DTS team offered to treat our family to a day at the Mainit Hot Springs.

Unfortunately, the place was having problems with the hot water from the springs, but we still had a great time swimming and relaxing in the water. (Which by the way, was still much warmer than Lake Michigan.)

Lunch was also a treat. The team had brought pork chops and fish to grill. They were basted with a salsa that was delicious. There was also rice, fresh papaya, and fruit salad. All of it was good, but my personal favorite was definitely the pork chops.

Gretchen taking care of business at the grill.

Afterwards, Johanna (one of the team members) took us on a hike into the village of Mainit. She grew up there and it was the first time she had been back for 5 years.

Of course, being in the land of slides, our first challenge was to cross a slide that covered the path.

At the spring, hot water boiled up from the ground like in many other places around the village. Behind me as I took the picture below, is a school that was abandoned because the floor was getting hot. People have been seriously injured and killed when hot springs erupted through the floors of homes in the village.

As we returned to the jeepney, we met many children who were transporting rice to their homes. They would carry their bags across the slide to their homes and hurry back for another load.