Onward to Bulusan

After the banca ride, we asked Jun and company to drop us off at Casa Bianca, instead of back at the Butanding Center. We got to shore, and WE WUZ STARVED! Most of us skipped breakfast (wanting not to swim full, or afraid to spill our cookies in fear, just in case?) and we were so ready for lunch.

We had the leftovers of the night before, with the addition of sinangag cooked in gata (sooooo yummmmy), adobo, and kinunot which is pagi cooked in gata. I was sooo enjoying this tsunami of foods cooked in coconut (but my poor kids weren't!) Funny to be eating pagi when we were just swimming with the butanding....Nevertheless, masarap!

Soon it was time to pack up less than 24 hours after we got there, for we had to be on our way to Bulusan. But first, we had to go back to the Butanding Center to claim our pretty certificates, proof that we swam with the whale sharks; and to go souvenir shopping!

Back on the bus, it was time to attack the Castillo Family's Baon Backpack! It was filled with Sun Shots, Clover Chips, Jack & Jill V Cut Barbecue potato chips, and Nagaraya. All but the first are probably familiar to you. Thank you China, (or maybe not) for introducing my family to Sun Shots. For those of you still Sun Shots ignorant, see pic above. Can best be described as wheat crunch in cube size. As Angelica loves to say now: Open pack, Open Mouth, Pour! The twins have enjoyed Sun Shots baon for a few days now, and I have to sneak behind them to get a pack for myself as I steal one from their baon container. Now why can't Frito Lay sell these here?

Along the way, we do a lot of chatting or sleeping. It took about 3 hours to get from Donsol to Bulusan, possibly even longer than Mt. Isarog to Donsol. But it was picturesque country, lots of green coconut "forests" and rice fields. I was so enjoying the views of pastoral Bikol. We passed numerous town markets along the way that I would have loved to explore. Will do on a future trip where I promise myself no schedules to stick to, since I love to explore markets.

We pass by the coastline, what I believe is the Pacific Ocean. The coastine is rugged and beautiful, the water looked nice too, and it seemed like one could walk for over a mile and still have just ankle high water. One part of it reminded Gerry and I of Tulum, in Mexico. I remember passing by a beach called Rizal. At or near Bulusan, we stopped by a green house, in a beautiful, graceful old style, and it turns out to be the house of relatives surnamed Espena. His mom is Mama Ansing, a Guysayko, sister of Lolo ?, dad of Tita Medin and siblings (Aleli, pls ask your mom to check my facts and my names.) It was a chance to say hello, stretch legs, do a bathroom stop, and then lo and behold, the beautiful garden also had more treasures: coops (not sure what they are called) for fighting cocks, and a mini menagerie of chicks, and pigs! Of course all the kids, mostly city kids, had a blast, and thrilled that Tita Popsie knew how to hold a fighting cock, allowing them to pet it. Now Popsie's secret sabungera identity was out of the closet!

Before we knew it, here comes the mayor of Bulusan, Mr. Johnny, (what else?) Guysayko! Wow! Yet another Guysayko mayor of Bulusan!

A few minutes later, we come upon a large stone house on the right, with a white gate. From afar, I see a tall man in a pink Ralph Lauren polo shirt, khaki shorts, moccasins with no socks, waiting by the roadside, as if he knew we were coming (one can imagine that the cellphones started texting the minute we left the Espena home.) It can only be one person, no one else but the former mayor himself, Mr. Erwin Guysayko! I mistakenly think this home is his (I am the only one among the apos of Babing who has NEVER been to Bulusan until now so what did I know?) but is it Villa Celeste, our home for the next two days. (C'mon, why won't I think it's his home, his niece is named Celeste?) So we all deboard the buses, check the place out, then get back on again. Not five minutes later, we stop by Dancalan Beach Resort, which is apparently owned by the current mayor, Mr. Johnny G, who offers us some rooms at his resort, but we decide to all stay together at Villa Celeste, now nicknamed Villa La-La by Pops and China.

Finally, we get to the home of Tito Erwin. As we get to town, where the streets are narrower, and lined with houses, I see all windows staring at us, as our convoy goes by. I am sure that in a few minutes they will all know that "may bisita ang mga Guysayko".

TO BE CONTINUED.

What's It Like to Swim with Butanding?

Okay, I've had more than two weeks to think about this: When you first get on the banca, you are so excited and apprehensive at the same time. Excited because this trip was planned in our heads over a year ago, and we are finally here, and apprehensive because we travelled so far and so long to get here, and what if they don't show themselves?

When you finally jump in the water, the first thing that hits you is that the water is sooooooo salty. Don't know why, but the waters of Batangas did not seem this salty. We know for sure it was salty because as we dried up in the wind and the sun while on the boat, our bodies were covered in a layer of NaCl! The water is soooo green and sooo opaque that visibility is not so good underwater. They say that the water is plankton-rich, and I am guessing this is what makes the water "opaque".

Then this question hits you, in the words of my mother: if they are sharks, what are you doing jumping in the water?" What nga ba? I am no thrill seeker, and this is probably the boldest foray into nature interaction that I have ever done in my life, bringing my children along pa, and making them jump in the water also. I still don't know, maybe it was my attempt to delve into a world that my children love, and that I don't: the animal kingdom. I also wanted Bea to get over her "fear" of jumping in the sea to swim and snorkle.

So yes, you get a little nervous, I never saw the butanding mouth open, and my view was always from on top. I might have been more scared if I had Agot's frontal, open view. And now that I think about it, I have never been thisClose to a creature this large, a creature that is ALIVE (confession: I touched its tail!)

Then you get overwhelmed, at how little and weak you are (and how poorly you can swim, and how deeply you can sink; isn't salty water supposed to make you more buoyant?) And then you get excited, that here you are, finally here, in front of this magnificent creature, and you forget to breathe...and you swallow that salty water, and then you choke, and you start to laugh (cause now you might die from drowning, when you thought the shark would bite you first....)

Here is what Angelica thinks: First I felt nervous about going down into the water, because the whale shark is a big creature. But when I jumped in, I found out that I was going to be above him, and he would not bite me or touch me and I would just be floating on top of him. When I saw him, I took a picture with my camera, and with my heart.

Here is what Beatriz thinks: I was really really really really really really really really really really really scared. When I saw it from the boat, it looked really big, so I did not want to jump in anymore. That's it.

The one who won the double jackpot of the day was Rocio, China's very brave daughter, who would jump in the water even before our guide, Jun, did. On her final jump, as Rocio was enjoying one whale shark, another one came into the area, so they swam over to the second one! Double whammy, double fun!

Farewell, Julia Campbell

I was reading the NY Post today, and stumbled upon the story of the death of Julia Campbell, a Peace Corp volunteer. The story attracted my attention because she was found in a shallow grave in Banawe, and she originally lived in Brooklyn Heights, a place where we once lived, when the twins were born.

Later in the day I found out that Julia left a blog, Read on a you will see how much she loved the Philippines. She could teach us natives a thing or too, about loving our own motherland. She lived in Donsol for a while, then Legazpi, some of the places we visited on the big Bakasyon. Oddly enough, I was asking Tito Colacho about his old Peace Corps friends and borders, while we were in Donsol. Once upon a time, their store on Arana Street was a sort of post office central for the Peace Corps volunteers in Bikol.

I also found out that apparently, Julia Campbell had a lot to do with the nice Butanding office in Donsol, and she also organized an ecology educational program for the children of the town.

Say a prayer for her. People like Julia Campbell are rare, and her loss is a great tragedy.

APRIL BIRTHDAYS LOVE FEST

April 7: Andie Narcisco!
April 14: Gia Zosa Narcisco!
April 15: Bianca Zosa Antonio!
April 16: Mike Zosa!
April 20: Monica Francisco!
April 27: Rafa Zosa Narciso!

Happy Birthdays, and may you have many many more!

And, since malapit na, Happy Birthday na rin!

May 2: Colacho Guysayko!
May 12: Happy Anniversary Joy and Didoy!
May 14: Mikey Zosa!
May 15: Happy Anniversary Mike and Penny!
May 22: Marichi Francisco!
May 23: Happy Anniversary Gerry and Monica!
and Happy Anniversary Anna and Luis!

DONSOL: Home of the Gentle Giants

No, I don't mean Gerry, Colacho, Chinggay, and myself. Donsol, Sorsogon is home to the butandings, or whale SHARKS (not Shark WHALES), or Rhincodon typus.

We got to Donsol, it was already dark. We saw the town procession (it was Maundy Thursday) making its way down the streets, so we parked the big bus to get off and watch. Most of the pictures below are Bea's.



We lost the Zosas/Narcisos somewhere after Legazpi City, and they finally caught up with us already at the hotel, Casa Blanca. China, Popsie, and I forayed back into town in search of a botica to buy Coca Cola, katol, rubbing alcohol for disinfecting the bathrooms, suka with sili for the Chabi kropek. For dinner, thanks to Tita Lilibeth, and Popsie, we had an elaborate picnic, with Bicolano food galore: the best Bicol Express I've ever had (using alamang), prawns, prawns in talankga sauce, nilantang pili, inihaw na belly, inihaw na isda, Burong mangga from Milky Way, hotdogs for the kids (you don't know what you are missing), banana chips, macapuno balls, fresh tamarind. We were so eager to just chat and make kuwento and chismis with each other, while the kids got acquainted and played ball or habulan or taguan, but we had to call it an early night because we had to be up early the next morning to meet the butandings.

THURSDAY. Dawn broke, and we were all up before six (wow!) ready to be at the Butanding office before 7, so we are first in line. And so we were! Two boats for the group: Tito Mike, Tita Penny, Gia, Andie, Rafa, Sabine, Agot, Chinggay, Mark and Mica in one boat; Marichi, Gerry, Monica, twins, China, Lory, Enzo, Rocio, and Popsie in the other boat.

Our BIO (Butanding Interaction Officer) is named Jun. There are 4 other men on our boat, including a spotter, who goes up a crow's nest on the nice big banca to find butandings. Pretty soon we all become spotters ourselves. You have three hours on the boat, keep your fingers crossed because sightings are not guaranteed, siempre! We were going by sheer prayer, and intent (as in: Butanding, malayo ang biyahe namin, magpakita ka naman). It took an hour to spot our first one.

The waters of Donsol are a foamy sea green, opaque and rich in plankton. According to our banca guys, the water could be up to 60 feet deep. From a distance, to spot a butanding, you look for a dark spot in the water, literally. This is a butanding, hovering just below the surface of the water. Many of us were too Sea World oriented. We kept expecting the butandings to surface from the water, open its big mouth, (and smile, maybe?) Well, butandings don't do that, first of all they are SHARKS and not WHALES.

Funny Marichi moment: We were kind of getting impatient, in spotting our first one. So she urges the twins to chant "Whale-ma, whale-ma", just like we chant "Park-ma, Park-ma" (for good parking karma) when looking for a parking spot in NYC.

One of the twins says: Lola, we should not say whale-ma, we should say shark-ma, since it's a shark, not a whale.
Marichi: It's a shark? Okay, I'm scared now. What are we doing here and why are you jumping in the water?
One of the twins: Lola, it only eats krill and plankton, and we don't look like krill, do we?

Not sure if Marichi was amused, or comforted, at this point. All we know is she was worried about the sun, so after giving up on her umbrella, and after slathering herself over and over again with SPF 45, she just gave up and covered her face with a towel. This below is MARICHI, my mom, and not an Abu Sayaf!

So, back to the banca. At the first sighting, we all jumped in the water en masse, which was not a good idea. To top it all, the shark swam deep right away, so no one saw anything other than that initial black blur in the water. Next, Jun the BIO suggests we just jump in one or two at a time. At the next sightings, Jun readies himself by putting on his flippers, then you watch for his hand signal, and when he does, one must immediately jump over the side of the boat into the water, snorkel and goggles at the ready of course. Jun then guides one, (actually pulls and steers one) over the butanding, as you look through your goggles into the water below. One by one we all took turns, many of us taking multiple turns. See Angelica below, with her "blur" and swimming back to the boat. Angelica thinks she was able to take an underwater picture of her butanding, but we still have to develop that roll and see. We all did take pictures with our hearts, since we did not have a great underwater camera. Also, once you see the shark underwater, it is such an overwhelming moment, you just want to stare and gaze and you forget about clicking on the camera. This is one of those times where it is better to look at real life with your own two eyes, rather than through a viewfinder, lest you miss the moment entirely! And yes, your heart is somewhere near your mouth, because you can't forget that this is a SHARK, and it is HUGE! But they are gentle, and their local name butanding is perfect for them, indeed a term of endearment!

Jun made us swim ON TOP of the butanding. The other boat's BIO had another style. They jumped in front of the shark, so that the shark would see the swimmer. Poor Agot, whom I am told was not too keen on jumping anyway, but got egged on by the entire boat. Right when he jumped, his butanding opened its mouth, and poor Agot had visions of his life flash before him, as well as have some organs almost jump out of his ears, making him say: Naku, gusto ko pa namang magka-anak pa! So Chinggay and Agot, when that 3rd child comes, we shall celebrate and give thanks to the butanding for having spared the family jewels!

Seeing the butanding, and swimming amongst it, is such an emotional, memorable, astounding event, I can't even describe it. Even those of us who just stayed on the boat had profound moments (just imagine a very large fish, bigger than your banca, swimming by it, or going under it....) It is something you should all aspire to be able to do one day (and hurry up before they are gone, who knows how long they will hang around Donsol.) We all hope that the people of Donsol are successful in their conservation efforts, but with nature, one never knows what can happen, no matter how hard we try. Right now, I believe what Donsol is doing it just right: there are not that many boats that go out in any given day, they have rules such as one boat per butanding at a time, there is income coming into the town and townspeople such that they will not resort to hunting and selling butanding in order to make a living. Keep your fingers crossed that the good intentions continue, and that they are all good for the people of Donsol, and the gentle giant butanding. At the end of the day, our boat spotted 13 butanding in our alloted time. We each got a beautiful certificate from the town of Donsol, certifying we were there, and had interaction with the butanding, on April 5, 2007. But like I said before, we did not need pictures, or certificates, because we already took great pictures with our hearts!

The BAKASYON Cast of Characters

Mt. Isarog: Where are We?

We took a road leading out of Naga all the way to Mt. Isarog. Along the way we passed through Carolina, and Penafrancia resort, and I experience flashbacks of childhood. I can't remember anymore if I actually swam in those places, or just heard stories from the Diaz girls. Soon, the road got bumpy, and a stubborn jeepney refuses to budge to let us pass. Between listening to the lolas up front telling our driver to tell off the other driver, and listening to the color commentaries of Tito Boy Abella (he has a senior citizen card, yet he is not yet 60?), there was ear confusion. We come by a long long wall, with barbed wire, and what looks like electric wire. Where are we? Soon we arrived at a gate, and a big burly bodyguard asked who we are, pretending not to know Tita Lilibeth. Really, where are we? Next thing I expected was that they would scan our irises before they let us in!

Once inside, you see Mt. Isarog looming before you, and lots and lots of land, plus a house, small compared to the land around it. It is the home of Nenette and John Woods, she an old friend of Tita Lilibeth. She warmly welcomed us into her home, with genuine Bicolano food among other things: laing, pinangat fish in gata, guinataan and suman for dessert, plus leche flan, and fresh fruits. They also had two puppies that delighted the kids to no end. Then it was picture taking time. All these new babies, babies of cousins who were babies themselves when I left the Philippines ages ago.

After filling up our tummies, and (clogging the Woods' banyo!) it was back to the buses and trucks, hoping to make it to Donsol before nightfall.

Butandings, here we come. (But first a stop at Nabua along the way, to buy baduya, and camote cue from a streetstall, yum!)

NAGA: Kiss the Ground and Make Me Cry

We land in the Naga airport in Pili. The last time I went through this airport, I was FIVE years old. But it looked the same from 38 years ago.... except now, half the terminal had no roof thanks to Reming.

We gingerly picked our way through the roofless part, into the ground floor, where we discovered that they read the tickets of the maletas one by one and you wait until your number is called. Finally, they just allowed us in to pick your own, but they carefully scrutinized claim tags as you left the building. The BUS, which was to be our ride for the next 4 days met us at the airport. We climbed in, grateful to discover that it is comfortable, and the aircon is COLD. So we head for 1 Harvard Street, Monterey Subdivision: home of Tito Colacho and Tita Lilibeth and family. I had not been here since 1985...

When we got there, wow, what a homecoming! Kids all around, me trying to identify who was who, overwhelmed by hugs and kisses all around, giant welcome banner of the twins with pictures of all the cousins. Tito Colacho, Tita Lilibeth, Chinggay and Agot with Maia and Luis, Mica with Martina and Mark; Tita Penny and Tito Mike in his pony tail (startling to see it with your own eyes!), Gia with Andie, Rafa, and Sabine; China with Enzo and Rocio and Tita Maricar Manjon! Quick greetings, quick hugs, quick introductions, and we all piled into the buses and minivans and trucks: Zosas and Narcisos in their rented minivan, Franciscos, Benareses, Gamboa, Castillos, Guysaykos, Hernandezes in the big bus, Tito Colacho and staff and all the food in their truck. Along the way, we pick up Tito Boy and Tita Terry Abella from their restaurant, to ride with us to lunch at the home of Nenette and John Woods at the foothills of Mt. Isarog.

Fifteen Hours in Manila

About Six of it, sleeping. We got back to Manila mid-afternoon. The PAL tickets for Naga, and the Cebu-Pacific tickets for Bacolod were waiting for us at Popsie's Rockwell apartment. Upon inspection, my name on the tickets wuz wrong. I do not carry Gerry's lastname. Ooops, BIG oops. Called Mom at the office, who brainstormed with management. Did I even have any piece of ID with that last name? NO, not my passport, in fact, never have in a passport. So, she wanted us to rush to her office. Suddenly I was to be an employee of her travel agency, and they would make me an I.D. instantly. But Popsie, ever laging handa, had a quicker solution: I was to be an employee of their restaurants. I've known them for so long, I might as well be one! Angelica was confused: Mommy, what do you do for the restaurants? My reply: I clean the banyos! Little did I know how prophetic that would be...

So off we go to Mom's office, complete with newly laminated authentic picture I.D. in hand, for inspection and approval. Actually, it was more for Lola's show and tell of her beloved apos. After quick hellos all around, and bringing lola more pasalubongs, and promising to meet her at the PAL Centennial airport at 8:00 a.m. the next morning, off we went to Market Market and Serendra at the Fort. Bea discovered that her NY bakya was masikip na, so off to buy tsinelas! She proudly exclaimed she found Havaianas, and all for 50 pesos, when Angelica points out that they are HAVANAS, and all for 50 pesos! What a bargain still!

We buy more Mary Grace Cheese rolls to make baon to Bikol, buy some Coconut Sugar at Mr. Coconut (still not sure if their claim is true that it contains no sugar at all), buy a bottle of Sukang Iloko to take home to NY, and try to buy batirols at Nana Meng's (out of stock!) We pass by the balut stand and try to show the girls the kwek kwek (fried baby ducklings) and they give us the dead-ma stare (not that they know what that means) and the joke is on Popsie and I cause they don't flinch. Angelica has to have suman, so we buy a suman sa latik from Tita Paring's.

Then off to dinner, at the Milky Way Cafe. Popsie ordered kropek served with srihacha hot sauce, beef sinigang, pritong hito, pork barbecue with java rice, inihaw na pork belly. We were too full for dessert, and sleep was starting to call us. That jet lag is so evil.

We managed to pack and reconsolidate the maletas, pulling all the Bikol pasalubongs, including for the Narciso and Castillo kids into one big red maleta. The rest of the Marichi, Pasig, and Wack Wack pasalubongs were sent on their merry way.

The Zosas and Narciscos began their Bikol trek at about 1:30 am from Pasig, then about 4:30 am from Alabang, and finally making it to Naga about 2 pm on Tuesday afternoon. The Bikol Bakasyon had begun.

Checking on China until late nite, we discover that her 8:30 pm Amihan bus finally pulls into the bus terminal at 11:30, this one a replacement for the original which breaks down. After almost fisticuffs between management and some passengers, they manage to settle down and be on their way to Bikol. They still had a long night ahead of them. They finally make it to Bikol at 7:30 the next morning.

WEDNESDAY. Gerry makes us late and we make it to the airport at 8:30 instead of 8, expecting the wrath of Marichi. Popsie and I were ready to blame Gerry. BUT WE HAD BIGGER PROBLEMS.

First, as we drove out of the Rockwell parking lot, Popsie forgets something and sends Lerma the housekeeper back up for it, and to meet us infront. Then she asks: is my little red maleta in the trunk? NOT. So we send Gerry back to the apartment to pick it up. Gerry, quicker than Lerma, gets back up there, and sees the BIG red maleta in the hallway, and just stares at it, picks up Popsie's LITTLE red maleta and heads down. That jet lag is REALLY evil.

When we get off at the airport, I start counting maletas, and then I realized that the BIG red maleta is missing!!!!! It is still sitting in the hallway at Rockwell. That maleta contained most of the pasalubongs, and most of the Easter decorations. Too late to send the driver back and get it to us. Popsie and I burst out laughing and couldn't stop. To top it all, Marichi wanted us to pretend not to know Gerry and kids, in case they question why I had a different ID from them (they had their passports) but the same last name. So we told the kids: you don't know me. So Angelica said: who are you, our nanny?, to which Gerry agreed. Bea was just plain worried that she had to pretend not to know me.

In the end, the ID did not matter, as long as the name and picture matched. And as long as we had the bulk of the road trip food baon, consisting of at least 10 lbs. of American chocolate and Oreos. We met up inside, for breakfast at Delifrance, and then off to Bikol we went....the flight was just 32 minutes long. Bea could not believe we were landing when she did not even notice we took off. After the last looooooong flight, this quickie was heaven. And Bea was relieved she did not have to pretend not to know me anymore.

BATANGAS: The Bahay Kubo Beach House

Gerry and I kept our eyes open on the ride from Tagaytay to Nasugbu. It's election time, so the roadside is peppered with candidate posters. We discussed the pros and cons of each (mostly cons!) and badgered dad about who he was voting for. Instead he told us whom he was not voting for. And we gave our pitch to campaign for Dr. Martin Bautista!

The tired twins were fast asleep in the car, including along the final 2 km bumpy ride from the beautiful Calabarzon road into the town of Calayo. When we last came 6 years ago, there was not even a road that we had take dad's boat from Maya Maya Reef Club to Calayo. Watching out for familiar things on the road from Wawa, we discovered that our childhood haunt White Sands is now part of Punta Fuego, and the Puyat's old Bamboo Beach is now called Kawayan Cove!

Finally, at the Bahay Kubo! We quickly changed and jumped into the water -- it was so warm and calm, I thought that this is what amniotic fluid must feel like!

That evening for dinner, we had the fresh catch of the day of fried espada fish, barracuda fish, and crabs, plus a kamatis/sibuyas/bagoong balayan salad. Yummy!

By 7 pm, the girls and I were sooo tired we just dropped off to sleep. Actually, Bea fell asleep even before dinner and did not have any. There was a nice breeze, and we just slept on the papag on the balcon. We forgot to do one thing, for which we would suffer much later.

MONDAY. At about 3 a.m., Bea and I were wide awake, so we decided to walk around the house with our flashlights, looking for something to eat. We found bananas and munched away, even tried to make Gerry join us. While we were walking around the house, apparently, we woke up the mosquitoes also, because when we woke up again at first light, we discovered that our arms and legs were covered in......BIG RED BITES. The insects smelled a different diet (NY food!) since we forgot to put repellent and the insects had a feast! Bea counted over 35 bites on herself, and when they counted mine, I had over 50! They did not spare our toes, or fingers, or Bea's nose! Gelli did not suffer as much, because she was fast asleep and did not join us in our early morning traipse through the still sleeping house. Just like in NY, Gelli woke up later than the rest of us!

Even before 6 am, we started to walk down the beach towards the sand bar by the river. It was low tide and we were able to walk far out from shore, and still have the water to just our knees! The girls found most of their shell bounty that morning. They also found lots of hermit crabs, still in their homes.

For breakfast, we had crab omelet left over from the night before, sinangag, and mangoes.

The caretakers were busy on the side of the house. Soon we heard the squealing of a pig, who would soon be our lunch: lechon! Lolo Doy bought a pig to celebrate the visit of his apos! There was a large boiling pot, and the coals were being fired. The girls could not stand the squealing so they went back into the water.

Thought I would have to teach them how to snorkle, BUT, they just jumped in the water and snorkled away, like it was natural to them. Bea even found an eel, actually two, in their rocky home by the shore. There were many, many fish to explore and follow and try to catch with a net (not! those fish are quick.)

For lunch, of course we had lechon. Even if it was a small pig, there were only 5 of us, so the half of the lechon went to the neighbors, the Maloles family. After a siesta, (truly buhay baboy: kain-tulog!) it was back to the water. Lolo brought out the jet ski. On the first run, Gerry took the girls, but Gerry was sooo slow and cautious, just put-putting around the front of the house within the cove. So then Dad gets on it, with the girls, and he speeeeeeedssssss away! He even goes out of the cove, into the next coves, and into the river. Were the girls scared? Check out the picture below and see for yourself! 71-yr old outsped 43-yr old today!

As is usual, when the village vendors see that Mang Doy has guests, they come in droves selling their wares. The native chicken woman came, and dad got one. He asked: fried chicken, or tinola? Tinola won of course, don't have too many opportunies to eat yummy native, not-Perdue chicken! By mid-afternoon, here come the shrimp ladies, a gang of three who set out early in the morning to go shrimping by the river. They came with their catch, which included various sized shrimp and soft shell crabs. Take note of their beautiful, custom-made shrimping baskets!

For dinner, we had the shrimp, freshly caught, and tinola. The chicken actually had 4 eggs in it! Early night once again, still jet-lagging, but this time, we put on anti-insect lotion, and used a kulambo! Hoping to wake up at a more normal hour, I was wishing we would sleep longer. Instead, the full moon woke us up, and it was only 2:30 am! Gerry was up too, so we just watched the night fishermen paddling around the cove, including the shrimpers with their night lights by the river. Funny how silence has a loud sound -- the sound of night in a rural place. It was so relaxing to look at the shadows of the mountains in front of us, listen to the cocks crow (they crow very early here, are they trained for fisherman's hours?) and the sounds of the animals at night including the butiki, the tuko, and the crickets, all of them new to the New York ears of the twins.

TUESDAY. What finally got the twins out of bed that morning was watching this spider fall from the ceiling and seemingly onto them, but of course it got caught on the kulambo, thank God for that! And yes, we still had some more mosquito bites, because this fancy dancy organic no-DEET lotion did not work against tough Pilipino lamoks!

For breakfast we had sinangag, leftover tinola broth, fried chicken Pinoy style (marinated in toyo and calamansi) and watermelon. After that it was back to the water for one last swim. Time passes by so slowly, which is wonderful. We were back in the water, and it was not even 7 am yet!

Back to Manila, to get Dad home on time because he was color coded today. In Nasugbu, he stops by a bakery that he said sold yummy ensaimada, nothing fancy, just yummy, what China said is known as "ensaimadang pot-pot", usually sold by itinerant vendors on bicycles! Gerry of course got his favorite pan de coco. Before we got to Tagaytay, we stopped at a fruit stall to buy an entire langka fruit, which Gerry held in place in the SUV between his legs all the way to Makati....

Lunch was on the SLEX at Delifrance, and then on to Popsie's at Rockwell.