We are up early again and up to the big house for breakfast. Yesterday it was Mango crepes and today it is banana fritters. Reza will have to let us get back to normal soon!
We are meeting Steve and Kathy in Mercia to head for Mount Kanlaon Nature Park at the base of the volcano. With them in the lead we seem to go slower. :-)
We head away from Bacolod to Buenos Aires. It is a steady climb through the foothills. We stop at the Buenos Aires Resort for morning coffee called “Three way coffee” - a mixture of coffee, milk and cocoa. Apparently a sweet mocha. I did not try it. While the men were having their coffee, the women escorted by a lovely German shepherd called Lucky climbed the terraces of the resort. There was a wonderful swimming pool, spa pool and gardens climbing up to a modern, relatively new hotel well above us. We stopped and took pictures of the gardens as we climbed. Going higher we could see all the way to Bacolod and the sea. When we got to the hotel an old gentleman showed us around. There are eight rooms, six twin and two “matrimonial” or queen bed rooms. Riza and I checked out the two Queen, one overlooking the view and one overlooking the courtyard - 1000 pesos or $20.00 a night. They were very nice rooms with large balconies, well kept even if some wear showed on the furniture.
By the time we wound our way back to the little market where we left the fellows, I was ready for a cold drink so settled for Fresca. Our hostess was peeling some tiny ladyfinger bananas and I pointed them out to Reza. The lady insisted we take the bunch so we got to taste them - firm and sweet.
After a nice break we got in our cars and carried on. We had a good wide cement road but it occasionally narrowed to one lane because someone would be drying their harvest of coffee or rice on mats laid all down the other lane.
The route continued to climb. Up through sugar cane fields, with people cutting cane by hand and loading it onto the huge cane trucks. Past little homes made of bamboo and mats with wonderful flower gardens, hibiscus, bougainvillea and Calla lilies pouring over the fences. We saw coffee trees and rice terraces and a very nice banana plantation. Still climbing we realized Leroy’s little jeep was in trouble. It was definitely overheating and as we stopped it was smoking out of places it should not be. We decided to let it cool and perhaps we should lunch right where we were then turn to go downhill and home. Steve thought we had almost reached our goal so he, Reza and I carried on to see. Sure enough we were almost at the Rafael Salas Nature Park. A much safer place to park and a very nice place to picnic. We went back with the news and Leroy drove the last distance successfully. We were the only people there so they allowed us to use the pavilion looking over the valley below. By the time lunch was over, the vehicle was cool enough to check and we added water to the radiator. We continued our day with no further trouble.
Heading down hill we went a different route stopping by a wonderful garden center. I knew Reza liked the deep magenta Anthiriums we had been seeing so I found two and added a white one for contrast - only 100 pesos each. I paid the full asking price. Reza filled a cardboard box with plants and managed to get them all for 100 pesos. O.K. - so I did not do it right. Leroy got an Australian fern palm for 150 pesos pleading it was all the allowance Reza would give him! Much laughter and we went on our way surrounded by our purchases - literally. It is a small car!
I might note here that I am an unusual creature in these parts. Caucasian men are a common sight but I have not seen any Caucasian women. Apparently no one else has either. As the “white lady” - very, very white - I get a lot of smiles, waves and stares where we travel. For anyone who has read the Outlander series, you know the white lady in old Scottish folk tales is a witch. Not always a bad one, but always one to be aware of. I am not sure it is not the same here. :-)
We stopped to visit Steve and Kathy’s home on the way back. It is lovely in the Spanish style and they have done a lot of work to get the grounds the way they want. It will take time for the trees to grow but eventually it will be a wonderful hide-away. While we were there a local lady came with the fresh catch of the day for Kathy - squid, white fish, crab and shrimp so fresh they were still jumping. Kathy bought the lot and we went home with crab, whitefish and squid for our dinner. Reza cooked it all up with me as sous chef and it was some of the nicest calamari I have had. With the spicy vinegar she serves or dipped in the sweet and sour sauce we had on the fish - they were wonderful.
After dinner I logged on to the internet using my wonderful new phone, I booked hotels for our trips to Manila and Palawan. It is slower than at home and by the time I was done it was past time for bed.
Good night!
No comments:
Post a Comment