Don Salvadore Benedicto

Tuesday, January 26th;

We have had a few quiet days.

Sunday, Leroy and Riza went to church in Bacolod while I prepared a Sunday dinner. I wanted to give Riza a day off. Ingredients are different here and I had to make changes where necessary but the dinner turned out quite well in the translation. Riza had stopped on the way home and brought a coconut pie so it was Sunday dinner with all the trimmings!

With dinner all prepared, we were able to go for a nice walk in the afternoon. Riza and Leroy armed themselves with stout walking sticks in case of snakes and we wandered up the road along the river. The electricity line comes to an end at the far edge of Calibago land. Not far past that is another small village tucked into the edge of the hill.

We greeted a few people as we went by and came to a trail crossing a creek and heading uphill. An Englishman lives there, Leroy said, so up we went. I don’t know what I expected but it was not the beautiful gardens we found. An Englishman does indeed live there or will do when he retires. For now we met his wife who has come from England to oversee the preparation of their property. They have 11 hectares of land from tilapia ponds down by the river to sugar cane high up on the hill. Their house is to be built at the high point of the land, looking over the cane fields and a vegetable garden behind them, down the hills of banana to where the Caliban and Bago rivers meet. They can see all the way to Calibago and our little cottage on east and far across the river valley to the west.

Leroy had seen the land when they were looking for property but it was an overwhelming amount of work to make it habitable. It also had the challenge of removing a number of squatters that made it their home. All but one of the squatters have gone, the final case is before the courts. A lot of work has already been done and it is beautiful now. When it is complete, it will be a little piece of heaven.

As we walked back we could see burning cane fields on the hill across the river. After dark, we could see a red glow in the sky signaling burning fields on our side of the river as well. Unlike Hawaii, they do not burn fields before harvest for greater sugar yield but after harvest to clean up the stubble and prepare for new crops.

Monday was a day to run errands. Leroy wanted to get the Pujero looked at. After overheating on our way to Mount Kanlaon, he had planned to have the radiator flushed. Today was the day.
Riza and I spent the time getting a manicure and pedicure downtown. It costs the grand sum of $7.00 CAD. Not bad for two hours of attention.

The fellows managed to get the windows tinted while we were at the spa but the radiator was scheduled for Tuesday.

Riza and I decided to spend a quiet day at home while they got that done. Good thing! Dan and Leroy were gone all day, some of it very social and some of it very boring. We just relaxed.
While we discussed the events of the day before dinner, Caesar came to say it was time to cut the bananas. One tree had a hand of bananas that was ripe enough to harvest before the bats ate them instead. The men prepared to bring the tree down and I got my camera ready. They roped the top to pull it in the right direction and gave it two mighty whacks with a bolo knife. Down it came! Crash! Next time we will have to consider breaking the fall rather than allow many of the bananas to be mashed into the cement!

Caesar and Anna took the damaged ones home to cook immediately. The rest will ripen slowly. Certainly far more fruit than we can eat so the ripe bananas will be shared as well. The one that was fully ripe now, we tasted. It is still firm as a partly ripe banana at home would be but very sweet. I like fresh ripe bananas!

Wednesday we drove to Don Salvadore Benedicto. It is half way over the mountains to San Carlos on the east coast from Murcia on the west. Often the road is the mountain ridge with a sharp drop on either side. The views were spectacular. There were little houses perched off the sides and rice terraces falling down to the valley in large steps. The road itself is extremely good for this area though the sides often appear unstable. We passed one nice van that had just had the front end damaged by what we assumed was falling rock. The windshield was completely gone.

We passed through a police check point high on the mountain though no one came out to stop the vehicle. Apparently we were now in NPA territory. It was interesting that at our lunch stop Riza did refer to “rebels” in conversation with our host and was gently corrected to “freedom fighters”.

The restaurant we visited for lunch had been part of a motivational retreat. It has been sold to the Augustinian Order and is now run as an educational facility for the Catholic Church. The restaurant appears the same and Riza and Leroy recognized the staff. We were welcomed and discussed the options for lunch settling on some favorites and some new flavours.

We like the noodle dish that is a mixture of Sotanghan Guisade and Pancit Canton, two different types of noodles and stir fried vegetables We decided to try Boneless Bangus, a wonderfully seasoned and boned Milkfish. Lastly we chose Chicken Pandan - chicken wrapped in pandanas leaves and deep fried. It takes some flavour from the leaves and was very good. Steamed rice is included with every meal. After we ate we were served Camote tea and got a chemistry lesson with it. Adding the acid of Calamansy juice changed the sweet potato tea from purple to pink. Then adding the raw sugar, the pH was changed again and the tea turned to orange. Each addition also changed the taste. The juice took away the starch taste but I prefered it once the sugar was added.

After lunch we continued up the mountain to a series of nurseries. Our goal was to get more plants for the garden. I was looking for canna lilies. Riza and Leroy were just looking. We did find some beautiful things that we have no names for. I got six canna lilies - dug right our of someone’s garden for 20 cents each. I also got some impatiens I knew Riza wanted and two orchids beautifully combined in a coconut shell pot.

Once more we went home with the vehicle overloaded and were looking to see Caesar’s face when we drove through the gate.

Thursday is a work day. Riza is painting the storeroom/pantry. Leroy is painting the trellis posts. Dan and Caesar are taking down another tree for Anna. At the same time giving a palm tree more room to grow. The challenge is to have it fall where they plan missing the young palm and the house. I am weeding my new garden.

I am watching carefully where I step now. Caesar has killed two snakes on the upper level in the last two days. I was imagining the lower level was the place to watch, thinking the snakes were coming from the river. I have revised that thought. Apparently they come from the cane fields, so the upper level is their first stop. The closest thing to the cane fields is our little house and garden. I am on the alert!

Dan’s cold has come back so it is an early night. Hopefully the cold will pass quickly.

Mumbucal Morning

Saturday, January 23;

Today we are going to make a short trip to the Mambucal Resort. It was designed by a hotelier in Bacolod as a place to take the guests at his hotel for a day. Outside the city they could picnic, swim, and relax in a beautiful setting. It was a hotel competitor who then began the original Calibago Resort for the same reason.

The drive to Mambucal is very pretty . Just before the gates you drive through an army base - the 33rd Infantry Headquarters. There are offices, a group of little cottages that appear to be married quarters, some shops and a school. It was very quiet and we did not notice many people about.

Mabucal was the opposite. There were many family groups filling the picnic shelters. The pool was full of happy, shrieking young people. There was a spa with its own pool fed by a flower rimmed waterfall. You could stop by for a massage, manicure or pedicure at very upscale prices. You could rent canoes and paddle the lagoon for the afternoon or zip line across it. A second large pool was almost empty - it may be for the people staying in the cottages rather that the day trippers.

We wandered about the property fascinated by the large numbers of bats hanging from the trees and soaring overhead in the middle of the day. I can see why the picnic shelters all had roofs!

Our goal was the Butterfly Garden. Riza and Leroy had visited it a few times before. They have gotten to know the owner and his wife and were greeted warmly. They visited the butterfly garden first before it was moved to Mumbucal from the owner’s farm where it began. The gentleman and his wife are raising the butterflies that are endangered and releasing them back into the wild. The day before had been a release date so we were not seeing the garden at its busiest. It was still a very interesting place and we scattered, each following our own selection of butterflies to watch and get pictures if we could. As we were leaving, Leroy and Riza were trying to clear butterflies out of the way of the door and ended up with some sitting on their fingers. What a treat!

As we walked about, the smells coming from all the picnics were very inviting and we began to get hungry! Since no one invited us to join them, we had to go looking for lunch. We had decided to try the Bacolod Golf and Country Club. A very good choice!

We drove up a country road to a very nice clubhouse and were shown to a table overlooking both the tenth and the eighteenth hole. It was interesting to see the golfers group up and start off. Each had their caddy to pick up after them and drive their cart around the course. The tenth hole appeared to be a bit of a challenge. There was a heavy wind blowing and it was a narrow strip between the clubhouse wall and a ravine. Without being too obvious I could not see how each player did - other than by the look on their faces.

The steward recommended their tenderloin steak and French fries. It was local beef and we were not sure how tender that would be. Since other choices did not actually seem to be available we all decided to give it a try. It was very good! Riza and I have decided we need to investigate the Burgos Meat Market early one morning.

Our last stop of the day was at yet another garden center! This one was set in a park like area in Panad. Each vendor has a separate narrow strip of land set up as a lovely fenced garden to explore. We walked the full length examining each little garden we passed to see if there was anything absolutely required at Caliago! We did not find any Canna Lilies for my raised bed. We did see a very interesting display of Bonsai. We found one vendor dedicated to fruit trees - durian, mandarin, limes, banana, rambutan and many more. One or two of the vendors are familiar with Leroy and Riza. From one we bought two lemon trees already carrying fruit. That and a few small daisies was all for this time.

The look on Caesar’s face when we drove in with more trees was quite funny. But he was all smiles when he saw they were lemon trees and he knew exactly where they should go. They were planted with the fruit safely tied up in no time!

As we arrived home, we saw that there were men in the village milling the logs for Anna’s home with her overseeing the job. I wanted to get some pictures but I was not sure how I would be received, poking a camera into their village. Riza walked me over and explained to Anna. She was delighted and posed for me with the children, with her logs and then invited us to her home. Many of the people followed along. Apparently, she was considered very fortunate to have a “British” visit her home and be her friend.




Caesar’s wife, Genevieve, is a qualified high school teacher, a very confident, outgoing lady. She saw us in the village and came out to introduce herself to me. For now, she stays home raising her family and teaching the small ones in the village who cannot go out to school. I would love to sit and talk with her one day.

But this evening, I retire to my special vantage point by the river and watch the activity of birds and people as the sun sets in another marvelous show of red.

Planting Days

Friday, January 22nd;

The next few days went by too quickly to do any writing, or perhaps were too leisurely!
Wednesday was our planting day. Everyone was busy getting the new plants into their assigned places so none would be lost.

During the two days we had been away, Caesar had completely mowed the lower level and cleaned it up beautifully. Now it was possible to walk all the way along the riverside. It also made the young palm trees visible and the new ones we carried home would join the existing coconut palms to create a very nice coconut grove when they are grown.

Leroy and Riza examined the plants that had been unloaded trying to decide where each one would go. Dan, Leroy and Caesar dug deep holes for the larger plants throughout the property using picks, shovels and water. Riza planted many of the smaller ones and I carried and dug wherever I could help.

Dan and Leroy left us for a man’s day out. Riza’s cousin and a friend brought a car and driver to pick them up Thursday morning and they went off to explore over the mountain. That left Riza and myself home for a day of leisure. We wandered the gardens, watering and examining each flower and vegetable bed. Then we went for a walk up the road.

Calibago, as it is now, is only a portion of the original park. Much of the land is still for sale. As we walked along, we walked through the neighbouring land to the river. There we found similar terraces lost in the underbrush. With at least six more of the seating areas and barbecues spaced along the way. The rock work is all intact with an amazing fountain and waterfall at the far end that appears to go into a pond that then drains into two waterslides falling into the river below. What fun that must have been! As we walked up the steps, Riza startled a large snake. It slithered quickly into what had been the water tunnel for the slides. It will be interesting to bring this area back to what it once was!

The river is gentler here. By some beautiful big rocks the women of the area have claimed a spot of their own for laundry and bathing. An elderly lady walked in front of us. She was dressed in a flowing orange skirt, a very nice jacket and walked with a cane. She carried a small bag of laundry. When we got to the river, she had shed her jacket and pulled her skirt up under her arms like a sarong. She was busily washing her laundry in the water and would probably bathe herself while her laundry dried.

I was wishing I had my camera! Dan had borrowed it for his trip across the island so we will have to walk this way again.

We headed home for a light lunch and spent the afternoon each with a good book, seated in the shade of the central trellises.

Friday we went to town again. The road to Murcia from Calibago is always interesting. This morning, the clouds were spectacular, rolling over Mt. Kanlaon as we left. There is a home that raises fighting cocks along our way. It is well kept and I am fascinated by the shelters for each rooster made out of old rubber tires. Cock fighting appears to be a big thing here and some people have very large flocks of roosters tethered individually each by their own little shelter. We pass by the cock fighting ring on our way to town and I cannot get over the size of it. It is like a stadium we would have for baseball or some other sport.

We met friends for morning coffee at a Starbuck’s like coffee shop called Bob’s, admiring (but not eating) the wonderful pastries they had. We did buy some treats at the connecting delicatessen. There were imported cheeses and other food you cannot buy here in the usual stores. Taco mix and black olives will go into a Tex Mex dip one day. Boursin aux fines herbs will add to a happy hour cheese tray.

We stopped to pick up Dan’s $40.00 custom made sandals. It is not easy to find size 14 anywhere and these black leather sandals turned out very well.

Leroy ran a few errands. Riza and I stopped at the Libertad market again for fresh vegetables. Dan was amazed at the “salad truck” he saw picking up the garbage created by the food stalls.

We finished our grocery shopping back at the SM Supermarket before heading home.

And so the days pass. It still seems like a yearly vacation that should come to an end very soon. But I do not have to go back to work and there is still so much more to see!

Gathering plants in Binalbagen

Monday, January 18th

Got up early this morning for another good breakfast of mango crepes. We cleaned up and prepared for our small journey down island to visit Riza’s father. He has plants for the garden at Calibago. Leroy has hired Boy and his jitney to make the trip with a load in both directions. On the way down, we are sending wood from trees felled here to Reza’s cousin Dorothy. On the way back the jitney will be loaded with plants. We will meet Boy in Binalbagen tomorrow so we can make the journey in a more leisurely fashion today.

Our first stop is Murcia to buy plywood and rice that will be delivered to Caesar at Calibago by jitney. While Leroy and Riza were making their purchases, Dan and I were watching a truck unloading nipa fronds for roofing for the hardware store. We saw the nipa growing along river banks as we traveled later in the day. It grows as tall, straight, single fronds perfect for trimming into lengths suitable for layering on a roof.

Have I mentioned that Leroy has learned to drive in the Filipino manner? Weaving in and out, passing as many as he can at the highest possible speed. What would terrify me in Vancouver seems normal here and there is only the occasional gasp at how close it comes. Adding to the traffic congestion are people, dogs and livestock crossing or even living in the road. Whole lanes are closed off while a local farmer dries rice or coffee on the pavement.

We had planned a nice lunch at the Sol resort. Riza had heard that they have a good restaurant. We found the right area and turned toward the beach on secondary roads following the resort signs to the sea. The neighbourhood seemed very clean and prosperous. The resort itself was beautifully kept and clean but there was no one there. The resort was empty, the beach was empty and the restaurant was not in business. What a waste of so much creative effort.

We carried on our journey, back to the highway and on to La Carlota where we had a very nice lunch at a restaurant Leroy and Reza knew from previous visits. It is owned by a young East Indian man married to a Filipino lady. It was clean, well kept and the food was very good. Their home was next door and the garden was beautiful with a wonderful show of Vanda orchids in the center.

We wound our way back through huge Mango groves and stopped at a farming cooperative for Durian ice cream. No luck! They were all out of ice cream but we did find some Pele nuts, some Mango pure for making drinks and I bought a jar of Mango jam.

Before long we reached Binalbagen and drove up to Riza’s front gate. We were greeted by her father, his housekeeper and her two boys. We had a nice visit then toured the garden with Riza and her father discussing what could go and where it should grow once it reached Calibago. It seemed so many plants were leaving, he would have to start his garden all over again!

We left Binalbagen mid afternoon and went on to our hotel in Kabankalan. The Zycoland hotel and resort is very modern and well kept. The Doctor’s Hospital is right next door and the local Hospitality college is holding classes in the hotel temporarily so it has a regular clientele. The infinity pool was very inviting but unfortunately we left our bathing suits locked in the car while everyone had their siesta and there never seemed to be time for a dip after that. Next time!!!

We had a late dinner alone in the restaurant but breakfast was a busier affair. One table had doctors in their hospital scrubs. Apparently a visiting specialist was here to repair any children with cleft palate. Some young ladies in school uniform were having a lesson on napkin folding. Dan and Leroy were testing their skills - could thy make a bird, a flower? They could!

We heard from Caesar that Boy had left Calibago with the load of wood so we got ready and found our way back to Binalbagen to meet him. We sent him on to Dorothy’s with the wood while we did some banking. That is a different experience. We were greeted deferentially at the door by guard toting an automatic weapon. We walked past everyone queuing for service, past another guard and into the manager’s office. Not a closed office but a raised dais looking over the bank. Leroy and Reza introduced us and we visited pleasantly while our business was being done. Leroy and Reza got hugs and greetings from other employees as we left. It certainly was a different way of doing business but this is the town where Riza was born and raised. Many of the people we meet are related and we feel very welcome.

By the time we leave the bank, Boy has returned with the jitney and he follows us to Riza’s home. Riza’s father has gathered all the plants to be loaded and everyone pitches in getting them into the jitney. Will they all fit? They are literally going in the windows and going in the doors! It did not take long before Boy was ready for his journey back to Calibago. The garden did look much emptier but Riza’s father had already begun replacing the missing plants with others he found.

We went to Dorothy’s for a short visit. Dorothy is Riza’s cousin and helping hand. You may remember her as our driver in Cebu. She is a chemist by profession and she has begun her own business making “peso peso” drinks for school children. Small drink packages they can buy for one peso. It began as a small local concern but is now shipping to a good part of Negros Occidental and provides work for a number of young women.

It is time to head for home. We have some gardening to do!

Note:

Danielle tells me I am not properly introducing my characters!

Calibago: The name of Leroy and Riza’s home outside Murcia in Negros Occidental.

Caesar: He is the major domo of the estate. He is the keeper of the keys, the gardener, grounds keeper, security guard and general “go to” person. He is a family man in the village by the gates and active in his church. He speaks good English and has a great sense of humour.

Anna: She is the housekeeper responsible for the cleanliness of the home and it’s people. She cleans all of the premises daily. She has a rotation of laundry - washing, rinsing, hanging it to dry and then ironing each piece. She also has a family in the village by the gates. Her husband works in the city and comes home as time permits.

Quiet weeked at Calibago

Saturday, January 16th and Sunday, January 17th;

A quiet weekend at home. The weather is overcast and cooler with heavy rain forecasted for Saturday afternoon. It has not been heavy, but it has come off and on with heavy winds at times. When the wind blows during the night it knocks fruit out of the tree over our cottage so that it hits the tin roof with a BANG! I was picturing something between a croquet ball and a five pin bowling ball. In reality it is a tiny fruit like a small plum. Hard to believe when you hear it!

Anna has been doing laundry but it does not dry in these conditions. The lines under cover are full. We expect bright sunshine tomorrow so she will finish then.

Dan, Leroy and Caesar continue to move big rocks and carry dirt for new garden beds. Monday we are taking wood from felled trees to Riza’s father’s farm in Binalbagen. From there we will be getting a truck load of plants he has prepared for here. Leroy has bargained for a driver and jitney to take time off the bus route and spend a day loading the wood and carrying it to the farm then bringing the plants back. It there is room, it will make a side trip to the nursery and pick up more palm trees as well. Apparently, he just hoses the jitney out and is ready to carry people again on Tuesday.

Dan has come down with a cold. If he is well, we will go along and spend a night in that area. If not, I do not want him taking bugs to Riza’s elderly father and we will only be part of the loading and unloading here.

Dan and Leroy made a trip into nearby Murcia Saturday to give the little Pujaro SUV some attention - air in the tires, brake fluid, transmission fluid and gasoline. Riza asked them to stop by the fruit market for mango as well. They are not ripe here yet. Mango are still my favorite part of any meal! The market sells them by the kilo. You pick all the ones you want and then try and get that last one the correct size to make the kilo. Handing a few back and forth until both the buyer and the seller are happy that it is close enough. Saves having to do any math. Dan and Leroy did not understand the process so I am sure they did not get as good a price as Riza does! They let the vendor choose the mangos as well. That worked out OK as the majority are wonderful anyway.

Riza and I had a relaxing day with preparing meals being our main activity. I am working as sous chef here because I am not familiar with the ingredients. I am thinking of some things I can adapt so I can give Reza time off. I have to do a grocery shop next time we are in Bacolod and see how close I can get to what I need. We are limited by not having an oven. They just moved into the new living area before we arrived and not all is done. There is a beautiful gas cook top but the wall oven is still to be ordered. It will take three weeks to arrive. They had not been able to find one but they let me loose in the appliance center in Cebu City and I found a beautiful Italian made Elba right off the bat. Next year they will have turkey for Christmas!

“Calibago River Resort and Summer Camp” is still on the maps here and the sign is still on the main highway in the village of Murcia. The occasional tourists still arrive at Leroy’s gate asking for space to put up their tent. It was a beautiful campsite with nice facilities for overnight camping and for things like a corporate day camp or picnic. The lower terrace runs along the river where people could swim if they wished.

Leroy and Riza have turned what was the office into their private sitting room and bedroom area. What was the open air gazebo has been walled in with opening windows on every side that allow the breeze to blow through at will but makes a wonderful living room kitchen area with a pantry and another bathroom. It is surrounded with a covered deck where you can sit comfortably when the rain makes the adjoining trellis area less desirable.

What was the piggery, makes a 60 foot garage, workshop and tool shed for the property. Leroy is having cement slabs made for the floor. The workmen have completed one 30 foot section but have not returned yet to finish the job. Menana!

The workman’s cottage has been redone as a guest cottage for us. Caesar will use it when no one is here.

There is one more building not yet decided upon. It was the “Sari Sari store” or supply shop for the campers. It is on the mid level terrace, near the barbecue pit and could make a good summer kitchen for cooking jobs that you do not want to heat up the living area. It is solid and well made so they feel it should be kept. Perhaps they will just clean and maintain it for now until a real need is identified.

Future plans include a main house attached to the gazebo living area. Then the old office will become the guest cottage and the guest cottage will revert to a staff residence. Again, menana! Modifying the residence and improving the gardens will keep them busy long into their retirement.

Today is Sunday. There are three churches in this tiny village of seventy families - Catholic, Presbyterian and what Riza calls a “born again” denomination. Everyone in the village was at church in the morning and we have heard the choir practicing during the week. Weekdays small children play on the playground in front of Leroy’s gate but today I see young men back in the village playing basketball there. There is a sound of motorbikes on the road rather than jitneys and cane trucks.

Leroy and Reza arrived home followed by a tricycle, a motorcycle with side car. Normally it carries passengers but today it has three large palm trees and assorted other plants. They have stopped by another nursery on the way home from church! The men carry the larger blue palms to the next terrace below the gazebo. Dan and Leroy plant them right after lunch. One has about 30 chocolate palm seedlings planted along side so Riza and I transplant them to pots to see what comes of them. Next they plant the bottle palm in the front courtyard alone with another they had already. I weeded the cottage flower bed and prepared space to plant two flowering bushes. Many of the other plants will sit while Reza decides where they will all go. There is still a lot of space to absorb them.

After an afternoon of gardening we all cleaned up for the quiet time before dinner and enjoyed our surroundings once more. The sunset over the river was spectacular!

It seems we will go to Binalbagen tomorrow and we have a hotel with a pool booked for tomorrow night. I am hoping for WiFi as I need to get more minutes for my phone.

Goodnight!

Anna's New House

Friday, January 15th;

Today is a quiet day at home. We have no plans so will see how the day unfolds.

I spent the morning sitting on the deck typing and watching the activity around me. Dan, Leroy and Caesar are taking down trees, moving rocks and digging a new flower bed for the Anthiriums.

Riza keeps busy in the house and weeding the garden.

Dan made the big discovery of the day. Hunter is a young female cat. When we left for the volcano Wednesday, she was pregnant. When we returned she was not. Dan has found her hiding place in a large hollow of a tree by the main house. The kittens are clearly visible.

Riza went for a look and I followed. Riza talked to Hunter gently as we watched and she did not seem to mind at all. She lay relaxed with her babies squirming around her. The day was drizzling and Riza was worried that the hollow would get very wet as it was open to the rain. She built a shelter above the little family and they have stayed dry during the downpour that followed.

The next big event of the day was moving building supplies for Anna’s new house. Anna’s current house in the village has a definite lean and no door to secure it. If all of the family is out at the same time it is possible for food to go missing. Leroy has given her 6 straight, sixteen foot poles for her corner posts and wall supports. Today she took two more logs to be milled for floor supports. The floor itself will be bamboo. We have a nice new bathroom in our cottage and she now has a second hand toilet in good working condition for her new house. A steady income will allow her to purchase the other materials she will need and friends in the village will help in construction. One is the man who brought his water buffalo to drag the logs to the home site. Anna is very capable and she helped to hook up the yoke and attach her logs for the short journey.


Each day brings a new and interesting peek into this unfamiliar world even without leaving Calibago.

Market Day

Thursday, January 14;

Today is a quiet day. We had a leisurely breakfast, we planted the plants we purchased on the mountain. Leroy picked a spot by the Gazebo for the fern palm so he will see it from their living room. Reza and I placed the others in the raised bed by the little cottage. I can watch them grow from our living room or from our deck.

I sat on the deck and wrote for a while then showered and changed as I knew we were going into town for lunch and to run some errands.

Suddenly Reza and Leroy were ready to go and go NOW. By the time I had rounded Dan up Leroy had taken the car out of the gate and they were waiting for us so they could lock up. Apparently the businesses Leroy needed to see close for lunch and siesta so departure time had been moved forward!

Dan and Leroy went to the hardware store while Reza and I walked to the market. I stayed close behind her crossing the street because there is no apparent right of way and too many directions to look at once! We found a stall with good potatoes, similar to Yukon Gold at home. But I noticed their onions were not as nice as the next stall over. We found nice onions, peppers, garlic and even nice red onions they call “Bombay” at that stall. Then on around the market for fruit. As we left, Reza handed the vegetable man 5 pesos for hot peppers and he filled a small bag for her. That is ten cents Canadian for a bag of hot peppers! The variety and colour in the market makes an amazing picture but the smell is something else!


We met the fellows and moved on for a very nice lunch at a Chinese restaurant. Then on to the SM Mall for groceries.

On the return we stopped at the fish market for prawns and scallops. I did not get out this time as it was too wet for the camera and Reza gets a better price if I am not standing beside her. I’ll check out the fish market another day!

That seemed enough for this day so we headed home for our siesta.

Another good dinner and an early night.

Mount Kanlaon Nature Park

Wednesday, January 13th;

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!

Settled in Calibago

Settled in Calibago

Tuesday, January 12th

Our first night in our little cottage was very comfortable. We sat and read or wrote in our little living room then turned in early in our own bedroom with our clothes all neatly hung in our own closet. We have a little kitchen but Anna uses it for her duties during the day so we do not interrupt.

Anna is a lovely lady from the village who keeps house for Leroy and Reza. When we arrived she was busy sweeping and cleaning the main house in preparation for their return. The floors are swept daily or more since we track in sand and leaves from the gardens. But after a few days away there is evidence of geckos taking over while the house was empty and Anna makes it all go away. She also does the laundry, not down at the river as the other ladies do, stopping to have their bath at the same time. Anna has a wash house with running water and a sideboard for her scrub board. It is a bit of a culture shock for me to have her do my laundry and not to have the facilities to do my own. She does not use the sink, why stand all day? She sits down on a little stool in the midst of her water tubs and scrubs by hand, moving from soap tub to rinse tub as she progresses. She has a radio going to keep her company. When we arrive home from a days adventure it is all fresh and dry on long lines in the garden. She then folds it up for ironing the following day. She ignores the modern steam iron provided and uses the charcoal iron she has always used. She is well experienced as she has been in service since she was 9 years old.

This is a good posting for her as she is not required to live in and work from the time she gets up to the time she goes to bed. It is only steps from her own home in the village. She knows what is required and sets her own schedule. She may come in the cool of the early morning and then go home to feed her family breakfast and prepare them for school. This morning she tapped quietly on our door just after 6:00 AM, expecting to steal into the kitchen to retrieve a basket and sneak out without us noticing. She was startled to have me answer “Come in.” and to find me sitting typing this note. Dan was already out prowling the property. Later she joined us for breakfast at the main house. At the moment she has finished cleaning our home and I can hear her busy on the verandah.

The grounds are kept by Caesar, also from the village. Leroy jokes he gives Caesar instructions and then Caesar goes and does it right - his own way. He also sets his own schedule. He was disturbed to find the outside lights off on our cottage when he did his 5:00 AM tour to check all was well. We won’t turn them off again. He also makes a final tour late in the evening. Any changes are reported to Leroy - There is a snake in the lower level. A certain tree needs to be trimmed. We should move a plant from this garden to that where it would be happier. He is constantly raking so the grounds remain free of leaves and debris where snakes might catch us unawares. There is usually a fire pit burning to take the resulting piles of debris.

Leroy and Reza do not just sit back and watch their work being done, but are actively involved in the creation of this lovely place. Leroy has taken a real interest in palms of different types and he is adding them to the property in appropriate spots. He has plans to replace a lane of unproductive mango trees with a variety of fruit trees that can be used. How many mangos can two people eat? Young papaya are already growing and the others will come. Reza plans the flower beds and vegetable gardens are under her control. Mornings she will water each area and check to see everything is happy in its place.

There was a mystery of holes appearing around the roots of the plants in her front flower bed. Was it the “girls”, Hunter and Cuddles, two cats that have adopted them? They were taking the blame until Reza spotted a small frog sleeping in one of the small depressions. Of course, the flower bed is near the front door where the light attracts bugs all night long. The perfect froggy hollow.

The life is simple but very pleasant. We went to Bacolod today to get groceries and met another couple at a very nice hotel for lunch. It was decorated in modern clean lines and as well kept as any in North America. The menu featured both familiar and unfamiliar dishes. What we chose was good. We lingered over our lunch visiting and making plans for a picnic on the mountain tomorrow.

Then we went to shop for food and necessities. The grocery store carried everything as we see in Super Store. Of course the basics were different and the brands were largely unfamiliar. There was less variety in vegetables and limited dairy. That said, if you are cooking Filipino style, there was a lot to choose from. What we got was very reasonable.

We also stopped to order Dan custom made sandals. Leroy fitted a pair he had ordered earlier. He will pick them up after some adjustment is made. We get Dan’s next week.

Driving here is an adventure. There is no speed limit and you share the road with bicycles, trishaws, motor bikes, jitneys, large buses and sugar cane trucks. All have their own speed capability and require less or more of the road. Everyone is hurrying to overtake the other. Leroy handles it like a native speeding and slowing, zooming around others with inches to spare.

The road from Bacolod is largely highway and smooth enough to negotiate. Once we leave Mercia, the road is a rough track. Coming home we watched the jitney ahead of us unload the passengers at the base of a hill. Everyone walked up and got back on at the top. We saw water buffalo soaking in a deep patch of the river. Reza says it is the girls enjoying their daily spa. Eventually we reach Callibago and find Caesar standing with the gate open to welcome us home. How did he know when we would arrive? Reza texts his cell phone of course! What a mix of old and new!

We cooked a nice dinner and visited for a while under the trellis but it was a hot steamy evening and we all retired early to get a good start for the mountain tomorrow.

Goodnight!

Next - Negros

Monday, January 11th;

We got up as planned. We had packed our bags the night before expecting that we would be extremely overweight. We just made the 20 kilos limit each leaving Hong Kong and now we were told we had only 10 kilos allowance. We weighed Leroy and Reza’s small cases and off loaded as much to them as we could. Then we would just pay for any extra. Relax already! Getting all the bags in the taxi was a big event!

We got to the airport with 2 ½ hours to spare. The kiosk for Bacolod was not even open yet. They set up the computer for us and weighed us in. We had 15 kilos each not 10. We made it with nothing to spare but no overage to pay. All that planning for nothing! LOL

We passed through security and settled for a nice breakfast. Once we finished we decided to go down to the gate and relax there. We barely sat down when they started loading people with children. Shortly after it was general boarding - a full hour before departure. We settled in our seats and a few minutes later we were in the air flying over Cebu and across to Negros.

The mountain ridges are very steep and we flew right over the volcano - now obviously dormant. The land is terraced and farmed in either rice or sugar cane. It all looks very orderly from the air. We landed in Bacolod 45 minutes ahead of schedule - well before we were actually due to depart. It was a good thing we decided to be relaxed and early!

It was too early to stop at the store for groceries so we decided to go straight to their home with a brief stop in the nearby village of Mercia for fresh fruit and vegetables at a local stand. Wonderful mangoes, pineapple and another fruit I do not know. There was much to see and we will explore another time. For now it was nice to leave the main road for their home road. The sign to the resort is still up on the highway and it does bring the occasional unwanted guests to their gate. For the most part, the road itself is a deterrent being very rough and rocky. It winds past small homes and cane fields to the village and their main gate. We drove up to the guest cottage and unloaded. We are here at last.

Dan, Leroy and I all closed our eyes for a time. Reza got out her spade and bucket and began working in her garden. She tells me she and I have our work cut out for us filling up the planter outside the small cottage. We discussed placement of plants and she has made a beginning but we will have fun shopping for more.

We had a nice lunch and spent the afternoon at leisure much of it under the trellis overlooking the river. I did unpack and put things away. We are settled down for a time.

Tomorrow we go to town to get groceries and to get me set up with an internet connection. Then I will be back in touch…

Cebu Arrival

Sunday, January 10th.

We are in Cebu!

We arrived on time and followed the crowd to the Quarantine desk. Being at the back of the plane, there was a long line when we got there. No problem passing quarantine and on to the customs lines. I let Dan choose which one to take - then I was not responsible for the choice. J We got the slowest line. By the time we were ready to pass through customs there were less than a dozen people from our plane still waiting.

Then we stood at the wrong end of the luggage carousel and were able to see our bags wending their way down the hall. By the time we were done Leroy was about to crash the barrier and come looking for us! He looked tired and steamy but glad to see we made it. We walked across to greet Reza and Dorothy. Loaded up Dorothy’s SUV and headed off to Cebu City and a lively dinner at a very nice Thai restaurant.

The hotel Reza chose was full for an event but they recommended another just down the street. D and L Apartelle. The rooms were clean and adequate but a big change from the Langham! The price was a big change too. We got three nights for 300 pesos about $60 Canadian - $20.00 a night! We will be back to Cebu before going home and we will check into the Don E then. It is a lovely old Spanish home that has been totally updated and turned into a small hotel and restaurant. We had a very nice dinner and a breakfast on their beautiful private verandah.

We took a taxi to the big SM Mall in Cebu City and spent our first morning doing the mall sights starting with a manicure pedicure - have to be ready for sandals after a winter in B.C. Leroy and Dan wandered in their own directions while Reza and I stopped by anything that interested us. I never bought anything - every time I found the stores I liked it was time to do something else. How did Dan manage that?

We were trying to get my phone unlocked but apparently Motorola has more advanced security and no one was able to unlock it. Enough of malls, we took a taxi back to the hotel for siesta time and then walked up the street to Don E for a lovely, leisurely dinner.

Sunday morning we took a taxi to Ayala Mall where we would meet Dorothy for a tour of Mactan Island. We still could not get the phone unlocked and it was recommended we go back to the Cyber Zone at SM Mall where we began. Again we just found the stores I was interested in when it was time to leave… I did buy a box of Kleenex. There is no toilet paper in public toilets and nothing on which to dry your hands. Best to be prepared!

Dorothy picked us up and back we went to Cyber Zone. Again no luck with the phone. Not wanting to spend any more of my vacation having people poke around in my good phone, I offered to buy a cheap one to leave in the Philippines. Some may know what it is like to shop with techie types. Let them loose in a place like Cyber Zone and you have no control. I now own a 3G phone that will do everything but fly me home. I can phone Leroy or Reza should I get myself lost or in trouble. I can text, email, or Google anywhere in the world. It is “unlocked” for international travel so I can use it in Vancouver, Orlando, Melbourne or Bacolod just by changing the sim card. Not a bad Cebu City souvenir. Finally we can get on with our touring!

We went out to Mactan Island and strolled the shrine where Lapu Lapu and his warriors repulsed Magellan when he tried to come ashore on Cebu. Magellan was killed in the battle Both leaders are honored here.

We went for an early dinner at a Philippine restaurant. The spicy shrimps in coconut sauce were delicious. The mixed noodle dish was too. Noodles I have not seen before. I enjoyed my Green Mango shake and the other women had an interesting tapioca drink I should try with big tapioca balls that fit through an enlarged straw. The liquid is vanilla flavored.

Dorothy dropped us off early as we have an 8:30 AM flight so we will be up at 5:00 to get ready.

Good night!

Walking Kowloon

Thursday, January 7th

Sometimes things need to be planned. Today was the day to see museums. I planned to go to Causeway Bay and the Museum of Coastal Defense in the old Lei Yue Mun Fort but it is free Wednesday and CLOSED Thursday. Today is Thursday. Oops.

We had another nice breakfast at L'Escalier, good food, friendly chit chat with the maitre d'. Once fortified, we strolled up Hankow Road to have another look at the Kowloon Gardens. The rose garden is still in bloom and obviously well cared for. We walked past the garden center where a lady was crouched behind a thin screen fence weeding the nursery beds listening to a Chinese talk show interspersed with Jazz. Strange but enjoyable to sashay among the roses listening to "In the Mood".





There is an arboretum under construction with a wide variety of trees. Some were old but many more are still young and will add their splendor to the garden in years to come.

Further along there is a Chinese pavillion opening to the Chinese garden. Very peaceful with a fountain and koi pond as the center. Once again an ad hoc group had dropped their things to do some Tai Chi.

We made our way kitty corner across the park and came out on Nathan Road. At this exit, the music was Strauss Waltzes advertising Musical Theatre.

We were heading for the Hong Kong Museum of History on Chatham Road next to the Science Museum. The neighbourhood was more rundown than the area around our hotel but busy and comfortable enough to walk through. We found the museums with no difficulty and guess what? It is Thursday, they are closed.

It is the coolest day we have had so far so we took time to warm up at the Hong Kong equivalent of a fast food restaurant sharing a four person booth with other couples as they came and went. We had Soya Sauce chicken with rice and something similar to Gai Lan with oyster sauce. Lunch was good and came to only $6.50 CAD.

The next direction sign we saw mentioned the Tsim Sha Tsui promenade. That sounded promising so we followed the arrow and wandered along the waterfront all the way back to our neighbourhood. The busy waterway and views of Hong Kong Central on one side and the huge hotels of Canton Road on the other. Once we reached the Art Gallery, Concert Hall and the Peninsula Hotel we headed up Hankow Road once more to get buns for tea at a wonderful bakery. Then back to our room to plug in the kettle and settle down for a well deserved rest.




It is our last night in Hong Kong so we decided on a memorable dinner at a very prestigious address - The venerable Peninsula Hotel. Apparently their Spring Moon restaurant had dishes within our reach. We were greeted with tiny thin porcelain cups of tea and a silver bowl of candied walnuts. We ordered Chicken with black bean and peppers, a marvelous seasonal vegetable in crispy nest and fried rice wrapped in lotus leaf. The vegetables included the familiar as well as fresh lotus root, a Chinese pumpkin and fresh water chestnuts unlike any we have tasted before. We sipped on endless cups of fragrant jasmine tea. Dan may never get over the bill and I will never forget I walked down the grand staircase to the lobby of the Peninsula Hotel. Very old world. Very "Noble House".

It was raining when we left but the route home was almost entirely underground. We came out near our hotel at "1886" to find the courtyard had been transformed with circling Pharaohs advertising a new Hennessey Cognac. A soiree was underway. The smell of cognac was heavy in the air and it seemed very nice but we were not offered any as we strolled through!

Back in our room safe and sound - our last night in Hong Kong. Tomorrow, Cebu...

Day 2 - Hong Kong Central

January 6th

We dined a little lighter this morning. Dan tried congee with beef. I thought the French Toast stuffed with figs and Nashia pears topped with cinnamon honey yoghurt was more my style. Suitably fed we started out again for the Star ferry terminal.

This time we actually got there. The ticket lady was very helpful and gave me instructions in using the ticket machine stressing that I should always read my destination carefully in case someone else had entered information and then walked away. She then escorted Dan through the gate personally as he is a senior and free. I succeeded in getting my token and then locking myself on the wrong side of the fence. She came back and walked me through personally too.




It is a very short trip across the bay and certainly a historical one. We landed at the terminal in minutes and found a wonderful mix of old and new. There were market tables set up in the entrance with fresh vegetables and fruit. One table had a variety of marvellous mushrooms. The shapes, colours and textures made a wonderful sight. The young lady marketed them well too with descriptions and instructions in multiple languages on well designed cards.

In the Central district, you never need to go to street level and walk out of doors. It seems most buildings are connected by walkways above street level - essentially connecting mile after mile of expensive shopping arcades. I found a light shell I really would enjoy wearing - a pale peach creation so soft it could be silk. I went in to check the size and price. 185,000 HK dollars which translates to 2,500.00 Canadian. I still don't have a rain jacket.

We decided to take the more historical and picturesque tram down Des Voeux Road to the Western Market. We managed to find a tram stop on the correct side of the road and climbed aboard finding space on the upper level. Standing room only for me, crouching room only for Dan. It did give us a better idea of the area than any subway and we were delivered right to the door of the market.

The first floor is a mixture of useful and tourist. The second floor was my goal - the fabric market. I went from stall to stall comparing wares and prices until I decided on my purchase - beautiful, richly coloured, pure silk brocade.

The third floor is another story. A beautiful ballroom serving dim sum lunch and wonderful dinners for anyone who wants to spend a little time gliding around the floor to a waltz or tango. It was closing time for the lunch crowd when we arrived so no dancing for us but we did get in on the Dim Sum.

Now we had time to explore and we walked the streets back toward Central. The streets are narrow with uneven sidewalks and little shops spilling out into the passage. So much to see. Dan was taken by a little printing shop the size of a good closet. Our goal was to find the start of the Mid-Levels escalator. Originally it connected the major residental roads of the mid levels with the old Central Market. Of course, it is above street level in the One IFC Mall. We did find it and began the 1/2 mile climb.

You are very close to the buildings on both sides separated by a tiny street on one side and a staircase on the other. Halfway, we stopped to see the old Jamia Mosque and then on again to the trendy cafes, bars and boutiques of SoHo. There is no view. Everything is blocked by masses of very high rise apartments. It is a vertical city. Once at the top it was too late in the day to continue so we got directions from a lovely lady walking her children home and headed down hill on foot. A short stroll through the zoo and gardens and we were back in the helter skelter of city streets.

We were glad to reach the walkway leading to the Star Ferry once again. It was time to head home and put our feet up!

It was quite late in the evening before we wandered a few blocks to Hing Fat for a Cantonese meal in more humble surroundings. Dan had to take me home before I fell asleep on the table! Good night all!

Day One - go with the flow

January 5th

We lost a day along the way so the day after Sunday was Tuesday. I will adjust. I will adjust. I will adjust.

We had a great sleep and woke ready to go our first morning. For the first order of business, we spent hours in the L'Escalier buffet having breakfast. You can see the theme of my vacations!
What a wonderful start to the day.

Station one was for fruit and yoghurt. Not your usual bowl of fruit salad and Dairyland mini containers here. Choose from pineapple and lychee compote - was that a hint of honey and ginger? Cocktail glasses of yoghurt with toppings like pineapple and coconut with rum or forest berry.

Station two was stir fried broccoli, noodles, fish in soya sauce or a rolled noodle dish. Noodle soups cooked to your order with dumplings, meats and fish to choose from. A variety of steamed foods as well. Very different to us and very tasty.

Station three was the English grill and eggs section - omelettes to order.

Station four was a Scandanavian start to the day with a variety of smoked fish, meats and cheeses.

Station 5 was the bakery. Save the best for last! Even pancakes were special. They rolled out of a pancake machine one at a time, cooked to order when you pushed the button. But the best part was the variety of fruit compotes and sauces you could put on them They were really just a shelf for black current and vanilla custard! Croissants to die for, probably literally. No extra butter needed here! Danish pastries galore. You see why we had to stay until it closed.

Next, we planned to take the White Star ferry across the bay to Central and take the Peak Tram up to Victoria Peak. It looked like the best day to do it weather wise. But we were hijacked by a young man who said Dan was a big winner and all he had to do was go to the Gold Coast to pick up his prize. Well the weather was cloudy and we could not see the Peak so it stood to reason views from the peak would be limited too. We would take their free taxi ride to the New Territories and see that instead.

We saw a lot more of the harbour and the topography than we had done coming in by night. We did the obligatory tour of the new vacation development with a lovely young woman from Kent, England. We enjoyed exchanging travel ideas with her as we walked.The resort was very well done, the private yachts in the marina made a great backdrop, the beautifully maintained beach framed the view of Lantau Island opposite and we were able to see a 17th century sedan chair or palaquin up close in the lobby of the hotel. Just over the mountain behind us was mainland China.

Dan did win a prize. Not the Sony Computer or the thousand US dollars but a week at their new resort in Thailand for four. Sounded good but two need to be under 12. They did not say that up front! We'll see how it works. There are cheap flights from Manila... I got the T-shirt!

Back in Kowloon, we dumped our loot at the hotel and walked up Canton Road to Kowloon Park. It was getting to be dusk and the weather was closing in so the light was not ideal. It is a very interesting park and part of the original walled city so we will try to get there again in spare moments.

The rain started and I did not bring rain gear so we crossed the street to Harbour Mall - 700 stores and no squall jacket. It is winter here and parkas are in good supply. It is 16 degrees Celcius for heavens sake! I will wear my blazer and carry an umberella for the short time we are here.

We stumbled on a nice Thai restaurant by the cruise ship terminal. Once the ship moved away from the windows, we had a wonderful view of the Harbour just in time for the Symphony of Lights show. Serendipity and good roast breast of duck with pineapple and lychee in red curry sauce. What more could you ask for?

Back to the room and turned in for another good night.

The Trip Begins

Sunday January 3rd 2010

The day has arrived! We are on our way to Hong Kong!

There was the usual flurry of last minute jobs to do before departure. Time was taken up by seasonal activities. Christmas with the family, babysitting New Year’s Eve, a dinner for friends the night before departure.

It all took my mind off actually going. Distractions can be counterproductive. Suddenly you remember there are bills to pay and the car insurance will expire if you do not attend to it just when you should be packing. And the little interruptions can be very time consuming. Finally, the festivities were over, the last dishes cleared away. The bags were packed, weighed, repacked and we were ready!

We drove to David’s to hand off our car and he kindly took us to the airport on his way to work. There we were, a full three hours early, all checked in and nothing to do! We found a nice restaurant and lingered over a filling brunch. Who knew when we would be fed next?

Quite soon actually. The first order of business on Cathay Pacific is a snack and beverage followed by a multi course meal. The pleasant oriental lady beside us passed Dan a good portion of hers as well.

Lunch

Romaine Salad with Prawns and Thousand Island dressing

Baked Salmon with white wine butter sauce, mashed potatoes and broccoli

Chocolate cherry mousse cake

Tea or Coffee

The shrimp cocktail had three large, very fresh shrimp. I might not have passed those on if I had tasted mine first. Add to that a fresh roll with real butter, a large cookie for later and a very decent California Chardonnay with refills on request. Unheard of on any flights I have taken for some time.

There was a good selection of first run movies to choose from but I could not get involved. My book was absorbing but it was night time by decree if not in fact. I was reluctant to disturb others by turning on my light. I managed a short nap but there is so much to think about!

The flight ended and it was simple enough to get our luggage and find the Langham Hotel kiosk in the terminal. We were given shuttle bus vouchers and followed a large group of people going to the buses. Few were actually going our way. It was a lengthy drive to Kowloon but we were in the hotel by 8:00 PM Hong Kong time - nearly 24 hours since our day began.

I was greeted with a long stemmed pink rose and then given an upgrade to the Club floor. A very nice room with amenities we had not seen before - electrically controlled drapes???? Best of all a very comfortable bed…. Good night!

Buntzen Lake Walk

The Sunday following Christmas, Danielle and I enjoyed a frosty walk along the Buntzen Lake trail with Sara. What a contrast from the weather we would have only a week later as our travels began.