The Ruins

January 28, 2012.


Tuesday was a day to prepare. We have Kathy, Steve and Chelsea coming for a visit in the afternoon. Riza has taken my key lime pie recipe and modified it to use puréed mango in the cheese layer. She tops it with mango slices and then finishes it with the whipped cream. Key Lime pie becomes Mango cheesecake! It is a very good addition to the recipe box.

We are going to do a more Canadian dinner for Steve. I am supervising the prime rib roast in the barbeque. We do have mashed potatoes and vegetables but no oven to do the Yorkshire pudding. In this kitchen, who needs the added heat? It is much nicer to have fruit and cheese for appetizers on the lanai with cold drinks! It was a very nice evening.

Wednesday, Leroy and Riza went back to Panaad market on their own so there would be enough room in the car for plants. They came back with a variety of Calamansi, two Pomelo and a number of other plants that caught their eye. Then we had to plant them!

Did I ever mention that there used to be a rock crushing plant down the road? Calibago was part of that property. In order to get the loaded trucks out of the plant, the ground was loaded with gravel and large rock then packed solid by the traffic. It is covered with a thin layer of soil that has become Leroy’s lawn. Try to dig a hole and the road bed becomes visible instantly. I have an unerring ability to find the biggest rocks. Dan was digging with a ramming bar and shovel. I was determined to make the hole big enough to get that rock out so the trees roots could spread. I took my turn on the shovel. To make it easier we decided to fill it with water to soften the earth. No luck – then we just had a hole with water. It never did drain that afternoon! We eventually gave up and planted the little tree on the softest side of the hole. The roots will have to find their own way around! That tree is going to need water wings on rainy days.

It is hard to believe how easily things grow here. Riza cut all the leaves off vegetable stocks similar to kale and spinach. She used the leaves as vegetables and then planted the leftover stocks last weekend. This week there are new leaves coming out.

The seeds she planted are all up and doing well. The little ,lime tree already has new leaves – there were no rocks or water in that planting spot.

Just before sunset, Riza and I get out the hoses and water the flower beds. The hose by our little house is not exactly uni-directional, it is designed to sprinkle in any and all directions. I end up as wet as the flower beds I am watering. In this heat it is a pleasure! It takes me about an hour to make sure each area is thoroughly watered and to check on the progress of the plants. Many of them are plants we bought on our travels last time we were here.

Friday we took a break from all the gardening and went on a tourist day to the Ruins. The Ruins have a sad history. A wealthy young man from the Philippines, Don Mariano Ledesma Lacson, was travelling in Hong Kong and met a beautiful young lady, Maria Braga, in Portuguese Macau. He decided she was the one for him. Her father approved the match and they were married. They lived an elegant life in one of the beautiful “Ancestral homes” in Silay. They had 10 children as was usual at the time. When Maria was pregnant with her 11th child, she slipped and fell causing a miscarriage. Medical help was not close by and by the time the doctor arrived, she had died. Don Mariano built the new mansion as monument to his beloved wife. As long as his children were unmarried, they could live there. The boys lived on the main floor and the girls on the floor above. Not all suitors were brave enough to face the brothers! Three of the women remained unwed.

The building itself was built of the finest materials. The cement poured day and night until the job was complete. It still is as smooth to the touch as marble. The floors made of long, thick planks with no seams from one end to the other. The patterns of the tile are still clearly visible. This beautiful home was built in 1911. In 1942, American guerillas set fire to it so it would not fall into the hands of the Japanese. It took three days to burn until only the cement structure remained forming the ruins we see today.

We had a pleasant lunch at the Pizzaria in the garden. By the time we were finished the school groups, who were touring for the morning, had gone and we had the place almost to ourselves.

The gardens are beautiful, designed in the same Italianate style as the house. The fountain and the chimney tower of the sugar cane processing plant are prominent features. Our tour was cut short by heavy thunder showers.

As usual we stopped here and there on our way home and arrived back at Calibago glad to be out of the city once more!

Anna’s stage is finished. The clothesline has been put up. Everyone gathered to see this new addition work. I took some wet towels off of the old line and pinned them up, then rolled them out. Jokes and laughter all around. Anna was trying to decide what song she should sing on her new stage! Both Anna and Lucy used the line right away. Unfortunately, they are a little loose. With only two spacers to hold longer items up, some of the laundry dragged too low. Dan and Leroy are looking for a turnbuckle so they can tighten the lines. That should do the trick.

Sunday we decided to go with Leroy and Riza when they went to church. They dropped us at the MacDonald’s next door to wait for them and use the WiFi. Well, we enjoyed the familiar MacDonald’s breakfast and the air conditioning – but there was no WiFi.

We went to the mall just as it opened and managed to find snorkels for our masks. We will be using them this coming week. I still would like to spend some time at the Robinson Mall but it was time for lunch. The main goal of the day was to try out a new restaurant, “Restaurant 21”. We hear they have classic banana splits!

We found a parking space right in front of the restaurant. The security guard brought an umbrella to the car to shade us for our walk to the door. The restaurant was very modern in design and restful in décor. The menu had both North American and Filipino foods to choose from. Dan had Cream Dory fish as Fish and Chips. Leroy had a mushroom burger. Riza and I chose shrimps in coconut curry. We can have burgers and fish and chips at home! The food was well presented and enjoyable, including the banana split!

I was dressed up for this occasion and thought perhaps I should use a napkin – the curry colour would not do my skirt any good. You really can dress me up, but should not take me out. I did make a fine mess of their snowy white napkin. Thank heaven, it did save my skirt!

Back to Calibago!

Market Days

January 23, 2012.

Friday we decided to go to Bacolod and run errands again. We try to get going early before the heat of the day.

First stop is the shoe store. Riza has had a pair in for repair and they are ready now. Dan is returning the sandals they made him last trip. The sole was made of two pieces of rubber tire glued together. They did not have one whole piece large enough for his foot. Soon after we got home, the two pieces separated and he has not been able to wear them. They took them back and we will see what happens this time.

Next we visit Libertad market. I remembered the smell immediately! We picked through vegetables loading our bags with potatoes, onions (red and white), tomatoes, squash, carrots, ginger, garlic and a huge bunch of greens. From the fruit seller we got mangos, guayabana (soursop), Chinese oranges and apples.

I visited a store with every possible plastic container and got a bright pink wash tub, very expensive, made in Thailand the lady told me. But it was stronger than the local plastic tubs so we agreed on a price that made both of us happy. It cost me 150 pesos or $3.50. It will make a good and useful gift here.

We went by the fish market but by 9:00 AM they were closing up and there was nothing much to choose from. We will go earlier one day.

We arrived at Robinson Mall just before opening and chose a good parking spot by the entrance. Good means find one by the door or in the shade! Fantastic is both! We were in need of a cold drink – iced tea was first on the agenda. Riza and I wanted to check out their refridgerators. My plan was to hit all the shoe stores. We had to get groceries. The men must have hidden communication when shopping is on the agenda. Steve called to say he and Kathy were in town. Let’s meet for lunch at 11:30. That meant no time for fridges or shoes – just time for groceries!

It was nice to see Steve and Cathy again. Steve is working on a project in Vietnam so he only has a short break at home. Just in time to meet their new baby girl. Her name is “Chelsea” if you ask Kathy but it is “Manchester United” if you ask Steve. She is a doll! The specialty of the restaurant is Baby Back Ribs. Note to self: Baby Back Ribs in Bacolod bears no resemblance whatsoever to Baby Back Ribs in Central Florida! Order something else next time.

I dug a section of the garden Saturday morning and made several trips to the river level for sand. It was left in drifts by the total flooding of the lower level before we got here. I thought it would be good for the garden. It will add the nutrients of the silt and the sand will lighten the dirt that is very heavy here. It is healthy in the garden - lots of worms and the dirt is dark from all the compost so it should grow well. I was thinking of my dad as I dug. I did not have string and sticks to mark out the edges of my plot so it is not exactly straight! Riza and I started by 8:00 AM and were done in by 10:00. Dan and Leroy were in the shade with a gin and tonic shortly after. Crazy English!

Saturday afternoon and Sunday were quiet. Riza and Leroy went to church and ran errands in town. Dan and I relaxed at home. Puttering around with whatever caught our attention. Monday we continued the errands that were interrupted Friday.

Riza has a fridge she needs to defrost manually and very often. It is a local brand and Riza did not realise they still made manual defrost fridges when she bought it. So our search for a fridge continued. We found one Friday at SM Department Store but they would not deliver to Murcia so we went to a local appliance store. They had an amazing selection of everything. We found a really nice Samsung, larger than the ones we saw elsewhere, and they do deliver to Murcia. Riza managed to make a deal for this fridge that was less than the others including delivery! She is good!

Dan was looking at their photographic equipment and found a Sony tripod he liked. He can leave it here so that he does not have to add to the weight of his pack when travelling. While he was doing that, the Chinese Dragon team arrived complete with drummer. They came into the store and while I was filming, the Dragon climbed right into my face! Kung Hai Fat Choy, everyone!

We were stopping at various places to look for parts for the motorcycle Leroy is restoring. No luck. We made a short stop at Libertad for fruit and coffee. The coffee is locally grown, roasted and ground. We really enjoy it. All these little stops were very hot and tiring. Traffic is crazy here with so many vehicles going one way, you would wonder how those coming in the opposite direction would find space!

We were glad to go to Imay’s restaurant and sit in the shade for a very nice lunch. Riza and Leroy have their favourite dishes they order. I decided to add something different, Shrimp with Chili and Garlic. I can’t explain it but was it ever good! It was a toss up who was going to lick the bowl. Add that to the list of favourites!

One more stop on the way home – I asked if we could go to Panaad Market. I love that place! It is a long block of tiny stalls selling garden plants. They are beautifully set up so you feel you are walking in shady green gardens. There is a long narrow path between two other stalls, sloping down, down, that opens out into the largest garden. It is the home of the fruit tree seller. I walked up and down looking at trees. A tiny puppy was barking valiantly, taking his job of guard dog very seriously, but no one came. Finally Riza was able to get the attention of the owner. Dan managed to round up Guilbey’s gin and even some Schweppes tonic at the grocery store but I have had no luck finding Persian limes. I solved the problem at Panaad market. I bought a lime tree!

It was good to get back to Calibago, and just in front of us at the gate – the delivery truck with the fridge! How was that for timing and excellent service! They brought the fridge in, unpacked it and set it up. Then they moved the old one over to our little house. Now we can have cold drinks too – not necessarily alcoholic! Even I drink cold water in this heat!

I jokingly said that the huge cardboard carton would make a good playhouse for Anna’s kids. But Anna has already requested it – to use as a bed. Her brother carried it home for her immediately. A piece of cardboard on the bamboo floor makes a good bed. What a different reality.

Alex has dug the second part of my garden while we have been gone. They don’t like to see me work here! It seems to worry them even though I try to explain I need the exercise. All that is left is for me to plant my lime tree. Reza got busy and planted eggplant and greens. After two days her bitter melon has jumped up and sprouted leaves already. It is looking like a garden!

Quiet Days

January 19, 2012.

Sunday is always a quiet day. The staff have the day off. Leroy and Riza usually go to church and lunch with friends or run errands in town. Dan and I have time to do something or nothing in the neighbourhood. Today the choice is nothing. I read my book, made lunch and watched the world go by.

Lucy is not back yet. Her little boy had broken ribs in addition to the compound fracture of his arm. That will be a big expense for the family and they may have to sell their water buffalo to pay the medical bill. Water buffalo are like money in the bank here. A breeding female is worth a lot so even if you do not work them, having them ensures money in case of emergencies like this. Theft is a problem - though how do you rustle a water buffalo? They are not exactly speedy! They are not silent either. They make a lot of noise when disturbed.

Riza and I cook up a good stir fry for dinner and relax under the trellis. The Fleur de Lune shine white in the night around us. Lynne and I bought some new fabric for Bag Ladies called “Wind Flower” – I think they are the same flower. It would make sense as they hang from the trellis on long stems that blow gently in the breeze. There is a little lightening but no rain. I actually sat up a little later this evening and was sociable!

Monday morning I checked out the garden plot. I would like to make that my project but how to make best use of the area? It is pleasant and shady in the morning, but by noon it is in bright sunshine and very hot. It will stay that way until late afternoon. It has been a compost heap for some time. Now that it is cleaned up the earth below is good from all that was composted. If I dig it over and add sand and silt from below to lighten the earth, it should be good for planting next fall when Riza comes again. Right now it has only a few sad beans, potatoes and taro. Along one wall there are papaya trees and a tiny calamansi (like a key lime). Bitter melon vines are beginning to climb up the tower. They should provide shade for tomatoes and peppers below. While I was thinking about the garden, Anna got busy and moved some things around to leave room for my plans. Now I have to get on with it!

Leroy shipped the pulleys and wire for a clothesline. Laundry here has always been strung on lines winding back and forth in the garden. The staff have been watching as he erected steel poles at either end of the garden. He showed them where the clothesline will go. Anna is wondering how will she reach it? Then he started the men building a cement platform with steps. Now she wondered, how will she move it along the line? Why are they doing this? Even the men did not understand what they were building so explaining was difficult. Finally Alex recognised it as a stage! Right! Now construction was easier. Still Anna is not sure. We are looking forward to their reaction when it is all put together.

Tuesday morning we got up very early and went into Bacolod. Dan and I went to the dentist to get our teeth cleaned. Riza had a doctor’s appointment and Leroy had to get the car fixed. They dropped us off first. Dr. Melinda Solis was very nice – a tiny little Filipino lady, she asked Dan how tall he was. “Never mind, when you get in my chair you will be small and scared!”, she laughed! Here the dentist cleans your teeth and the assistant holds your head, moves the suction as directed or wipes you gently with a towel. A very gentle procedure.

Once we were both done, we took a cab to SM Mall and wandered around for the rest of the morning. It was the first time we had to find our own way anywhere and we did it! We stopped for lunch just before Riza and Leroy arrived to meet us.

We took another cab to St Vincent Street on the route home to pick up the car. It was being fixed by an electrician on the side of the road in front of his house. The street is full of activity. Beside the “repair shop”¸ pedi cab drivers are wagering their fares over a game of coin toss. Throw three coins in the air and bet on the way they fall. Riza scolded the loser on the loss of his family’s rice money for the day. He left the game and sat off by himself – at least while she was there!

There had been a problem with the electrical motor driving the power windows. It appears marginally better. On the way home we discovered a new screaming belt sound under the hood. Were the issues related? Would we get home? Who knows? We got home safely and the noise died away.

By evening, Riza was really ill. I cooked and cleaned up after dinner and we all turned in early. Wednesday we continued to let her rest and the rest of us were happy puttering around at home. We always need a day of rest after a city day!

Thursday the antibiotics had taken effect so we were all able to go for a walk through the village and out to a nearby road Leroy and Riza had not seen before. They were interested in a piece of property they heard may be for sale. It is a good sized piece of property but it is horizontal, stretching down a steep slope to the river. At the moment it is all planted in banana trees. Anna was our tour guide and she walked us up the road toward the highway in the distance. There was some traffic coming toward us – an older man riding his water buffalo leading a young one along behind and a young man on a fancy motor bike, trying not to dump it in the huge slippery ruts left by the sugar cane trucks. Once we could see the highway in the distance we turned off toward the road we usually drive in to Calibago making a circle home again. We passed the steep slope of the cane field that had been burned earlier in the week. It has already been plowed in preparation for another crop. We came to the entry of the village and stopped to look at the herb garden by the church. It is full of natural herbal remedies similar to the “Physic Garden” at UBC Botanical. Unlike the demonstration garden, this one is in use for the people of the village.

Anna invited us to see her house and garden now that it is completely finished. It is much larger than I expected and very well designed. It is split level with two bedrooms upstairs, a living room on a lower level and the kitchen at the back on the ground floor. The neighbours all came around to say hello though only one or two spoke English.

It was only 10:00 AM when we arrived back at the house but it is already over 30 degrees. It felt good to have a shower and dry clothes before sitting once more in the shade of the trellis enjoying the breeze from the river.

Late afternoon it cools again and we spend time watering the flower gardens. Even when I manage to soak myself from the knees down, it feels wonderful. Note to self – don’t wear a long dress to water the garden.

A spectacular sunset and dinner end another day.

Centered in Calibago

January 14, 2012.

After a good night sleep, I was keen to get up and check out my surroundings in the daylight. Peeking out the windows, I could see the garden we planted had become a jungle! It was 6:00 AM and already Leroy was moving around the property. By 7:00 the workforce would be present and building the new fence outside our bedroom window. Best to be up and ready to go by then!


Showered and dressed I was watching for Anna’s arrival. Leroy and Reza had not told her when we would be coming. I could hear her singing on the deck in front of our door so I opened it up and said, “Good morning, Anna!” We did catch her by surprise! She did a little dance, we hugged and she cried! It was good to see each other again!

Cesar is no longer working at Calibago. Anna is now the Major Domo, keeper of the keys, with the badge of office – a cellphone –hanging around her neck. Her cousin Lucy is now a housemaid and Anna’s brother, Drago, is a very hard working handyman. We met Drago when he built Anna’s new house last visit. Alex is the new watchman. He has not been here long so we have yet to get to know him. Randy and his partner, Annalin, are temporary help for the building of the wall. Calibago is a growing community! We tease Leroy he is beginning Parok Dove! Parok being a small village such as the one next door. The workers and their families made a large and lively group in the photographs of the Calibago Christmas party.

We spent a quiet day touring the property and catching up on news. Reza had done a beautiful job of decorating our little house. The walls are freshly painted in decorator colours with beautiful hangings. Fresh flowers and potted plants liven up the room. We have a new bedroom suite with a very comfortable bed. There is a full living room suite to relax on. I had Reza come for a visit at our house this time. I should stock tea and cookies!

The gardens are amazing, particularly the heliconia and torch ginger in the front garden. It is now taller than the house and the various blooms are gigantic. There are many new papaya trees loaded with fruit. The mango trees are large but the rain seems to have limited the blooms there do not appear to be mangos coming. Drago brought a ripe mango from his garden for our breakfast. Wonderful!

The river is still high though the flood that covered the entire first level has now abated. Piles of sand remain along the front fence and the debris is still being cleaned up. There are piles of sugar cane deposited from fields up stream that need to be burned. At its height, the water covered the bottom step to the second level. It left the coconut palms laying every which way in its wake. They are standing again and have survived. The trees are probably doing well in the fresh silt left behind.

We watched three little people lug their inner tube up the path and then come floating down the river and right over the rapids covering the rocks in front of Calibago. It looked like they were having a great time! We could hear their excited voices drifting back to us as they disappeared down river. They made the trip a number of times. How many moms would allow that at home?!

We spent our first day quietly at home, relaxing after our long trip. Day two there were errands to run so we went off to Bacolod to visit the hardware store and the mall. Time to get my phone started and some fresh food. We met a dentist in town and booked an appointment for next week. I have been meaning to make an appointment at home but did not get to it. Here there is plenty of time.

Friday we went to the Golf and Country Club to meet friends from the area for lunch. Richard and Joy arrived with their very energetic little boy. He has sure grown since last we were here! Bill and his wife, , came too. All live in and around Mercia so it is nice to get together locally from time to time. The Golf club dining room is noted for its barbeque steak and onions with French fries. It has a lovely lanai on which to relax and visit.

I could not get my computer to talk to the cell phone so I could use it as a modem to connect to the internet. We went back to the mall after lunch and I went from cell phone provider, to cell phone company to technical support and back again all afternoon before the issue was resolved and the connection was working. Boring for everyone else but they stood by until I was done.

After all that we took another day off Saturday and spent it at home alternately puttering about and taking life easy. Lucy came to the door and spoke to Reza while we were having breakfast. Before we finished she was back with Anna doing the talking and Lucy in obvious distress. Reza went off with them and came back with the news Lucy’s 6 year old son had fallen off a water buffalo and broken his arm. It was a compound fracture – the bone sticking through the skin above his elbow. The Barangay has a small ambulance that can navigate the rough narrow road to the village. They were waiting for it to take the little boy to hospital. Boys will be boys in any country!

Dan is slowly trying to remove a stump from beside the house. It will be in the way when Leroy’s plans for an extension take place sometime in the future. I am looking at the garden plot and outlining a structure. I will find a shovel and start shaping it slowly. I can imagine four raised squares for the garden bordered by paths that will drain any excess water and keep the roots from being waterlogged. It will mean creating one level and moving some large rocks – perhaps to be used as stairs at the gate. It can be my slow project to get me in shape in place of a routine at the gym!

At sunset the neighbours put on a show, burning the sugar cane field across the street. Many children came out on the street to watch. Dan and I got our cameras and joined the crowd. Last visit we would have been frightened by fire so close to our little house, but now we know it is a common occurrence. It is still dangerous but less threatening.

We don’t seem to be able to make the evenings last long yet. We turn in very soon after dinner has been eaten and cleaned up. A few minutes relaxing on the lanai under the stars and we say goodnight! We will try to be more social soon!

Back to Bacolod

January 10, 2012

Here we are on the road again! This time we are flying to the Philippines through Taiwan.

We had a long flight last night starting at 12:45 AM. Dinner was served sometime in the middle of the night – I slept through it. I was awake long enough to watch “Moneyball” with Brad Pitt and to get breakfast before landing.

We have a lengthy layover in Taiwan’s Taoyuan International Airport. It appears to be a nice terminal with areas of interest, green zones, a museum and an art gallery in addition to the shopping.

Being a grandmother, I had to investigate the “Hello Kitty” changing areas. Now that is luxury for the tiny traveller!



We left Taiwan on time. This time we had seats in the upper story of a 747. Very nice! Lots of leg room for Dan and only two seats across by the window. We could see the miles of ocean and eventually Luzon as we came down from the north toward Manila. Lunch was – interesting. We had eaten in Taiwan so I left the main course and enjoyed the coffee and dessert as “afternoon tea”.

We landed in Manila at NAIA Terminal 1, went through customs without incident and collected our luggage. We had plenty of time so chose a shuttle bus that eventually dropped us at Terminal 3 for our connection to Negros. This time we were travelling on AirPhil Express. We had a good deal on our flight – about $50.00 return each. That was with 15 kg of luggage. We had 20+ kg each. Overweight added another $40.00 one way! Note to self – think these things through! On our first big trip we had decided to stop stressing over the luggage – just pack and pay what was required. So we did!

Settled into the departure lounge we listened carefully to hear the flight changes over the hubbub of humanity. Sure enough, one after the other planes were late, flights delayed and eventually ours was affected.

We climbed aboard our small plane 2 hours behind schedule but we were on the final leg of the journey 24 hours after leaving Vancouver. We landed in Bacolod, loaded up our luggage one last time and found Leroy and Reza waiting at the exit. In no time we were in the Pajero heading through the darkness to Calibago. We tried to be social but by 8:00 PM we were tucked in bed in our lovely little house.