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.