You Pili Nut!

This is the Pili Nut Queen! She started a home-based enterprise where it's all about the Pili nut! It grows only in the Bicol region. We learned that many have tried to transplant, propagate, graft, etc. but elsewhere the tree does not bear fruit.

J. Emmanuel Pastries!

The family lives next to the store.

The operations take place up stairs.
A clean, bright, workplace ...

...where they bake,

wrap ...

... and package everything for the store ...

... and shipping.

I LOVE Pili nuts, and everything they make from them. I would describe the flavor as similar to a macademia but softer and more flavorful. Yum.

These are key chains, Lynne, our beloved Area 4 coordinator, bought us each one as a (cherished) souvenier.


Poor Toni, trooper that she is, was not feeling well at all this day -- can you tell?

But isn't this a cute picture of her?

Water Project

The water from the artesian well is not safe to drink ... 

... but this simple charcoal and sand water filter removes all impurities. After 48 hours, they have enough drinking 
water for about 50 people.

There are approximately 250 living in this village.

This eighty one year old woman has exceeded the average life span of 69. She lives ...here.

This is her bed. I just can't get her off of my mind.

The children we met were rarely camera shy...

And always curious.

 

This is the school in this village.

The older kids were rehearsing a dance for their graduation. Music, singing, dancing, seems so natural to the Philppine people we met.

Aren't they beautiful?

A gorgeous rice field was right next to the school.

Panicuason Hot and Cold

Panicuason Springs are at the bottom of a gorgeous, deep, lush, gorge.  

This local luxury is the result of living in a land of active volcanos.

The netting, although not so gorgeous, helps to keep the pools clean of leaves, and other falling objects.

The three hot spring pools were of differing temperatures -- a choice of comfort zones!

The stream runs between three hot pools and one cold(er).

The colder of the four felt cccccccold but Lynn said it was important to close your pores. She's the doctor (but I sorta woulda kinda have liked to leave 'em open)!

Not just here, but so much of the construction we saw was a mix of organic and concrete.

The group agreed that our collective C. Zone was most satisfied in the the middle pool.

It was raining a little while we were there but really, it did not matter!

 

RI District 6650 GSE team from ...

Butanding

They call them "Whale Sharks" ... but they are "Butanding." Not a mammal, but a really big fish that eats really small fish -- only. Fortunately for us, we are considerably larger than plankton ...

Our guides would spot the shadow of these big guys and signal us to line up for the jump ...

Once in, they would instruct us: "LOOK DOWN!  LOOK DOWN -- RIGHTNOWRIGHTNOW!"

I think they just wanted to add to the excitement. 

But it WAS really exciting!

 

Burt

This is Burt. Our first home base was in Legaspi. He was my first host. I never got his last name nor his address but I would like to thank him and his family for welcoming me into their home.

Mayon

Flying from Manila to Legaspi -- the far reach of RI District 3820 -- we had a great view of the Mayon Volcano from the sky. A perfect cone. It was raining and cloud-covered by the time we could get to her. This church tower is all that remains visible of the original structure now completely buried from one of Mayon's eruptions. Know as one of the counties' deadliest volcano's, it erupts on average every nine years.



We drove up Mayon to go to the Museum and Observatory. Needless to say, we were IN the clouds. It was the coldest we experienced during our entire stay. I was surprised to meet people living on the Volcano. I'm guessing insurance is not a consideration ...

Retrospect Number One

"Balut!" she said. God bless you.

This is an 18-day fertilized duck egg (typically hatches after 21 days), that is the delicacy we heard about before coming to the Philippines. It was, among other selections, one of the "Fear Factor" foods we were introduced to at our first welcome party that took place in Lipa, Batangas province.