I arrived safe and sound and had managed to sleep most of the way. My host, Daisy met me at the Rosato Hotel for breakfast of rice, egg and local sausage. We went to the market to get some local produce for our lunch before we went to the farm:
When I arrived I met Joelle from Holland. It was incredibly hot so everyone was taking a rest for a few hours at midday then in the afternoon we took the truck to the rice fields...
I thought I was going to fall through the floor of the truck as I got in as there were rust holes everywhere but off we went along the bumpy roads to the field...
...where we harvested by hand...
...with a few breaks in the shade to cool down...
I definitely slept well that night even in the boiling heat! The next morning Joelle and Jersun showed me around the rest of the farm...
...including the Papaya trees...
...pineapple plants...
...Caribou...
...Snakes...
...and Crocodile...
The staff lived in traditional housing....
Surprisingly they are all connected to the electricity board!
In the afternoon we helped Jerry the gardener with some planting.
On my third day I helped with the rice processing...
...even with a machine it was still tough going in the heat...
...the rice also has to be left out to dry...
On my final day we went to the 'mountains' (more like hills) to collect manure for compost. It was nice to see some scenery along the way.
My host Daisy also had a house in Manilla and since I only had a short time in the Philippines she suggested I went there to visit her while she was doing work in the city so that I could see some more sights. So on my fourth evening we had a small party and I said good bye to the staff before getting back on a nine hour night bus to Manila.
I arrived at around six in the morning but it was already hot and the city was busy as usual. I was picked up from the bus station and went to see Daisy. After freshening up we picked up her friend Ging and set of to Tagaytay, south of Manila, a beautiful area full of pineapple farms. We went there for the views and saw the volcano:
Where I am is actually the edge of a huge volcano crater and the lake is inside it with another small volcano in the lake. We enjoyed a lovely Philippino meal whilst admiring the view:
And I got to see an indigenous plant usually only found in the jungle!
Afterwards we wondered through beautiful gardens and enjoyed some Philippino coffee.
Getting back was a bit of an adventure when we couldn't find the highway but we made it!
The next day we explored some of Manila and made use of local transport. First we took a tricycle....
...then a Jeep....
It was quite an adventure and the driving in Manila is just as crazy as the other Asian countries I've visited. Everyone seems to have right of way! That evening we enjoyed drinks with friend and they introduced me to a pretty powerful drink made from coconut.
Before going to the airport on my final day Daisy took me to try one of her favourite desserts; Halo Halo:
It was delicious!!!!! And even better, I was treated to a massage afterwards, great way to end the trip!
My stay in the Philippines was better than I could ever have expected and i'm so glad I met Daisy and her family and friends, they made my time so special and I hope to go back. The Philippino people are friendly and inquisitive, the only problem is that they seem to think England is in America!
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