School children walking home on a dirt road in the rain.

We packed up the jeepney and started to make our way back to Tubas in a light rain. We passed by a new subdivision which was advertising lots for sale for 325 pesos (~$6.50) per month for 70 square meter lots. It also said there was "open space for the following: chapel, community talipapa, basketball court, tennis court. Noticeably absent to me was whether there would be a water system for the subdivision, however, I suspect that there would be one. We passed by the mansion of a congresswoman which was being built. Apparently, government service pays quite well here. School children were making their way back home as a light rain began to fall.

That evening we watched "The Others", an adequate horror film with Nicole Kiddman. I pointed out a large beetle in the house which Bella (Lyn's sister) picked up for a photo.

Lyn's sister, Bella (pronounced bay-lee-a), is holding a large beetle.

-Thursday-

Spam, eggs, rice, juice, & mango breakfast. We walked over to Perla's to buy some antihistamines & was winded when I returned. I watched "Pearl Harbor" but had a brown out for 3 hours. Later, we had 4 more brown outs. Some of Lyn's old high school teachers came by for a visit, including her favorite, the "bakla" (gay) one. I played some more basketball, hitting 3 straight 3-pointers during one stretch. When I missed the fourth try I stopped the long range bombs because I knew I was very weak and using all my strength just to reach the basket. We watched another Jackie Chan picture in the evening. The antihistamines helped me feel better, so this was basically, a day of regaining some of my strength after some very bad ones.

-Friday-

I watched "Don't Say A Word". Then we walked over to Bella's house who lived near another very small barangay. Rather than a road, there was a nice narrow (1 foot wide) concrete path. We saw some small children washing clothes in a stream while another small child road on the back of a carabao (water buffalo) which was pulling a large log. After the pathway ended, we walked on narrow pathways between rice fields. We saw Cesar's (Perla's husband) fish ponds. They were basically just holes dug in the ground which, when dug deep enough, filled up with water that seeped in from the ground. There was no irrigation. Comfortable morning temperatures had disappeared. I felt short-of-breath and light headed.

Lyn and her sisters Perla, Bella, Ging-ging, & Mylene are at Bella's house amongst the banana plants.

After hiking a while longer, we came on Bella's house which was in the middle of a small banana plantation. The land had been acquired in an unusual way. The owner needed some money so Tatay gave him 30,000 pesos (~$600) for 5 years use. Bella and her husband Jaime have built a nipa hut here. They can plant any crops they want and the entire profit is theirs. We ate some tasty rolls and drank the easily acquireable young coconut juice. Easy that is, provided that you have someone to climb a tree to get one. Then they take a machette and cut off the top and voila, you not only have a lot of juice, but a dribble glass as well to drink it out of. It doesn't seem very sweet, but it can be quite sticky on your hands and watch out for the drippings coming off your chin.

Tito drove down and we played some basketball - first 2 on 2, then 3 on 3, then 5 on 5. The other kids were late to the late afternoon game because they had to help prepare for the wedding tomorrow. This was to be the last day on the trip I felt reasonably well.

Tito's Toyota minivan, had tinted windows, even the windshield, seating for about a dozen asian sized people, a very firm ride, seat belts for the two people in front, a manual transmission, and, most importantly, air conditioning.

-Saturday-

It was an uncharacteristically quiet morning with many people gone to help prepare for the wedding. We went to Gumaca to pick up some electrical parts as I was intending on making a couple of repairs. I got a chance to drive as Tito turned the wheel over to me, but, once we arrived in Gumaca, I let Tito deal with the many traffic hazards not found in American driving. Later on, we attended the wedding reception. The bride was 5 1/2 months pregnant. Lyn said they eloped. In the Philippines that has a different meaning; if a couple goes somewhere and has sex, that's eloping. They must then get married. The reception was held under a tarp that shielded most of the sun, but not much of the heat, and none of the flies. We stayed awhile and then returned to Tubas to play some more basketball.

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