April 2009, the visitors.

The month of April was, for me, especially a month of visits, therefore, pending the arrival of my visitors and occupied by the maintenance of the house, I made my first trip in the mountain not far from home above the city of Zamboanguita.
In the Visayas islands, the mountain is never far from the sea and yet a world separates the two populations. Those of the mountains are looked down by others, are poorer, more ignorant and have a darker skin. People from coastal plains are already in the anteroom of the cities, in general they have a better chance for education and therefore a future life supposed to be 'better'. Highlanders are still far away from that and part of the lives of women and girls are to fetch water, sometimes a long way from their houses and they carry it on their heads. Hard to imagine when in Wesstern countries we just have to open the faucet to get water and even to drink it... safely. As for the men, some are swelling the ranks of the NPA (National People's Army) which adherents originally communist are nowadays mainly fighting against the central government or against the abuses of the landlowners, the administration or the 'alleged overzealousness' of the police and the army in these remote areas forgotten by all.

(My mountain trip)

On 8 April my daughter Christelle and her boyfriend Alexis arrived for 10 days vacation mostly for resting.

(Christelle and Alexis)

(Christelle relaxing)

On the 10, Rina (Pronounce Lina) and Alexandre living in Hong Kong and whom Christelle and Alexis had visited before arriving in the Philippines came to join them.

(Rina and Alexandre)

Alexandre is a high school classmate of Christelle. He met Lina, half Chinese and half Japanese; while they were both students at the Beijing University and now they are living together in China for six years. Lina is mostly of Japanese culture, so they will move and work in Tokyo this next August.
All these young people arrived during the Holy week in the Philippines where at this period we are surrounded by a strong feeling of spirituality can and when the activities virtually stop from Wednesday till Easter Sunday. Furthermore it is the beginning of the summer school vacation and this week looks like that of August 15 there in France, although paid holidays are yet almost unknown to the entire Philippines population.
For our first trip we went to Lake Balanan, an hour ride from the

house and at a height of 300-400 meters above Siaton.

(Balanan lake)

Then after lunch we went down to the Tombobo Bay which is well known to the world of the sailboats and the tall ships seek shelter there protected from the storms for the duration of a call or some maintenance work.

I also know 2 solitary sailors who never returned to sea just staying there after having met a soul mate in the area.

(Tombobo bay,, Nigel's resort a retired Australian seaman)

On Easter Monday it was already time for Rina and Alexandre to return to Hong Kong as they only came for an extended weekend.
On Tuesday we were invited for coffee at Charly and Marichu's house with Rick a Franco-American retired from the U.S. Air Force and his nephew Eric from Brittany and NCO in the French navy. Then we had to go at Sam's house for lunch.

(Coffee at Charly's house)

(Lunch at Sam's place)

Wednesday was the traditional visit to the Malatapay market to savor the roasted pig.

(Roasted pig at Malatapay market)

On Thursday, April 16, Charly again invited us to lunch at the restaurant 'Why Not' in Dumaguete where you can eat the best steaks in the City washed down with an excellent Chilean wine.
Friday 17, Christelle and Alexis went scuba diving in the morning with Raphael the dive Swiss instructor of Thalatta Beach Resort where I meet them for lunch after having fetched at El Dorado Beach Resort, some friends, Susan, Philippe and their son Aurelien, arriving from France via Cebu and Bohol. Though regular visitors in the Philippines, they had never been in Dumaguete. It must be said that their visit was primarily motivated by the presence of the sister and brother-in-law of Philippe, Dominique and Bernard, both experienced divers and who were delighted by their first visit in this country.

(From left to right: Philippe, Bernard, Susan, Aurelien, Dominique, Alexis and Christelle)

Later we all went to the house for coffee and Dominique gave me some underwater photos to be published in this blog.

(Underwater photos by Dominique Passelaigue)

The next day was the departure of Alexis Christelle for Manila and then Paris.
The day before she had finally taken the time to give to the 3 children of my helpers some toys offered by Mattel company for which she works. It was really Christmas for those children who had probably never dreamed of having a Barbie doll for the girls and small cars for the boy.

(Some toys for Nora and Dodong's children)

http://www.mattel.com/

All of a sudden this great house seemed empty when I found myself alone again. So on the Monday I went to Dapitan where it was raining as usual. I also booked a room in Villa Pilar pension as usual and took my meals at Kamayan restaurant located a short distance after Glorietta Park.