Photos et lettres des Philippines, de France et d'ailleurs

In the Philippines, April is the first month of school holidays and summer. Furthermore, this year it began with Easter week where religious fervor reached a climax. On Good Friday, it is useless to look for any store open, that day is devoted to prayer.
In my case, from Thursday to Sunday I would rather stay home.
I received my electric bill on April 10 and I hit the road on the 11 to pay it in Siaton located 25 kilometers to the south of my home. I could have also set it in  Zamboanguita at only 5 km but here there is no direct debit and when I am away, my house keeper goes to the bank in Dumaguete only once a month to withdraw cash that often does not correspond to the dates of the billing, which is also irregular. That is why at the Noreco office (Electric Company of the Province) of Zamboanguita, the cashier takes a malicious pleasure in penalizing me of 5% for each delay.
In my province electricity is expensive, more than in France and without off-peak hours, last year after trying in vain to convince the local cashier, I went to the main NORECO office in Siaton where I was made most welcome. I explained them my problem and I just cannot imagine why, they asked me to come and pay all my bills at their office to avoid any penalty rather than give instructions to their Zamboanguita employee.
So now, I no longer pay the 5% when late but instead of driving 10 km like before it is 50 kilometers.
O that day the weather was fine; I grabbed my camera and left for Siaton stopping occasionally to take some shots.

(View from the Siaton road, some bamboos)

(View from the Siaton road, poor but smling little girl)

(View from the Siaton road, the supply of water)

Almost there, there was a section of roadwork with a single lane alternating traffic.

To regulate it there were no mobile traffic lights here but as usual but an attendant at each end with a signboard where we could read on one side GO and on the other STOP.
The employee had just turned it to STOP when I arrived and I stopped a little too close being in the way of oncoming trucks and buses. So I decided to reverse by 2 meters and in doing so, I heard a loud noise. I got out realizing that I had just hit the motorcycle stopped just behind the car in the blind angle of my rear mirrors.

(The bike embeddded under the rear bumper of my Pajero)

The passenger of the bike was already trying to call his aunt to report the incident and may seek advice on how best to extract money from me. Here there is no mutually agreed accident report and I told him to call the police instead.

Meanwhile I gave a call to my insurance company that gave me the procedure.

One, Ask for a police report. Two, Take some photos of the accident. Three, Ask the owner to get a repair estimate. Four, the insurance took care of the rest.
Finally, one of the many spectators gave me the number of the Siaton police who arrived on the scene forty-five minutes later. They asked me to describe the circumstances of the accident and questioned the bikers and a few witnesses. They took our driver's license and vehicle papers and finally freed the bike from my rear bumper and I could take some pictures of the damage. The bike had the front fender broken and my Pajero seemed to have been undamaged.

(The damaged motorbike)

The police then invited us to follow them to the station for the report. Once there, the chief told me that there was perhaps some way to arrange everything. He estimated the repair costs of the bike, brand new, as not yet registered, at 1500-2000 pesos (27 to 36 €) and if I would accept to pay it we may leave it at that.

Since my insurance deductible was 3000 pesos, I accepted immediately and the case was closed to everyone's satisfaction. The police did not have report to complete, I had no insurance claim to do and the owner and the bike did not seem to have his papers in order and so enjoyed the indulgence of the police.
Finally, all that was fortunately not serious but it took almost two hours and I still had the electric bill to pay.
To break the monotony a little, helped in that by my photography hobby, I force myself to do a day trip at least once a week and every month of a two-day trip.
On April 14, in the morning, I drove to the mountains not far from my home above Zamboanguita.

(Mountain view above Zamboanguita)

(Always the supply of water)

(On my way down toward the sea)

Then I went down for lunch by the sea in Kookoo's nest Resort owned by an Englishwoman. Mostly backpackers know that lovely place where you can eat the best fish and chips in the region. There is no frozen food there so we have to be patient and wait our meal for forty-five minutes to an hour.

(Kookoo's Nest Beach Resort)

www.kookoosnest.com.ph /

On April 18, I went to the Malatapay market 1.5 km from the house and famous in the area to buy roasted pig.

(The Malatapay market)

On April 22, after filling her up with diesel and checking my car, I took the road for a three-day trip of 600 km around Negros.
My first stage of 200 km led me to Sipalay, an important tourist spot, where I arrived for lunch at Punta Ballo beach and I took a room at Nataasan Beach Resort.

(View above Sipalay when arriving from Hinoba-an)

(Nataasan Beach Resort)

(Punta Ballo beach in the afternoon)

(Punta Ballo beach at sunset)

www.nataasan.com/

This is a beautiful resort with a beautiful pool and overlooking the beach of Punta Ballo. The rooms at about 30 € are spacious and very nice but unfortunately the restaurant is not up to scratch and it is better to take his meals, for example at Easy Diving Resort nearby.

www.easydiving.ph/english/index.htm

The next day I went towards the volcano Kanlaon and San Carlos for a second stage of another 200 km.

(View after Sipalay toward Kabankalan)

Unfortunately after an hour's drive my Pajero air conditioning began making a loud noise and I considered it prudent to switch it off. Therefore, I made the four-hour journey remaining with the entire vehicle windows open but still with 32 ° C inside with the noise and dust. Thus, my day was wasted in spite of the impressive spectacle of the Kanlaon volcano that is at 2435 meters the highest point of the island of Negros.

(Kanlaon volcano)

(Rice fields in front of Kanlaon volcano)

Once arrived in San Carlos, I had lunch and took a room at Carmel's Inn, at about 13 € it changed me pleasantly of prices in tourist areas.

http://www.sancarloscityinteractive.com/carmels/

After eating I started looking for a garage to look at the Pajero aircon. The mechanic told me there was a fan to change and that the repair would take two hours. In fact, it is only the next morning at nine o'clock that the vehicle was ready. It cost me € 46 and I could go back in the direction of Dumaguete for my third stage. These last 200 km were not easy because of all the roadwork to repair the damage of the last February earthquake, which epicenter was 40 kilometers south of San Carlos and made many victims. Some bridges were also destroyed and fortunately, the air conditioning repaired, I could drive with the windows closed.
It was at lunchtime that I arrived in Dumaguete and I could then go home to rest.
The next day, my car began to be noisy again and this time I brought it to a specialist in Dumaguete. It cost me 82€ to learn that the fan replaced in San Carlos was too small but that the real fault of the noise was actually a motor that I had to change.
April 30, I finished the month with a drive to Balanan Lake for the umpteenth and one more time, Fish and Chips at Kookoo Nest Resort

(Balanan Lake)

(Kookoo's Nest Beach Resort)