Philippines #3 Malatapay Market

On Wednesday mornings there is a huge open market here. It starts very early in the morning. The cooks for the resort get up early to make sure they get the best selection for the restaurant.

We went today, a little later, to experience the market. We had a briefing on it last night so we knew what to expect. Our dive guide Marco, another dive guide Simon and the Tokos Restaurant Host took us on our journey.

Wednesdays at Malatapay Market are always abuzz with activity. It is a place where livestock growers, local farmers and fishermen converge to sell their fresh produce. Aside from that there are also other vendors who display an array of merchandise such as plastic wares, household items, garments, slippers, sometimes even cheap children’s toys. It is a whole day fair for the townspeople, shoppers and visitors. Folks from the neighboring towns also take part in the tabo, a local term which means market day.

People go there not only to buy or browse around the market but also to enjoy the open air seaside restaurant that is popular for its fresh seafood dishes.

There were 102 of us so we boarded 2 Jeepneys to take us the 10 minute drive.



When we arrived I was surprised at how crowded it was. The problem is that they use this road to transport all the animals being sold at the auction.



Gary thoroughly enjoyed the hardware items for sale. He had his eye on a couple of knives. He said he collects knives which was news to me. He said he would take them home and put them in the basement. Well, Gary came back empty handed.


I am glad that blogs don't include a smell tab. The first two pictures are fish. Marco is from the Philippines and assured us that is tasted very good. I took his word for it and moved on.


Yes, let's keep moving on. More fish.


This is dried fish. Even after you dry it, it still smells fishy. Gary wanted to take some for snacks on the plane.


Fresh meat for sale.


Peanuts for only 5 Pesos. They were good!


Towards the end of the road is the market where all the livestock are sold. I chose not to go in and watch as I had seen enough of the animals being carried to and from along the road. I decided not to show you any of the pictures of the animals because it was hard enough for me to see and listen to. The pigs make the worst sound when they are being tied up. No slaughtering goes on here, lucky for me.

The road ends at the beach. At the end is a restaurant that sells roasted pig. We had a table set for us as we arrived to try some sticky rice, fried banana, roasted pig and more. Kirsten settled for some Sprite while Gary tried it all.

We had a wonderful man playing banjo for us at the end. He was a very friendly man and played the banjo very well. It was nice to sit and listen to. he even took requests!

Philippines #2

After about 30 hours of travel we arrived in Puerto Galara, Philippines. We drove from Chehalis to Vancouver, BC for our flight. Then we had a 13 hour flight to Hong Kong, layover there and a short flight to Manila. From there a 4 hour bus ride then a 1 hour boat ride.

The food here is wonderful. We have enjoyed some of the best food on any of our dive trips. Kirsten is not a seafood fan but there has always been chicken or beef. Gary is loving all the fresh fish he can eat. For lunch and dinner we always have a gourmet dessert. Laura we will get pictures for you at every meal.

Our dining area.


We have 63 stairs to climb up to our room every time. It reminds me of my trip on the Comfort! We make sure before we leave that we have everything we need. But, we have to go up and down and least 4 times a day, great exercise. That and being in the water swimming for up to 4 hours a day helps justify the desserts.

Yesterday, while our gear was drying, we took a walk around town. Gary found two hardware stores and enjoyed looking around.

The streets of Puerto Galara.


Think there are any copyright issues here?


A few of the boats we have been diving off of.


One day last week we traveled by boat to Verde Island where we spent a day of diving. Here are a few pictures of the island.





During this week two of our divers reached milestone dives. Russ had dive #1200 and Bob (Scuba Dad) had Dive #6400. No, that is not a typo! I am barely to dive #600. That night they each had to drink a beer out of a snorkel with a mask on. They made it look easy!
They each got T-Shirts to commemorate the event. My lesson in all of this is to NEVER tell them exactly how many dives I have had.

We have been here one week and we are packing our gear and headed for the airport. We are flying from Manila to our next destination, Dumaguete. We will be staying at the sister resort to where we are at now. It's not a lot of fun drying out the wet gear for a day, packing, getting up early and traveling, but it is necessary to go someplace else.

We are usually in bed by 8:30 at night and we are up at 6:00 am. For those who know my sleep schedule lately, that is a real challenge for me. But, I have adjusted and with the help of some great little blue pills I sleep well all night.

The sunset the night before we left.

This is the sunrise as we were leaving.

The shore of Puerto Galara as we were leaving.

Loading up on the boat.

JENNY!!!

Alright, I guess the truth is out (on facebook) so I might as well give up the game.

Jenny is pregnant! She is due on June 18th.

Her morning sickness set in nearly right away, but she is on a good medication that has her feeling much better. Her Dr said both mom and baby are looking healthy.

We're all SO excited!

Guess Who is Pregnant

The Klein family has some exciting news! Yes, someone is pregnant.


Instead of telling you right away I thought I would have a little fun (even though you've all been anxious for the last 10 days!). I am going to have everyone tell me who they think is pregnant.

I have added a gadget to my blog on the right for you to take the poll. Just remember our motto in Chicago for voting: "Vote Early. Vote Often."

The Philippines #1

Gary and I are in the Philippines for a 2 week scuba diving trip. It took us about 30 hours to get here: A long drive from Chehalis to the Vancouver BC airport where we left, a 13 hour flight to Hong Kong, a 2 hour flight to Manila, a 4 hour bus ride and a 1 hour boat ride. Add to that layovers, customs etc and we arrived exhausted.

Our first adventure was crossing into Canada. They always ask questions and one of them is if we brought any firearms with us. Not remembering if Gary did or not I asked him if he left his gun at home. The officer asked me what I said and I told her. Well, we were asked to pull over. I had to go inside and when I turned around and looked Gary was being held with his hands behind his back like he was handcuffed. They wouldn't let me stay with him. They searched him, our car and luggage. It all was quite fast but it was a little scary. We didn't have anything to hide which made it better.

On our first day of diving Gary got a headache so he missed the second dive. After lunch I felt very sleepy so I went to bed about 2:00 pm and slept until 6:00 am. I guess I needed the sleep. Gary did the 2 afternoon dives without me. The next day Gary got a headache after the first dive and sat out the next two dives. On the last dive for the day he joined me. My high pressure hose failed so I had to go back to the boat and he finished the dive without me. Today we are headed for Verde Island for 3 dives.

The food here is fabulous! Gary is enjoying seafood everyday. The weather has been warm and sunny and the water temperature has been great. I didn't bring my underwater camera but I will try and take some land pictures today. I know my children are breathing a sigh of relief that I didn't bring my underwater video camera. They don't enjoy watching my videos.