Rolling Hills

Dacay House circa 1887

Portrait of an Ivatan

Shes 83 years old now. She could barely walk. But shes famous. She owns the Dacay House, a pit stop in every tourist's itinerary in Batan Island. It was built in 1887. Try googling her name, Florestida Estrella, and youd find plenty of her photos, in different blogs. When we got to her house, it was mid afternoon. She was sitting on a long wooden bench beside the window, wearing a red blouse and blue jogging shorts. There was a wooden bed on the other side, with different indigenous stuff hanging on the walls, some placed on a small cabinet beside the bed, with name tags and descriptions handwritten on white paper. It appeared to be a makeshift museum of some kind. I asked permission if i could take photos of her and her house, and she obliged. She was kind enough to answer all my questions. I asked her how she was feeling. She said she was having trouble making poo-poo the past couple of weeks. I felt obliged to help her. After digging into her most recent medical history and after checking the medicines she was taking, i found the cause of her misery: iron supplements. I told her to stop taking it. We chatted some more. I realized she had to do it, i mean the talking-to-strangers-all-day-all-year thing. Its probably her only source of sustenance. She could no longer work. Her brother is as old as she is. I spent about an hour in her house, and i felt privileged in a way. She probably wont remember me at all, but she will certainly be fondly remembered by many.

Saigon

A remnant of the Vietnam War.

Iconic Ho Chi Minh.

Used bomb shells displayed at Cu Chi Tunnel.

The great Mekong River.

Daily traffic in the city.

Aerial Snapshots of Vietnam

Looking Down from 33,000feet

Workstation

Singapore Zoo

Not bad for 134usd. I got the seat i want (34A, both ways). I got served meals just like the other passengers. I watched Dragonball Evolution and Confessions of a Shopaholic 2x. And most importantly, i disembarked at Changi, not at the Budget Terminal. It was more of an impulse buy when i saw the low rates offered at singaporeair.com, which left me with no other choice. And just like any unplanned trip, i plan my day after eating breakfast. I fended off the temptation of giving in to the ads and brochures promoting the great singapore sale, which was ongoing when i arrived. I discovered later that there wasnt much of a sale, once you do the math.

When i arrived at Changi, the only destination i had in mind was the Singapore Zoo. After paying 25sing dollars (exchange rate 32php to 1sing ) for taxi to get to my hotel at Sentosa, I said to myself that it was going to be my last taxi ride in Singapore. Its either im taking a different route to the zoo or im eating granola bars for 3days. Fortunately, the desk clerk at Siloso Beach Resort was a Filipino. Her name was CEC ( Cecilia ). For 3days, she was my personal Concierge. She gave me the information i needed. To my surprise, going to the zoo was inexpensive, costing me 5.50 sing one way, but it was a long trip ( an mtr trip and a bus ride ). The entrance fee cost 23sing.

When i got there at around 11am, the zoo was already open.The place is huge. It reminds me of Ocean Park, which is similarly organized. I took a map, mounted the telephoto lens on my camera, and for 4hrs, took pictures of some of the most colorful animals on the planet. Some of them i never knew existed, like the proboscis monkey and the pygmy hippo. Most of the animals were kept in open enclosures, even the lions. While i was in Cat Country, a thought lingered, that the only thing thats keeping the lions from eating me is a wire mesh and a small water canal. I hurriedly checked the map again for the nearest way to the exit, and scanned the area for the highest tree that i could climb. After a while, the better part of me prevailed. I figured that as long as I dont see people running like hell or shouting incomprehensible chinese profanities, or see body parts lying on the paved walkway, or a lion with a torn leg in between his jaws, Im safe. I didnt see any show, but i was able to see the orangutans upclose, and their babies. I would love to go back and see the animals i missed.

http://www.zoo.com.sg/visitor/zoo-map.htm

Life Unfolding