Adventures close to home - Part 1

Starting out with Aaron and Jonah

All the timing worked out perfectly so I could have a last week of adventures with Jonah before she left for her home in Legazpi. I had three days off because the batch of missionaries was so small at the last intake. We started out with lunch at a very nice restaurant which only had Philippine cuisine. Adventure begins: I tried Isaw - a chicken intestine and famous Filipino street food. Ok flavor, but chewy texture, probably wouldn't pay for it again.

Isaw

Kubol (Snail) the rice farmers pluck out all these snails from their fields. My favorite of the day! Cooked in coconut milk, butter, garlic and herbs and Kang Kong. I found them delicious. I would pay for them again.

Snail from the Rice Fields

Lato (Seaweed salad) It reminded me of the sea and Jonah said I needed to eat it with fish and tomatoes to really give it a good try.

Seaweed with vegetables

Sisig we had a pork sisig (tiny cuts of meat and vegetables on a sizzling platter) I have actually had some type of this at the MTC cafeteria. I'm told all different kinds of meats are used in this dish - including pig feet - maybe I just don't want to know everything. Anyway anything fried or sauté and hot usually tastes good. This one did.
Monggo (green beans) This is an almost stew dish often served with rice. It is usually served on Friday and is President Duterte's favorite food. I like it just fine though I kind of wish I hadn't been told that the crispy stuff on top (that I mixed in like crackers) was fried pig skin - chicharon.

Monggo

Jonah and her brother Aaron took me to explore the river that has intrigued me so much. I wanted a nice safe way to see what life was like right on the river. They took me a few miles down the road where I could look back and see my apartment and we explored that part of the river near an amusement park with lots of families.

Marikina River

I was surprised that the "bubbles" that rise up front the river are actually lots and lots of black fish. For some reason I thought the bubbles were caused by something fermenting on the riverbed. But so much water gets flushed down by rain in the mountains and off the streets - the darting fish eating are actually the reason for the bubbles.

Bubbles

Black fish from small to about a foot or so long

Aaron said, "Oh those are trash fish." It made me wonder what was coming out and why so many fish were almost jumping out of the water near this drainage pipe.

We met all kinds of people walking and enjoying the day. I can tell there is not any government department of OSHA at work here, I had to watch my step in quite a few places and dodge obstacles in my path. The people are so friendly, polite, and nice.

I told this girl she looked like a model holding these poles

I couldn't resist this man and his dogs

the amusement park was probably a lot of fun for kids. Each ride was paid directly to the person running the ride or event.

I was a little leery of the construction standards and had to watch where I walked not to trip up.

Just on the edge the rides were colorful booths that looked like they sold oranges and kumquats, but on closer examination it was trays of Balut!  All kinds of fishballs and other delicacies (like lumpia!)

The balut is a baby duck in an egg that has been cooked and then the stall owner will deep fry it so you eat it hot. The bones become like pretzels and the whole is eaten.

There is Balut and then day old ducklings. Jonah said that the day olds were better for foreigners to try out the Balut on. 

Day old duckling

Served with vinegar, onions, chili peppers and a little oil. It was actually yummy though I only tried a tiny bit - and drank lots of water after as we aren't suppose to eat street food.

So of course I had to try it. It wasn't bad and since all food is pipping hot (probably never had a hot coffee lawsuit in the entire country) being hot makes it taste better.
The river is peaceful and beautiful though a little smelly and full of people traveling, picnicking, playing, and working.

Is he fishing for a different kind of fish or farming?