Beach life

Sometimes small fishing boats would come in from the sea with their catch. The act of meeting a boat and buying fish directly from them is called 'pagtapo' in our language. The photo above is of the fish we bought from a fisherman. Grilled at the beach, sprinkled with kalamansi juice (small citrus).

Beach photos

This is how I'm spending my summer.. watching boats pass by, taking photos of coconut trees and the sand and the beach.. and getting sun-burned.

Beach photos

Tuba

Local fermented coconut wine, dyed with barako.

Empty beach

Not for sale

Beach boys

Young acacia tree

Just across the street.

Another beach picture

At the back of the house, we have this part of the Pacific Ocean :-)

Drying palay

..on streets. This was just outside the mausoleum gate (previous post). You see this often here, people use the street to dry their newly harvested palay (unmilled rice), leaving the other lane empty for passing cars. This practice is tolerated in small towns.

Neglected Romualdez Mausoleum

Where the bodies of Imelda Marcos' parents are buried, and her stillborn child, surrounded by cherubim statues. This used to be a well-maintained garden/park, but was ransacked by heavily armed men during the Edsa Revolution for buried Yamashita treasures, and was never the same again. I grew up spending summers and weekends running around the area, climbing the fence, picking the kalachuchi flowers, exploring the underground 'tunnel', or just sitting on the fence with cousins.

Signs of summer

Another path..

I'm getting fed up with paths hahaha.. but I like the coconut trees.

Olot Series: Driveway

The driveway out of Olot which passes by the golf course.

Olot Series: Shortcut

During high-tide, this area is covered with sea-water. It's best to watch out because it's all rocks. This is the shortcut path from Olot to the town, the hill to the right, and the onrushing sea to the left. Almost got trapped here as kids.

Olot Series: Tolosa watchtower

The Tolosa hill. On top, if you care to climb the path is an old fort which in the old days was used as a lookout for Muslim pirates. They came to these parts to kidnap the locals for slaves, pre-Spanish times. Today, it has a lighthouse light that tells the fishermen where the coast is.

Olot Series: Cove

View of the Olot beach. Yes, it's a cove.

Olot Series: Merry Christmas!!

The wooden altar propped against the side of the rocky Tolosa hill. Many famous monsignors have held masses here, attended by many famous people. That's the Santo Nino, Imelda's patron saint.


(Star was taken inside Giusseppe's Restaurant)

Merry Christmas everyone!! MAUPAY NGA PASKO!!!

Olot Series: Hindu statues

The elephant god, Lord Ganesha. What's it doing at the summer house of Imelda? Aesthetics? Although, Imelda supposedly has an occultist's mind. Why else surround her summer house with Hindu gods and goddesses, the Buddha head, and the Sto. Nino? Lord Ganesh elephant head symbolizes the Atman/soul, and the human body, symbolizes Maya.

Olot Series: Hindu statues

I'm guessing this is the goddess Lakshimi, the female manifestation of the Lord Shiva/Vishnu??. Correct me if I'm wrong.. my Hindu knowledge of gods/goddesses is rusty. This statue is facing Marcos' cottage.

Dunno about the next two statues..