Tahong Crackers

Tahong is a type of mussels that we either make into a soup or we bake, freshly harvested. It spoils easily, so it has to be cooked immediately. Being a coastal island (naturally), we all like our seafoods freshly caught and not frozen or packaged. But sometimes, investors never learn.

If you want to know how it tastes, all I can say is it smells of rancid oil. I never got to the taste part.


[I'll be back on September 1.)

Adobong kangkong at Gerry's Grill

This is sauteed water spinach with oyster sauce and topped with roasted minced garlic. Very common dish over here. (I just learned from Wiki that in the US --esp in Florida and Texas--this is considered a weed because of its harmfulness to other plants. Hahaha.. really Lois?) But weed or not, it's delicious.

Expensive homes

On this site will rise..

Just a 5 minute drive to the beach and to the mall, away from busy downtown, a neighbor of the police camp, and behind that mountain is an endless virgin mountain range. (I'm not a real estate agent so don't ask me anything about the prices.)

The 3 Qs

Bananacue, camotecue (sweet potato), and another bananacue called turon (wrapped in lumpia wrapper). They're streetfood snacks here.

Jeepney Art

There is such a thing here as jeepney art, where designers try to outdo themselves by going wild with their jeepney designs. Putting religious or symbolic statues (as patrons to safe journeys) on top of the hood is very common, but I think this one is going too far. :D Seriously, this photo was taken during a Catholic procession honoring the Holy Child.

The patron saint

Tacloban's patron saint is the Sto. Niño, little Jesus. We have different kinds of statuettes of him dressed in different costumes for different occasions. This one, I'm guessing, must belong to the Police Station or to a policeman.

Eat All You Can

A newly-opened Eat All You Can restaurant of Lutong Bahay (home-cooked meals). The one time I went there to eat they were serving Waray cooking which I really enjoyed. Excellent cooking! The next time we went for lunch, they weren't serving eat-all-you-can anymore. Sigh.. I haven't tasted their other foods which aren't lutong bahay, and don't really want to try. Name of the restaurant is Buffalo Wings (Juan Luna St.)

Stalker grandma

Ad for Bayantel's internet service. A grandmother threatening her granddaughter: "I'll google your boyfriend!" There goes your privacy!

Kerosene lamp

A kerosene lamp made from recycled baby formula milk can. Kerosene lamps are commonly used in the province, especially in places where there is no electricity. Mostly home-made. This one is tinted soot black.

Mutant plant

If a coconut and a banana mated, that's what their child would look like. All this to say that I don't know what this 'tree' is called.. a mutant coconut/banana? Still at Rafael's Farm.

Broken kalesa

This was at the Rafael's Farm. It's a restaurant with lots of room to roam around, a few ducks, lots of plants, a pond, a park, and more undeveloped land.

I'm back..