Only in the Philippines...

Only in the Philippines are there fruit markets that look like postcards.  We see the prettiest fruit markets throughout our mission but they are especially nice in the mountains of Nueva Vizcaya. Around every bend in the road is another fruit stand with the fruit all lined up in beautiful rows. This day we saw tons of avocados. They are a different variety and more yellow inside than the avocados we get in the U.S. I had only seen them plentiful last year soon after we arrived, so I grabbed several and the minute we got back home I made a big batch of guacamole! Oh wow! It was delicious. The bottles you can see are filled with hot peppers and vinegar.

This strange looking fruit is a lankat. President picked out the smallest one they had. It cost us 150 pesos or a little over $3.00.

We had Imelda cut it open and get the delicious part out. It was really strange smelling, kind of like super sweet paint thinner. Inside was pithy a white part and in the center were bright yellowish orange fleshy part (that's the part you eat) in the center of the fleshy part was a huge seed. Supposedly you can boil the seeds and they are good to eat. I tried the fleshy part and it was actually very good. It was totally unlike anything I have ever seen or eaten.

Only in the Philippines do kids line up in their school uniforms to say their pledge of allegiance to the Philippines. You see this every morning around 7:30. This pictures doesn't show the straight lines but it is all very orderly.

Only in the Philippines do you see rice farms as far as the eye can see. When it's time to plant they flood the fields and everyone in the area who is physically able gets out there and helps with the planting. It's planting time here in most of our mission. See the bright lime green rice in the foreground. That was probably planted about a week ago. If the weather is just right the farmers can have three crops a year.

Only in the Philippines are there tilapia farms everywhere you go. This darling little bamboo hut is on a tiny, narrow strip of land between two talapia ponds. A family lives there and tends the fish. If you look close you'll see their laundry hanging from a clothes line. We often drive past this little place and I continually comment on how cute it is.

Only in the Philippines do they love ugly dogs! We see so many ugly dogs. This poor dog had some kind of skin condition. His back was full of sores. The owner told me she gives him a shot every few days. He was so ugly but she loved him and was willing to do anything to help him!

Only in the Philippines do people transport bags and bags of garbage, broken chairs and parts of broken machinery on the back of motorcycles and side cars (they call these trycies). We passed this one by in the car. I didn't get the best shot but you can see the bags of garbage overloading this trycie. Notice the man standing up holding onto the trash.