Travel Chronicles 2022

September 9, 2022

Greetings to all,

We finally made it to the sitio – the smallest unit of government – of Buyo where our house stands.  It is 5:30 in the morning.  I was awakened by torrential rains and the beating of waves on the shore, which is about 25 feet from our house.  There is only a slight breeze which allows me to write this email under the covered porch that surrounds the house on two sides.

We do not have phone service.  We can communicate via email and through Wifi apps (messenger and what’s up).   As you know we leased an Island which we named “Nora’s Island.”  We can’t own it ever since it is public land under the jurisdiction of the Department of Public lands (I do not know the exact title) and the Department of Tourism.  We have to allow public access and provide some visitor activity which the Department of Tourism can advertise.  Thus, we have a meditation walk which includes a statue of Stella Maris, “The Lady of the Sea,” (literally star of the sea), on top of a 3-storied structure.

We can’t make the island house our home, so we acquired a small portion of the beachfront adjacent to the island (3 hectares).  Presently about 5 structures dot the property.  Notably is the main house which we occupy.  There is another similar but smaller one adjacent to us.  There is the house of Joseph Tuy who has overseen much of the development of the property.  There is a kitchen and an assortment of other buildings (some of which are make-shift temporary structures).

We call our beachfront property, “Flores Sanctuary.”  We have a meditation walk with a statue of the medicine Buddha.

I refer you to the pictures on “What’s up” and “messenger.”  You can also google Nora’s Island, Camarines Sur or Nora’s Island, San Antonio.   There are other sites as well.  Several visitors to the Island made videos and posted them.          

-o-o-o-

We arrived at the Changi airport in Singapore after a 15-plus hour flight from Seattle.  Nora staggered our trip such that we spent overnight in Seattle, Manila and Naga to ease her recovery from a chemotherapy session and radiation therapy to her spine.  One side-effect of the radiation was the equivalent of having a sunburn in her throat.  It persisted much too long.  Initially, any kind of swallowing was painful.  She could only take small bites of soft foods separated by long periods of time.  She lost weight.  These last two days (more than a week after radiation) she has been able to take small meals.  Hopefully it will get better sooner so she does not have to take Ibuprofen 30-minutes before meals.

Yesterday was our first day.  A big difference is the cuisine (more fresh food and more variety).  The air is different.  The way things look is different.  I am at a loss as to how to describe these at this time. 

Yesterday, I briefly tested the waters adjacent to our house.  I was met with layers of warm, then cool water as I swam out against the in-coming tide.  I am grateful I did not run into discarded plastics and other trash.  Since the tide was coming it, the waters were cloudy from the action of incoming waves but was clear otherwise.

Notably, the beach did not have the kind of fine sand tourists and weekend vacationers seek.  The sand is grainy.  As I wade into the waters, my feet can sink to levels well above my ankles.  I surmise that the shelf that extends - I’d say more than 70 meters from the shore - dampens the waves energy.  This significantly delays the conversion of grainy coral remnants to fine sand.  It is my prima facie guess.    

I’ll stop here and hope to be able to write again soon.

Be well to all, our warmest to all

Dad (to some) and Nora

-o-o-o-o-o-

September 9, 2022

Greetings everyone,

The end of the day is quickly approaching.  I hope it will rain to cool things down.  It is now about 87 degrees Fahrenheit.  The sun is just below the horizon.  The tide is almost fully at its peak.  I sit in my favorite spot under the covered porch just outside our bedroom facing the Pacific Ocean.   I have found a way to partly describe the experience.   Visually, it is panoramic.  Unlike viewing a picture where one’s attention flits from here to there I take in what is in front of me all at once.  Even though I may turn my head from side-to-side or up-and-down, what is there is an inseparable part of everything else that is there.  It leads to calm and encourages musing.  Nora says she wishes to live here.

It is difficult not to talk about food but I will do so, so I can eventually get to other things.  This morning breakfast was a sunny-side-up local egg on top of a mound of rice.  This was surrounded by cucumber mango salad and narrow strips of meat.  Distinctive of local eggs is a bright red yolk.  It must be the diet of the hens.    

The strips of meat were almost like beef jerky.  They were not as tough but characteristic of jerky with little to no fat.  Joseph, the cook leaned over and informed me the meat was from a carabao (Philippine water buffalo).  He later added they were from a young carabao.  After it sunk in a little, I asked why they would slaughter a young carabao.  If it was a bull, it would become a beast of burden.  The same goes for a cow with the added features of providing offspring and milk.  Without hesitation he informed me the owners needed money.  It was a response I completely unexpected. 

Later that evening, after dinner we were sitting making after-dinner talk.  I felt left out for good reason.  I was left out.  Nora tried to involve me which succeeded for only a very brief period of time.  The reason was that everyone at the table spoke in Bicol, the major dialect of the region consisting of 4 other dialects.  “Eyo,” (“e” pronounced as in “week,” and “o” as awe) means “yes.”  “Daeh” (“a” pronounced as in car, and “eh” as in “kept”) means “no.” 

As we were speaking two teenagers with a small flashlight were climbing the tree in front of us.  They were trying to scare, shove and capture two chickens off their perches.  The chickens protested, cackled and screamed.   One teen had one chicken by the leg who frantically flapped his or her wings and who managed to struggle free.  The chickens were finally caught running for safety.   They did not get far.  I was impressed.  In my experience I have never been able to catch a chicken, nor have I known anyone that had.  I figured these teens were experienced but I doubt they would have succeeded as easily had they tried it during the day.  I protested.  I urged them to leave the chickens alone.  It was then that Joseph informed me the chickens would be slaughtered for next day’s lunch.

It amazed me, they knew where much of what we consumed came from.  For example, we had passion fruit juice which came from a plant found on the premises.  Normally passion fruit is not cultivated but grows wild.  In addition, in these instances, they had knowledge of the individual history of the carabao meat and the chickens – something I am not used to.

For lunch, the chicken broth soup called “tinola,” made with green papaya, ginger and pepper leaves, was distinctive, warm and comforting.

That’s it.  I will write a cookbook about the cooking of Joseph here at Buyo.  It is on my bucket list.  It may never be published or widely read.  It may consist of only 5 pages but these are not restrictions that are part of my bucket list.

I will end this for now and address other experiences that do not include food.

Love to all

dad (to some) and nora

-o-o-o-o- 

September 10, Saturday

I woke up early but there was no sunrise.  By the time the sun appeared from behind the clouds it was well above the horizon.  Instead, we had papaya (red orange) cloud-colored streaks accompanied by an orchestra of crowing cocks. 

There is always the sound of the ocean, of dogs barking and other sounds of life.  We have over a dozen dogs, 4 puppies of less than a month old - but no cats.  The dogs are not obviously territorial. They do not approach strangers aggressively nor even show they are curious.  If they perk to attention and bark, it is usually to some unseen animal in the vegetation or during nighttime when they will bark at anything unusual. The dogs are thin.  They are not interactive and keep to themselves.  They show little interest in humans.  They are best described as animals that coexist and share with humans an area where food may become available.  It reminds me of the image of an African watering hole.

There are no wall clocks.  Presumably the passage of time is marked in ways that do not involve a clock. There is a bell that summons workers for lunch and signals the end of break time.  Workers are provided free breakfast and lunch.  If they are still around at the end of the day, they can have dinner as well.  If they are still around after that, they can imbibe in a camaraderie that includes beer and gin.  I do not join in these festivities and cannot be seduced to do so.

The workers are admirable.  They work hard and continuously.  They make no sound.  One does not hear much chatter during work.  They do not complain. There seems to be little if any difference about what are considered male and female tasks.  Yesterday we encountered a 20’s female clearing brush with a bolo (Philippine version of a machete) without wearing gloves.  She said she forgot to bring her gloves but said she has calloused hands anyway.  A 64-year-old lady was weeding and clearing the border of a walkway.  No mechanized appliances were used.  The result is an attention to detail resulting in a manicured look.   Despite the heat, all wore clothing that covered arms, legs and back of the neck.

Those that work on the island have to wade about 20 to 25 ft. to the island.  During low tide one can cross in not over ankle-deep water.  Most wear cheap beach flip-flops in what appears a casual effortless endeavor.  I, on the other hand, have to wear crocs. I pay special attention to every single step; and, together with the rhythm of the waves which disorients me, results in a tentative, unsteady, wavering gait.

Last night, before we retired to sleep a kitten appeared from nowhere.  He/she continued to rub against us till we had to scoot him/her out of the room.  He/she was cute as we all know kittens are.

-o-o-o-

Sunday September 11, 2022

Today is Sunday and we finally have a sunrise.  The cocks relentless crowing finally paid-off.  Nora will post a photograph of this blazing “red-orange to yellow-white ball” on What’s up.  Of course, we know it is not the same as the real thing.  But it is our way of saying we miss you - wish you were here.  There are no words that describe our sentiments towards you all.    

One becomes more aware of time as one gets older whereas in younger years, completing tasks is the focus.

There is so much to absorb and relate.  We can only relate as we see, in steps and in layers as they unfold.  The result is a collage.  You can opt to not receive these updates by letting us know.  Conversely, our updates are no secret and open to all.   Please forward them to those you know will want to know what we are doing in the sitio of buyo.  We do not have a mailing address.

Nora is still not where she could have been had her recovery been faster.  I will not go into detail except to say she is as she was yesterday.  Some things have to take their own course she says.  I am grateful she is not troubled.    

-o-o-o-o-o-

We may have portrayed a rosy picture of Nora’s Island and the Flores beachfront retreat - and rosy it is.  But rosy is not all that it is, at least not to what some urban dwellers are taught to expect. 

Nora wants to live here.  It is relatively conflict-free (absence of guile), absence of competition, free of the many urban distractions - a simple way of living.  The waves are the heartbeat of life and serenity.  Nora looks relaxed, contented and at peace.  She wants to stay.  She will elaborate in her own words.      

Nora asked me if I could live here.  It is a question that calls for serious realistic deliberation.  In order for me to give a considered response, I will have to rephrase the question: “How can I live here?”  How can I successfully accommodate the environment?

I will first focus on the heat.  During the last weeks in August in Missouri, nighttime temperatures could dip into the low 70’s and reach close to, even a little over 100 degrees Fahrenheit by mid-afternoon.  We had little rain.

When we arrived at Flores Retreat, temperatures hovered around 30 degrees Celsius, specifically 79 degrees to 89 degrees Fahrenheit in a 24-hour period.  Daytime temperatures were not so different from those at night.  We had rain two of the three days we were here. 

I was surprised I adapted to these temperatures a lot easier than I anticipated.  Residents take the weather for granted seemingly oblivious of the heat.  So it is doable. 

Besides the temperature, the other factor that determines comfort is humidity.

Since one cannot control temperature and humidity the key to comfort is air circulation.    

Native houses (kubo) are built with air-circulation in mind.  For example, slotted bamboo floors allow air to pass through to the rooms above, out the windows and through the roof.  These houses breathe.

We have a western designed house (Swiss inspired) made of cement-block walls and confined enclosures.  As a consequence, we usually have all doors and windows open at all times of the day and night.  We have a vacillating fan in constant use.

There should be no trouble finding a breeze outside the house, in the porch where we take our meals and where we visit.  The last time we visited the Philippines (2019) we spent all our time on the island where there is almost always a breeze.  On the beachfront there is considerable variability in the direction, duration and strength of the breezes.  There is similar variability in humidity and still moments where there is no air movement.  The tides are independent of the breezes. 

If one observes where people congregate and rest, it is a place where there is a breeze.  I moved my favorite place under our covered porch to a place where breezes can flow unencumbered.  Even in times of high humidity, like just before a rain, a breeze noticeably mollifies discomfort. 

In the end we will have to have some form of air-conditioning, especially during sleep.  Besides, our guests who will not have time to adapt, will need air-conditioning. 

I will probably have to continue to address Nora’s question again in more detail.  It is a serious question which requires a serious answer.  The task is how to live here in a way that accommodates the environment and a non-urban way of life.  Otherwise, I become like the casual tourist who views nature through the windows of a full-service, air-conditioned hotel and develop a post-card/Internet view of the world.  I am not knocking this later view.  It just does not apply to the Flores beachfront retreat. 

Best, Best to all.

Dad (to some) and Nora

p. s.  I end all chronicles as coming from myself (dad) and Nora.  This is not to say I speak for her.  Nora has her own mind and language.  She can and will speak for herself.  I strive to be the realistic one.  Nora is the one that inspires.  The “Dad and Nora,” means I send it in both our names - it is her wish- but I do not speak for her. It is not to say we disagree.   Sometimes what I say and think is choppy, inaccurate, even untrue.  But it is what it is.  Like everyone else, I am not perfect.   

 -o-o-o-o-o-

Chronicle of September 22, 2022  (At the hospital)

This morning, the results of Nora’s blood tests were within normal/borderline limits.  Her potassium, hemoglobin levels and red blood count were okay.  She had a low-grade fever last night but not this morning. 

Her throat is still on the mend.  It still hurts whatever she swallows although it is easier to swallow liquids.  She does not gulp down drinks.  Rather she sips or takes liquid in with a spoon pausing to rest her throat. Sometimes the hurt from her throat radiates to her ears. When this happens, she presses her hands over her ears as if shielding herself from a loud noise.

The understanding is she would be discharged were it not for this difficulty of taking nutrition orally. 

We have about 7 days left before we return to the U.S.  I am sure Nora will want to visit Flores sanctuary and Nora’s Island on a Shelf (NIOS) before we leave.  It is all we will have time for.  We will spend a night at the Hilton before our long flight to our other home.  

September 23, 2022

There is not much to relate other than hospital stuff.  Nora’s single-occupancy hospital room is huge.  I eye-balled it as measuring 20 x 15 ft.(rounded up).   She has her own bathroom, T.V. and a window air-conditioner.  All furniture occupy half of this room.  I sleep in the narrow foam bed by the window behind her bed. (see pic). 

The hospital itself is huge, clean and orderly. 

Everyone is nice and efficient.  Nora gets very good care.  The staff is always polite (addressing us always as “po”), professional, young and responsive.  Her sister Olive, who basically started and administers the hospital visits Nora everyday.  She has been very nice.  She strikes one as the kind of person who can do anything and when she does, she does it well. Olive has taken a personal hand in Nora’s care.  Those little things she does make a huge difference to us.  She can always be counted upon. Olive’s daughter Donna, a physician herself, got us admitted.  She even crossed the street and bought us some food to eat.

They serve three meals, a mid-morning and mid-afternoon snack. The snacks are substantial (called merienda – a misnomer?).  Eating 5 times a day is too much for me.  The Philippine diet is substantially lacking in vegetables of all kinds.  Fruit is plentiful.  The food at this hospital is good.      

I have a badge that says I am a “watcher.”  I am supposed to help in Nora’s care with little things like helping her to the bathroom. I think this practice is standard in Philippine hospitals.  It is a good practice.

-o-o-o-o-

Update of Nora’s condition. 

Both the pulmonologist and gastroenterologist have come and gone.  Her low-grade fever is gone and may not be related to her lungs.   It may be a concomitant of her bronchitis or a reaction to the blood transfusion.

Nonetheless she is on antibiotics and is having her lungs cleared via a nebulizer which applies a bronchodilator.

The gastroenterologist basically recommends continuing with Nora’s present program, but restricting her to a liquid diet (Ensure) with some medications for her throat.      

He says it will take 3 to 4 days.

Nora is the epitome of patience and elegance, a quiet persistence which is characteristic of her. She never complains of the pain she experiences when she swallows.   She does well and will continue to do well.

Be well and good,

Dad (to some) and Nora

-o-o-o-o-o-

September 25, 2022 Chronicle

Hello fellow travelers,

It is Sunday afternoon.  Out of the blue Nora was informed she could be discharged tomorrow, Monday, September 26, 2022

Because of the weather, traveling to the island is not feasible.  Heavy rain is forecast for most of the week with occasional strong winds.   

Joseph was to go to the Island today to make payroll.  Instead, he met with Bong, one of our workers from the island, part way at Tinambac.  Going to the island means having to walk from San Antonio probably across muddy trails in the rain.  It does not rain here.  It pours and pours with a thunderous roar.  Bangkong maliliit huwag pumalaot.  Small bancas should stay out of the water.

Our wish to return to Nora’s Island before leaving for the U.S. is shattered.  Whatever we left there when we went to Naga will have to stay there till we get back.  We will have to make do with what we brought with us to Naga, in what was supposed to be a brief stay.

We plan to stay at a hotel in Naga after being discharged from the hospital.  It will give us a chance to see how Nora is doing.  She has been on an IV drip since last Sunday and spent most of her time in bed.  It is assuring to have a hospital close by.

It will also give the typhoon that has moved to Manila, to dissipate.

Then maybe Wednesday or Thursday we will fly to Manila and stay at the Hilton till we leave for the U.S.  When we get to Manila and what we do when we get there is tentative. 

That’s it folks.  The tropics are rosy but tempestuous as well.

Ponder the …”difference between what you work for and what you live for.”

Dad (to some) and Nora

-o-o-o-o- 

September 28, 2022

We are at the hotel at Naga biding our time.  Other than the roar and pounding of the rain during our last day at the hospital, we have had little encounter with the weather.  It was only by watching the news that we became aware of the suffering brought about by the typhoon in the Philippines and of other worldwide disasters as well in Pakistan, Puerto Rico, Florida. . . to name just a few. 

On the news, the Philippine devastation was referred to as a calamity rather than a disaster.  Other political calamites/disasters include trouble in Ukraine, the U.S., Italy . . . too many to list. 

We are living in the age of calamities.

September 29, 2022

Later this afternoon we are off to Manila where we will spend most of our time at the hotel.  The skin on Nora’s neck covering her throat has just begun to peel like the skin peels from a sunburn.  However, in this case it is the result of “first-degree” burns from radiation and not from the sun.  One can only imagine what it is like inside her esophagus.  She still speaks in a very soft voice.  It hurts.  The good news is that if the outside is like the inside, then we are slowly but nevertheless on the mend.

Nora is regaining strength.  She was weak because she did not eat because she could not eat. 

We try and make one trip out of the hotel every day.  Two days ago we went to the Mall.  Yesterday, at noon we started walking to visit the famous basilica in Naga – Basilica of Our Lady of Peñafrancia.  The sun was directly overhead.  It was hot but tolerable.  A slight breeze escorted us along the way. 

We never made it.  It would have been too much trouble and too exhausting for Nora.  My concern, which prompted me to suggest going back, was when it became evident, we had to walk on long paved surfaces to get there.  One could feel the sudden rise in temperature on the paved surfaces.  It was no small difference which instantly abated in the shade.  I, myself was concerned I might get heat stroke.  So, we turned back.  

-o-o-o

I haven’t had a cup of coffee for over a week.  I long for the cold-drip coffee we have at K.C.  The hotel didn’t have any newspaper of any kind and could not tell me where I could get one.  I did not see any at the mall.  The bookstore I visited was mostly staked with school supplies and textbooks.  The mall is just too commercial.  They should be avoided as much as possible.  Many Filipinos are developing a taste and preference for fast food.  For us, too much of the food is too salty or too sweet.

-o-o-o-

Well, so much for boring tidbits.  When we get to Manila, I plan to wrap-up these Chronicles and say goodbye.       

Dad (to some) and Nora

-o-o-o

Chronicle of September 30, 2022

We are now at Manila Hilton.  We arrived yesterday in a turboprop airplane, an airplane with a turbine run propeller.  I don’t think you’ll find these in the U.S. but are not uncommon in the Philippines.

The good news about Nora is that, for all practical purposes, she intakes food orally and normally.  She drinks in gulps with short pauses (as expected) as opposed to sips and long pauses.  She eats regular meals composed of liquids and solids.  She won’t gag/cough/stop while eating.  She is motivated to avoid Ensure which she detests (it does not agree with her constitution).

She is resuming normal activities.  We went shopping twice in Naga to buy her clothes.  Most of our clothes and stuff is at Flores sanctuary.  We have just one carry-on between us.  She had the cane Joseph bought sent to Flores sanctuary.  She is slowly regaining energy.

At the hospital she kept under 4 layers of sheets and a comforter.  She feels cold when the temperature is set at 30 degrees Celsius.  She weighs 38.4 kilos (84 lbs.) on the hotel bathroom scales (we have a-ways to go).  Her blood sugar this morning is low enough, so she does not have to take insulin.     

The only noticeable remnant of her condition is a painful throat which gets better by the day.  Her mood and temperament is back.  

That’s it folks.  In the absence of the unexpected, I will re-direct my focus.  The detail I provided is appropriate for family and close friends. 

Have a fine day to all.

Dad (to some) and Nora