Have you ever wondered what the sunrise looks over the hills of Antipolo in Rizal (Philippines)? Sometimes, you can be too busy flowing with the morning rush that you simply don't care anymore. Otherwise, you just don't get the benefit of a good view of the sunrise with all the houses and buildings around you.
For those who haven't taken the time to look and for those who are simply curious to see a sunrise over the Antipolo Hills, then here are two pictures you may want to look at. These were taken in the rainy season, which should have lessened the haze, but as you can see there's still what appears to be a sheet of pollution that makes the sun look a bit red even during sunrise. It is usually yellow if the sky is clear.
Mr. Galicia of the cream dory fish farm in Pamukid, San Fernando, Bicol.
Are you looking for cream dory fish for sale in the Philippines? Being an archipelago, the Philippines is a country with lots of fish and sea food. But one thing that's not native to it is the Cream Dory (Pangasius) fish, which is related to the catfish. In recent years fish and sea food traders have brought in the Cream Dory fish which is now bred locally in farms like the one in Pamukid, San Fernando, Camarines Sur in Bicol. It's all about Bicol being a perfect place to farm the fish. For many fans of fish in the Philippines, this is good news as the Cream Dory is something of a celebrity with it's exquisite taste that's perfect for many fish recipes. It already becoming as popular as the ubiquitous Tilapia.
The Cream Dory, a freshwater fish, used to flourish in the Mekong river in Vietnam. Because this river is polluted, it's been wrongly given the reputation as a toxic fish. But really, it's not the fish that's dirty - it's the water. So enterprising people did something that sent the Cream Dory to an all time high in the popularity level. They farmed the fish. Now, Cream Dory fish is being served as part of expensive dishes in countries like the Philippines.
Farmers are taking notice and they see a big sea food trading market opening up as the Cream Dory become better known to Filipinos (although it's a freshwater fish). Already it's being sold at SM supermarkets and restaurant chains. With Cream Dory fish farms being established in the Philippines like this one in and about Bicol (just beside the highway near the giant sardine can billboard in Pamukid), the Cream Dory fish and sea food traders will likely find new food outlets to supply. As prices go down, more Filipinos will be enjoying this delicious fish as a dinner table staple. Cream Dory fish is best served steamed with light soy sauce and leeks.
Wet markets (palengke) in the Philippines have a strange appeal. You don't really want to be there yet somehow, the experience enriches and energizes you. Even if you have no business there, you get the feeling that you've been to a carnival - like a kid who goes out on a holiday.
Crowded, hot, wet, and dirty - you'd get dark mud all over your feet if you don't walk carefully, you can't help but to soak in everything in a wet market, especially in the fish section, where everything's abuzz with activity. Tourists rarely ever visit the wet markets of the Philippines but it can be quite an experience and you get to see the things that people buy to put on the dinner table. You'll see lots of interesting things - fresh fish can literally leap out of their basins looking for an escape, but of course the store owner is there to keep them secure.
If you are a tourist and wish to experience the wet markets of the Philippines like the one shown here in Taytay, Rizal, then be prepared to wear light clothing, sandals, and avoid carrying bags that snatchers, slashers, and snatchers will find attractive. Do ask a local whom you know and trust to accompany you. When in the market, it's best to just keep walking unless you intend to buy something. Otherwise, you will be bumped by so many people you'll end up like a soaked rag.You'll end up sweaty, muddy, and smelly, but you get to experience something only in the Philippines.
In Iriga, in Camarines Sur in the Bicol region in the Philippines, there's a hill called Calvario. It is where the Emerald Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes in Iriga can be found. During the Tinagba festival held in February, the first harvests of the season are offered here. In Lent, a crucifixion play is held here.
There is a convention center at the foot of the grotto and a hotel. You can go to the top of the grotto after severl flights of stairs. At the top is an altar, which reminds you of the altar of a church. The statue of the Virgin Mary is to the right, set in the concrete wall. Below the altar is where tourists and locals usually congregate to socialize and to experience the grand view of Mt. Iriga and a few distant mountains, including the famous Mt. Mayon in Legaspi City.
The grotto is accessible through two big gates. If the one beside the hotel is closed, visitors will have to go around to enter from the other side. A guard goes around every once in a while, but the security usually cannot keep up with the activities of people going up to the altar, where debris accumulates. Near dusk, the lights are switched on which allows the grotto to be a visible emerald gem from a distance.
Cars are a luxury in the Philippines. If you don't have a car, you have the option of using public transportation like tricycles. Tricycles are supposed to serve only three passengers at one time, but because of the inadequate number of tricycles in certain areas, there's often the need for people to make the most of things. For tricycle drivers, it's loading more people than what their rig normally carry.
The practice of overloading tricycles isn't really advisable, but it's what's done in provinces like Bicol, where you will often see tricycles filled to the roof! This earns more income for the operator and in a way serves more people. The problem is that it's dangerous. Passengers can get snagged by all manner of things that hang over the road. Powerlines that dip low over the road can be a real danger, especially at night.
Here in the Philippines, a popular fruit that's usually harvested after summer during the rainy season is avocado. The scientific name of the avocado is Persea Americana. The avocado tree is plentiful in the country but it is not native to the islands. It was introduced here by explorers of the 16th century - likely Portuguese and Spanish sailors who had visited South America in the New World (where the avocado originated). The avocado fruit is delicious with a soft green flesh that's mild and creamy. It's high in protein and fat, which is amazing for a fruit, and is ideally eaten right off the skin or used for salads and shakes. So many products now contain avocado or are inspired by the avocado. Ever heard of avocado ice cream? Traditionally, Filipino families use the avocado fruit to make ice candy in small tubular plastic bags. Kids and adults always get a kick out of it! But mind you, it doesn't have to be artisanal. In the Philippines, there's also avocado ice cream available in local supermarkets and grocery stores. If you're lucky, you may also order salads with avocado as the star ingredient from select restaurants.
The avocado fruit has grown in popularity as a health food and is now a preferred fruit by exercise enthusiasts and yoga practitioners as a a vital ingredient for smoothies and all sorts of recipes from canapes to fritters. The fruit is easily recognizable with its gourd-like or pear-like shape. It can be elongated or blunt; deep violet or green; wrinkly or smooth. However it might look like, the avocado is iconic when it's split in half. With its big roundish seed in the middle of the bulbous part, it's an unforgettable sight, and, oh, did we already mention that the brown skin of the seed is rich in healing antioxidants? You can even boil and eat the seed if you want to. Cooked, it has the texture of water chestnuts and is used primarily as an anti-fungal and antibacterial medicine. More research is being done by scientists to determine that actual benefits of the avocado seed, but so far, all the results seem to show that it has practical medicinal properties. The avocado fruit is definitely in the spotlight these days, but the avocado tree has more to give apart from its fruit.
Unknown to many people, the leaves and bark of the avocado tree (left) can be used for the easing of coughs, sore throat, and fever pains. All one has to do is to clean at least three leaves and then boil them in a pan for a few minutes. The reddish tea that results has a fine, sweet, and soothing taste that's relaxing as much as it is physically healing. You can reboil the leaves for a much thinner tea, the next time you require a cup. Drink a cup of avocado tea at least once a day for a few days or until you feel much better. You can add sugar or your preferred sweetener, like Stevia, if you want to, but it's not needed, especially if you are on a diet or avoiding sugar. Drink the tea one sip at a time and let its warmth sooth your insides. You can drink it with extras, if you wish, and while you're at it, why not invite your friends over and have an avocado tea party?
If you're looking for a fastfood chain in Bicol, then you won't miss Biggs. Biggs is just one of the most prominent restaurants/diners in Bicol where you can get the usual diner meals like chicken and rice, spaghetti, burgers, and delicious pastries. Bigss is everywhere in Bicol with branches from north to south. Eating at Biggs is an interesting experience because of it's quaint mid-20th-century-inspired interiors with antique collectibles displayed on the walls.
The branches provide a different experience for diners with the different pieces on display. A branch can be like a museum of modern artifacts. Shown below displayed on a second floor of a diner are miniature motorcyles. These can be found in the branch in Legaspi city near the airport. The signs on the walls (top; above-left) are also interesting to look at and are reminiscent of rock and roll designs from the nineteen fifties. The diner appears designed to cater to a young and hip crowd, but it's also popular to the oldies - maybe it reminds them of the old days.
