Marbel and Koronadal, another amazing stay!

We were welcomed to Marbel/Koronadal by a wonderful lunch and gathering at Cinco Ninas!  We had a great visit, thank you everyone who was involved!!!

Our welcome lunch in Marbel at Cinco Ninas

We visited a animal rehabilitation center.  Colleen and Alexis were loving it!!

This cat like animal, civet, eats coffee beans and poops them out and then we make coffee out of them!  haha I need to try this.  I am on a mission to find some coffee today!

The animals at this rehabilitation center are released if they recover, but most stay there because they are injured.  I am not sure what the name is of this eagle is.

Cute kids with the Americanos at the Koronadal Public Market.

The Crew with Noel and Rolan at the Banana plantation

This fruit, mangosteen, was delicious!  Sweet and sour.  The red/purple skin has many health benefits and is used in medicine.

Alexis at the public market with a Filipina muslim.

The arcade at the public market

On Sunday, we headed to Lake Sebu to see the waterfalls, lake, ZIPLINE, and learn more about the native culture.

Waterfalls at Lake Sebu

Zipling over the waterfalls was amazing!!  Here are some photos.

John and Tony taking flight

Tiffanie and Alexis.  Look at how happy Alexis is that she took the plunge!

Pitok and Bong

Rae and Colleen  laughing uncontrollably!

Superman Jim!

Noel and Ann.  Thank you Noel and your office for making this happen, it was amazing!!!

Sorry, RC Marbel, I don't have the photos from our meeting.  I will have to get them and post them. Here are some from the RC Koronadal's meeting.  More Karaoke and some xbox dance party (I think thats what it was), and of course more Lechon.  I think we are up to 12 Lechons and rumor has it that there will be 3 more at the GSE night tonight!

Beautiful buffet, check out those chicken lollipops on the end!

Koronadal club members

Lechon!!!!

Our wonderful hosts in Koronadal

President Ann presenting Rae with a RC Koronadal flag

DANCE PARTY!!!

These are out of order -- Sorry!  These are photos from our lunch after ziplining!!

Learning traditional dance at Lake Sebu.  We ate lunch on a floating dining room in the Lake.  Lake Sebu has many tilapia farms.  

Jim learning the manly warrior dance

Our new friends from Marbel and Koronadal, thank you again for an amazing couple of days!

Another day, another wonderful meal and terrific fellowship.

Didn't mention a wonderful experience in Marbel. We were taken to an animal rescue place. Some pups and a few other, assorted animals. Several monkeys, a python, a Bimini Kite (beautiful raptor), several owls (including one that looked like a Snow Owl) , an endangereLd eagle (that will not be released into the wild) a tarpir, just amazing visit. They were also cross breeding wild pigs (looked like a Javelina) with domestic pigs. The goal to get a large source of protein that can thrive on a cheaper diet. There were several examples in pens. Might work, help with feeding the large number living with malnutrition. The vet was very patient guy. Answering a number of uninformed questions.

Traveled back to Gensan. The team had a day of relaxation. A Rotarian took us to a resort his family owns. The team members loaded on a boat and went snorkeling and sailing. Came back all smiles. I took advantage of the quiet to catch up on some paperwork and reading by the pool. A bunch of other Retrains showed for lunch. Good people, good conversation.

Last night (that would be here, not there - it all gets so confusing.) the city and one of the universities host a week long celebration for the founding of the city. Lots of dancing, singing, a carnival, a flea market, LOTs of food stands. I got interviewed for local tv. Can't imagine it making to broad cast since I could really pronounce the name of the festival. But fun to talk to the reporter.

Speaking of food, We all went to a Jollie Bs. Fast food hamburgers and Filipino foods. Terrific. Little difference in the way they run it. Menu boards on the wall and french fries in cardboard containers.

A rest day. Loll around, repack since the luggage is looking like an explosion went off in it. Also trying to figure out how to pack stuff to carry home, gifts and keepsakes. Nice problem to have. Gong to the Dole pineapple plantation for lunch.. hmmmm, wonder what they will have.

Goodness, sitting under a lanai with a tropical downpour going on. The rest of the team is swimming, probably huddling under cover so as not to get wet. Never understood that. Yeah, yeah, I know, lightening. The past several days have been terrific. These people are so generous and warm. Best as I can remember, maybe the blog will get caught up.

The last day in General Santos City, I was taken to a Rotary project at an elementary school. A local club had adopted it, helped build parts, scrounged books, etc. The neatest part is the food program. A large portion of the student population is undernourished. The Rotary provides the school with the wherewithal to feed a portion of the children, keeping them in school and charting the improvement in their performance. I guess when your brain has food it works better. The kids were just so darn cute. Although they did allow as I had a large nose and it was red. Hummmm.

Fellowship is very important in Rotary and, BOY, do the Filipinos understand fellowship. Each of the team members went to different parties the last night in Gensan. And had tales to tell. Tales of friendship and humor. Karoke and dancing. Did I mention singing? Goodness!

On to Marbel. We were picked up in a van in the morning, met our hosts at restaurant, ate lunch (see pictures) A major portion of any meeting is food and talk. They are very good at it. Want to stop eating? Be prepared for concerns that you aren't well or you don't like the food. No dieting allowed.

While here we have visited universities, banana plantations, papaya plantations, elementary schools. ( A major need is books, story books in any condition.) Discussed lots of Rotary projects that are done on a yearly basis such as Operation Smile for people with harelips. Homes for the aged and on and on. My head is reeling with ideas and possibilities for projects at home and connections here.

Big day was a vocation day were we went to study how to operate a zip line attraction with waterfalls. Some great picture are showing up on FB and should soon be here. Lunch at a place that had first citizen s dancing. Got the team up with them. Pretty good but they trusted me with a 'bolo.' Bad mistake.

Today, visited more schools, and found a place with wifi so I can write this tome. More later.

Tuna, Tuna, Tuna, THE PAC-MAN, and Jeepneys!

In General Santos, we toured the tuna port (biggest in the Philippines), tuna processing center (for canning), and the can factory.  We visited with RD corporation, the owner is a Rotarian, and the corporation owns the processing and canning center.  This was cool because many of the brands of canned tuna we eat were caught and canned right in GenSan! We also visited some prawn or shrimp farms.  The tuna port was amazing! It was so interesting to see the tuna coming off the boats and to the can.

Some of the tuna fisherman and boats

Yellowfin tuna, 100+lbs

Blue Marlin....

Factory for making tuna cans

Fresh tuna kinilaw, similar to ceviche

Prawn farm.  We later ate a bunch of the prawns...yum

Fishing boat with some fish farming in the back.

Some examples of the tuna brands they provide for.  Econo, from Puerto Rico!

The Team with Manny Pacquiao, AKA the Pac Man.  If you don't know, Manny is the first boxer to have eight-division world championships and having won six world titles.  

We visited a Home for the Aged.  They even have Kareoke at nursing homes!  

The team with the oldest resident, 98 years old!

Our first Jeepney ride!

View from inside.  Check out that tricycle.  We also rode in one of those, that was crazy!

Rae hearts Polomolok

We made it to Gen San and were greeted by like 20 people and an ENORMOUS banner on the runway! We all stayed with separate families, which has been wonderful!  My host family was Rotarians Gino and Gina Tresporto.  They are in the Polomolok Rotary Club, which is a separate city from General Santos about 20 km away in the middle of the Dole Pineapple Plantation!  I joked with them that I was "the lucky one"because I got to stay up in the hills in fruit heaven ...... well we all had a good laugh about that because as it turns out....... "The Lucky One" is a bar in Polomolok for men ... with dancers... you know what I mean.  Anyway, I feel very lucky to have stayed up there and will be going back after we leave Marbel.  Here are some photos from my stay.  Ben and Rex were also very good tour guides, showing me and teaching me everything there is to know about Polomolok!

Sorry friends, I won't be back for a while...I have taken a job as the mayor of Polomolok!

Nipe huts, only constructed in Polomoluk!  For Tiffanies family:  The mobile homes of the Philippines.  They are putting 2 on a truck here to be delivered!

Delicious Marang at the market.  Supposedly, this is related to the Durian....but this does not smell and tastes wonderful 

Ben, Polomolok Rotarian, at the market.

This is my favorite Durian in the world!  It does not smell.  Ok, so if you don't know what a durian is... click here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durian and scroll down to flavor and odor.  I'd say its a rather good description.  The Filipinos say it "Smells like hell and tastes like heaven".  I disagree with the latter

Asparagus farm seedlings

A cute dog sitting on the farm.  Although this is not exactly a dog in the street, I learned a word in Tagalog for dog in the street, Askal. Short for asong kalye (dog street).  Pretty funny.  

Fresh coconut water and meat on the farm.

Gino buying some dried fish for breakfast.  If you fancy dried fish...this is the place to go, check out that variety.  We ate the fish for breakfast, it was actually really good!

Fruit and veggie market at the Public Market of Polomolok.  So amazing.  Also, Gino knows everyone in town!

Last stop at the market before we headed home... eating my first balut.  Balut is a 18 day old developing duck egg that is hard boiled.  At this stage of 18 days, the developing embryo already has some feathers and possibly a beak. Actually, it didn't taste that bad, but the more and more I think about it, I get sick to my stomach.  It was definitely an experience that needed to be had in the Philippines!  I will share some amazing photos of Colleens first experience soon.

The Rotary Club of Polomolok!  This is an amazing group of people.  We had a wonderful pot luck style dinner for the meeting so I was able to taste all of the Filipino home cookin'.  I was serenaded by a song written for me (I will try and upload the video)!! and given roses by the men and gifts by the women!  I am so thankful for everything!!! 

I will be going back to stay there for a few more days... I will post some more pics of my new friends in Polomolok!