The Rest of the (Nik Nik) Story aka Prequel to Vent to Manager

Let me start by stating the final incident in this short chapter - today I located the dermatologist (about 10 minutes away from me) and she confirmed that these were simply nik nik bites.
Thankfully, nothing like cutaneous leishmaniasis.  She had moved her office over 2 years ago, something I did note to the Peace Corps!  But she was as divine as her name - a wonderful woman, Dr. Maria Isabel Ferrer-Divinagracia!!  Salamat po!


Now to the Prequel:

I had worked intensely, but for a short time on a development project here - The Kitchen Incubator Project of Palawan, and consider it the best development theory/practice I've yet seen.  When the National Chamber of Commerce (primary funder) visited in June, I accompanied them to the first operational kitchen site - in the barangay of Simpokan (spelled Simpocan, Simpucan, etc).  They were extremely impressed, promised further funding, and invited the managers to Manila for the big September food convention.

On that trip (a 2 hour drive over non paved roads), I was besotted with the pristine beach, which is the last land before the Spratly Islands (although we say municipality Kalayaan) and of course, escaped to gather a few shells.  I knew I had to return to snorkel there at some point.    Nearly three months later, I was invited to stay at the now kitchen site manager's home to work on making them an association or collective.  I jumped at the opportunity, although I had no idea where she livThe next tanghali (here in the Philippines there are four time definitions:  umaga-morning, hapon-afternoon, gabi-evening, and tanghali-between 12-1pm), I met Zhara (exotic name and beautiful, fun woman) at the San Jose bus terminal and boarded the jeepney with 25 other people (it seats 20), 2 infants in mothers' arms, a Doberman puppy (in a crate on the roof), 12-50 lb sacks of concrete (affixed to the front bumper) and 10-100 pound bags of rice, along with my kitten in a catbox with holes in it.  The trip in the jeepney was to be 3 hours (Simpokan is 35km away - you do the math), so I ran and bought C2 Apple drink and oranges.  Zhara and I chatted and chatted, and amazingly, the jeepney was much more comfortable to ride in than the previous hired van - probably because it was so weighted down with cargo.

Along the way, the helper of the driver got off to throw down the 100 pound rice sacks from the roof to residents that paid him for purchasing and delivering it.  Sari sari stores in tiny villages were restocked with sodas and cookies, again paying for those to be dropped off.  We were doing well, and had delivered rice and the Doberman to their destination, and began the uphill climb up the mountain.  All of a sudden we glided to a stop - the engine simply stopped running halfway up.  I was sure they would restart it, but no - out came all the mechanic tools.  There were many obscene jokes (you don't needis to understand a language to get the jokes) as the driver pumped oil into the engine...but it still didn't start...and it began to rain.  So, the humans were offloaded and stood at the side of the road while the jeepney's brakes (the rocks at the back of the tires) were released, and the huge jeepney took off down the hill, backwards, at an increasing rate of speed.  Suddenly, a pop, cloud of black exhaust, and the engine roared to life - although the jeepney was still barrelling down the mountain.  The humans began to walk up the mountain about .5km to a level spot - the jeepney roared up, picked us up and we were on our way bouncing over rocks and carooming around bends towards Simpokan.
There was only one other stop - the engine again died, but this time was restarted within minutes.

The last bit of the "road" is lovely - you crest the mountain and far below is the ocean, lined with palms - truly.  Descending rather wildly, you arrive at City Beach totally without people - gorgeous.
Then through the tiny puroks, over rivers (the highest seemed maybe 2 feet deep and we made it through with cheers), and into the town proper (basketball court, church, barangay hall, sari sari and the kitchen).  Lots of people had exited by this time, but Zhara stayed on and we turned down a lane while I held my breath - did they actually live at the beach?  Yowsers! Yes they did - In a spot that I've seen in my dreams, and a house that even my dreams didn't see.  I had trouble remembering that I was here to work.

Thankfully, it was now 6:30pm (5.5 hours, not 3) and dark - otherwise I would have been rude and run off to the beach.  I didn't mention that there is no electricity here, or phone service, or internet - and luckily they had piped in water from a mountain spring - but most people did not have water either.  So, if you want gorgeous seclusion - it's Simpokan.....

except for the nik-niks.  Rather spoils paradise - and I'm very fortunate to not have a man - anyone would run for the hills looking at me.  Somewhere between smallpox and chicken pox, sigh.   But, I digress...

On Monday, we met with the kitchen women who are starting their livelihoods with this kitchen.  Simpokan has tons (literally) of coconuts and cashews and their first major product is called Coco Jam.  It's not a jam at all, but more the consistency of honey (honey in the U.S. - here, honey is almost as viscous as water!).  Spread it on pandesal and it's pretty wonderful.  I was at a Tagalog loss with all the women going back and forth, so waited until Zhara translated for me - cursorily then, and more exacting when we got back home.  It seems that each contributed 300 pesos for starting up and want it back - not right away, but they don't want to lose it - what a riot.  Business and legal issues are non-existent in their minds and it is hard to find any foundation for them to start addressing even the basics.

Then, we returned to the lovely home:  two storeys with a huge veranda overlooking the South China Sea (aka the West Philippine Sea).  About 100 coconut palms and 4 enormous cashews on 2 hectares of grassy lawn that flowed down to the white sand beach and outlying reef.  
And, I went immediately, with snorkel gear to explore.  Too much turbulence from the storm and I saw nothing...but freaked myself out since I was all alone...and quickly returned to shore.  Found a few shells on the beach, but nothing phenomenal.  Returned to the veranda and watched the sunset.  Grabe!


The next day I worked with Zhara on legal details and found that there is a lot of work - and groundwork - to do to make things happen.  So, we stopped - and I went to the beach!  The tide was low and I watched two harvest octopuses play with each other amongst the rocks - wow - they let me snorkel by them!  I explored the great tidepools and even swam in one of them - beautiful.  Found a lovely cowrie shell and returned with a smile on my face - only to be stopped when watching a bird coming toward me....oops, not a bird.


The most enormous butterfly fluttered around and landed on the beach right at my feet - and stayed there for 5 minutes.



 Sigh, no camera, but I found it online:  The Philippine Birdwing.  Wow!  Made my day.  Zhara and David both skunked me at Scrabble which was amazing, considering that it is Zhara's 3rd language!  She is quite remarkable.  Things grow large here and I let this wasp have the bathroom to itself!



We got up at 5am to catch the jeepney back, this time hauling copra back to the city - sacks upon sacks of it.



  My kitten did not enjoy the time - Zhara's two year old, Myron, tormented it, but it slept in my lap the entire way home.
               


 Until the nik nik blisters appeared, it was pretty impressive and I planned to take them up on their invitation to return, with friends....now, well....we'll see how long it takes to form scars and the itching to stop.


                   





                    But, it was a memorable trip.