The Philippine Tarsier

Tarsier is one of the smallest primates, measuring only about 85 to 160 millimeters, the adult tarsiers or the biggest of them is only about the size of the fist. They have huge eyes as they are nocturnal creatures which give them excellent night vision. Since their eyes are fixed in the skulls and they can't turn their sockets, their necks allows them to rotate 180 degrees. 

They usually lives on forest  mostly in the southern part of the Philippines specifically Bohol. Tarsiers are insectivorous, they also eat spiders, crustaceans and small lizards. 

Tarsiers are shy nocturnals, they sometimes stay in dark places during the day. These creatures can jump from tree to tree without touching the ground. The tarsiers are endangered species that's why they are specially protected by the government for they are being hunted for house pets which could threatened their lives.

Abundance

The summer season has always been the most awaited time of the year, well yeah I guess everybody does! It's the time when you let all those swimwear, flip flops, summer hats out of the closet. The flower blooms abundantly in different colors and sizes. And tropical fruits are often seen everywhere, in their freshness and luscious colors.

These were just some of the harvests I saw in a farmer's market last summer and I can't help but
take pictures of them. In the picture are dried and smoked fish sold packed by the dozens or you can buy them by the kilo. Sweet potatoes which I always cooked with brown sugar. Peanuts, green mango and cherry tomatoes are at it's peak season.

Ripe mangoes are very abundant and cheap during the summer. There's always bananas available all year round.

Crunchy green mangoes which we usually eat with sauteed shrimp paste or made into salad is one of our favorite appetizers, jackfruits are usually cooked with white sugar or cooked in coconut milk.

 

Before we hit the road back to the city, we passed by a vendor selling orchids along the road and they sell it in cheap prices. I  miss summer and I guess I have to wait for the rainy season to end and prepare for another road trip this coming dry season. Thank you for dropping by!

This is posted for Our Word Tuesday.

Charcoal

 We have been using charcoal sometimes when grilling meat, fish or any food that we want to, but I have no idea how charcoal is done. Last weekend as I was walking near the lake I found these pile of woods ready to get burned and turned to charcoal. It's an old fashioned way of  making them, as told by the guy whom I talked to. The firing is done for weeks and they took turns in watching them so as not burn everything and turn them all to ashes.

The use of charcoal in the Philippines is still popular for it many uses in household, horticulture which is good for growing orchids, art for charcoal drawing, medicine and many more. These are the finished products, ready for packaging and delivery.

This is my entry for Our World Tuesday.

Off To Tappiya

After we arranged things with the hut owner, we put our things in a corner and ate lunch, rest for a while, then off we went to Tapppiya Falls. The pathways going to the falls are steep and narrow and there were some which were obstructed by piles of stones that if you happen to step on the wrong side you'll fall off the rice paddies and worst... to the ravine you go.

There are some decent concrete stairs, like that on the picture, only you got to hold a walking stick to maintain steadiness, unfortunately there were only few concrete stairs like these, most pathways are rough and slippery.

The smell of the rice grains around me blend well with the cold breeze and the touch of sunlight gave me a different feeling of excitement and eagerness to explore more of its hidden beauty.

The Ifugaos practices organic farming, they usually spend their time cultivating soil, planting root crops and other vegetables in the terraces or in the forest lands which undoubtedly sustain their basic needs.

 

It took us an hour of walking on steep and low, rocky and slimy paths, cautiously crossing some rice paddies before we got to my most awaited part.

The Tappiya Falls, hidden in the middle of the forest, down to the lower part of the Batad Terraces. My exhausted legs were already weak as I witness the powerful cascading waters, as it drops and carelessly splashes on my face and gave me a feeling of relief and triumph!

We left the place before it gets dark and there we were again struggling the steep paths back to the hut. Whew.

Going to Batad Terraces is one of my unforgettable and most challenging journey, the narrow and steep paths, the rice paddies, the waterfalls and the locals...all of these will remain forever in my memory as long as I live.