OT - I have returned !

[6pt-sika]

Well I finally arrived in Dullus this morning after missing a connecting flight from San Francisco . What was originally a 27 hour trip from Cagayan de Oro Philipinnes to Dullus turned into about a 30 hour trip !

But let me just say I enjoyed my two weeks in PI , but it is great to be standing in the good old USA again !

While there I spent some time at the beach ! My first time to see the Pacific ocean !

[6pt-sika]

First time we went to the beach it was myself !

My friend , she and I happened to turn 47 on the exact same day while I was in PI !


Her daughter !


Her brother , sister in law and her younger sisters son !


My friends brother is a pigeon hunter there in PI . He had asked me to get him a Simmons Pro Hunter 3-9x40 for his pigeon rifle . But I took him a Simmons Pro Hunter 4-12x40 with AO instead ! Seems they shoot the pigeons with 22 rifles up to about 100 meters .

While we were at the beach he brought along some pigeons he had killed and then cooked in a teryaki sauce , and I gotta say they tasted great ! Think I ate four or five myself !

[6pt-sika]

While we were at the beach that day my friends nephew Danille decided to do some hunting of his own !



And he was succesfull I might add !

[6pt-sika]

I have a couple books that contain a good bit of info on deer in PI !

The first is titled "Hunting and Stalking Deer throughout the world" by G. Kenneth Whitehead .

And the other is "Asian Hunter" by John Brandt .

Seems the only deer indiginouse to Mindanao island (which is where I was) in Pi is the Sambar . John Brandt has some pics of what he calls good Sambar racks from PI . Now by no means are they the quality of the Samabr one would kill in say Australia , New Zealand or even Texas . But they are still good for the area and sub species !

Well my friends father has a Sambar rack that he took maybe 30-35 years ago and of course I took some pictures ! As his is of the same quality as those in John Brandt's book !

So here are three pics of a Philipinne Sambar's antlers .







He used to work in the timber industy in PI and was able to take quite a few nice Sambar for the area , as he showed me a few old pictures !

I am sorry to say that hunting of these animals is now forbidden , although they are still available in good numbers ! Of course the other downside is that they live in the same area as the rebels in PI and that sure isn't a place for a fat american like me to be hunting

[Old Savage]

Interesting and different - it is good for young fellows like you to get around like this. Nice pics!

[6pt-sika]

Interesting and different - it is good for young fellows like you to get around like this. Nice pics!

Thank you !

But at 47 I don't consider myself young any longer

[gamekeeper]

Sounds like an interesting place to visit. Nice photos!

[6pt-sika]

When we returned to Cagayan de Oro on the first trip to the beach our bus was stopped at a military check point !

The Philipinne Army was looking for rebels and they made all the filipino's get off the bus while they searched ! The only males left on the bus were the driver , a Korean man and myself !

They all had Vietnam era M16's as one was about 8 inches from me for a couple minutes . Not pointed at me , but close enough that I could get a good visual on it as he was checking babbage overhead !

My friend was a little scared as she thought they would try and take my money . But they never said a word to me !

[GANJIRO]

Welcome home, did you bring back a magandangdalaga?

[6pt-sika]

Welcome home, did you bring back a magandangdalaga?

I don't think so but I'm not sure what that is

Bought a fifth of 15 year old Tanduay for $5 american !

Got a pint of 5 year old Tanduay for 50 CENTS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The pint is a gift for a friend ! And the other will sit in my liquor cabinet for awhile I am sure as I don't drink rum very often !

[6pt-sika]

did you bring back a magandangdalaga?

Again I'm not sure what this means , but my best bud that picked me up at Dullus and one of my old GF's that's a really close friend asked me if I had gotten married again !

Told them no not yet ! And they both (at different times) said they wouldn't be surprised

[Bruce Scott]

I have always enjoyed trips to Phil - really friendly people and some beautiful places to visit. Good to get back to your home soil tho'. Maligayang pagdating!

I think you may have seen quite a few magandang dalaga - . I certainly did!

[Ysabel Kid]

Glad you are back safe and sound!

[AmBraCol]

did you bring back a magandangdalaga?

Again I'm not sure what this means , but my best bud that picked me up at Dullus and one of my old GF's that's a really close friend asked me if I had gotten married again !

Told them no not yet ! And they both (at different times) said they wouldn't be surprised

My guess is that Ji is asking the same question - only in tagalag (sp?)...

By the way, thanks for sharing the pics and story. Looks like y'all had a great trip.

[6pt-sika]

By the way, thanks for sharing the pics and story. Looks like y'all had a great trip.

It is my intention to go back after the first of the year !

Hopefully this time I can stay a little longer then 11 days !

So then I can be like MacArther and say "I have returned"

[6pt-sika]

Now all I need to do is figure out a way to get in the mountains and get a nice Sambar on my return and not let the rebels get their hands on me

[86er]

I enjoyed your post and photos!

[Nath]

Popping pidgeon with a 22 is one of my fave methods too.

Nath.

[rjohns94]

Great post. I have not been to that part of the world but perhaps the sails of Lady E will carry me there one day.

[Rimfire McNutjob]

Now that you're back I may have to send you some ammo for that Marlin you've been neglecting ... just to remind your shoulder that you live here in the USA where bigger is always better.

[GANJIRO]

That's right, you were in Mindanao. Not too scary with Moro separatists there who are known to kidnap Americans? Were your hosts Muslims or Catholics? My Dad was in the Philippines during WWII US Army Amphibious Engineers (The Army's navy), and he was always gifted with languages and picked up several languages such as Pangasinan, Ilocano, and Tagalog obviously spending more time in Luzon than Mindanao or Leyte. He ran guns and supplies to the guerrillas along the coast, and in the mountains. Anyways he taught me several words from several languages but "Magandangdalaga" came in handy here as there are allot of immigrant field worker from the Philippines, it means "beautiful woman" in both Ilocano and Pangasinan.
"Makapili" was another word, it meant "collaborator" refer with the Japanese occupiers, not too many "Makapili" survived the war usually executed by there own people for good reason. It's an old word that only the war generation seems to remember but not fondly.

[Teek]

I went to the Philippines last October and loved it! Great people, great food, and great scenery! I stayed two weeks in Zamboanga City and felt very comfortable...except once when we went into the mountains. Hard to explain. Extremely safe today but we better not come back? Just a feeling. Several months after I got back, things started heating up again and bombs were sporadically going off around the city. Glad I went and would be glad to go back again, but $ is concentrating on getting my fiancee over here.

Oh, and Ganjiro, how's Lucille? I think I remember your hog's name? She still with ya?
Teek

[6pt-sika]

That's right, you were in Mindanao. Not too scary with Moro separatists there who are known to kidnap Americans? Were your hosts Muslims or Catholics? My Dad was in the Philippines during WWII US Army Amphibious Engineers .

Mindanao was alright as I mainly stayed in and around Cagayan de Oro City !

My frineds were almost all catholic with one sister having converted to protestant . I did talk with some muslims in Manila on the way to CDO and they seemed nice enough !

My grandfather was in PI late 45 and early 46 although I am not sure where he was ! Although I think from being on Mindanao and around Manila I was close to somewhere he had been . It was my intention to ask him exactly where he had been before I left , but he got sick in late march and passed in early april before I had a chance to ask him where he had been ! When I was younger I remmember him telling me variouse things about over there , but I did not remmember places !

Maybe sometime soon I can figure out where he was as it is my intention to go back in early 2009 possibly for a month !

Also have intentions of bringing my friend to the USA if she is inclined ! I think her daughter may wish to come as well , although she is 23 and may like to stay in PI !

[6pt-sika]

We had a lechon on the 26th of july in honor of my girlfriends birthday and my own !



Thats my girlfriends dad with the piggie , although by that time the piggie had seen many better days
We also had Shanghai Lumpia , mango and many other fixings !

I had emailed my girlfriends younger sister to have a cake made for the celebration for my girlfriend which she happily did for me ! But unknown to me she also had a cake made for me as well , we both turned 47 on the 27th !


Here's a picture of my girlfriends younger sister , two of her nieces and myself !


And a picture of my girlfriend , her daughter and myself !


I think we had about 30 people her for the occasion and I truely believe a good time was had by all !

[6pt-sika]

On the saturday night before I left we had another smaller get together ! No lechon this time well at least not an entire piggie . But we did have pork , chicken , lumpia , rice , mango , pineapple and many other things I do not know the names for !



here some of us are at the table !



My girlfriends younger sister on the left , hugging their mother and their oldest sisters daughter on the right !



My girlfriend , myself and her niece !



From the left GF's oldest sister , then GF , next oldest sister , then youngest sister and finally oldest sisters daughter !



Me in the middle with GF and her sisters as well as the next to oldest sisters daughter and the youngest sisters son !

Again we all had a pretty nice time and as always the food was great ! But still everyone seemed a little sad as I was leaving the following day !

[reo]

What a feast. Great family. Thanks for sharing.