Thursday, October 6, 2011

Calamianes: Out on the water

@ mirandablue
I have always dreamed of living by the ocean.   I'd love nothing more than communing with the wilderness on a pristine headland or crescent of sand. But I would prefer my coastline to have a little bit more of land than rocks.  


These stilt houses are homes of the Tagbanuas, an indigenous folk of Coron Island, one of the islands we visited in early September.  The Tagbanuas of Coron Island are mostly fishermen, but when the amihan (northeastern monsoon) blows and keeps the fishermen inland, the Tagbanua scale the jagged limestone cliffs towards cave entrances high above sea level.  Then they make an  arduous, death-defying descent into dark caves to gather balinsasayao (Callocalia troglodytes) nests, an edible nest made from swiftlets saliva.

@ mirandablue
For Thursday 2 Questions - you are invited to answer and join:

1.    What exotic food have you tried lately?

2.    What is the most amazing place you have visited recently?


10 comments:

DJ said...

Beautiful pictures, the water looks so inviting. I saw a documentary once about the gathering of these nests inside caves; very impressive the way they do it.

Is it ok to answer your two questions here?
1. Duck hearts
2. Port de Venasque, in the Pyrenees

Joanne Olivieri said...

These are gorgeous shots and your photo header is spectacular.

1. I'd say the last exotic food I've had was tripe which is the lining of a cow's stomach.

2. The last place was Hong Kong and I'd love to go back again and again.

SquirrelQueen said...

What an amazing place. I would love to live by the ocean too but like you I think I would like a little more beach.

1. I tried wild Elk not long ago but I have had more exotic foods like frog legs and rare caribou kidney.

2. The most amazing place ever was Barrow, Alaska but more recently the southern end of the Baja peninsula.

Luna Miranda said...

thank you, guys, for visiting and leaving a comment.

1. i had crocodile meat not long ago. there are foods here that are exotic to the west but they're mostly hawkers food here. i had grilled chicken intestines (isaw) over the weekend, and cow's innards (papaitan).:p

2. Coron Island and the rest of the Calamian group of islands---definitely the most amazing place i've been to.

Al said...

hello Luna!
1. I bought adobong paniki but I didn't eat it, when I saw it's little teeth!

2. Canimog Island in Camarines Norte is one of the most amazing place I've ever been.

Cathy Kennedy said...

Escargot is the most exotic food I've eaten before.

As always the most amazing places I have visited have been right here in East Tennessee and western North Carolina. The Blue Ridge Parkway and Smoky Mountains offer some incredible views!

Come by to read today's post:
Yesterday

Icy BC said...

1) The most exotic food that I've just tried is the "spongy fish balls"! It tastes like jelly!

2) I haven't been on a vacation or go anywhere for years! So no amazing place for me!

imriz2 said...

kakainlove tlg photos mo, luna. u should really make a gallery displayed in ur metro home...gaganda e:)

(ok ang life ng mga fishermen hano, everyday is an adventure)

Self Sagacity said...

the most exotic food recently is sushi, new style. I went to the sushi bar to buy some usual california rolls and tuna rolls. The sushi maker liked me so much that they gave me a taste of something new they'd made, so I decided to buy what they asked me to taste instead. It wasn't really exotic in terms of daring, but it is very unique. Your photos reminds me so much of Viet Nam, that was the last adventourous trip I took. a few years ago.

Colette S said...

Gorgeous photos!

I haven't eaten any special foods lately but I did visit my mom in Jamaica which is an amazing place a month ago.

Aloha!