-Bohol, December 16 2021
Thursday 23 December 2021:
We go to the Tuko cafe in Tagbilaran for lunch. They have have electricity thanks to solar panels on their roof. Many people are there, not only eating, but also using their lap-tops and charging their electrical devices. I charge my camera and Fatima charges her phone.
Afterwards we go shopping in a department store supermarket -where they have their own generators for essential use. The atmosphere is extremely unpleasant -because they only have enough electricity for minimal lighting and essential refrigeration -but not for air conditioning or all the escalators in the building. May items are in short supply -but, in general, it is reasonably well stocked under the circumstances
On our return, I cleared up a garden patch in the vicinity of the western wall of the house.
Then watered the seedlings.
Friday 24 December 2021:
Daytime
Breakfast
Fatima and I managed to send Christmas greetings, and the confirmation that we had survived reasonably well, to family and friends via web-mail on Fatima's tablet computer.
I started work clearing up the fallen mango tree area
The seedlings in the mini-greenhouse (sown just before the typhoon struck) are sprouting healthily.
With the drinking water emergency apparently solved (in the short term at least) -having enough water for washing remains a problem. Dirty cloths need to be hung up to dry, so they can be used again the next day. Working in a tropical climate can be quite sweaty resulting in the need to change cloths several times a day if one is engaged in heavy manual labour.
One also needs to learn how to wash oneself with a minimal amount of water.... Either using soap and water or alcohol and water.
Christmas Eve Evening
Another romantic candle lit dinner!
Saturday 25 December 2021:
Christmas Breakfast with Fried
Rice and Chinese Sausage
Rainwater for flushing and washing collected from fish pond and buckets
Recently potted seeds starting to sprout
Squash, Corn and two types of Cucumber seeds potted to celebrate Christmas
A Short, well deserved, rest
Lunch with Noodle Soup and
Chili con Carne
A Christmas scratch for the Boar
Some needlework on the balcony
Riojan Beans and Rice for
Supper
Sunday 26 December 2021:
Corned Beef and Eggs for
breakfast
Clam Chowder, Cauliflower and
carrots with Rice for Lunch
Relaxing with the cat
After lunch the rain stops and some transplanting becomes possible. Then more rain.
After the rain the transplanting continues before the rain begins again....
Fatima does some painting on the balcony
The rain is very welcome -because it fills up our nearly depleted reservoirs.
And another evening begins
Monday 27 December 2021:
Camera Battery Failure -No
Images
A neighbour brings us the 5 gallons of drinking water we had bought earlier.
Penny goes to Municipal hall to recharge our mobile devices.
During a break in the rain I manage to transplant Bitter Gourd (Ampalya) and String Beans.
Tuesday 28 December 2021:
After breakfast, back to work -cutting up some of the fallen mango tree. However again rain brought a halt to the work. The weather is obviously an important element in the recovery process -just as it was an important factor in causing the destruction in the first place.
Yesterday's transplants seem to be successful. They are looking healthy today.
The trimmed banana trees are recovering very well too.
Fatima manages to do some washing.
Coffee and cake after lunch -before starting work again...
A real wash -with rainwater?
Wednesday 29 December 2021:
More rain in the night and in the morning.
When the rain stopped, a large log was removed from a garden path.
Patola seedlings were transplanted into selected areas
Bagio Beans, Cow Peas, Bataw and Lima Beans were all potted
More work was done on removing the bits of the fallen mango tree that were blocking the path
-End of Second Week;
