From Pangasinan in Northern Luzon

As we travel here, the scenery and climate changes with the altitude. The broad sweep of rice fields are interrupted by a row of houses which are clustered along a road. In the fields are occasionally found trees. The mango trees seem much like the oak tree back home except for the leaves and fruit. These trees grow to about 40 feet high. The papaya trees are smaller and grow straight up then fan out in a cluster of large jagged leaves. The papaya fruit grows from the trunk. The mangos grow from the outer branches. Around each house and along the road are fruit trees.

 Banana trees are common. These are really different with the huge leaves hanging down. The banana trees have a trunk with layers on it. Each layer grows on the outside and goes up to the latest fan of leaves. Finally a shaft will grow thru the center and bend down. This looks like a spear at the tip. The end fattens to about the size of a football. Then it opens to reveal a small cluster of bananas. These grow dark green. As they get larger, they often  become lighter in color.  When the bananas are cut off as a bunch, the tree is cut off about 2 feet high. It will grow back in two years and have more fruit then.

After the first crop of rice is harvested, the second crop of rice will be quickly planted. If there will not be enough water for the field, the second crop will be corn or sometimes peanuts.  When the first rains come in August, the water is channeled to a seed field.  The rice seeds are thickly matted with some straw and watered. When the rice is about eight inches tall, the other fields are plowed. The rice is moved from the first bed in clumps about 4 inches square. These are separated one plant at a time by breaking work done by several men who plant, working together. To plant the thousands of acres here is a lot of work.  The harvesting is by hand. Each handful of rice is held and cut individually. These are tied into bundles. When the thresher is brought to the field, each is fed into it.  The threshing machine is gas powered. It sets on a small truck or trailer. When it is running, the straw is thrown out in a stream onto a pile. The rice falls out a side chute into pails.  A threshing machine can produce one thousand pounds each day of palay. This will be spread out flat to dry in the sun. the side of the road is often used to dry it.  It is then milled to produce the rice. The outer husk is ground off in the milling.  A sack of rice weighs 50 kilos or 110 pounds. The men who carry them on their heads are strong.  There are many big trucks carrying rice going to the cities each day.

The best thing we have found is the plenkge. This is the open air market. There are tons of fresh fruit and vegetables.  The food is right from the fields and being sold by the farmer families. It is really  low priced.  For good meat we go to the best stores here.  We can get almost everything we need.

The bamboo grows tall in large clusters. Each cluster can be several feet across. The center one can be 50 feet high. These grow in a bunch that becomes interwoven together.  When the wind blows, the bamboo will creak softly against each other. So many things are built using bamboo.  The bamboo is often split into long thin strips. These are nailed in flat rows to make furniture. These become chairs,  couches, beds, cribs, animal pens, walls  and most everything else

Life is different here.  The people are usually great. The weather gets warm each day and cool at night.

We have mastered the traffic.  The church is growing and slowly prospering.

We are well and busy.