Another Senior Outing

We had another senior outing last Saturday when we drove to the birthplace of Jose Rizal, a Philippine national hero. He was born during our Civil War and was executed for fomenting rebellion by the Spanish in his thirties. He was an amazing man! He was a botanist, a poet, an engineer, an author, an excellent dancer, and a champion of the Filipino cause against the oppression of the Spanish.

A child's bed

The parents' bed

David in front of the Nipa Hut in the back yard. I'm not sure of the translation of that, but it was Jose's favorite place.

Me also in the back yard, to prove I was there. The house was very nice, but I was most impressed with the kitchen they had a "stove" on top of a slab of rock about waist high, with stone (or concrete) tripods built over depressions in the stove. One could build a fire in the depression, and set a pot on top of the tripods, and cook without bending over the fireplace. There were two "burners". It was really very innovative.  Just outside the kitchen was the Comfort Room, or CR--Filipino for bathroom. There were two separate one-holers side by side in their own little rooms.  The only disturbing part was that the well was located about ten feet away! But there was a wench from the kitchen level (second floor) down to the well, so the cook could have water pretty readily.

A model of the house, with the view from the well side of the house. The kitchen was in the part that extends out the furthest, and the CRs were between the well and the kitchen, on the upper floor.

 After the Rizal House we drove further south to the University of the Philippines Los Banos campus, where we went to their agricultural college and saw the Botanical Gardens. It was beautiful! Some of the places reminded me of Ankhor Wat and Indiana Jones. The maintenance was a little lacking, but the trail through the jungle was fun, down many steps to a creek and with lots of different flora.

David and tree with awesome roots

Cute little creek-side picnic areas, again not too well-maintained.

A giant ferny-thing

The paths were mostly steps.

These look a lot like Ruth's diffenbachia, only very large.

Elephant ear--about a foot long

Little waterfall

Don't know this one, but isn't it gorgeous?

Some kind of bar or refreshment area that, overgrown with vines, etc., reminded us of Indy.

A very persistent plant growing right out of the retaining wall

A candle tree--see the candle-like pods

Orchids and evidence of the temperature in the jungle