My photo shoot in Butuan last week was a fun, informative andap cheap one. I told my friend that we'll go out and spend as little as possible. It was trouble I think from the get go because the idea of eating out kept on taunting me. I wasn't even hungry.

Anyway we did spent an hour without eating anything until we spied this tri-sikad/bakeshop rolling down the road. All in all I spent less than 100 pesos or 2 dollars on my trip. This includes all the fare and snacks. Mmmm... I wonder if I can manage on only one dollar next time. Haha.

It's embarrassing to admit how ignorant I am about the city I grew up in. Do you know that its only when I start this Butuanon blog that I start to see the little things that's interesting about this place? For example this figure of a knife (I think) is what they call the WW II veteran's shrine. If I wasn't doing this blogging thing I wouldn't have seen this. It would've blended with the surroundings.

I'm sure if you'll ask anybody who's living here in this city right now they wouldn't be able to tell you where this is located.

This photo was taken across the post office, actually. It was a mini rotunda, I think.

First photo edited using photoscape. It would've been an extra boring photo otherwise. It was an overcast day. No clouds and pretty blue sky.

...And congratulations Manny Pacquiao! I wasn't able to see the fight because of some unavoidable circumstances aka work but I heard it was quite a fight.

Balangay

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Museum attendants/employees tend to frown on people taking photos of their displays. Or at least museum people here in Butuan do. I know this is a let down but this is the best that I can do. Behind the glass is one of the balanghais found within the museum/ archaeological site. This is one evidence of Butuan 's rich historical past.

According to our guide some balangays are still under ground within the parameter of the shrine. "In situ", according to Butuanon official site.

There is one phrase that Butuanonon claims "In the beginning there was no Philippines, but there was Butuan." By 10th century Butuanons are already in trade with China. These must've be the boats used for traveling and trading.

Click here for more history lessons.

Thanks to Mr. Mario for the tour around the shrine.

National Museum-- Balanghai Shrine

For the following days I'm going to post one photo each day from the touristy travel around Butuan that I had today. My first destination this afternoon was at Libertad archaeological site. This unassuming building houses the important Butuan historical artifact- The balangahai.

Balanghai-- A large boat used by Malay settlers of the Philippines in prehispanic times. The vessel was about eighteen meters in length. Such a vessel would carry a small clan or a large family. Wiktionary.

Agusan River

Agusan River at sunset. I still haven't taken new photos so I searched my archives for something to use today. Thanks for visiting!

Traffic at the Diversion Road

This was take at the diversion road, Imadejas area. I thought traffic was gonna be light. Being just a 'diversion' and all.

Sorry folks, I missed one day of posting. My schedule at work got a bit hectic. I'll go out tomorrow and get some fresh images (I hope- if laziness won't overcome me) to add to my depleting stockpile.

I took this photo while riding a multicab. Look at the radar like sense of the boy at the bike. He sense he's about to be photographed from a couple of meters away!

Last June 15 there was a brownout.

That means no electric fan, no airconditioner. So we thought of going somewhere where we can catch the unobstructed view of the sunset and the this was where we went.

That broom used by the guy is called walis ting-ting.

Sunday Scene III

It may seem strange to associate popcorn with going to church but here in Butuan its not so strange. It may not be immediate, the association, but you can see how it would be when you see a couple of popcorn stalls dotting the outside of the church every Sunday.

Saturday, oh saturday

I'm glad you're here. The day is right, I feel, for pandesal, cassava cake and tsokolate.

at pan de pugon.

This is the new and improved road going to Magsaysay bridge. You wouldn't recognize this photo if you've been away from Butuan for a while.

Carabao. Riding the carabao can be done in Butuan. This photo was taken just alongside the bridge. CARAGA region, where Butuan is a part of, is an agricultural region. Which explains the rural feel of this photograph.

Balot again, anyone

The used to be stationary balut store can now be found on a two wheel vehicle. You can now enjoy its yummy taste and texture (feathers, bones, yolks and all) during afternoons at the new Butuan Bridge. What's the official name of the bridge? Do you know?

Aerial View of Butuan

What a view!

A distinct landmark from this view is the Magsaysay bridge. And the body of water that is clearly visible from here, is the Agusan River.

A good friend was kind enough to contribute her photo of Butuan on this blog. This photo was taken while she was riding a helicopter (I'm drooling with envy at her chopper adventure!) So its a perspective not anybody can just have (in their lifetime).

Please don't copy, distribute, use in any way, photos from this post/blog. Thank you.

I decided to post photos not taken by me just to mix things up a little.

Aha!




This must be why there was brown-out the whole day yesterday!

Sunday- At Church

Its Sunday. Time for the faithful to hear mass. This was taken surreptitiously at St. Joseph Cathedral at the end of the service. This has been a practice that's been done for a while now. At the end of the mass people, mostly children, surge towards the Priest to pay their respects by pressing the priest's knuckles against their foreheads.

To better understand this tradition you can check my previous blog about this.

Just in case you're wondering why this photo is blurry, its just my way of showing the madhouse that is the church every time it ends. Hehe

Cigarette vendor

Photo taken at the crossing of Zamora Street and Montilla Boulevard.

This sight is common along the busy streets. No, he's not a crook with a ski mask. He's a cigarette vendor. Hawking his ware to the tricycle drivers, and other drivers in the streets. That mask was donned to protect him from health illness brought about by air pollution. Probably. (Oh the irony!)

Thanks, by the way, for the picture, Manong. you're the best!

Food Scene at Margie's

I think Margie is now slowly changing the Butuanon's perception about her food. Margie's isn't only about wonderful- to- the- palate- cakes anymore. Look at the yummy fresh lumpia!
(I'm making myself hungry.)

Philippine Independence Day

Photo taken at Butuan Rizal park (the Plaza)

I find that doing this Butuan blog brought back the inner child in me. The inner child that I consider the pure, concentrated, distilled, me.

That statue is of our Philippine National Hero, Jose Rizal. To those people who aren't familiar with Philippine history you might want to get to know about this great man.

I'm sure there's a reason why I took Rizal's back with the gigantic flag floating mightily in the wind. Its probably something deep and intellectual.

I hope you don't mind but I've been playing with a new photo image editing software that somebody recommended on multiply.com. It's called photoscape. It's free! isn't that fantastic? I added a vignette to the photo to make it look like a lomo photo.

Happy Independence day, Philippines!

Tipasi, Rice and all the Grains

Some people take their siesta every afternoon. Some watch their favorite Mexican, Korean or local tele-serye (TV soaps) . And yet some people spend their time lovingly picking out the 'tipasi' , and other unprocessed by products (or is it the other way around?) of rice grains.

Its a meditative exercise, I imagine.

"...Oops, a stone, oh another un-milled grain ('tipasi'). That's the thirtieth piece in this minute alone."

My nanay used to do 'tahop'. Its where she uses a flat, semi concave basket (?) weaving ('nigo'), to remove the stones, un-milled grains and other impurities. You should see her make the dirt fly. I used to be all so know it all (still is, sometimes, actually- according to a certain cousin) and get the nigo from her and try to do what she does only to make half of the grains fly. The-should-and-the-shouldn't-fly-grains floating in the air. It was beautiful... disaster. Hehehe. One of my early brushes of guilt, I should imagine.

Sign Part Uno

'If you have banana, and coconut husk (probably what it says) to sell, just follow the arrow.'

A sign found along the Ampayon (?) highway.

(Are they buying whole banana husk? or whole banana, and whole coconut husk? I can't tell what exactly what they want to say.) Anybody who can shed light on this sign? Its been bugging me every time I happen to pass this way.

***

And since this blog is about signs I would love to hear from my anonymous long time (2-3 months long) regular readers. A sign that you're not a figment of my imagination would be nice. :)

King of Butuan Roads

This photo just goes to show who is king of Butuan roads. The sea of orange says it all. (The king along the tricycle-allowed streets, anyway.)

Have you heard the news? The tricycle fare is now 7 pesos. That's the regular fare, according to one surly driver.

And to add insult to the injury-- rice prices? Ugh! 48 Pesos per kilo. I've read Lianga Diary's blog about the increasing prices of rice and its effect on Lianga and its people. I think its a beautifully written blog. Nindot.

And check my other post about tricycle.

Mono

A boy at the Butuan Regional Museum garden.

City Hall

It seems like that I've been to the City Hall a lot of times lately. I've taken my fair share of photos of the relatively new building and this set is the latest.

I have to post this again because what is a Butuan City blog without a photo of its city hall? :)

New Perspective?

St. Joseph Cathedral

Street Orchids

My friends and I were walking along AD Curato Street and we happen to see street stalls displaying orchids for sale. I asked for the owner if its okay to take a photo of the flowers and he hesitated for a bit. I thought it was because of shyness. The reason he didn't agree right away, he said, was that flashes are the reason orchids wilt- (and die, maybe). So I assured him that I won't use any flash. Well, I'm just glad I was able to get a non- blurry photo from all the hurrying I did.

Weegol's

Due to the popularity (according to me) of my food blogs, I posted another Butuan favorite from Weegol's--Chicken Barbecue with atsara and rice.

Soccer at the playground

Time to leave the couch behind. Let's play kick the ball. Hurray for sweat and flying limbs. Let our physical skills and abilities shine!

I took this photo behind the fence of the City playground. Lurking like a sneaky Private I. Brings back the memories of wanting to be Nancy Drew (Or Kinsey Millhone, or... ) Haha.

Weegol's Inside

This was taken at one of Weegol's garden huts. The one near City Hall. Looking again at this photo makes me crave Weegol's cool and yummy buko halo again.

Margie's

Remember Margie's cakes?
Of course you do. If you haven't been in Butuan for a long time they now have a cafe shop at Zamora Street. Its a another favorite place for Butuanons to be (seen) at. Expect to see folks of every age and sizes bringing their laptops as they enjoy the hotspot that is Margie's (and Pan de Pugon)