Christmas Eve 2010

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Lake Taal,Tagaytay.

Christmas Eve was at Lake Taal in Tagaytay with Squish's family. For those of you who are not aware, Taal is the world's smallest active volcano. Having said that – it is in a lake formed in the caldera of an older (“now dormant/extinct”) volcano. I'd been here before (2000) but had only seen it from the upper edge of the caldera (and Google Maps of course), but this time we stayed at a resort on the shores of the lake. Quite a different experience. Met a retired United pilot (Rick) who is the resident expert on Taal (I know because he told me several times) who told me that Taal is a lake within a lake within a lake – 3 lakes in all. We made do with seeing one. Rick is also quite the conspiracy theorist – needless to say we had a few lively chats.

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Photos

On the way
Filipino Cultural centre. When this was being built, there was an industrial accident which resulted in approx 20 odd workers being buried in the rubble. Imelda Marcos, great humanitarian that she was insisted that they simply be buried in in the foundations because the project was behind schedule. To this day the building is said to be haunted

Filipino Marketing Model
Open a stall and show a modicum of success and next day everybody and his dog will open an identical one next door

Pit Stop
Unscheduled pit top - same everywhere I've ever been -
'nuff said

Taal - 1
This is the usual postcard snap from the top edge of the caldera showing the volcano to the right

Taal - 2
The volcano as seen from the entertainment area outside our room

Taal - 3
A panorama from the same area

Annie's Place
This is Annie's (Squish's sister) place as the title suggests. this is both her shop and her home. The unpainted area is the living quarters and consists of two room: living/eating/cooking and sleeping. Ablutions of all types are outside. The painted section is her retail shop

Across the Road
As a contrast - this is the house directly across the road from Annie's

mmmmmm BEER!
This is the price list for Annie's shop. 40 PHP/AUD - do your own math

Yna and me
I wasn't going to make this blog about individuals, but this is Yna (an the fat bloke is me) . . . . . .

Yna
. . . . possibly the cutest Filipina on this planet . . . . and NO!!!! . . . . . I am NOT biased

Comments

[kero]

not CCP but Manila Film Center
Sorry but the photo with the Filipino Cultural centre isn't the place where the construction accident happened - it's in fact the Manila Film Center which is one of the buildings in the CCP (Cultural Center of the Philippines) Complex. The photo shows CCP (with a 1,600-seat main theater) and the complex (or area/precinct) has a number of buildings including a Sofitel hotel, Folk Arts Theater (an 8,000-seat performing arts venue), Coconut Palace, and the Manila Film Center (now used as a venue for Amazing Philippine Theater, a revue done by transsexuals some of who are more beautiful the Miss Universe contestants :-), and Philippine International Convention Center

[squishNjohn]

Thanks
Thanks for the 'pick up' on that. I was only going by what I was told. Appreciate your interest and efforts.