🇵🇭Philippines

The Monsoon

It rained more today than any other day since we have been here. Because it is warm, the rain is tolerable but when the wind picks up we take cover, if only to judge the downpour before continuing. We are still holding out on buying an umbrella from the many street traders. I don't think us white people are expected to brave the rain. It would seem we are destined to travel in style too. Every taxi that passes swerves across the four lanes of traffic tooting their horn in eagerness to offer us a ride.

So, with all the rain, we naturally opted to be outside and walked to Rizal Park. A green run packed with cultural gardens, monuments and street stalls, it appeared split by a carriage-way into one more lavish end and the lesser struggling to drain away water. The sadness for me is the number of children homeless and begging. They are really sweet kids with big brown eyes. It's tough to walk on by.

The Concert

During one downpour, Becky and I chatted with a Filipino male who was involved in setting up for a Concert in the park tonight. With a clear distrust of government, he shared his views on the education system, the value and prejudice placed on having a college degree and how he served four years in the military back in the seventies. We left Ray there and returned to dry out our clothes.

At about 5:30pm, we returned to the concert which displayed a variety of Filipino folk dancing. Amazing costumes, storytelling and amusing characters.