This past weekend we were able to take
the short trip over to Guimaras Island to help a fellow PCV with an Eco Booth
during their local festival, Mangaahan. This island is where the sweetest
mangos in the world come from. This is not just a statement; it comes from the
Mango Research Institute, which just happens to be on the island also. The festival lasts for an entire month
and is filled with vendors selling cashews, t-shirts, bamboo made products, and
of course, mangos. We had a great time drinking an abundance of mango
shakes (ice and mangos put into a blender - the locals add sugar and condensed
milk but we've bought so many the vendors make ours without the extra
sugar). These help us stay cool since it's the hottest time of the
year.
There were many beautiful things to see.
Tyler, the PCV in charge of putting the
information together, worked hard with his counterpart to make sure everything
was in the local dialect. We talked about the 3 coastal ecosystems along
with the decomposition of different trash materials. There were also
fun games for kids to play, which usually drew the most attention.
It was another successful and fun weekend.
Time for sunsets and sundowners.
Many other food vendors were set up selling stuffed grilled squid, crabs of all sizes, BBQ chicken, and most importantly cold beer.
