Philippine holiday part2

Thursday, 4th of August. We went on a day trip to Paradise Island. This is a beach resort on the Island Garden City of Samal, just off the coast from Davao. It is also where we got married, so has a myriad blissful memories for us.

Punting Philippine style! (Would do well on the Cherwell in Oxford). It's a ten minute boat ride across the strait to the island.

Irene & Joanavi (Ivy's sisters), Ivy's Mother, and Irene's two sons, Nino (in red) and Ren-Ren

We presumed that having Charles was a sort of disability ... at least, no-one threw us out of the disabled seat!

View of Davao from the middle of the sea

Around the beach

Looking in awe at the ostrich.	Charles shooting his cousin in the back! (Only with water, thank goodness).	Charles' first paddle .... chasing Ren-Ren into the sea!	Some stupid old git eating the decorative orchid from the lunch!	Nino, after being covered in sand by a certain 2 ¹/₂ year old.
Joanavi, Ivy's younger sister	Monty (`Python') Phelan, Ivy's youngest nephew, son of Ivy's brother Michael, 7 months old.	Monty with mother Jacquie.	Joanavi & Irene. Irene is the eldest of all the Lirazan siblings.	Joanavi & Ivy's Mother.

Zebra butterfly on the flowers outside Irene's house

Gumamela

Another variety of Gumamela

After lunch we went to see the land we bought for the family. It is about 5 minutes motorbike drive from Paradise. Here are the photographs of Ivy and some of the plants growing.

Young coconut tree

Leaning on the avocado tree

Avocado tree in full

Bananas

Mature coconut tree with mango in the foreground.

Young banana trees with no fruit yet

Papaya

Mr Sergio Rodriguez was Ivy's benefactor. He donated a piece of his land for his tenants. The photographs below were taken in the the village, which was (surprisingly!) named after him.

View of Davao

Davao port, on the opposite side of the strait

Looking towards the hotel Mercure in Lanang. The hotel also hosts the Casino Filipino.

There are still a few patches of native vegetation on Samal, amid the various plantations.

Wild flowers and the Carabao (water buffalo) - which became the Philippine National Animal because of its huge range of uses, from ploughing, pulling carts, carrying loads, even food!

The following day, Ivy took a few photographs of her youngest sister Joanavi in her school uniform. Joanavi is a second year nursing student at the University of the Immaculate Conception in Davao City.