On Saturday, our group was taken to a dam to go swimming, cool off, and have a bit of down-time away from the kids. 2 staff members and a senior student came with us and we had an absolute whale of a time. The Philippines has some simply stunning geography and landscapes and we were able to enjoy it all. Sadly, packing a bathing suit never occurred to me, so I was stuck on land playing photographer/videographer. I didn't mind so much as I had my book and a relatively comfortable place to sit where I could put my feet in the water and stay cool.
The dam site was stunning; it looked like a giant waterslide that was beginning us to come and have a go or two. There were quite a few people there as well. The neat thing about the Filipino swimming customs is that you wear your bathing suits under your clothes and don't take off the clothes; you essentially swim fully dressed.
A large rock was available as a substitute diving board and, although it took awhile, 4 members of our group took the plunge. There was also people travelling down the river on rafts that were created by loosely stringing together some bamboo logs. Graham, our fearless leader, punted when he was at Oxford or Cambridge (I can't remember which as he attended both schools) so he asked to have a go. Hilarity ensued. Graham is very popular wherever we go in the Philippines ("Ohhh, you so tall!") primarily because he is approximately 6'4" and the children (and adults!) have never seen someone quite so gargantuan. He is often asked to pose for photos with groups of people and people flock to him whenever he enters the room.
The other impressive sight was watching some men attempt to move a boulder from the river up to the shore. They were successful, too! Many grunts were heard as they heaved that boulder across the river.
One of the funnier sights was seeing these little kids stand on each other's shoulders than slowly disappear into the water. It looked quite fun and, judging by the giggles and shouts of laughter, the kids were thoroughly amused!
Ducks and chickens wandered freely through our little sheltered area. At one point, I thought for sure they were going to come and make friends, a thought that made me shudder. I have a healthy respect for every kind of fowl in existence.
There is talk of returning to the dam this weekend. Fingers crossed...
Kristen
Back row from the left: Graham, Caroline, David. Front: Jess
I'm going down, down, down...
Graham punting
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