We spent a few hours in Manila. We ate and scads of family came over. Lito's other sister lives like only two houses down. After awhile, we left for the drive south to Batangas in the family van.

It was extremely windy and the roads were very windy (wind ee, like curvy). I was dozing in the van. I can remember being a little bit scared to see the roads in the dark. Every few yards, there was another sharp turn. As usual, Boyet was the driver. As usual, he did an excellent job. I closed my eyes because I was scared and dozed off.

I awoke in Batangas. We got out and unloaded.There was a man singing across the street over a PA system when we arrived. Videoke. Very loud.
We visited with family (and a neighborhood guy that invited himself over, long story) and I was off to bed.
I had been given a lovely room all to myself with a fan.
I slept very, very well. I would later reflect that the first night there was possibly the only really good night's sleep that I got, for whatever reason.

Good Morning Batangas

I woke up in the AM at an unknown time completely refreshed. Outside my bedroom door was a door to the balcony. I stepped out and enjoyed the morning. Yes, it was hot. I had a nice chair and my camera. Me on the balcony would become a morning habit that I enjoyed.

Here is my first view of Batangas on Diokno street.

I'm up on the balcony looking down here. That building there I would soon find out is a restaurant with Karaoke, which we will be discussing at length. It's actually called Videoke here, because there are videos that go with the songs.
When someone is singing here, the whole block can hear it.

What does that yellow sign say?

So, I thought, ok this is a Beach Resort? It doesn't look like one: here is the rest:

It's an advertisement for a beach resort. That's not the beach resort.

View to the left from the balcony. A zillion of these tricycles zip up and down the street from before the break of dawn. The kids go to school in these and it's cute to see them in their uniforms on the tricyles.

This was directly to my right, it's the upstairs to a gym. People think it's haunted.

Hiring a tricycle.

After a breakfast of coffee and fried eggs, rice (there were other foods, these were the ones I ate) it was off to the market! Evelyn and her brother's wife Joy and I hired a tricycle and off we went.

The next entry to go to: To market, to market.