Miss Iggy hits the Dahican Beach

Hello and happy summer! 

It's the summer season in the Philippines. School's out, and kids are taking summer workshops while the grownups are bringing extra hankies to work (to wipe sweat with). When temperature in Manila reaches a scorching 36 degrees, you know you have to do something about it: either stay in an airconditioned room all day or hit the beach for a dip in the cool blue sea!

One of the best beaches Miss ex-Schoolgirl Iggy (she's still soul-searching for a new name) enjoyed was the Dahican Beach in Mati, Davao Oriental. She went there last August but misses it so much she wanted to share these photos with you.

The Dahican Beach is the home of the Amihan Surfers, a youth group passionate about skimboarding and surfing. The beach is pristine and there are few tourists around. The sand was nice and fine, and the water was clear and wasn't as "salty". It's a nice sea to swim in!

That's Miss Iggy's friend Erick photombing.

This is a skimboard.

You can sit on a surfboard and have it pulled by a motorized boat.

The Amihan boys and girls were so good! 

Awesome move.

Beach acrobatics!

Since Davao Oriental is on the eastern side of the Philippines, it looks out onto the Pacific Ocean, which means you can catch a glorious sunrise!

Miss Iggy's looking forward to another beach adventure this summer. How about you? What do you guys like to do during summer vacation? :)

Durian-All-You-Can

When Miss Igorota planned a trip to Davao in the southeasternmost part of the Philippines, she didn't know she would be in for a big, smelly fruity treat. As soon as she landed in Davao's airport, the distinct aroma of durian wafted into her nostrils and tickled her belly! Davao isn't called the Philippines' durian capital for nothing!

The little schoolgirl (who's taking quite a long break from school) learned a lot about the different products that can be made from durian. She got to try durian fresh from the fruit, durian tart, durian jam...

 

durian candies of different flavors (there was buko pandan, mocha, langka)...

durian bars...

 

durian cheesecake and durian coffee...

and durian ice cream!

"It was a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Durian Ice Cream Man," said Miss Igorota, feeling the bright sunshine in her belly.

Oh, and what's this?

It's durian flan! Miss Iggy washed it down with a special blend of mangosteen frappe.

 

That's a lot of durian! Miss Iggy made sure to buy durian treats as pasalubong for her friends and family back home. Of course, she had to have a durian of her own!