Up the Mountain

     The other day, Val took me up the mountain to see the Aeta school, formerly a hospital. (The Aeta are the indigenous peoples of Zambales, maybe the whole of the Philippines, but not sure.) Unfortunately, we couldn't go all the way up on account of foreboding rain clouds and a flooded river, but more on that later.

     The day was clear, at least for the Philippines, so Val thought it was time I saw the Aetas. They are a short people, due to their lack of calcium. They are dark-skinned with dark, curly hair. Unfortunately, they are stubborn. They refuse to change their way of living by even an iota because if their ancestors could live the way they did, then the present-time Aetas should be able to live that way as well. Val said that they are also lazy. They would rather get the fish than the knowledge of fishing.

     On the way up, Val couldn't stop commenting on the fact that the road was now paved. I was noticing some incredible vistas. Rice paddies with mountains as a backdrop are tantalizingly beautiful. The only type of house in this area was a bamboo kubow, which is essentially a hut. It's one-roomed, no modern amenities such as running water or power, and right smack-dab in the middle of the fields. The whole "no power" thing might be false soon, as we saw power lines on our way up, and the Aetas told Evelyn that there were lines going up to the school.

     Anyway, we stopped at the house of one of Val's former patients, a 3 year-old Aetan who had corrective surgery for his cleft lip. This house had power, and was blasting their stereo. There was also a sign that had prices for charging various electronic items. We went on a Monday, so the matriarch of the family was out foraging/harvesting crops for market day on Tuesday. On the ground was a pile of peeled bamboo shoots, which are a food supplement. Of course, Val took an obligatory picture of me with the Aetas, and once I get all of the photos in one place, I'll upload it so all of you can see my awkwardness.

     While at the house, Val asked if we could go up the mountain, but the Aetas said we couldn't because the river flooded over the road, and if the Aetas say don't go up the mountain, you better believe them. There were also clouds hovering over the mountain peak, exactly where the school is. According to Val, going up after it rained/while it's raining is like driving through "chocolate soup".