31 months later….
I had to haul myself out of bed this morning, and very hesitatingly after a long uninterrupted sleep. The time was well past sunrise; all the research about when the first light of day would shine and the direction it will be coming from, as well as the tide information went with the first alarm call which I’ve slept through. I might have hit the snooze button. This is one of those times when muscle memory works to my disadvantage.
I was here in Babatngon in August of 2010. I was captivated by lovely coastline in the early morning light. It is a small municipality which relies on fishing as the main source of livelihood and it is also a landing point for nearby islanders who arrive via small boats and take the bus to the city to do some commerce.
These kids sell native Samarnon delicacies while waiting for their companions to come back from the city.
In the background, fishermen drive fishes to their net with a most unusual tool ….
…. a toilet plunger.
The neighborhood kids buying some treats at their favorite sari-sari store.
Hopscotch for one. Kids never tire of playing the same games over and over, especially if friends come over to join in the fun.
Still some kids prefer to play by themselves.
Low tide in the early morning means there will be headroom under the houses by the water. It really isn’t a place to go around picking stuff.
A strip of seawall divides work and play.
There’s not enough clearing for a sand castle here, and the other girl is thinking out of the box. Literally.
A spectacular view, but only when the tide is high.
A fisherman’s catch of the day. Not really much, about a couple of hundred pesos’ worth.
Another pair of kids, told to wait and watch over the purchases while their father goes off to buy more goods.
I have noticed that I’ve been taking more shots lately, and most likely it is because of the new environment which I find myself in – country roads and the simple life.
(I have posted my 2010 photos at my facebook page. Click here to view them.)
A walk with my camera 
Love the pics.
thanks
Great shots and interesting story. 🙂
thank you.
Wonderful as always – the one of the kids selling food (the girl smiling) is absolutely fantastic. Thanks for sharing!
thanks!
Orly your pictures are getting better and better , love the lone subjects. Minimalist enhance the the surrounding ,thanks for sharing.
thank you, Rose. I’ve been looking at the works of past masters and getting inspiration from them.
With every post I fall more and more in love with your photos. Thanks for sharing
thank you for your very kind words.
nice work, from a master…
thank you. Next time you come home, stay for an extra weekend or two and we can go check out the landscape.
rad work!
you can revisit places several times and you would always find interesting subjects. thank you for taking us back. once again love the kids, the water and fishermen. excellent set..
thank you. I will most definitely come back and maybe rent a boat to tour the islands. Overnight stay perhaps at the nearby resort & butterfly farm.
Great set Orlando. I especially like ‘hop scotch for one’ and ‘still some kids prefer to play by themselves’, It looks like a really interesting place.
it is, Peter. Well, of course I’m sure you’re familiar with the things found on the seashore when people live alongside it, but it is very laid back and if you see the last photo with the 2 kids by the embankment, there is a big white house across the water. It’s somebody’s retirement home, and I wouldn’t mind having something like that when I retire… if ever I retire from business.
How long have you lived in Babatngon? What drew you to this place? Have you lived there your entire life? The pictures are beautiful. I love traveling and with your pictures I can experience the world from my computer in a real way. Not resort pictures on the Internet. Thanks for giving me this opportunity!
hi.. I live in Tacloban City, about an hour away from Babatngon. I first went there to see the place as there has been rumors about opening an international port there, which never materialized. This is my second visit to take photos, and aside from a few business trips, that about sums up my stay in that place. The simple way of life attracted me to this place, and as suggested by a friend, I should take a boat and tour the neighboring islands.
Orlando, do you get a lot of spam comments from unwanted sources i.e. bp settlement, real estate, cash loan, coffee, beauty products, etc.? I know I have and I can’t get it to stop. I want real people commenting. With interests similiar to mine. And then a commenter suggested that I try this sight that gives you targeted traffic. Do you use a similiar sight. I’ve niticed that you have many followers. Is all your traffic and comments real, from time and experience? I would love to hear your insight on this. Thank you
hello Quiannah, I do receive lots of spam but wordpress usually takes care of screening them. Most of the sites offering to increase traffic are automated scripts and I steer clear of them. I got featured on Freshly pressed last year, and also on DPS, which helped a lot in generating traffic, but these only happened on the second year of regular blogging. I hope this helps 🙂
Thanks. That helps a lot. I’ve been asked if I wanted to be featured on FreshlyPressed but I passed. Maybe that was a mistake. I’ll have to ask a fellow commenter of mine. It’s nice to know that you have real people. I really look up to you n the world of blogging. Have a great day!
These captures are solid. Great photo-journalism!
thank you.