Albay - Mayon and Lonely

Hey everyone! I hope you're all doing good. I'm new to blogging and just started posting. My first post probably didn't say much about me so I'd like to give you a bit more info in this blog about where I come from, specifically my hometown. So, I come from and have for a long time lived in the picturesque province of Albay which is situated in the Bicol region, an area in the southeastern portion of the Philippines. It is roughly a little over an hour by plane from the capital of Manila and perhaps 8 to 11 hours by car or bus depending on the traffic and the skill of the driver. Our city is called Legazpi, not a very big city if you ask me but is unique and charming in its own way. Our province basically is an interesting mix of the modern and the old, varying in landscapes, topography and geography. It is surrounded by mountains, hills, caves, waterfalls, volcanoes, and has its own share of black, gray, and golden sand beaches tucked in the different corners of the province. The province has its own international airport which was just recently completed; however, it is not yet open to international flights. The towns in our province are spread around, some near mountains while others near the coast.

_{The photo above is a snapshot of Mayon volcano I took one morning on my way to a training center.}

Albay is home to the majestic Mayon volcano, the most active volcano in the Philippines. If there's one thing that epitomizes the phrase beautiful but deadly, it would be this volcano. Mayon volcano could be the counterpart of Mt. Fujii in Japan and is a popular tourist destination for both local and foreign tourists that come to the Philippines because of its beauty and according to some, the volcano's symmetrical and nearly perfect conical shape. When it is not active and erupting, one may hike its slopes and enjoy ATV rides around it. The volcano is not only the center of the province' tourism industry but also contributes much to its economy and is intertwined with its people's life and culture. Having lived in the province and considered it home for a long time, I have loved it so much so that I never really get tired of seeing it and taking pictures of it. I have also hiked some parts of the volcano which I think mountain hiking enthusiasts would enjoy because of its natural rugged and picturesque terrain.

The local people of Albay are called the Bicolanos/Bikolanos Just like the many provinces in the Philippines, various dialects are spoken in the different towns of Albay. However, majority of the people can speak and understand Tagalog and English which are the main two languages used and widely spoken in the country. So, if ever you do plan on visiting this part of the Philippines, know that you won't struggle so much trying to communicate with the people because a lot of them do speak and understand English. The people of our province are hardworking and very resilient people shaped by the many tragedies and calamities that has hit the province over the years, from hundreds of bad cyclones to flash floods and volcanic eruptions.

_{That's me and one of my friends in the photo above hiking up the volcano.}

When it comes to food, the province of Albay boasts of a few unique things. For starters, this part of the country is known for its homegrown chili peppers called locally as the “siling labuyo.” It is a tad smaller than the Thai chilis but considered to be a lot spicier. Bicolanos love adding the siling labuyo and coconut milk to their food which is very apparent in the famous Bicolano delicacies such as the Bicol express and pinangat. Also, because of the abundance of coconut trees in the province, it is only natural that coconut and coconut milk are used as common and favorite ingredients in most of the dishes in the province. Most Bicolanos would often cook their local vegetables in gata or coconut milk and throw in the local siling labuyo. So, if you love coconut milk and spicy food, this is one of the provinces in the country to visit. Some of the well-loved dishes in the province include ginataang santol, laing, pinangat, tinutungang manok, kandingga, and kinunot among others.

_{And yes, we Bicolanos utilize all parts of an animal when cooking as you can see in the photo I took below, tungol - a Bicolano dish comprised mainly of pork intestines, chilis, coconut milk, shrimp paste, etc.}

_{the siling labuyo - the famous Bicolano spicy chili peppers}

Then there’s also the well-loved pili nut which is mainly grown in the Bicol region including the province of Albay. The nut itself has many uses, from the pulp to the nut shell. The pulp and nuts are edible while the nut shells are used as a source of fuel and for ornaments. When freshly harvested, one can boil or blanch the whole fruit and extract and eat the pulp. Some people eat the pulp on its own or dip it in sugar or even things like fermented fish. Once the pulp is eaten, what remains is the nut shell containing the nut. Pili nuts can be quite high in fat content and are rather addictive to eat but it does contain certain beneficial nutrients while the pulp is considered to be a good source of fiber. They are considered a delicacy in the province and just like most nuts are either consumed raw on its own, sun dried, toasted, fried, candied or added to pastries or other foods such as ice cream and others.

_{Below is a photo I took of a pili nut. We have trees of pili back home and I love just picking em up and eating them raw.}