Last Updated on May 28, 2023 by Ellen
We are healthy. We are safe. There is plenty of movement here, in our Philippine Quarantine, and around our place in this neighborhood, during this global stillness.
We’ve seen another plane, we see fishermen and boaters on the sea, we see local people go about their daily lives. There is so much to watch from our balcony and rooftop perches, who needs TV?
Philippine Quarantine Day 6
Another plane
Today, we saw one plane go to the nearby Caticlan airport. Not as many as on Philippine Quarantine Day 5, when we saw three.
The flights are arranged by the Philippine government, which is considerate, all things considered. The commercial planes are contracted by the government take passengers to Manila. There, it’s up to travelers to get flights to other countries. The problem: few, if any, flights to other countries.
I’ve been reading news reports of Americans stranded in foreign countries across Earth. These are Americans who are not prepared or not willing to be out of the country for an “indefinite period of time.” And there isn’t much help for them to get back home.
A former love offered to put my story on the news back home, to get us attention much like the people trapped in Peru. He’s one of the best men I know.
I explained that we are here because, for now, we want to be here. We actually think it’s better, in many ways, than most other places.
I look forward to meeting him in the future, at a spot we called The Hill, for an afternoon picnic.
Exercise
On Day 5, we got the great news that we could move around the property! I took a half hour to do some laps around the grounds. About 350 steps up and down, and all around, 10 times. I repeated the movement on Day 6, and added one more lap.
Mom Diane has been exercising the entire time we’ve been here – walking laps on the roof, and climbing the stairs outside our apartment.
Tedly hasn’t been nearly as active as he normally is. I might drag him to Zumba with Yolly and her friends here at the Hangout Beach Resort. Tedly’s cute when he shakes his booty.
I cannot wait to get back into the sea.
Catch of the day
There was a big gathering on the beach today not far from our place. We could see locals surrounding a boat to buy fish. (Pictured above.)
The fish appeared to be a small sardine-type — I’m not sure what they were, but locals appeared happy.
I wouldn’t know how to cook or eat such small fish, but I’m sure I could learn. I have a feeling I’ll be learning a lot about how the locals really live. And that’s really what we’ve always wanted anyway — an authentic experience.
Temperatures
As we do every day, we had our temperatures checked twice by the health worker for the barangay, or neighborhood. She came alone both times today. That seems to be a new pattern. In the beginning there were always two. But today and Day 5: just one.
Maybe our novelty has worn off.
Standstill & moving forward
With all of this movement around me, I also see the stillness back home and around news reports we regularly check.
We talked to some of Tedly’s family today. It was wonderful to see Grace and Sophia, and Mary and Dave! Their movement is restricted. They’re on lock down – just like so many other Americans.
As we start Day 7, I will get a chance to video chat with my family, and I cannot wait! They all are on lock down, too, of course.
After our Philippine Quarantine is over in another week, we may be able to go to the beach hundreds of feet away, or go into town for some shopping. Our physical movement will expand, hopefully.
Other islands are requiring people to wear a mask out in public. Bohol, where we spent a month earlier this year, is restricting all movement of anyone over the age of 65 for any reason other than medical.
We are hoping that does not happen here on Panay Island. Mom Diane wants to explore.
Despite our limited movement, really, we are at a standstill. I’m waiting for the bottom to hit back home, so we can all move forward. I wonder how long I’ll have to wait.
Note: This Philippine Quarantine series is written by Ellen and Tedly on alternating days during a 14-day confinement to a beautiful beach resort on mainland Panay, across a channel from the famous Boracay.
Thanks for reading Philippine Quarantine Day 6: Movement.
Related posts:
- Philippine Quarantine Day 5: Free-er
- Philippine Quarantine Day 4: Settled, yet unsettled
- Philippine Quarantine Day 3: A TV
Posts unrelated to the coronavirus:
If those are sardines, you can grill them like they do in Portugal. We had great fish dishes there, and I imagine what you’re seeing there may be similar cuisine.
Here’s a highly rated grilled sardines recipe I found: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1012531-grilled-sardines
Here’s to another week of 37 degrees Celsius or below!
That’s awesome of you to send that to us! Thank you! I know they do something with them dried out, too. Today they’ve put many on the roof in the sun, much like drying rice. We have lots to learn!