Thursday, September 20, 2012

The Windy Landscape

The famous Bangui windmills
There was a wedding photoshoot!
I was fortunate to come back for the 3rd time to Bangui and stand at the base of the famous wind turbines. This time around I was with quite a number of members of the Philippine Native Plant Conservation Society, some of which are first timers. They had fun taking their numerous pictures against the back drop of the sleek Ilocos windmills. 

Papaitan and Coke early lunch
While most my companions were enjoying the sights in the wind turbine site, immersing themselves int the hot and sunny weather, I chose to sit inside a small makeshift cafe cum carinderia at around the vicinity of windmill no. 5.  It was barely past 10amand I was already sampling a bowl of papaitan, rice and a plate of dinakdakan. Yum! I downed all of it with a cold bottle of regular Coke. How's that as alternative to baking under the sun in the Bangui shores. Talk about mixed priorities! 

The wiser PNPCSI members who stayed indoors
Wrightia pubescens
But seriously, I love this part of the Philippines, particularly the long coastal areas of Ilocos Norte.  Which is probably why there are a lot of other tourists there with us, trying to get the feel of the nice beach, the tall waves and the unique coastal landscapes.

But another highlight of this return-to-Bangui trip is finally seeing a specimen of laniti or Wrightia pubescens in flower.  It has the pinwheel flowers, trademark of Apocynaceae members.  Also very beautiful.  I can't wait collecting the lanite seedlings over at U.P. campus.
Lanite flower detail
 

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