Strawberries in Davao

Soon we will have strawberries?

What a surprise! One of the little plants that we have taken from the region of Arakan (which is a plateau located near the Mt. Apo, about 50 km from Davao and which  is cool)  last year, there is now the first, small fruit: strawberries in Davao. For us, this is a  surprise.

It is not so easy to get strawberries to bloom and then hope that they will also form fruits. The sun here in Davao is just too strong: Shoes that have a synthetic sole or ladies handbags with plastic inserts will be mercilessly destroyed by the UV radiation - and also our seeds brought from Germany , such as basil, cut lettuce, marjoram and chives went  down too. The seeds germinated, developed a little bit and then it was over. Nothing more.

That what you get in vegetables here is small and has a tough skin, such as peppers or tomatoes or grapes. And on the fields where it grows, there are  nets  stretched to mitigate the solar radiation. It's obvious,  we are almost directly below the equator!

So, we hope that the other strawberry plants  will come to flower and will bring fruits. Maybe it's enough for strawberry cake!

With best regards

Ludwig from Davao

The coconut reveals its secrets

The coconut reveals its secrets

Nov. 8, 2014

If you  come in the tropics on vacation, you immediately think of  beaches of white sand and coconut trees swaying in the wind. A picturesque scene. And then you can imagine the tanned islanders, to get the coconuts from the trees and drink the delicious juice.

The juice of the coconut is a great thirst quencher- this is known yet.. The juice is a real  power cocktail with many vitamins   and minerals. It seems that  this juice was just created for the people living in the tropics as a benefit because you can live from the coconut and the juice for weeks – if it must be.

Another substance in this juice, which was  regarded as a beauty facility for smooth beautiful skin and healthy long hair, is gaining more and more importance. It is the trace element selenium.

For every tourist who lies down in the sun to get his suntan, it is recommended to drink  the juice of the coconut. It is to maintain our skin. More important is  that the UV radiation here in the tropics can cause sunburn fast - despite the use of sunscreen with a high protection factor. The selenium in the coconut belongs to the "antioxidants", is a reliable herbal  and  can  protect the skin from inside – if you drink enough.

By the way, even in radishes the selenium is included. And salads with radishes, which are prepared with coconut juice, are delicious. Have you  tried it?

With best regards

Ludwig from Davao

The UV radiation is stronger in the Philippines

Case: Drain hose from the washing machine

4.12.2013

When we came over to Davao one year ago, the biggest wish of my wife was a washing machine, an automatic  - as we know it from back home in Germany. To my wife, the available types of washing machine are too simple. Her expectations were based on German standards. But yet we bought an attractive Samsung model.

And in order that nothing can happen - neither flood nor burglary - the machine was installed in the second floor. The water up to the machine was controlled over a hose. The waste water over the hose was directed into a sewer pipe that was attached to the house wall.  This was not a very nice construction, but a useful one, as you can see it often here .

But after a year full of functioning well, small and bigger spots of water appeared underneath the washing machine.  The hole was discovered quickly : It was the hose, which should normally direct the water from the machine. He became "brittle" at the top of the surface and when you touched the hose it broke into small particles. Yes alright, but why?

A friend told me that we were victims of UV radiation which destroyed the plastic after a certain time. We should have covered the drain hose! That fact is known to everyone here . Only mixtures of plastic and rubber would be stable.

Now this realization costs us a new drain hose for 350 pesos, a shade coverage of about 100 pesos and a craftsman who demands 600 pesos. But the real problem is not solved because the new hose is made of plastic again. So we are thinking of a shade cover which is reflecting the sun rays especially protecting it from these harmful UV radiations. We will see .....

Best regards

Ludwig from Davao