Not Sweating the Small Stuff

The Pleasures of Small Country Towns - Marilao

Just back in the metropolis after a couple of days visiting Aussie friends in Marilao, a small country town thirty kilometres outside Manila. This bustling little hamlet is an ancient centre of jewelery manufacturing.

The scale of the place is lovely. Small low-rise houses, many in a 1950’s international style. With a sprinkling of well-preserved older houses, some dating back to the C18:

It's on a grid of leafy streets, almost overflowing with orchids, bougainvillea, and bromeliads.

We arrived the day of the annual town fiesta, so lots of parades and processions, rivaling those of Semana Santa (Holy Week). Some of the icons in the church waiting to wend their way through the streets:

So, our arrival:

The welcoming band or, alternatively, the local band in parade for the fiesta:

Miss Earth, 2007 visiting from Chile:

Anticipation of some serious cake work:

Curiously, we didn’t see this guy in Marilao:

Or even this one:

This one is definitely not the Mayor of the town:

And these are not two of his councilors, working on a hard community project:

But maybe these are a couple of tourists, relaxing after a strenuous day's sight-seeing:

Finally, back in Manila, looking over the Bay at dusk:

Tired but happy!