our trip to New Carmen - aka. the DUMp

There's a guy from Austria who recently starting helping a couple from Texas, who have been living here in Davao for 5 years while they help a village not too faR from the city. The village of New Carmen is built on a landfill. The dump is still in full swing, as you will see in the pictures, and makes for a bleak view from the plateau that the elementary school and a few houses were developed on. These guys have been helping the filipinos of new Carmen to create a better infrastructure, plus ways to stablize the flow of income for the village. It's crazy how this "remote" village in only 15 minutes off a main road in my big city. I like how easy it is to leave the city for a day, breath some fresh air, and meet the kindest people Everrr.

This is the plateau where mOSt of the village is built on...

and thIS is the view from that plateau...the biGGest landfill I've ever seen - a far stretch from the dump at the cottage...there aren't any black bears here either ;)






Behind me in this picture is the piggery that is being built. A fish pond is also in the works, as well as a duck pond (fertilized, unhatched duck eggs are vERY popular in this country - you can find a nice hot egg with a 21-day old chick inside at almost ANy time day or night (supposedly it's very healthy for you!)).

The guys have also tapped into the natural spring that we are hiking to in this picture, and plan on brining the water right up onto the plateau for drinking water and the ladies with their washing.

AS of right now, they hike all the way to the source and carry out laundry up here, it's beautiful ANd cool in temperature, but not so practical or efficient.


and THIS. was the CUTEST. little boy ever...seriously, I would have taken him home if not for his mother and family. hahaa, oh my goodness - he wouldn't speak a word to me, just came up and grabbed my fingers with his little dirty hands, and touched my face, and rubbed the hair on my arms (uhh, i kINda felt like an animal at Zooz petting zoo but) It was awesome.