So summer has started in the Philippines. Technically PAGASA does not call it summer but the dry season. The dry season though starts from the month of November until March the following year. The hottest months are usually April and May. Sometimes, rainy days start mid June until October.
It is during these summer months that we have those summer fruits in season. This morning, I bought a kilo of star apple (kaimito in Tagalog) and fresh bananas. My mom who is still with us until now loves fruits especially bananas. The variety I bought ripens easily in a day or two. I usually buy the ones which are still green.
Green and ripe sweet mangoes are in abundance too but they are still expensive. In the province, mangoes are given free by neighbors during harvest time and almost every family has a mango tree in the backyard. I love the green ones (which we call manibalang) better than the ripe ones. They taste so good with alamang (shrimp paste) and chili peppers. Have you ever tried freshly cooked shrimp paste as dipping sauce?It is wonderfully yummy with that kick of chili.
Do you know what’s the best time to visit the Philippines? It is during the cooler weather of December until probably late January or early March. It is during these times that there are so many festivals celebrated in different parts of the archipelago. Fiestas are also held at these times of the year. These feast are definitely attractions in themselves. I guess our country celebrate so many feast, a valid excuse to party and to prepare Filipino food too. We have a variety of Philippine cuisine truly unique in the country. Some are fusion of Spanish and American dishes. Chinese recipes abound in local food courts and restaurants.
We have lovely beaches too. I guess Palawan, Cebu and Boracay are the best places to be during summer. There are more lovely islands in other areas too. We are not called a country of 7,641 islands for nothing. More than 5,000 islands are yet to be named though.
Come visit us, it is summer.
Dreams And Escapes 
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