Barnyard Animals in our Neighborhood

Driving home the other day I had to slow down to not hit the two

little goats in the lane. They were tied to our neighbor's fence, but
had wandered out into the dirt road that leads to our house.

Every morning I wake up to the sound of roosters crowing. Lots of
roosters. Crowing really loud. In every direction. Our neighbors on
all sides of us keep chickens. Cock fighting is popular here in the
Philippines, and many Filipino men raise roosters. Several of the neighborhood chickens have figured out how to fly over the fence into our yard, so we often have
chickens pecking around our house as well. Unlike the
city where I grew up, no zoning laws prohibit farm
animals in the city.

And live in the city we do! Our house is one block back from a busy
street called The National Highway. The National Highway runs up and
down the eastern coast of Palawan. It is a two-lane road, paved for
the most part, well, at least it wants to be paved. But by the time it approaches the city of Puerto Princesa, it doesn't look much like a highway. More like a crowded
Third World street. The establishments closest to us include a
vulcanizing shop, some hardware and building supply stores, and an
elementary school. Motorcycles, trisikels (the local motorcycle plus
sidecar taxi), jeeps, trucks, cars and pedestrians weave among each
other. Little stalls selling after-school snacks, load for cell
phones, and daily necessities dot the side of the road. Dogs
occasionally venture out to cross the street, on the way to visit
their latest love interest. School kids wearing their cotton uniform navy skirts or
pants and white shirts, laden with heavy backpacks, run along
both sides of the street, excuse me, I mean The Highway.

Individual Packets of Shampoo and Toothpaste for Sale

I'm always amazed at the juxtaposition of rural and urban here in Puerto Princesa. Pinecrest Avenue, Serra Mesa, San Diego this isn't.
But I love it.