the one less traveled by

Mark begins many of his days with an early morning run.

In fact, he's often up and out the door by 5:45, 

before I've peeled myself out of bed.

And on his 3-7 mile runs through the streets of the city,

he gets to see a different side of Davao than this non-runner will ever see.

He explores new and different routes all the time.

Mark loves seeing the city come alive in the morning;
the bustling market, the uniformed students walking to school, the maize steaming in huge cans,

chess games outside of bamboo houses, and chickens and dogs all over the place. 

Lately he's taken a camera with him,

holding it by his side to take photos

so that people won't be intimidated by the lens.

The following are a few shots

from a runner's view...

Down a foot-traffic-only road

A cart-load of pomelo in the market

Early morning along the Davao river

(Mark hopes to take the ferry that crosses this river on a run some day)

A neighborhood pick-up game of basketball

Weighing ginger root in the market

A makeshift home - complete with television (!)

A road-side gas station 

(the Coke bottles are the perfect way to measure a liter of gas)

Tin roofs and bamboo walls

A trio of guard dogs

And nearing our home again, a pig truck.

(We hear these trucks pass our house occasionally -

 all the squealing makes them unmistakable!)

Mark loves the interactions along the way,
the startled smiles as Filipinos see a foreign guy running past their homes,
or a "Hey Joe!" and a "Maayong Buntag" (good morning) shouted out.

Are you a runner? Come for a visit!
Mark will take you for a run on a road less traveled by
so you can see for yourself the heart of this city.

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference. 

-Robert Frost