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Category: Travel, travels

Strange Conversations in Sagada

December 12, 2012

It was a long weekend. And since I’ve long wished to visit Sagada, my niece arranged everything for this trip. Deprived of many winks, I wasn’t in the best of moods when we made our breakfast stop.

Me: Chow King? Chow King for breakfast?
Driver: The group in the 2nd van wants a Chinese breakfast.
Me: Hmmmm. I’m walking to the corner where there’s a Jollibee. (*not smiling*)

Me: Coffee and Hamdesal for me. Where are the newspapers?
Jollibee Girl: *no reaction*
Me: Bakit ayaw mo sumagot? (Why won’t you answer?) *grumpy now*

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Niece takes over, and I move to take a seat and a table for us. As it turned out, no hamdesal for me. The girl at the counter took my order as another breakfast rice meal. Hungry, I had no energy to insist on my first order. *looking defeated*

Mood Changer: First Sight of Banaue Rice Terraces

Banaue Rice Terraces

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Me (in SUMAGUING Cave): Paano katagal ito? (How long will this take?)
Cave Guide: 1 1/2 hours. Pero sa inyo, baka 2 1/2 hours. (In your case, maybe 2 1/2 hours)

Mood Changer (looking at companions): Will you take my photos, please?

Spelunking in Sumaguing Cave. DAW. :))

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Venue: Log Cabin (arrived 1 hour early for 7pm buffet dinner)

Me: I’m an hour early for my dinner reservation. Can I sit by the bar while sipping a glass of wine?
Wait Staff (Girl): No wine by the glass. You must order 1 bottle.

—- The wait staff (Boy) squeezed himself behind the bar and snagged his shirt.—–

Wait Staff (Boy): OMG. (Some expletives…. then makes out like he’s about to cry)
Me (*feeling sorry*): Sayang. It’s a nice shirt, but you can stitch it up.
Wait Staff (Boy): It’s Chanel. Very expensive. (Slips out, comes back in a new shirt)
Me: That’s another nice shirt.
Wait Staff (Boy): It’s another Chanel.

Wait Staff (Boy): Your dinner table is outside. You can sit by the bonfire meanwhile.
Me: I want a table inside. Too cold outside.

Later…….

Wait Staff (Girl): I got you a table inside. Follow me. (They set up a table INSIDE 1 of the rooms)
Me: It’s a small table. We’re 7 pax.
Wait Staff (Girl): Nothing I can do. You made late reservations.
Me: That’s odd. We were told days before of our confirmed reservations.
Wait Staff (Girl): Well, I don’t handle reservations here. Blah Blah Blah

Later……… A group of 4 complaining ladies were also brought inside the room. Guess what, they had ANOTHER table set up good for 4, while 7 of us squeezed ourselves around a table good for 5.

Mood Changer: I stuffed my plate with food from the buffet. (The spread was a disappointment, but that’s another story. I got mostly veggies as they “rationed” the carving. When we went for seconds, there was none left. They offer you PANCIT instead )

They set up a SMALL table good for 5 pax (we were 7) INSIDE one of the bedrooms. When we said the table’s too small, they ho-hummed us. Later, they set up ANOTHER table for 4 complaining ladies. So there was ANOTHER table!

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On the short hike up to Kiltepan Peak to view the sunrise, the place was a-buzz with youngsters oozing with morning energy as compared to my “low-batt” state. As mentioned in my earlier blog, a lady fiscal went berserk so early in the morn. Confronting a driver who allegedly told her to move to the side of the dirt road, she went a-cussing and a-cursing. Not exactly the kind of language welcomed by early-risers out to enjoy a Kiltepan Sunrise.

Me: Who is that angry lady?
One Youngster: Tita (Aunt)….. Must be AMALAYER.
Me: Who?
Another Youngster: Not AMALAYER. Sounds like AMA-FISCAL.

Then, the sky brightened as the sun peeps out. There was thunderous applause, enough to drown out the monologue started by AMA-FISCAL..

Mood Changer: Laughter. That’s enough, no videotaping allowed. We laughed, we clapped, we enjoyed our Kiltepan Sunrise.

Crowd waiting for Kiltepan Sunrise

Tags: Mountain Province, Philippines, Sagada

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AMALAYER Nearly Ruined Our Kiltepan Sunrise

Filed under: Philippine Travels, Travel, travels — 1 Comment

December 11, 2012

I’m a liar. AMALAYER. Of late, this has been a not so private joke among Filipinos especially those from the city traversed by MRT and LRT. The videotaped monologue from this young lady nearly screaming at the top of her lungs versus a lady guard caught the attention of not a few urbanites. Perhaps she woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Maybe she’s going through something. Definitely the guy who videotaped the scene shouldn’t have. Well, that’s my take on the matter. But that is not to condone all that verbal abuse. as what happened here in Kiltepan Peak.

Thank you Rex for this lovely photo!

Even Siri didn’t fail. Methinks. I can still feel the breeze.

After that backbreaking overnighter ride to Sagada and that very torturous (but rewarding) spelunking episode at SUMAGUING Cave on the very day of arrival, we pulled ourselves out of bed at 4:30 am to be up and ready for the Kiltepan Sunrise. Still sleepy on the van ride, we missed the bend, backed up and drove on dirt road all the way to where many vans and cars were already parked. We knew there was quite a crowd before us judging by the noise of early morning chatter as we sniffed the morning air.

The Crowd @Kiltepan Peak.

Pleasure in Tranquility!

But wait. It wasn’t just senseless morning chatter we were hearing. Someone was cursing and cussing. So early in the morning!

Foolish woman I am. Should have reminded myself to bend like the grass, to welcome whichever way the wind blows, to simply observe, perhaps with a grin that couldn’t be wiped off my face, to accept but without conforming. But I couldn’t help remarking (just to my companions) that early risers like us don’t deserve this eardrum-stinging “AMALAYER” language directed at one of the drivers from this lady fiscal. How can this lady even brag she’s a lady fiscal with the power to put her adversary behind bars? Tsk. Tsk. One couldn’t help eavesdropping. One and all were all hostages to this drama. The unwanted scenario quickened my pulse; blood surging through my face. Creating reddish splotches. Unbidden. Good thing it was still dark. I felt I’d rather put my head on the chopping block than listen to all the cussing.

Another lovely shot, Rex.

Why do i get a feeling some vampire lurks behind those pine trees? Photo Credits: Rex.

I wondered apprehensively and waited patiently for what’s to happen next. I have to commend the crowd of youngsters for restraining themselves, suffering like me throughout that offensive monologue. And then the sky slightly opened up. And the crowd cheered! The lady fiscal mercifully shut up. As the sun rises, the moon fades. Coffee mugs a-ready and we were all set for some peace and quiet. Finally. And beauty. Nature never fails.

Caught. By. Rex.

Shaky Hands. Moon Fading.

I sniffed as the drama ended. Looked behind me as I caught the last image of a fading moon. Before me, the sun threatened to brighten a day which didn’t start very well. I inched closer for a shot. No DLSR nor my trusted G12 with me. Just Siri, my iPhone cam.

The better shots displayed above were taken by my young friend Rex of Spaceman T-Rex. Thank you, Rex.

Mevlana Rumi: Come, come again, whoever you are, come!
Heathen, fire worshipper or idolatrous, come!
Come even if you broke your penitence a hundred times,
Ours is the portal of hope, come as you are.

Tags: AMALAYER, Kiltepan, Kiltepan Sunrise, Mountain Province, Philippines, Sagada

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SAGADA Blues: Backbreaking Rides, Hanging Coffins and Terraced Rice Paddies

Filed under: Philippine Travels, Travel, travels — 5 Comments

December 6, 2012

It was a long, backbreaking, butt-busting ride. Half a day on the road with half of Manila packed in vans, cars, jeeps and buses weaving through the winding roads to Banaue and Sagada. Obviously, the long weekend lured many city people to check out the mountain air and remote villages in Mountain Province. The van we hired for our group of 7 pax was actually very comfortable. BUT, it was a very lonnnnnggg ride. Traffic along zigzag routes kept us glued to our seats, munching junk snacks whenever we wake up from brief naps.

Topload! (I wouldn’t dare…) Photo Credits: Peter

Love this photo of Manong and his wooden bike. Sagada 2012. (Peter, you do have an eye for great photos like this one!)

By the time we found this old man in his local “Igorot” costume with his wooden bike, we had the sun shining on us. As well on the Banaue Rice Terraces. Having tinkered with my camera on the long ride, I messed up and couldn’t put the cam to its original settings. Too much light, good only for zoomed-in and close up shots. What did I do? And we just got here! Thank God I was traveling with 2 photography nuts. Many of the shots here were taken by Peter and my niece Sarah. A few i took, using my iPhone cam. Thank you, Peter and Sarah. Thank you, Siri!

Banaue Rice Terraces. How about waking up from a long, butt-busting van ride to a vista such as this? Photo Credits: Peter

Lovely View of the Rice Terraces @ Banaue.

By the time we reached Sagada Homestay, we were all feeling like old men and old hags. Dropped our bags, napped for an hour or so, before checking out the hanging coffins and the “punishing” SUMAGUING Caves. Lunch was in Masferre’s while dinner was in this hip joint called Kimchi Cafe and Bar. A tiny eccentric place that easily transforms into a charming folk house as soon as the sun sets. This is where you find good, artistic use for bottle caps 🙂

Masferre’s for Lunch. But what we really wanted to do was lie down and sleep!

Dinner at Kimchi Cafe and Bar. Look at how they used bottle caps to decorate the place. Perfect with bottles of beer and music by Bob Marley!

After SUMAGUING Cave, I was completely wasted. Got out of the cave at 7pm and found my niece asking nearly everyone coming out if they’ve seen me with my guide James. Sarah has been here before and it was she who had so much faith I can do this spelunking expedition. She regrets now she didn’t catch on video the first words off my mouth as I climbed out of the cave :-0

The long, hot shower was very soothing. As I cleaned my feet and legs of mud, I realized why I kept slipping on the climb up. Too wasted to wash my own muddied clothes, I gave them away. No Internet, no TV as I didn’t need any prodding to hit the sack. As I closed my eyes, I must have fallen asleep just as my back touched the bed. I woke up at 2am just as my niece got in. I barely heard all the banter among tourists around a bonfire just outside the Homestay. I sensed the fun, the drunkenness, even the coquettish laughter from women speaking English with varied accents. It would have been fun to eavesdrop but my body and all my senses were longing to get back to sleep. SUMAGUING Cave does that to you.

Don’t I look LOST? Sumaguing Cave. Thank you Peter, for this shot.

Hanging Coffins. And we did ask. The natives used ladders to put and hang these wooden boxes bearing their dead. If you look closely, you’d find a skull and some bones on top of one of the boxes. Photo Credits: Peter

Knocked out good and completely re-energized for the Kiltepan sunrise, I even managed to make my coffee before stepping out of the Sagada Homestay. While some went for more “punishment” via the Bomod-ok Falls, others checked out the terraced rice paddies, more hanging coffins and rock gardens. You looking at me? You guessed right. No falls for me. Having stubbed my big toe inside the cave, I’m not doing any more trekking to explore natural waterfalls in Sagada.

NO, I’m not following the leader. Terraced rice paddies in Sagada.

Fresh mountain air. Great mountain view. Sagada.

Sagada. Mountain Province. Philippines.

Tags: Hanging Coffins, Kimchi Cafe Bar, Masferre, rice terraces, Sagada, Sagada Homestay

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ROCK & ROLL @SUMAGUING CAVE

Filed under: Philippine Travels, Travel, travels — 3 Comments

December 5, 2012

Here’s one for the books. No, I wouldn’t call it spelunking. Not even caving per se. In my book, it’s pure and simple curiosity and blind courage that found me at the mouth of SUMAGUING Cave in Sagada one late afternoon and mindlessly saying “yes” to this adventure. After all, so many of my young blogger-friends have blogged about it. So, I was naturally curious. AND ….. adequately challenged. 😊

The Descent.

Directional Sign to Sumaguing Cave

I’ve been to many caves and had my fill of stalagmites and stalactites. You can say I didn’t have much by way of expectations. My only concern is to get out of it before nightfall as it was already 4pm when we began our descent. James, our guide, looked nonchalant seeing there’s a not-so-young adventurer in his group of 5 pax. I looked around and concluded I must be among the oldest, if not THE oldest, with the curious lot of caving enthusiasts that late afternoon.

Interior Shot. Traffic Inside the Sumaguing Cave! Sagada.

That headlamp was a brilliant (pun intended) idea!

The cave was packed with youngsters who shared the same not-so-brilliant idea with us to spend the long weekend in Sagada. The crowd meant long waits as the group of descending first-timers wait for a line making way to climb up and out of the cave. The extended waits made me rethink my intentions. And as I pondered, I knew this was more a challenge rather than a sightseeing adventure. One look at our guide James competently balancing a lamp between his thigh and left hand while offering his right hand to me, and I knew I just had to get this over and done with.

More Traffic Down Below, Inside the Sumaguing Cave.

Getting All Muddied Up Inside Sagada’s Sumaguing Cave

I was ready. With a headlight and gloves, I made my way down. The initial descent was over slippery rocks. I felt more confident when we did away with footwear, gripped our soles over rocks around pools of water, and slowly, carefully dipped our toes, then our entire legs in cold waters. All the while, I refrained from asking James how much further we should go let I lose heart. I knew the options were quite limited. James had to go with the group and should I choose not to continue, it’s either I go with another group climbing out or I wait for our team. Besides, I was actually growing confident myself, even excited!

No Way To Go But Barefoot Inside Sumaguing Cave

A Natural Beauty @ Sumaguing Cave

This rock cavern gave me a most memorable souvenir when I stubbed my big toe as I nearly slipped climbing up. It was nearly 7pm by the time we got out of the cave. But that was not really the exciting part. Nor was climbing up a rope. From the cave bottom, our guide James positioned himself in a way where he can actually pull us up with one hand through huge rocks a la Jackie Chan. I grabbed his hand, made big strides up and over the rocks but couldn’t pull myself over! Knowing James couldn’t hold my full weight, I didn’t waste more seconds. One hand held by James, I straddled my left leg over the rock and……… ROLLED! Oh yes, even James wasn’t sure what I was doing! But….. I made it.

Yee Haw! I made it!

Now, Where’s the rest of my group? (Lost Inside Sumaguing Cave)

ROCK AND ROLL, indeed! Surely, that made my day. Aching calf, thigh muscles and sore shoulders, the pain remained long after my uber-dirty, muddied clothes were washed and dried. Oh my, what was I thinking then???

Close Up Shot. Inside Sumaguing Cave.

Cold waters inside the Sumaging Cave

Cold. Slippery. At times, Slimy.

Tags: Mountain Province, Philippines, Sagada, Spelunking, SUMAGUING Cave

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WAIT TILL THE SHOE LADY DIES……

Filed under: Don't Skip Manila!, Philippine Travels, Travel, travels — 4 Comments

November 20, 2012

I know. I know. Sounds morbid. Even cruel. But can’t help thinking THAT while walking the “streets” within the hallowed grounds of La Loma, North and Chinese Cemeteries in Manila.

The architect/tour guide mentioned how Evita Peron’s grave in Recoleta Cemetery draws in millions of tourists and yield tourism moolah for Argentina. Yes, Evita of that Broadway musical fame. The same lovely lady who married Juan Peron just a year before Juan became President of Argentina. The same lady who tried to run as Vice President of the same South American nation.

Evita. Don’t you feel like breaking out to sing “Don’t Cry For Me, Argentina”? That musical has forever etched this Argentinian First Lady into our minds and pop culture. Many believe she’s the inspiration for a local ex-First Lady who similarly held political posts while the husband was President. The latter has inspired many comedy acts and invariably, the plays emphasized her flamboyant lifestyle and alleged “obsession” with shoes. Given the flamboyance displayed in these urban cemeteries, the architect/tour guide is spot on when he quipped “Wait till xxxxx dies……”.

Some of those mausoleums are even bigger than village churches I’ve been to. Really, in death as in life….. the disparity between rich and poor is very evident. The affluent within high society made sure their family names are immortalized in the “city of the dead”. Spanning many hectares of land, I am amazed to find how vast these cemetery parks are. I visited 3 in a day. La Loma, North and Chinese Cemeteries. Each deserving to have their stories told.

Even now, these cemeteries are drawing in tourists. It is just lamentable that the authorities are unable to deal with the squatting problem. If you ask me, these squatters have grown out of control. The very reason why I didn’t have the courage to “tour” on my own. I joined a tour organized by the Museum Foundation of the Philippines and was only too happy to have the brilliant Architect Manuel Noche and the hilarious, ever-energetic Ivan Man Dy walk us through history as we walked around the mounds and mausoleums, some of which are as high as 3 storeys.

Watch this page for sequels!

Tags: Imelda, Imelda Marcos, La Loma, Manila Cemeteries, North Cemetery, Shoe Lady

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WHY WE PHOTOGRAPH

Filed under: Travel, travels — 3 Comments

October 31, 2012

In this day and age, photography has taken hold of nearly every young adult’s life. DLSR or P&S, a camera slung on someone’s neck has now become part of the wardrobe. One photo — which I’m borrowing from the Net — speaks volumes about everyday life now.

We take photos of places we’ve visited, restos we’ve dined in, food we’ve eaten, celebrities we’ve seen, or just about anything or anyone we found interesting. “Found interesting?” —- OR very candidly, something we wanted to share with others. “Something we wanted to share……?” — or quite honestly, something we wanted OTHERS to know about us. 😃😀😊

Social networking like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. render it almost obligatory to “document” our everyday activity. Our circle of friends et al get updated with our not-so-private lives through our status updates and photos we post. In my time, we wrote on our diaries. Now, some of us BLOG. Still others feel free and absolutely unrestricted with the ways they wish to express themselves. Then as in now, we were provided ways to express ourselves. But the rules have changed. What we wrote on our diaries then stayed a secret. These days, what we blog is available to everyone including strangers. Same Same, but different.

Whatever the reasons or motivations, I’m happy I don’t have to shell out a big chunk to get my films developed. I’m glad I need not scrimp on my shots, that i can in fact “experiment”, and that a bad shot can so easily be dismissed with one click. I’m overjoyed that I can do my “diaries” complete with photos that make them great memory aids! And that I can even share them with others. Really, isn’t it amazing we can do all these things now?

Sure, there are those who really go overboard. The camwhores who truly think others are genuinely interested in them, what they do, and how they look. (Yeah, forget the VIEW, just check out my jumpshot!) Or they are exhibitionist-wannabes. As for moí, I need my memory aids. That, plus I do love it that I continue to learn something new. For someone who has not had a camera until her early 30’s, you can say I’m a late-bloomer. After all, self-expression is available to everyone of all ages.

Tags: camwhoring, digicam, Instagram, instaphotos, Photography, photos, Travels

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Siri Series: PACO PARK

Filed under: Don't Skip Manila!, Philippine Travels, Travel, travels — 8 Comments

October 29, 2012

Another one of those afternoons. No cams. Not even a Point & Shoot. Just Siri and Me. Just another hour to “waste”. So here we are, revisiting Paco Park. That lovely, tiny, circular chapel. And the cemetery that could have, SHOULD HAVE earned more attention, respect and recognition other than as a popular wedding venue. 😦

I confess to my own ignorance too. Not that I lacked interest. More like I truly feel there is something grievously wrong about how our history has been written and our own education and school system. Whatever I know of Philippine history, I gained from the books I bought and read. What I learned from school hardly went beyond Rizal’s martyrdom. Let’s admit this. Many history lessons stopped with Magellan’s death courtesy of Lapu-Lapu (so, what happened to Lapu Lapu after? Any guess?), or with Rizal’s martyrdom in Bagumbayan (where was our national hero interred following the 1896 execution?). Or how many Philippine heroes can you name and how much do we know of each? If we hardly know Rizal our national hero, I do not expect we can say much of Bonifacio, Mabini, Fathers Gomez, Burgos and Zamora.

For some, if not many, it would come as a surprise that the 3 martyred priests are actually buried here. It may even surprise some that their execution in 1872 inspired our national hero to write El Filibusterismo.. Today, this marker may not spark as much enthusiasm and evoke much significance among many locals. How sad.

Circling the same Paco Park, a patch of land bears another marker. This is the very spot where our national hero was SECRETLY buried soon after the December 30, 1896 execution in Bagumbayan. Zoom in on that marker to know more! 😉

Tags: Manila, Paco Cemetery, Paco Chapel, Paco Park, Philippines, Siri

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Baluarte de San Diego: Reflections of Long Ago

Filed under: Don't Skip Manila!, Philippine Travels, Travel, travels — 2 Comments

October 28, 2012

We didn’t plan on being here. We met for early lunch hoping to simply chat the afternoon away. But why not chat while driving around Intramuros, much like those joy rides we used to enjoy when we were kids?

Then the calesa passed right in front of us. It’s 2 o’clock in the afternoon and those riders didn’t seem to mind the heat nor the sun. Well, it wasn’t particularly hot this afternoon. Pleasant enough to get off the car and walk into Baluarte de San Diego here in Intramuros. It’s a better option than the more open spaces in Fort Santiago. More shady trees too.

For only 75 pesos (less than US$2), one can get in to enjoy the “park with some history”. There were kids running around with their dog in the shady part of the Baluarte. Not many tourists. Many of them must be in Fort Santiago or San Agustin Church and Monastery. Yet this is one of the oldest stone fortifications in the whole length of the Intramuros walls.

The old stone steps lead up to the walls from where one views this circular stone formation, the length of the walls, and the Manila Hotel and other modern skycrapers surrounding the walled city. I remember being here years back when I attended a wedding of a friend’s daughter where I stood as sponsor. I would have wanted to walk atop the walls, but my long gown got in the way 🙂 Today, there is no such restriction.

Will someone please tell me how these circular stone formations were used? Surely, the good Jesuit priest who designed it back in the 16th century had some purpose in mind. I mean, I do know they’re there to defend the walled city but my simple mind can’t understand the many circular formations. From what I gather, this part of the Walls went into disrepair and were in fact only rediscovered in the 70s. Forgive my ignorance, but I’m most certainly eager to know how that circular design work.

These days, the Baluarte (Baluarte means bastion or fortification) is more popular as a wedding reception venue. I wish it could be more than that. The place has so much history and is, in fact, a lovely “park” which children would enjoy. The only drawback is it could be really hot during summer here. I sure hope the Intramuros Administration consider late afternoon and dusk tours here and around Intramuros. It will require some investment in good lighting and better security, but I’m sure tourists and even locals would enjoy the place better as the day approaches sunset and at night. Play some good music too (like in Paco Chapel and Cemetery) and you’d turn the Baluarte more magical!

Tags: Baluarte, Baluarte de San Diego, Intramuros, Manila, Philippines, Walled City

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Hidalgo and Luna: “Genius Has No Country”

Filed under: Don't Skip Manila!, Philippine Travels, Travel, travels — 1 Comment

Such distinguished Filipinos. Estoy. Muy. Orgullosa! I. Am. Very. Proud. As were the Filipinos then based in Madrid who celebrated these Masters’ victories as Gold and Silver Medalists in the 1884 Madrid Arts Exposition. For Juan Luna, his Spoliarium earned him a Gold Medal. Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo earned his Silver for his “Las Virgenes Cristianas Expuestas al Populacho” (The Christian Virgins Exposed to the Populace), which showed a bunch of boorish looking males mocking semi-naked female slaves. A copy of this painting now hangs at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila. The original was destroyed in a fire at the University of Valladolid in Spain. A pity.

Juan Luna’s Spoliarium

I visited the National Art Gallery and the Metropolitan Museum of the Philippines on separate occasions. Just a couple of days apart. I had the rare chance to stand in the middle of the Hall of Masters all by my lonesome self. And to get really close to Luna’s Spoliarium. My iPhone came in handy, though the shots could be better. Por supuesto! But ain’t complaining. I love how I can walk around unburdened by a camera slung around my neck.

Felix Resurrecion Hidalgo’s “Christian Virgins Exposed to the Populace”

They had more restrictions at the Metropolitan Museum though. No photography allowed. Not even if you promise not to use flash. (Photo shown here was sourced from the Net. thank you, Google) Same restrictions apply in the Ayala Museum where a guard gently reminded me of such restrictions when I whipped out my iPhone in front of an Edades painting. I’m not complaining but it behooves me why different rules apply. In the case of Hidalgo’s Christian Virgins, I wasn’t even allowed to get within a couple of meters from the copy of this masterpiece. Yes, a copy. Yet, I was allowed to snap close-up shots of the original Spoliarium by Luna.

Close Up Shot of Luna’s Spoliarium. National Art Gallery.

These 2 obra maestros by Luna and Hidalgo bagged Gold and Silver Medals in the 1884 Madrid Arts Exposition. A victory celebrated by Filipino patriots then based in Madrid, to include our very own Dr. Jose Rizal. The venue for the victory banquet still stands today in Madrid, in Echegarray Street just a few strolls from Puerta del Sol. In this banquet, our national hero — who’s said not to have eaten the whole day for lack of funds — gave more than a toast to honor Luna and Hidalgo. More like a speech. A speech so full of bravado and spunk, where Rizal frontally attacked the religious establishment. Perhaps a preview of the Padre Damasos and Padre Silvas in his Noli Me Tangere. If you ever get to Madrid, do check out Hotel Ingles and “stand proud” as forefathers did. And while you’re there, be sure to visit Rizal’s other favorite haunts.

Hotel Ingles. Echegarray Street, just a few strolls from Puerta del Sol. Madrid.

If you haven’t been following my Madrid Blog Series, let me leave you with this excerpt from Rizal’s impromptu speech at the Hotel Ingles victory banquet. My man. Truly, Rizal’s Filipino pride shone through.

“Luna and Hidalgo are as much Spanish glories as they are Filipino. Just as they were born in the Philippines, they could have been born in Spain, because genius has no country, genius blossoms everywhere, genius is like the light, the air, it is the heritage of all”

Tags: Hidalgo, Hotel Ingles, Luna, Manila, Metropolitan Museum of Manila, National Art Gallery, Rizal, Spoliarium

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SPOT THE DIFFERENCE AFRICAN SAFARI

Filed under: Africa, Travel, travels — 6 Comments

September 11, 2012

I’m back. One short to make the Big 5. The leopard was a no-show. But the giraffes, zebras and many antelopes more than made up for the leopard’s absence.

Game! I was happy and content until I reviewed a blog written by my friend Shane Dallas a.k.a. Travel Camel. Shane did his first safari years back and has since gone back to the less beaten paths in Africa. You can say I’m the newbie where Shane has gone on to pursue other dimensions of travel adventures.

I may have seen enough zebras in Entabeni Private Game Reserve. BUT they were all COMMON zebras. Not the Grevy’s Zebras with white bellies and thinner stripes. I was awed by the regal giraffes with their elegant necks and luscious eyelashes, but not one I sighted was the reticulated giraffes Shane has blogged about. The ones we found in Entabeni had brown “splotches” while the reticulated giraffes have finer and more defined skin patterns. Spot the difference, if you will.

Our very first Rhino!

The rhino we sighted was the white rhino. White not because of it skin color, but WIDE lipped rhinos. Compare this with the hook lipped BLACK rhino. Smaller in size, but different. More rare, they say.

The Rare Black Rhino

And then there are the antelopes. Many impalas. Some elands. But no kudus with their spiral horns. Another friend (whose kudu photo i borrowed) suggests we do a national park next time. More animals, more natural, she says. Well, I guess there’s no “perfect safari”. There are some safari animals indigenous to a certain place. Like the springboks are indigenous to South Africa’s Western Cape while the Grevy’s zebras are nowhere to be found in Entabeni. But that’s fine. There’s always a next visit. 🙂