Category: Travel, travels


Dalcielo: A Pleasant Deli Surprise

Filed under: Food Trip, Travel, travels — 4 Comments
June 17, 2011

Days before our planned visit to Los Banos,  I asked my friends for any recommendations on where best to have lunch in the area.  Frankly,  I wasn’t in the mood for a typical Filipino meal of bulalo, laing, crispy pata or kare-kare.   Neither am I up to a burger or chicken inasal lunch.   Not this time, anyway.

 

 

Believe it or not,  I chanced upon a “tweeted recommendation” to check out Dalcielo right along the lone Lopez Avenue headed for UPLB.   Not one to search for a dining place somewhere off the road,  I readily decided we must give this one a try. Easy to find.  “Just look for those 2 huge orange umbrellas fronting the deli” — he tweets.   Oh, I love this online community.   So easy to source travel and dining ideas!   Just keep me out of politics and other social agenda, and I’m fine. So there we were, searching for 2 orange umbrellas.  Perfect markers!  You just can’t miss it.  And they have a parking area right beside it too!

 

 

We found Dalcielo a good half hour before noon.  Served us right.  We had the luxury of choosing our “corner” in the limited space, just before the noontime crowd sets in .  Maybe just 5 tables to choose from.   Yet, we have just stepped in a good meter or two ,  and I knew we would have a good meal.   The shelves were teeming with farm produce (cottage cheese, yogurt, what else?) and bakery products.   The chocolate cake looked so inviting I was tempted to make it my appetizer.  That, along with a cup of good brew.   There were cookies, cream puffs, cheesecakes,  lemon squares, sans rival .  We’re in heaven!

 

 

For starters, we ordered the local Fern or Pako Salad.  After that, we AGONIZED over choosing from among so many of our favorite dishes.  Till we settled …….  to have all, or share all.   Marissa, the owner, was ever so gracious.  It is only a small dining place with only one food server, with Marissa ruling the kitchen.  She would sneak in and out ,  each time surprising us with the aroma and presentation of our ordered dishes.  I just love their Lengua Estofado while my friend drools over their Callos.   The Lengua  had very thin, tender slices cooked to perfection.  The Callos had just the right spice to it — never mind that the portion was kind of small .   We all enjoyed the Seafood Paella or Paella Marinara. And we likewise shared the Grilled Fish, served on a bed of spinach.   The desserts completed our sinful afternoon.   Two kinds of sans rival: one which is sugar-free, guilt-free?   …. and the regular sinful one. We also tried the cream puff  with our coffee, along with the mango panacotta.   There is also a strawberry panacotta, which I must try the next time I visit.   As we left no room for more desserts,  Marissa so kindly gifted us with a slice of take-home chocolate cake.  Isn’t that a lovely gesture?  Even their coffee is soooo good.   We savored every morsel and bite of every dish and dessert we ordered.  Like nothing simply went wrong.   We were prepared to see Marissa and the lone waiter looking harassed and stressed out,  but they so cheerfully attended to our every whim and fancy.

 

 

For sure,  I will make another trip to Dalcielo.   It would be a good stopover (??) on my way to Paete , Pakil, Pagsanjan, Liliw  or some other interesting towns of Laguna.  Anything. Anywhere, for a reason to pass by this gem of a deli and bakeshop.

You may also wish to read my other blog  on Dalcielo and places to visit in this neck of the woods. Bon apetit!


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My Hardcore Romantic: Gat Jose Rizal

Filed under: Travel, travels — 2 Comments
June 14, 2011

Having visited the Rizal Shrine in Fort Santiago and having read, this time with more meaning and passion,  Rizal’s “Mi Ultimo Adios”,  I am all the more inspired to know our very own hero.  Where best to start but in his very hometown!

A man of many talents.  With the power of his pen, he stirred hope, courage and patriotism.  On a more personal level,  he drew inspiration as I now find myself on a quest to know him more.  Not as a national hero, but as the person he once was.  I want to know my Rizal as the poet par excellance.  I want to know what inspired him. What he saw as a little boy each time he looked out of the window of their big house in Calamba.  Why he called his dog Verganza.  What games he played.  What tricks he taught Verganza.   I want to know what was on his mind when he wrote those letters and poems with so much passion.

For sure, he wasn’t into poverty born.  The ancestral house in Calamba, Laguna attests to the stature of the Mercado Family at that time.   Yes, Mercado.  It was only when he started going to Ateneo that his brother, Paciano, decided to have him adopt the family name “Rizal” .   There is a story to it, but I am not dwelling on that.  The photo above somehow gives a good summary.  There is also a story on the meaning of Rizal (green rice stalks?) but I’m not going into that either. Nor why the house was given a fresh paint of green.

I want to know my Rizal as he was growing up.  With his dog Verganza in this big house in Calamba, Laguna right across the town church where he was baptized.   There was even a bronze statue of the young boy Rizal, aged 8-10 years old, with his dog in the lawn of the ancestral house that could only belong to an illustrado.   In the same lawn were the gravesites of his father and mother, whose remains were exhumed from North Cemetery, and reburied here.   Why North Cemetery?  It was only now that I learned that the family was forced out of this beautiful house soon after the execution of our national hero.  Having settled in the Chinese community in Binondo, Manila,  Rizal’s parents never had a chance to return and reclaim their lovely house in their lifetime.  They died, and were buried in North Cemetery.

Was he a good kid?  Was “tinola” really his favorite dish?   Was there another poet or novelist in the family?  I remember an old friend of mine, who had a writer/poet for a brother.  He recalled those days spent in the farm with his brother,  wasting time playing with the carabao,  or eating lunch of rice and dried fish under a mango tree,  or simply taking those afternoon naps while enjoying the afternoon breeze.  Same experiences.   Same childhood memories, he says.   Nearly the same age.  Yet this old friend of mine is amazed at how his brother can recount those experiences with so much poetic candor and eloquence.  As he puts it,   “he must be a hardcore romantic” to see the many hues of green of the fields,   to feel the wind wafting through the bamboo trees which bend ever so gracefully,  to sense the rhythm of the night sounds from a choir of insects, to feel the lullabye created by the afternoon breeze before dozing off to dreamland.   Yes,  Gat Jose Rizal must be a hardcore romantic himself.    A hero he was.  Is.  A romantic one at that.  For sure,  my quest would start with the love letters and poems he wrote and sent.   😉

Consider this a sequel to an earlier blog entry  to the Pinoy Travel Bloggers’ Blog Carnival on the theme  “Rizal and Travel” hosted by Ivan Henares of Ivan About Town .  My earlier entry is titled ” Say Hello to Mi Ultimo Adios” .

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Say Hello to ‘Mi Ultimo Adios’

Filed under: Don't Skip Manila!, Philippine Travels, Travel, travels — 12 Comments
June 6, 2011

I wasn’t meaning to write about our national hero and join the PTB Blog Carnival , thinking I needed to clear my backlogs first. But as it turned out, a couple of friends from TravelBlog visited the Philippines and had an extra day to spend in Manila. Thought I’d give them the drill:  Spanish-Philippines in the morning,  Chinatown-Philippines for lunch, and Hollywood (American)  cum “Urban/Modern” Philippines late afternoon till early evening.  The “Philippines-Philippines” episode can wait till they get their walking feet to Bicol starting with an off-chance,  late-in-the-season Butanding Interaction in Donsol, Sorsogon.

I enjoy meeting new friends.  Jan and Polona are from Slovenia and belong to my other “community” at TravelBlog. Young, full of energy, and eager to know the Philippines .  And I was just as eager to introduce our country, our culture to them. So we began the morning with a tour of Fort Santiago and a drive-through Intramuros.  The latter deserves another leisurely afternoon.

Fort Santiago

There are heaps of good write-ups on Fort Santiago.  And blogs matched with stunning photography of this “walled city”.  I brought my rusty Point & Shoot Camera just so I can take souvenir shots with my young Slovenian friends.   My young Slovenians surprisingly did their homework and knew enough about our national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, and about his last days in Fort Santiago.  No need for any history lessons.  These travelers, as opposed to tourists, know their stuff.   It was I who was sufficiently surprised.  Inside the Rizal Shrine ,  they took their time reading “Mi Ultimo Adios”.   I must confess I never went past the “Adios Patria Adorada, Region del Sol Quirida”  stuff.  😦

Amazingly, there was a translation of Mi Ultimo Adios in other languages.  Jan and Polona painstakingly read through some, especially the one translated in Czech.   Even as translated,  they were quite impressed with the many talents of our national hero.  Having visited many other countries,  they were pleased to find that our own is a man of peace.  And not another military chief or warrior who liberated the country from oppressors.  This gave another perspective of allowing one’s self to be impressed about the power of the pen.   How a philosophy, an ideology can move people . How it can enlighten and liberate an entire race to think on its own.   Of his many talents,  Dr. Jose Rizal certainly used the power of the pen to give life to common sentiments heretofore repressed.

There are times when I feel sentimental and wax poetic.  Moments when I find myself reading and taking pleasure in reading poems.   No favorite poets for me.  I read whatever takes my fancy.   But “Mi Ultimo Adios” ?  I never gave it a chance.  I do not know why.  Perhaps because it was part of the school curriculum and I associated it with the obligatory history lessons.   Thanks to Jan and Polona, I rediscovered the beauty, the wisdom and the rhythmic beat of Rizal’s patriotism in this farewell poem.

“I die when I see the sky has unfurled its colors 
And at last after a cloak of darkness announces the day; 
If you need scarlet to tint your dawn, 
Shed my blood, pour it as the moment comes, 
And may it be gilded by a reflection of the heaven’s newly-born light.”

Shame on me.  To have someone from a foreign land teach me a lesson on appreciation of one’s own.   This stanza was nearly “alien” to me. As I said,  I hardly went beyond the “Adios Patria Adorada” line.  Yet Rizal’s passion and patriotism resonated with these lines of poetic candor.


“If upon my grave one day you see appear, 
Amidst the dense grass, a simple humble flower, 
Place it near your lips and my soul you’ll kiss, 
And on my brow may I feel, under the cold tomb, 
The gentle blow of your tenderness, the warmth of your breath.”

Lovely. Simply lovely.  He may be a doctor of medicine. A hero.  A painter.  A sculptor. An engineer.   And more.  But in my book, he is  a poet par excellance.

This is my entry to the PTB Blog Carnival celebrating Dr. Jose P. Rizal’s 150th birthday with the theme “Rizal and Travel”, hosted by Ivan Henares .

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Typhoon Signal #2 @Camsur Water Complex in Naga

Filed under: Philippine Travels, Travel, travels — 4 Comments
May 25, 2011

So, there’s a typhoon?  I looked out the window of our hotel in Legazpi City and Mount Mayon beckoned in all her majesty. No hiding behind clouds.  Sun’s up,  and you can view the entire volcano.  Pretty sight.  It wasn’t even raining today!  By the time we packed our bags to leave towards Naga ,  we made a mental note of returning to this hotel if we don’t find any decent lodgings in CWC or in Naga.  I know, it is a good hour’s drive.  But hey, we are on vacay! Surely, we can go back and forth wherever our hearts take us.

 

 

I grew frustrated trying to book a family trailer in Camsur Water Complex (CWC) in Pili near Naga City.   I have heard so much about the place attracting such an international crowd that I logically assumed it would be of global standards.   The photos of CWC were so inviting even for non-wakeboarders like us.  Plus : It should be a novelty sleeping in a transformed container van.  And it would be a thrill to try wakeboarding too.   But dealing with the Reservations Desk was an ordeal. (Calling Governor L. Ray!)

 

A good book, bed weather, a bottle of beer, a cool breeze. The pool can wait!

 

I made online inquiries and finding that there is a family trailer available even for one night (I tried booking for 2 nights),  I labored to book it on that free night.  Five e-mails.  A couple of calls.  Several text messages to their published mobile number.  I got 2 replies, each one saying a family trailer is available for one night.  I kept repeating that I was actually BOOKING it.   How frustrating.  How tiring.  Lost all energy.  I gave up.  Thought we’d just try our luck when we get to Pili, Camsur.

 

 

As it turned out,  Typhoon Signal #2 in Bicol Region was a blessing in disguise.  No problem. Just Opportunities.   Many cancelled their bookings.  The scheduled Beauty Pageant to be held in CWC may even be cancelled at the last minute , depending on how the weather conditions improve or deteriorate.  Imagine finding these ladies in their bikinis (woot! woot!) ,  all made-up,  hair carefully permed ,  walking around in their silver high heeled sandals.  🙂

 

 

So we found ourselves reaching CWC and learning we can have the family trailer van for 2 nights. Yey! We were happy, even if the lady behind the Desk didn’t look happy to have us.  (Calling Gov. L-Ray…..)  The Family Trailer looked just the way I expected it.  The children expected it to have wheels though.  :))   The vans were painted blue, green or red.  We got the red one.   The painting is almost faded,  and the kitchen cupboards are in dire need of repair.  Who said this CWC place is new?   The entire place looks nice. Up close though,  your heart breaks that the place may not look as good if the property is not managed well. And they sure have an issue with ants all over the place.   A stray cat even visited us the following morning, whom the kids fed.  Nicknamed “Bob”,  he was our pet for 2 days.

 

No takers?

 

We checked out the Lago del Rey.  No one’s wakeboarding.  Who would?  Everyone is expecting the typhoon to hit land anytime now.   Armed with a good book,  I soon took over a corner from where I enjoyed reading with a bottle of beer and a cool breeze.   Lights were dimmed in this area, even if they call it a dining place.  So I just concentrated on my drink instead.  At least the waiting staff here were very friendly and efficient.  Their pizza, grilled vegetable salad,  barbeque,  and whatever else we ordered were good.  I am pleased.  Pleased enough to forget my reservations ordeal and  “not-so-warm welcome”. Before long, I found myself heading for those huts for a good rub. On a rainy afternoon, what beats that?

 

 

When we got back to our trailer home,  my niece and nephew-in-law got ready to sleep in the “Master’s Bedroom” while my 2 grandchildren each took over the twin beds on the other end of the trailer van. Each one of them too excited to sleep ALONE on their bunk.   Where does that leave their doting grandma? Poor Mamu  😦

 

 

And so it was agreed that Mamu will sleep with the not-so-little girl the first night,  and with the not-so-little boy the 2nd night.  Problem solved.

 

Goodbye, Bob the Cat

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Seismic Mayon On A Cloudy Day

Filed under: Philippine Travels, Travel, travels — 3 Comments
May 24, 2011

That grand old dame has her moods.  Last time I visited, I only had a glimpse of her peak while cruising out of Legazpi City southbound for Donsol.   Oh, the frustration!  Imagine Cagsawa Ruins without Mayon.  Most of the time,  Mount Mayon hid behind clouds, peeking out for a few seconds or a full minute, only to hide again.

 

 

Not this time.  I must have repeated myself countless times that Mt. Mayon is not like what it has been the one week we were in Bicol.   But there she was.  In all her majesty.  Looking gloriously lovely, even on a cloudy day.  As if teasing the gods since Typhoon Signal #2 was declared in the area.   The clouds would pass, but the lady is set to make her appearance. She showed up from all the corners of Legazpi City, from Cagsawa Ruins to Daraga Church up on a hill. From Lignon Hills to halfway around Mayon Skyline.   She stood there.  Ever present.  Set to make her majestic appearance.   Like no one, no typhoon could stop her.

 

Taken from Mayon Skyline

 

The morning they declared Typhoon Signal #2, we looked out the window of Villa Amada Hotel where Mayon stood guard while our not so little ones were sound asleep.   Deciding to make it a lazy day,  we even managed a day trip to Mayon Skyline.   Zigzagging up, we passed many children waving hello to us.  Unlike my last visit when it was cold and foggy,  the entire lake and the top peak of Mayon were both visible.   We made it!   The children were frustrated the Planetarium was closed (despite the sign that says “Welcome. We are open.”) and that there wasn’t much to do at the halfway resthouse.  All that zigzagging, for nothing.   But it was well worth the trip especially for me who missed this panoramic vista the last time. Intensified seismic activity you say?  Oh ok.  We’re heading down now.   Thanks for the warning.

 

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Traveling Without An Itinerary? Eating With No Mercy!

Filed under: Philippine Travels, Travel, travels — 18 Comments
May 22, 2011

“Tourists don’t know where they’ve been, travelers don’t know where they’re going.”  — Quote from Paul Theroux

 

I only managed to book the first 2 nights of our week-long holiday.   In fact,  just the one night.   At the last minute, I arranged to book 2 nights in the same place in Donsol.  After that,  I grew tired explaining to the children that we don’t know where we’d stop for a night or two, and which hotel or inn we’d stay in.  You should see them.  Those eyes growing bigger, to express surprise, a tinge of nervousness maybe,  and utter despair that this time around, their grandma has no answers.

 

 

We found a good coffee place in Daraga, Albay with wifi to bring us back to the safety and comforts of this digital environment.   While we sipped our lattes, exotic shakes (think pili and sili!) and cappuccinos,  I checked out the hotel on the second floor of the building which houses both Bicol Blends Cafe and 1st Colonial Grill.  Same owners.  Same cheery staff.   Villa Amada Hotel has family rooms.   Two adjoining rooms with a connecting door.  Lots of space.  And a window that looks out to Mayon Volcano.  Perfect!   I booked the next 2 nights.

 

Family Rooms: 1 room with Queen Bed connects to 2nd room with twin beds

 

And so it went that we spent 2 nights in Donsol and another 2 nights in Daraga/Legazpi City.  The children are happy.  They slept well. They also ate well as the menu offerings downstairs at 1st Colonial Grill and Bicol Blends Cafe are exactly what they hanker for.   Until they remembered we still had the remainder of the week in Bicol.  Where to sleep the next few nights before heading home?

 

Tinapa Rice from 1st Colonial Grill

Buco Chopsuey @1st Colonial Grill. Goes well with tinapa rice!

 

As Typhoon Signal #2 was declared in the Bicol Region,  the poor weather condition was the least of  their worries.   We still had to get bookings for our Naga stay.  But there’s a lot to do to keep them busy. And there’s a lot of serious eating to be done too. We pigged out in 1st Colonial Grill down below the hotel. This is also where we can have our free breakfast — goes with the rooms we booked.   And then finish off with gourmet, exotic coffee and shakes at the Bicol Blends Cafe beside it.  The owners of Villa Amada Hotel and 1st Colonial Grill are one and the same.  Bicol Blends Cafe is owned by the son of the family.   Pretty soon,  I would be cornering a corner at the coffee shop. Slurping good coffee while surfing the Net.

 

Sili Shake, anyone?

Small Talk Cafe

 

We also found time to drive by Small Talk Cafe to take out some pasta and pizza to eat back in the hotel. We figured that if the weather conditions worsen,  we would be better off in the hotel than eating out to savor this fusion cuisine.  Ever heard of Pasta Mayon?  That is laing-filled ravioli.  How about laing pizza , or pasta pinangat? And there’s the Pili Pasta with Basil. Yummy! We ordered all these plus the more traditional pizza margherita and cappriciosa (combination pizza) for the kids.  While waiting,  we couldn’t help but check out what were being served in the next table.  Before long, we were trying out their pili pie and mud pie.   Not bad at all!  Amazing how this small cafe fuses italian goodies with local cuisine centered on pili nuts, coconut cream and chilies.   By the time we made our way back to Villa Amada Hotel,  we were ready for the typhoon with all our takeout goodies.  What gluttons we were!  No mercy.

 

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Ziplining Before A Big(g) Meal @Embarcadero

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May 21, 2011

Our very first day in Legazpi City and the first order of the day was this adrenaline-pumping activity.  Sort of  like a prelude to next day’s Butanding Interaction in Donsol.

 

It was  a Sunday.  Soon after hearing mass at the Albay Cathedral, we proceeded to the Embarcadero de Legazpi.   It was too early for lunch.   We pondered what to do before our big meal at Bigg’s Diner, that famous Bicol food chain.  The cable lines beckoned.   From the Embarcadero “tower”,  across the waters, down to that mound of earth at the end.  Should we?

 

The entire family minus one queued up for the zipline.   The 2 kids are ziplining in tandem with 2 adults.   At the last minute, the older kid asked to go solo.  Fine.  Brave.   We waited till an earlier batch of teens got through.   Then one of these teens began cursing , and cussing, and screaming as he ziplined down.   Either he wanted to grab attention,  tried to be “cute” or simply had a bad mouth.  For sure, he wasn’t scared.   So it could be all of the 3.   All that was enough to drive my grandson nearly  out of his wits as he had second thoughts about this daredevil activity.   Damn.   Oops, no cussing.   In the end, he was persuaded to go through with it in tandem with his mom.  But not without reciting the Lord’s Prayer in its entirety.  Phew!

It was over even before we were ready to quit.   Enough adrenaline rush for a big meal at the famous Bicol foodchain.   This American-inspired, Hollywood-ish diner beats McDonald’s anytime of day.   Spag and chix for some of the  adults, while the “babies” craved for their baby back ribs.  My not-so-little boy nearly begged for a second serving.   Wow. That zipline must have really revved up their appetite.

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A Little Bit of Elvis, A Little Bit of Maria Clara ;-)

Filed under: Philippine Travels, Travel, travels — 9 Comments
May 20, 2011

I wasn’t feeling so “wasted” after all.  The Pahiyas Festival in Lucban, Quezon was truly a must-do destination.  After all these years, I finally got there.  But not without some sidetrips.

 

 

The Ultimate Philippines Tours brought us to Graceland Estates and Country Club in nearby Tayabas, Quezon.  This was a sprawling estate so named because…………. Need I tell you?  All of ten hectares, featuring a Burnham Park-ish lake complete with small boats,  an al fresco restaurant overlooking the lake, and I hear some eco-trails  meandering around the vast property.   Soothing for the soul.   If only the heat wasn’t so annoying!

 

 

As our bus passed Palaisdaan sa Tayabas featuring floating tables  at a time when hunger pangs reminded us of this obligatory activity, we felt almost sorry the bus didn’t stop to  unload us.  But our uber cool local guide Tina Decal was right.  With all those buses and vans parked right outside,  we can certainly do with some peace and quiet.  We were relieved to be away from the crowds at this time of day and spend a leisurely, peaceful lunch in Graceland Estates and Country Club in the same town.   No, there was no Elvis Presley crooning while we enjoyed our lechon (thanks, Tina!), hardinera ,  corn soup, fish fillet and veggies.  But we cooled enough to get ready for another afternoon of exploring other towns of Quezon.   Oh sure, the buko (young coconut)  a la mode (with ube ice cream!) made our day.   And I am saying that even after having “sprayed” ube ice cream all over my white shirt.  Now, don’t ask me how I did that!

 

Having changed into another cotton shirt,  I was ready with the rest of the troop for Sariaya.  We skipped the Mahoyan Festival as we had no energy for the suman-throwing spectacle.  Instead,  we dropped in on some of the ancestral houses in Sariaya, Quezon and relived the glorious and rich past of the coconut barons of Sariaya.

 

 

The Sariaya Coconut Barons

If Negros had their sugar tycoons,  this quaint farming town at the foot of Mount Banahaw had its share of coconut or copra barons!   Judging by the number and ownership of the heirloom houses in the area though,  the wealth derived from coconut/copra farming was limited to a few families.   And so, while Negros had their Jalandonis, Lacsons, Locsins, Gascons, Hofilenas and what have you………Sariaya had their Rodriguezes, the Galas, the Enriquezes, the Alcalas, the Arguelleses.

 

We visited 2 of these ancestral houses. Both beautifully preserved by the descendants of these prominent citizens of Sariaya circa 1920s or so.   Pre-war.   Money was soooo good they built these mansions.  In the case of the Gala-Rodriguez House,  this Art Deco House was built for an ailing wife and mother of 7 children only for the wife to die without seeing the house completed.   This same mansion housed the office of the chief of the Imperial Army during the Japanese Occupation. There are stories about how this Japanese Army officer liked the  beautiful daughter that the family had to hide her in the cellar whenever the Chief is around.  Our local tour guide didn’t miss pointing to us the hidden passageway to the cellar right under the family’s dining table.   Since it was the HQ of the Japanese forces in this area,  this same house was a target of the US forces.   The story goes that a bomb was dropped at the back part of the house.   That big hole created by the dropped bomb is now a swimming pool separating the Mansion to an area where refreshments are served.

 

 

From the Gala-Rodriguez House, we took the back gate to walk around town and witness the Agawan Festival.  The houses here are not as lavishly decorated as the houses in Lucban for the Pahiyas Festival. We also didn’t see the “kiping” rice wafers that were used to make “aranyas” and other buntings in Lucban.  Instead, we found loot tied to bagakays on display.  As soon as the procession and the blessings are done,  the crowds grab the loot from these young bamboos called bagakay.   Too tired to join the crowds around the procession,  I watched from another heirloom house around the corner.

 

 

Rodriguez House , now called Villa Sariaya,  is such a lovely ancestral house.   With its wide and many windows lining the walls from the living room through the dining and kitchen areas,  we were thankful for the breeze that would pass in through one wide window and out another.   The family of Don Catalino Rodriguez  was also in town and the great grandchildren paraded before us in Filipiniana costumes and friar outfits, much to our delight.  The entertainment turned hilarious when some in our group donned similar Filipiniana outfits (they are rented out for only P300) for a “photo-shoot”.  What a nice interactive activity to end the day!   All these we enjoyed while partaking of the local snacks — tamales, jacobina, lemonada, etc.   Somehow, we were reminded of how life was a century ago.  Life without internet, digicams, cellphones, DVDs, etc.  A life when money was better spent on………..mansions and all those parties hosted in those pre-war days.  Oh,  life must have been real good then.   The Maria Claras of that era surely didn’t miss Elvis Presley. 😉

 

Thank you Tina and Spanky, for a wonderful day in Quezon!   If I were to spend another day sleep-starved and in punishing heat ,  I will spend the day with you guys.  Cheers all around!

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“Wasted” In Lucban’s Pahiyas Festival

Filed under: Philippine Travels, Travel, travels — 12 Comments
May 16, 2011

Even after a good night’s rest, I still feel so tired after yesterday’s Pahiyas Festival.  Been wanting and planning to do this trip each year for the last decade or so, but never got to go till yesterday.  So there I was, uncomplaining, even if it meant waking up at 2 am. Come to think of it,  ‘waking up’ is not exactly the appropriate term .  Knowing we had to meet at Starbucks 6750 in Makati and leave at exactly 3 am,  I was so afraid to doze off and miss my tour.   I once looked at my alarm clock the night before,  set at 2am,  and thought there’s still a chance to manage 3 hours of sleep.  Guess what. I kept looking at that watch every 20 minutes or so till it was time.  😦

 

 

 

On our way to Lucban, we had to make an unscheduled stop to check this whacking noise under the bus. It disturbed me so that I failed to catch up on my sleep on the 3 hour drive.  Just the same, we reached Lucban around 6:30am just when the bands were starting to get ready to march.  Early enough to be allowed to park nearer town,  it was an easy walk to Cafe San Luis where we partook of a breakfast of Lucban Longganiza,  scrambled egg, tinapa and garlic rice.   I would have wanted my egg sunny side up and another piece of the tinapa, but it was too early to complain. Lol.  🙂

 

 

After breakfast,  I found a small group to walk around with.  We took to the main street and headed for the Church, then easily found ourselves along streets with colourful Pahiyas decorations.  My first time.  And even after breakfast, I was thinking “Pancit HabHab, Hardinera, and More Lucban Longganiza”.   I have to admit I remember a better-tasting, more crispily-fried (with minced pork bursting through the skins) lucban longganiza than the ones I had for breakfast.   But that’s fine.  Just walking along these streets,  you get enough longganizas to smell like one.

 

 

How nice that the people of Lucban preserved this tradition all through the years.  Next time,  I would be here much earlier to see how they actually work on the decorations and then transform their homes to these colourful , very original and creative decor.  A family effort, they say, to showcase what each family’s livelihood is.  A way of offering thanks for their blessings.  I will not even bother to complicate the reason for this festival — it is simply, a celebration of gratitude for what we have.

 

 

There are many young bloggers out there,  perhaps arriving just when our group was preparing to leave. Am I glad we came before mid 6am and enjoyed the walk early morning.  Towards noon,  the sun threatened to burn our shirts and skins sooo bad that I took whatever liquids I found here and there.  We had to walk a good half hour to reach our bus , meeting many tourists and locals braving the midday sun’s heat.   When we reached our bus,  the driver and a mechanic were still busily working on the bus.  Poor men.  While the airconditioning inside the bus was running,  we pitied the men working just outside just to make sure we drive safely.  Gratitude.  That was the day’s theme.

 

 


 

And so, I leave to others the duty of writing more about the Festival. Or posting better photos.  I am way too tired, even now.  I am preparing to go back to sleep.  Or just prop a book on my lap while sipping a good brew.  Gratitude.  You guys do the writing.  Mamu is all ‘wasted’ after yesterday.   Ta Ta. (Thank you, Spanky and Tina. Wow, 20 hours, straight!  You guys are tops.  Thanks too to our bus driver. )

 



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Memories: Random Acts of Kindness

Filed under: Travel, travels — 9 Comments
May 13, 2011

Thought I’d stay home today. It’s Friday the 13th.  So. Where’s Freddy Krueger?

“When the joints ache,

when the hips break,

When the eyes grow dim,

Then I remember the great life I’ve had,

And then I don’t feel so bad.”

The other day, I thought of my favorite things.  Feeling “Julie Andrews”.  More so when I had to fetch my granddaughter from swim school with my red umbrella. 😀  But really, just thinking of all my favorite things busts any lists.   Even thinking of my favorite “travel-related” things or events or moments can easily fill up a list. No Top Ten list for me here.  It just wouldn’t be fair.  There were far too many random acts of kindness here and all over the world that I still vividly remember to this day.  And these were random acts of kindness from strangers.  Complete strangers.  I did not even bother to get their names.  The ones I got, I promptly forgot. Quick kind acts;  instant good deeds. As the good book says:   ASK, BELIEVE AND CLAIM!  You guys pray for angels before and while traveling? I do. All the time.  And it never fails to amaze me the many shapes, forms and “colors” of the angels sent my way.

No Top 10 List.  But 2 stand out, worthy of mention.

Back in 1986. I was in Scotland for a weekend. Right in the middle of winter.  Trained in from Bradford, England.  Walked around Inverness and decided to join this local tour around Loch Ness.  You know, that famous monster the size of a dinosaur that claimed a whole lake as its official residence?  Well, Nessie the Monster that was. Or is.  The local tour cost me £7 back in ’86.  Not cheap ,  based on my cash-starved pockets at the time.   I was sleeping in pension houses for only £8 a day (low season), and that goes with that very heavy English (or Scottish)  breakfast which is about the only proper meal of the day for me.

The local tour is like a family outing.  The driver cum tour guide with his blue van, and all 8 of us “kids” at the back. Yeah, that’s how he called us.  He, without a name.  Lol. Sounds like a Lord Voldemort line from Harry Potter. 🙂 But he was really a nice guy, acting out like a dad to us “kids”.  He made 2 stops before proceeding to the lake.  He also divided us into 2 groups of 4 members each.  Each group was given a grocery list.  I was with the 1st group, and promptly took over the shopping assignment.  Bread, cheese and some cold cuts.   The 2nd group was assigned to take care of the drinks.  Hot choco, water and orange juice.  We were having a picnic by the lake………IN WINTER!

Have I managed to bore you with all these details?  Alright, I’d get on with it.  The local tour guide finished his job. We who paid £7 each were satisfied.  When it was over,  he who has no name invited me and another Fil-Am, and a Brazilian to his house for lunch.  Not one to pass up a free meal (cheapskate!),  we accepted the invitation without thinking why we 3 were singled out and the other 5 were not invited.  It was a simple but filling lunch. Some kind of meat loaf dished out by his charming, hospitable wife who was just as surprised as we were to be invited to their home. Over cups of steaming hot tea (with milk),  he who has no name told us a story.  He used to be with the army.  Had stints in the Philippines and somewhere in South America (not Brazil).   He said he met locals who have shown him random acts of kindness which he will never forget.  Not much details.  But there it was, pure sincerity.   And then, he fishes wads of bills from his pocket and told us not to take offense but he would be returning our payment of £7 each.  He said it was the only way he knew how to return the “favor”.   Imagine that!  I got a free tour, a picnic and a free lunch.   Yet more than that is what stuck in my mind. All these years,  I have been conscious of the chances, the opportunities to “return the favor”.   Let those random acts of kindness roll…………all around the world.

Nanjing Misadventure

The 2nd random act of kindness happened in Nanjing, China.  Yes,  that’s where I had this freaky accident.  But I don’t want to spoil my Scotland monologue with this 2nd story.  Perhaps you should read it another time.  Dwell on the Scotland story and he who has no name.   If I can sketch,  I can illustrate every facial feature of this kind charming man. Think about it.  He was my angel.  The girl who has the knack for ending up with her last US$20 in her pocket back in those days.  Or take weekend trips at the height of winter because lodgings and tours are way cheaper then. A sucker for low-season deals.

When you’re done and care to know the 2nd story,  come read about my Nanjing Misadventure.  

P.S. Back in those pre-digicam days, I took very few photos of my trip because having the films developed cost a fortune.  I also had with me the cheapest camera you can find, as these blurry photos show.  But I wrote my travel journals even then.  Diaries. That’s what they were called.  Not blogs. After many years, I am now able to publish them! What’s that? I should keep it private? TMI? Who cares? I’m too old to keep secrets.   🙂

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