Palawan Series: Culion

A former leper colony - this was the only thing I knew about Culion before I stepped foot in Palawan. It's not your usual tourist destination so people don't talk about it. But when I went there last March for Sidetrip Travel Magazine's coverage for its summer issue (out this May), I fell in love with the quaint coastal town.

Yes, it usually isn't on the regular tourist map but it's worth a trip. It has the requisite Palawan natural attractions like sunbleached isles, mangrove swamps, and hidden falls but what sets Culion apart is its intangible beauty. Culion and its people exude a certain kind of strength and pride owing to their history. Walking through its narrow town roads, you can feel a sense of triumph in the air and it's most evident when you talk to locals who, at one point in their lives, have experienced the stigma of being afflicted with leprosy or knowing or living with one.

But Culion has managed to overcome it all - the disease (Culion has been leprosy-free for years), the stigma, and the disregard to embrace the wonderful possibilities nature and history has laid out before her. And so, I think it's apt that I show here not the usual tourist attraction photos as well but beautiful pictures that reflect Culion's hope, spirit, and beauty.

A new dawn awaits Culion...


Photos by Joseph Manayan

My Happy Thought

Needles, especially of the medical kind, scare me. I detest injections (who doesn't?). IV (intravenous) medications are torturous and whenever I have to undergo them, I have to have a warm and strong hand to hold on to during the excruciating process, almost always Mama's comforting hand. That and a happy thought I can drown myself in.

Early Monday dawn (while Bebeng was ravaging Manila and other parts of Luzon), I had an IV medication for a major allergy attack stemming from a pain reliever I took. It was the first time I needed something much stronger than my tried and tested regular antihistamine drug. I was beyond anxious and I started snapping at the slow emergency room (ER) nurses and firing questions at the attending doctor, who looked way too young to be in the ER (she turned out to be nice when I calmed down but I still believe she shouldn't be at the ER yet).

I was holding my tita's niece's hand (they brought me to the ER) when the nurse started checking for the "right" vein. She finally found one after two painful attempts but all the while I was very much aware it wasn't Mama's hand I was holding (for her own sake by the way, I conveniently omitted the ER part when I told her about my allergy attack) so I desperately tried to find a happy thought I can latch on to to take my mind off the grim scenarios running in my head. It didn't take long to find my happy thought.

Yoah was my happy thought (no, not Charlie the Cow). I relived his vibrant laughter in my head, the teasing way he says "Mommmmmmyyy," the mischievous twinkle in his eyes, our quiet reading times and rough and noisy plays, and the feel of his soft, little body tucked lovingly into mine. Before I realized it, the IV medication was almost over and a tingly feeling was rushing over me, trying to lull me to sleep but I fought it. I was busy pestering the young doctor to take my vital signs again and again and (unsuccessfully) assign a nurse to just watch over me the entire time.

I've already recovered from that episode, thank you, Lord, although I'm still going to be under medication for the next several days. But that experience made me realize how powerful prayer is, that I should really be more health conscious and actively doing something about it, and lastly, it is important to have a happy thought always.

And Yoah is my happy thought - he inspires, motivates, and drives me. He keeps me strong and centered in the face of challenges and fear. I can only wish I will also be his happy thought if and when he needs one.

Big thanks to my tita, her sister, and niece for taking care of me and to my childhood friend, Doc Gabby, for cheering me up and the wonderful (and sometimes shocking) pieces of advice :)

P.S.
Will continue my Palawan Series very soon. Please bear with me :)

Palawan Series: Coron

This is the first of my Palawan series blog posts - my favorite places, most unforgettable experiences, and the interesting people I've met along the way during Sidetrip Travel Magazine's coverage of the country's Last Frontier.

Hope you enjoy these behind-the-scenes stories and photos of our exciting journey to Palawan. And (warning, shameless plugging ahead), please humor me by getting a copy of Sidetrip Travel Magazine out in leading bookstores by early May :)

Coron was our first stop and we stayed at Coron Gateway Hotel, right by the harbor.

Loved their spacious bathroom with a sliding door between the tub and the bedroom. When staying in a hotel or inn, the bathroom is the first place I check. A clean bathroom, however small, is important for me.

Check out Coron town proper's Hollywood-style signage. Taytay, a mainland municipality, also has a similar sign.

This is Jun, our Tagbanua assistant boatman/guide. He's my favorite among all the boatmen we've met - friendly, helpful, and polite. He told me the enchanted tale of Coron Island's biggest lake, Cabugao.

Joseph, our photographer, navigating the rickety steps going out of Barracuda Lake.

The last flight of steps out of Barracuda Lake. Another tourist boat is docked waiting for their turn to go inside.

Meanwhile, this is the rocky ascent going to Kayangan Lake, one of the country's cleanest inland lakes.

Spectacular view halfway to Kayangan Lake. After this breathtaking rest stop, we had to go down another rocky trail before reaching Kayangan Lake but it's all worth it.

And these are my top two most favorite persons I've met during the trip:

Cheena Pe, the charming and hardworking official representative from Provincial Tourism Office, and Joseph Manayan, our kind and tireless official photographer. Most of the photos you see here and in the succeeding Palawan posts are by him, especially the nice ones. If they're blurry or overexposed, I probably took them. ;)

Next post will be about Culion. Will try to blog one place every week. :)

Enjoy the long weekend ahead!

Valentine Vanities

I had a fun Valentine's celebration with the most fabulous single friends. Ok, that sounds a tad defensive with even the slightest tinge of bitterness. Let me rephrase - I had a fun and fabulous Valentine's shindig with fantastic friends. Better?

I did have a wonderful day last February 14. It started over lunch with my childhood bestie P in Greenbelt, who surprised me with lusciously sinful chocolates. Eating our way through our favorite corned beef pandesal from Seattle's Best, we couldn't help but snicker at guys walking around with the biggest and most colorful bouquets. There were also the sweet (or practical?) ones casually holding a single stemmed rose in between their fingers. Only during February 14 do you see the most manly of men clutching flowers of all shapes and sizes close to their hearts.

By dinner time, the whole Valentine charade was unraveling in Rockwell. Tables were elegantly set up outside the stretch of Barcino to Gloria Maris with a stage for the guest tenor belting out classic love ditties. M, my witty straight guy friend, S, a power woman in her 30's, and I couldn't help but roll our eyes at the rose petals scattered on the tables and practically everywhere in another favorite, the Oyster Bar. Thankfully, the red wine was simply divine and the fireworks display breathtaking.

Next stop was Good Earth, our watering hole, a place synonymous with the word relaxing. There were no rose petals, heart shaped balloons, or giggling girls lugging around ginormous blooms. No special Valentine's menu or red-clad waiters in sight either; Good Earth didn't succumb to the holiday pressure. But the place was still packed with groups of friends laughing, drinking, and singing along to the resident acoustic band.

And to cap off this crazy commercial holiday, we had our picture taken with a local celebrity heartthrob (a first for the three of us, it must be said), hanging (or hiding?) out in ever reliable Good Earth. What the heck, it's Valentine's Day after all.

P.S.
I'm not a Valentine scrooge. My friends and I are just naturally blessed with an endearing acerbic wit ;)

Note to self:
Take photos next time. And not with celebrities.

Love at First Goal

It was totally unplanned. I didn't even see it coming. It happened so fast and there's no going back. Yes, I am now a self-confessed Azkals fan and it started just about 5 hours ago.

I admit, I didn't care about the Azkals before even when they were making headlines with their unexpectedly good showing at the Suzuki Cup. I used to enjoy watching basketball, cheered on World Cup championship teams, and played a little frisbee but I've never been a sports nut. Boxing doesn't even make it to my sports dictionary but the legendary Pacman does, obviously.

But the Azkals changed all that. I was screaming, jumping up and down, and simply losing it during their big game against Mongolia earlier tonight. The crowd's energy and excitement was amazing and very contagious. And when Caligdong scored the first goal everyone just went crazy. I'm sure the jubilant shouts from NSG reverberated all throughout Makati.

So, what makes the Azkals and football stand out? Why are we suddenly obsessed with these two? Because football could finally be the team sport we'll be truly excellent at and put the Philippines on the sporting world map. And the Azkals are doing a pretty good job of fueling that hope. And yes, it does help that the Azkals are so easy on the eyes and know how to do cartwheels.

Maybe we're a football nation after all. The thought thrills me no end.

Almost Death of the Free Spirit

Free Spirit - that was the title of this blog up until an hour ago. The blog description went something like this, "a thirst for adventure, a quest for the unknown...I am a wanderlust." Writing it now for all the world to see is making me cringe but as they say, to appreciate the present it's important to understand the past. Or is it the other way around?

Now, compare that to my current title and description above. It's like two absolutely different persons owning this blog. My point is, just like this blog, I have changed over the years. No, I didn't get C-cups and I still like men but motherhood and maturity that comes with every birthday happened.

I love where I am now. More settled and more confident with who I am, what I want to do, and where I want to be. There's a certain sense of certainty and peace in my life now. But nothing and no one's perfect, the free spirited girl is still inside me and comes out every once in a while. And guess what, I wouldn't have it any other way.

Yoah

10:10 a.m., August 13, 2007. I will never forget the time and date my life irrevocably changed forever. It was the day I went through the most amazing experience any woman could ever have - giving birth.

I had quite a journey during my pregnancy. No, I wasn't one of those women who threw up at the mere sight of "offensive" foods or had "impossible" cravings (a cousin of a friend harassed her husband no end for PERFECTLY SQUARE avocados). Physically, I had a relatively easy and uncomplicated pregnancy, labor, and delivery.

But, emotionally it was a different story. I was bursting with excitement when I first found out, at 7 weeks, that I was pregnant. It was surreal yet spiritual in a way. I was constantly in awe of the fact that there was another human being growing inside me. But then, hormones do really kick-in big time when you're pregnant. Plus, the fact that circumstances weren't really ideal and some things were just beyond my control made for a roller coaster ride of emotions, which I kept hidden well within me. No crying fits or wild tantrums for this girl.

But I'm past all those now. I am in a much better place than I've ever been in this lifetime and it all started that warm August morning.

Yoah is my pride and joy. Not until he came into my life did I realize that it is possible to feel so much love for another human being. I never thought that I would totally and completely love another as if it's the most natural thing in the world to do. I love my family and dearest friends very much but the love for one's child is of a different level, of a different kind. I realize now the wisdom of the mothers who came before me, who spoke of unconditional love as if they're just talking about a really normal and regular thing to do like grocery shopping.

Having him is by far, the best thing that's happened to me. I love every minute of being a mother and there's a sense of peace and serenity that motherhood has brought me. It is a humbling experience yet the most rewarding. One toothless smile, one touch from chubby little fingers, one look of recognition from those big, brown eyes, are enough to wipe away the fears, sorrows, and exhaustion of the day.

It really is a beautiful and blessed life.

Sagada

It was suppose to be my summer project but summer passed and it was still on my to-do list. I've heard and read so much about the natural beauty and serenity that Sagada offers that my curiosity and penchant for adventure was just piqued.

I have this fantasy, if you may call it as such, to travel to Sagada on my own and there, discover the quiet that I always crave for in this urban jungle I'm living in. I cannot wait to walk along the trails of this mountain hideaway and explore the caves that supposedly tell so much about our ancient past.

My friends tell me it's not safe to venture into Sagada alone especially if you're a girl and you've never been there before. But I've always had a stubborn streak and I've always loved going away by myself to some place unfamiliar. So, i guess my Sagada project is still on and definitely before the year ends. But who knows, I might ask my one of my girl friends-cum-travel buddy-cum-partner in crime to join my little adventure.

escape

i want to fly,
fly away
to the paradise of our own creation.
a hidden cove
of all our secret desires, hopes and joys.
an oasis in the desert,
quenching our thirsty souls.

The Cure-All

"The cure for anything is saltwater - sweat, tears, or the sea."
- Isak Dinesen

I came across this quote in a newspaper article detailing the coffeetable book of one famous Filipino fashion photographer (whose name ironically, escapes me now) where he tries to capture the essence of water using artful photographs of beautiful Filipina celebrities. And it just stuck on my mind from then on.

Those words of Isak Dinesen struck at me because I realized how true those words are. Well, for me, at least.

For the times I feel angry, hurt, tired, and just plain confused and lost, there are three things that do wonders for my bruised self. These three things never fail to make me feel good about my life and always put a smile to my face.

First, there's nothing like a good cry to make me feel better. Letting the tears fall somehow puts things in perspective and leaves me feeling lighter and brighter. And of course, to cap it off, a warm cup of coffee to celebrate the freedom brought about by my tears.

Second, scrubbing the bathroom floor or typing furiously away at my keyboard to finish reports, always prove to be therapeutic. All the pent-up emotions and energy within me find the much-needed release either through physical or mental activity. Nothing compares to the flushed and energized feeling afterwards, just like after a vigorous exercise.

And the best cure-all for me? The beach. There's a sense of serenity that the sun, sand, and surf bring to my soul. I am most at peace and freest hearing the waves softly crashing into the shore or dipping my toes into the salty, stinging water. My problems just seem to float away into the vast ocean, as if they weren't really there to begin with. After a stint at the beach, I come back to the urban jungle feeling like a whole new woman, ready to take on everything and anything.

So, i guess Isak Dinesen was really right. There's nothing that sweat, tears, and the sea cannot cure. With my three cure-alls, life really is beautiful. Well, for me, at least.