rain check on the road trip

A week after I went to Cebu I was planning to go on another trip with friends. We were supposed to go to Baguio, spend a day and a night there, and before going back to Manila pass by the Shrine of Our Lady of Manaoag in Pangasinan. But the trip did not materialize. Too bad. I wanted to have a road trip with friends very badly. Well, maybe next time . . .

Still waiting for the right bus at the terminal

back to cebu (day 3 and 4)

I had a big Continental breakfast to start the day. Then we walked along the whole stretch of the Alona Beach before picking a good spot for a swim. It was still early morning and the sun was not so hot yet. The water was cool but not cold.

We took the fastcraft back to Cebu before lunch. I was staring out the window the whole time, watching the water, wanting so much to be in it instead of speeding over it.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Back in Cebu I finally had a taste of their famous Lechon for lunch. It did taste different - the brown skin really crunchy, and inside the white flesh was dripping with juice. I could feel my arteries clogging up as I shared a quarter-kilo spread.

In the mid-afternoon we headed to the market to buy danggit and other pasalubong. We got a good price for the danggit and squid. We were happy with our purchases and I'm sure the three helpful sales ladies were happy about their sale also!

Dinner at Mr. A's had us loosening our belts. I drank most of the fruit punch and had my head in my hands the whole time as I told myself I can't possibly eat any more before reaching for another piece of fish.

Even if I was close to bursting, after dinner we headed off to the small eatery in front of V. Sotto Hospital. Both my co-intern (who had her clinical clerkship at V. Sotto) and my friend swore that the small eatery served the best siomai. They would not allow me to leave Cebu City the next day without trying it. So try I did, and I'm glad I did.

We walked around the corner after that to a place that used to be open rows of grills and tables. Once people had their barbecues, isaw, chicken feet, liver, hotdogs and almost anything you could put on a stick grilled and served to them under the night sky. But as more people came the city put a big tent over the area so that dining could continue even as it rained. This might have increased revenues but I think it was not a particularly good idea. Either exhaust fans and fumes hoods were absent or were not sufficient. The inviting lights and smell of grilled food was clearly overpowered by the thick smoke that made my eyes water even as we stood by the gate. We decided against entering and called it a night instead.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I left for Manila early the next morning, still quite full and undeniably very happy, vowing to come back for more.

still in bohol (day 2)

The sky was already dark. A light drizzle began as soon as we entered Carmen. We had our
umbrellas out and ready just in case it started to rain harder as we climbed more than 200 steps to the top of the Chocolate Hills viewing deck.

Looking up the steps I thought it was going to be easy. Yet, only a third of the way up I remember thinking to myself "No way am I taking my grandmother here!" I was already out of breath by then.

Still on the way up I was starting to envy the people going down

Only a couple of flights to the top , the rain started pouring down really hard. Already wet, we welcomed the cold, fresh air and still gamely took pictures under our umbrellas.

Rain at Chocolate Hills

Half an hour later the rain let up. Visibility improved and we tried to see as many of the 1,268 hills as we could.

Chocolate hills as far as the eye can see

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chocolate Hills was supposed to be our last stop but on the way back to Tagbilaran we stopped at Albuquerque to visit Prony, the largest python in captivity.

Prony was captured in 1996. At that time it was only 5 feet in length, weighing roughly 5 kilos. Now with a girth of more than 30 inches and weighing more than 200 kilos, Prony is not so tiny anymore.

Prony is guarded lovingly by Marimar, its gay "security guard", who regaled us with Prony's life story and big appetite. It is said that on certain occasions Marimar also entertains visitors as she sings in drag. I believe s/he also won the Miss Gay Bohol recently.

Marimar and Prony

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The drive back to Tagbiliran was quiet and pleasant. The nearer we got to Panglao Island the better the view became.

On the way to Panglao Island

Again, we had splurged and stayed at Panglao Paragayo Resort. The aircon room had two beds, a big bathroom and a shower with hot water. The price was reasonable but was still twice our usual budget. We had been so used to staying in dormitory type accommodations with common bathrooms that this was the height of luxury for us.

We still couldn't afford the beachfront resorts but we didn't even break a sweat taking the 500-meter walk down the beach.

It's funny how most resorts now had internet stations. After snorkeling and island-hopping it seems that foreign travelers went straight to the internet stations to blog about the day's events. (I suppose I'm not that much different from them)

Dinner (sizzling seafood, gambas, vegetables) was really good. And after the whole day's activities I didn't even need a night cap to put me to sleep.

Empty chairs and empty tables of a beachfront bar

off to bohol (day 2)

My second day on vacation started early. By 6:30 am we were already at the pier waiting for the fastcraft leaving for Tagbilaran City, Bohol.

The almost empty waiting area at the pier.

The SuperCat fastcraft was almost empty also

Embarking from the Tagbiliran pier the dark and sunburned "sea gypsies"(at least that's what I would like to call them) started rowing their boats nearer. Unfortunately, diving for coins thrown into the sea is now prohibited.

Sun-kissed sea gypsies

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We had splurged and booked a tour. Instead of commuting via bus, jeepney, or tricycle like we used to we had rented a car to take us around Bohol.

The first stop was the Blood Compact Site at Barangay Bool in Tagbilaran. This site marks the spot where Datu Sikatuna forged a treaty with Don Miguel Lopez de Legazpi. We were not the only tourists/travelers there early in the morning. It was actually difficult to take photos without having some other people walk across the frame and into the shot.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Baclayon Church, about 6 km from Tagbilaran City, is the second oldest stone church in the Philippines (the first being the San Agustin Church in Intramuros). The church was constructed in 1595 from coral stones held together by what must have been a million eggwhites.


The Baclayon Museum located within the convent contains a collection of vestments, religious relics and artifacts including sheets of church music printed in Latin on animal skin.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Of course, a trip to Bohol would not be complete if I did not get to see a tarsier. We came and saw a few feast on some crunchy bugs. I still like to joke about how they are cousins of both Gollum (LOTR) and Dobby (Harry Potter).

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We took the Loboc River Cruise after that. The river cruise and lunch buffet cost us P300 each. Although the buffet spread was not so bad there really wasn't anything to praise either. I wish they had more fresh fish, fruits and seaweeds. Para sulit my friend ate two platefuls of shrimp. Too bad I couldn't partake of the same. I'm allergic to shrimps.


We stopped midway through the ride to take pictures and to sing and dance with the kids on a bamboo raft.



More pictures from the ride:

Spending some down time on a relaxing ride

Two boys about to jump


A boy waiting

We were unable to stop by the Loboc Church and Museum, but we did get a glimpse of the facade from the river.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On the way to Chocolate Hills we passed by the man-made forest in Bilar. We didn't stop so I had to take pictures from the moving car. The sky was starting to get dark and it looked like it was going to rain.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To be continued . . .

cebu, five years later (day 1)

Five years after first envisioning the trip and five years after the actual planning I was finally able to whisk myself away from Manila with enough vacation time to spend in Cebu.

I had planned to take the trip with a friend before I entered medical school but in the flurry of activities regarding applications, interviews and enrolment the trip kept getting postponed. And as air fare and hotel accommodation money turned into payment for papers and application fees I lost all hope of actually going to Cebu.

Fast forward to five years later (which was two weeks ago), my friend now works in Cebu and I had just passed the physician licensure exam, there seemed no better time to hop on a plane and go to Cebu. Without even planning the trip I found myself there a few days later.

I flew via Cebu Pacific. The planes now left from NAIA Terminal 3 (no, nothing fell from the ceiling at that time) and I was in Cebu ten minutes earlier than expected.

I had lunch at Casa Verde (V. Ranudo St, Cebu City) where I gamely attacked the very generous portions of baby back ribs which were melt-in-your-mouth delicious. After that I made like a tourist and visited some of Cebu's well-known tourist spots. Of course, the church was the first stop.



Basilica Minor del Santo Niño was built on the site where an image of Santo Niño was found in 1565. The structure was razed by a fire soon after that and the church has been rebuilt and added to since then.

In January, during the Sinulog Festival, the grand procession of The Holy Image of Señor Santo Niño de Cebu comes to a halt in this church patio. In late August, the stage and the patio is closed, no drums beat and no colors adorn the space. It's almost sad.



After saying a short prayer of thanks, we headed to the Basilica del Santo Niño Museum. I did not expect such a small space to house so many different images of Santo Niño, including capes, clothing and accessories. Offerings for the Santo Niño overflowed from shelves and glass cases -- these included an assortment of jewelry, clothes, shoes and even toys. Also housed in the museum are highly embroidered vestments, carvings, ornate candelabras and old church documents written in Spanish.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Magellan's Cross in front of the city hall at Megallanes St. was our next stop. The cross was planted by Ferdinand Magellan in April 21, 1521 (hey, that's my birthday, definitely not my birth year).

The cross which we see today is also not the original one planted by Magellan. In the early years after Augustinian friars built a shrine for the cross, the natives were said to take wood chips from the cross. They believed that these chips held some miraculous power. A hollow wooden cross now encases the original one.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Taoist Temple at Beverly Hills was our third stop. There is something surreal and at the same time enlightening about visiting temples. There is a sense of the here and now. Yet at the same time there is a sort of distance, a detachment from one's self felt by a Christian not at all attuned with the religion. Sort of a Lost in Translation, the religion version.

A Korean tourist (right) stops to catch her breath after climbing the 81 steps (left).

Climbing up the 81 steps proved to be a mean feat. We stopped halfway to the top. The break allowed us to drink in the view of Cebu City.


Here are more pictures taken from the Temple grounds.

A painter making the old new again

Behold the dragon

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We run out of things to do later in the afternoon. We stopped and had coffee, exchanged news and gossip, and proceeded onto mall-hopping. National Bookstore was having it's big sale and I could not resist taking a peek. Half an hour later though, I went out of the store empty-handed.

I had dinner at a colleague's house. It was nice to see the whole family there. It was nice to see people who were centered and grounded. The dinner went well and I was happy to hone my social skills as I contributed a few interesting quips to get the conversation going.

My first day in Cebu had come to a close. Catching up with friends was a vital part of the trip. If I had to cut my trip short and go home the next day I would still have been more than satisfied.

To be continued . . .

finally done

Finally done . . . with the beginning.

Sept 14, 2008. Oathtaking of New Physicians. Plenary Hall, PICC
[Taken by the shaky hands of my grandmother]

looks just like the sun today

Finally, I'm a licensed physician. Tomorrow, along with around 1500 other new physicians I will take my oath. The oath that binds me to do no harm. Such an amazing position to be in. Yet, as I take a step back and take it all in, everything is not so rosy after all.

I am 28 years old. Status? Single, or I could also say "it's complicated". I am unemployed. I have no savings. I owe my uncle money. I owe my best friend money. My lease of contract on my apartment ends next month. I could end up anywhere after that. The small business I started with a bunch of friends is barely staying afloat. I have all but severed ties to most of my high school and college friends, med school friends, too. I barely make contact with my other so-called contacts.

From the start I was brought up to be the bright girl in the family. The one with so much potential. Now, all grown-up I am certainly above average, but so very far from being the best. I have accepted my second-rate status. However, this has not dampened my zeal for excellence. If anything, I strive harder not to be mediocre.

I have no role models. I do not have my father's ambition. I do not have my mother's optimism. I lack my sister's charm and good looks. I am not a people person like my brother.

If I am accepted in my residency training of choice I will not be able to travel for the next four years. I will be high on caffeine to get me through the sleepless nights. I will be helping people. I wonder if I will be happy.

I have the heart to for the Doctor's to the Barrios program. I do not have the strength and fortitude to last me the two years I have to spend in it.

If I take the USMLE, I will be freely floating, directionless for the years I wait to be matched to a program. I will eventually have to move in with family, take odd jobs, get to know myself in an entirely different setting I am unaccustomed to. For years, I have been living alone.

I do not want to leave the country. I am nationalistic. I follow rules, I obey. When I was working, I paid my taxes. But I am also a ball of contradictions. I hate politics. There is a flame of an anarchist in my heart. Yet, I love being organized. I love hierarchy and power.

Coffee and books are my addiction.

I have no future. My family is not my anchor.

I want to go on a long vacation. The clock is ticking. I am running out of time.

I have to put my foot down. I have to make a decision. I cannot make a decision when I do not know what I want.

For days it has been raining. Clouds everywhere. Lots of dirty laundry. My shoes are all wet.

No matter, I tell myself. No worries. This is just the beginning.

Because for me, it sure looks just like the sun today.